Based on a group of friends, a sleepover, a thunder storm, power outage, and a potential stalker? This was a super quick, easy read! It gave off Pretty Little Liars, written by Freida McFadden vibes. It was an interesting, fast-paced, YA thriller. It wasn't my favorite thriller, but it kept my attention!

{ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝 by Tracy Banghart}
•
•
Narrator(s): Angie Kane
Length: 7h 33m, 304p
Source: ALC/ARC - NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Macmillan, TBR & Beyond
Release Date: November 19, 2024
•
•
Jessa is the “perfect girl” and she’s okay with it…
…until a sleepover turns into a nightmare and the Perfect Girl becomes the target of a deadly stalker.

Think 90s slasher/thriller vibes, y’all.
The FMC, Jessa, was naive and a bit too much of a people pleaser.
It took about 77% of the story for her to catch on and start doing something.
The twists and turns were a bit predictable but nevertheless fun and thrilling.

The sweet little side romance was done well and added depth to the story.
Tiny’s side story also added quite a bit of drama as well.
I liked most of the characters and they each had just enough to bring them to life.

A quick, fun, reminiscent flashback to my youth and the pop culture phenomenon that gripped us all with urban legends and survival horror films.

🎧 NARRATION:
Angie Kane was fantastic!
I thought her voice paired well with our characters and she brought Jessa to life.
Well done production and all around 5 stars on the narration side.

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook & book. All reviews are my own.}

With a string of missing girls on the news, Jessa was too scared to stay home alone and planned a sleepover that quickly went wrong. The group quickly had to figure out how they were going to survive—and maintain their friendship along the way. As the layers of the story unfolded, the tension built and we were left to wonder if they would all make it through the night. It was such a chilling narrative that had me so worried for them the entire time.

Meanwhile Jessa was contending with her obsession with perfection and how it affected her relationship with everyone else—especially with her brother Josh, who can seemingly do no wrong in her parents’ eyes. Through this intense journey, she and the rest of the group all had some sort of a breakthrough and learned to focus on what really matters.

I definitely would have loved to explore a little more of the relationship between Jessa and her mother and maybe understand the villain’s origin story. Still! It had just the right balance of spooky and light moments that I loved reading it.

Thought I'm not usually one for YA horror/thriller - I have to admit that I kind of loved this book.

The story line gripped me immediately and the action was non-stop. And to add in a little teenage/high school romance?! Why not?

**Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.**

Perfect Girl
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(3.25)

I have received this as an eARC from Netgalley. I want to say thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Children’s Publishing & the author Tracy Banghart for the opportunity to read this before release!

This was a very quick read. It is a YA horror novel, which normally I don’t read this genre much, but it was a good read. It kept me on the edge waiting to find out what’s next, etc. This book was all kinds of what the f ?? at times. In a way I kind of already knew the answer of who was behind things but this was still a decent read even regarding that you kind of get an idea already of who it is.

I did enjoy the FMC because she had there internal battles of dealing with this whole perfect persona she has built for herself that everyone is aware of. She’s afraid of disappointing everyone when she realizes she doesn’t have her life planned out etc. (I related quite a lot to this part of her character which made her easy to like for me)

One thing that kind of rubbed me off the wrong way is how the one bisexual character is like written as dishonest in a way just because she isn’t out with her parents. Just cause someone isn’t out with everyone doesn’t mean they’re not bisexual or that they even owe it to tell everyone.

I think for me since this isn’t my normal genre of choice is why it wasn’t like a full 5 star rating, but if you enjoy horror/thriller a lot I can definitely see it being a higher rating for those who frequent in the genre.

Thank you again to Netgalley, Tracy, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for the opportunity to read before release!

This was a fun YA thriller, and such a quick and easy read. Although it was a little predictable, for me at least, because the villain gave me creepy vibes from the very beginning — it still had me on the edge of my seat at times. We had the perfect scene of a haunted house, in the middle of nowhere, during a storm when the power goes out 😳 Betty the ghost might just be my favorite character. I loved Jessa’s growth throughout the book, realizing that it’s absolutely okay to not always be the perfect girl and child.

Thank you to Tracy Banghart, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC! Available now.

While a horror, this book was relatable for me in terms of the main character. She was raised to be a “perfect” girl. Non-argumentative, demure, great at school, keeping the peace, etc. I definitely related to that as it’s something I’ve acknowledged about myself and am trying to break. I am allowed to take up space and I am allowed to feel emotions beyond neutral and happy. That is something I felt Jessa struggled with too.
Unfortunately, she gets trapped by someone who wants to keep her like a doll— the perfect doll. What was just supposed to be a fun sleepover, and her friend Tiny was presenting to be the troublemaker of the bunch, turns into a frightful night with a power outage, hauntings, kidnappings and other frights. The twist wasn’t surprising to me and I thought it was pretty straight forward, but it’s still terrifying to imagine anyone going through that.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for having me! Be sure to check out their website for the rest of the tour!

When reading this book a quote from Georgia Hardstark instantly comes to mind "F**k politeness."

This story gave a lot of the classic thriller vibes, a teenage girl sleepover, a bad storm that knocks out the power, no cell service, and missing girls that convince the parents to not leave their child home alone while their away...

Jessa has spent her whole life being the "perfect" girl and trying not to disappoint the people in her life. But sometimes being "perfect" can get you in trouble and being a "mess" is the only way to survive.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found that I related to Jessa in a lot of ways especially with being the "perfect girl" in high school. Highly recommend for anyone that is looking for a thrilling YA read.

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this ARC. 4.25 Stars

A haunted house, a huge storm, no cell service, Wi-Fi, or electricity: the perfect setting for a sleepover!

Perfect Girl is a new young adult horror novel by author Tracy Banghart, who pulls out all the stops to create the perfect backdrop for an innocent sleepover gone wrong. Realistic teen characters dealing with authentic, real-world problems are inadvertently caught up in someone’s deadly obsession with finding the perfect girl.

As if high school isn’t hard enough already?

The main character, Jessa Morgan, exudes cheer, charm, and kindness, but underneath, her joy is just a façade. She’s an extreme people pleaser, and her carefully curated, perfect persona is approaching its breaking point. While facing the fears the night brings, Jessa also confronts her overwhelming need to be all things to all people, which has been fueled from childhood by her mother’s hopes and high expectations. However, she’s not the only one in her circle who’s struggling. Alexis is bi, and it’s killing her that she hasn’t been able to reveal this to her parents. Another friend, Tiny, who has drifted away from their close-knit group, is secretly trapped in an abusive relationship with an older guy. Even Jessa’s brother, Josh, is dealing with issues. Long ago, he abdicated his role as the responsible firstborn to his younger sister, and he is also struggling with living up to his parents’ impossibly high expectations. With Jessa doing all the heavy lifting, he may have just given up even trying to match her successes at home and school.

There’s a sweet mutual crush developing between Jessa and Ryan, Josh’s best friend, but she’s too embedded in adhering to the standards of behavior from a more conservative time. She won’t make the first move, and he’s being held back by something that won’t let him clearly indicate his interest in her. But eventually, the courage is mustered to speak up.

In a concurrent storyline, six high school girls in nearby York have gone missing in as many months. The ongoing events of one such disappearance unfold through the eyes of the sixth missing girl. The storylines eventually converge, and the horrific truth is shocking.

The author establishes a tense, suspenseful setting with Jessa’s secluded house, which is mostly jokingly said to be home to a female teenage spirit, and her parents’ overnight absence. Situated on the edge of a woods with spotty cell service, at the best of times, Jessa and her sleepover guests, her brother, and his friend, Ryan, are further isolated when major storms roll in and take out the electricity. I was quickly caught up in the story, surprised by the plot twists, and entertained from start to finish.

I recommend PERFECT GIRL to readers of young adult horror stories and thrillers.

This book had all the things that really make a pretty decent and classic thriller. (Storm, sleepover, killer at large. Loved all of it.) Felt like I was immersing myself right into a movie. This also had heavy pretty little liars' vibes and I was here for it! Really happy that it wasn't very slow paced like a few thrillers I've been reading lately, it was exactly what I needed and wanted from this book. While the writing wasn't anything spectacular, it did the job, and I really enjoyed it. Typically, I see the twists coming, but this time I was pleasantly surprised and really that's all I want in a thriller book. There were some cringey parts and a few things I thought were not necessary, but overall, I enjoyed it and had fun with it!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I breezed through this book! It’s fast-paced, keeps you engaged, and holds your attention from start to finish. It’s the ideal binge read if you’re seeking something quick and entertaining. The added point of view truly enhanced the story.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me - I felt that your disbelief had to be SO suspended and I also just don't like the trope of "everyone thinks I'm so prim and proper" which like, okay, maybe that's on me, it's literally in the title. But we are told a lot that her mom is super weird about dirty nails and looking sloppy but there's nothing in the text to actually back that up? Also the whole killer situation was just weird. Idk, not for me, but I can imagine a teenager loving this.

The perfect read for lovers of YA Thrillers. It was extremely fast paced and easily digestible, hitting all the notes and keeping me entertained from start to finish. I love the concept of the "perfect girl" and not ever truly knowing what someone is going through.

Overall, I loved the plot, the dual timeline, and the imagery Tracy Banghart weaves throughout.

A great listen for a YA thriller. Fast moving but kind of predictable. I did like the idea of "perfect girl" and how on one side it was used against her, and on the other how she had to get over it.

A perfect read for the YA audience as it does point out how we never know what is happening in another person's life. We are typically too focused on ourselves and our own problems and miss the big issues happening with others. It gives the message that we do need to talk more open about our feelings and if we see something is not right, we should point it out.

A thrilling and entertaining ride.

Perfect Girl is the perfect thriller! With romance, ghost stories, drama among friends, and a stormy, creepy setting, it's sure to have readers on the edge of their seats. I'll be purchasing for our high school library collection and look forward to other works by Tracy Banghart.

A girl who was raised to be "perfect" finds herself having to test everything she's ever been raised to be when a killer comes after her and her friends at a slumber party... she'll have to break her mold if she wants to survive. Jessa has always been told to be perfect, to follow the rules, and to be agreeable.... yet when a storm happens and Jessa's friends are also over another unexpected guest is there...and is after bodies. The killer wants a perfect girl and Jessa is who he has his eye on. Jessa will have to find a way to stop the killer and break the rules she's followed all her life is she wants to survive the night. This one really wasn't for me sadly, I really wish I could like it more but I just wasn't invested in any of the characters or the story. Jessa just felt so annoying and I get that she has growing to do but she really was a hard character to root for. Ultimately I didn't care all that much for the story and I guessed the killer early on, it definitely felt like a cw teen drama. While this wasn't for me I do think another YA reader might have fun with it.

Release Date: November 19,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Perfect Girl was a fun YA thriller that gave vibes of some of my favorite teen mystery tv shows - think PLL. Nothing overly original, some of the twists were easy to figure out, but a quick and easy read! I'll definitely be reading more from Banghart in the future.

Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart, 304 pages. Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan), 2024. $20.
Language: R (168 swears, 13 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
High schooler Jessa is the rule following, future lawyer, great student that everyone expects her to be—despite the fact that being that girl no longer makes her happy. Her friend group is drifting apart, but a concession from her parents allowing Jessa to have a sleepover while they’re out of town is going to help. But when Friday night comes, the power goes out, strangers start creeping around the house, and Jessa isn’t the only one who made plans.
A thriller with a game of truth or dare, loss of power and cell service in a haunted house, and two basement locations gives readers ample opportunity to wonder what will go wrong next. With the very real possibility of losing the future before ever having a chance to live it, Jessa will discover that being perfect is not always ideal and that exact obedience is not always safe.
Jessa is depicted as White on the cover, Ryan is Black, and Alexis is bi. The mature content rating is for underage drinking; mentions of drugs, pornography, and trafficking; illegal activity; scary elements; kissing; innuendo; and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for blood and gore, mentions of domestic violence, gun use, assault, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

This book?!?! This book was an absolute storm of emotions!!! Even though it was *slightly* predictable, I was literally on the edge of my seat rapidly tapping my screen. I just couldn’t read this fast enough!! I loved the way this author crafted the story: from the main plot to the subplots with every character, it was intertwined beautifully. Could’ve done without the post-covid trope, but I was hooked from the first page all the way until the last.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, 90’s horror movie vibe with a little dash of romance, this is an absolute must!!!

This was a ride from start to finish and I was served up an ending I definitely didn’t see coming.

Jessas parents were going to be out of town for an evening. Her brother was staying at a friends after the Soccer game. Recent kidnappings from a local town had Jessa begging to have friends stay the night with her. When her mom agrees, her 3 friends soon do as well.

The night has come and everything is set. The movies have been downloaded for streaming, snacks have been purchased. They have the house to themselves. Until they don’t. Then the storms come. It’s all downhill from there.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tracy Banghart and MacMillan publishing for providing the ARC. This was a fun YA that had me on the edge of my seat.