Perfect Girl is a horror that offers up some genuinely heart pounding tension and isn't one to read when it's dark outside. The twists and ending were pretty satisfying and I enjoyed it as a quick - and scary - read.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to be reviewed

— 3 stars ★
I have to be honest, I was a little worried about this book because I didn’t realize it was a YA thriller. I haven’t read a YA thriller in a super long time but I must admit, I really enjoyed this book! I’m a pretty quick reader when it comes to books I like, so it’s not a big shocker that I finished this book in one day. Even if you aren’t a quick reader, I’m certain this could easily be read within a day just from the length of the book and how it’s able to keep you GLUED to your seat!

I only have a couple gripes about this book. First, it was super predictable. I wish there was a bit more mystery behind what was going on but almost immediately I knew who the bad guy was going to be. However, this could just be me catching onto clues or watching a LOT of criminal minds…

Another gripe that I had was that I wished that the characters were fleshed out a bit more, especially our main protagonist – Jessa. I felt like sometimes the “nice, perfect girl” trope/characteristic was leaned into a bit too much. It honestly kind of annoyed me how she didn’t really want to fight back because it would have been considered rude, LOL.

I also didn’t really care for the “before” chapters that were included. It just kind of gave background that what was happening in the present time was repeated history. I just felt like it was a bit unnecessary.

Overall, I still had fun with the book and thought it was nice to read on Halloween! It’s a good YA slasher that’s quick and easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC of Perfect Girl in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent YA thriller! I was reading before bed, and had to stop until the next day, because I was getting so creeped out by it. I liked the little "twist" (calling it that because I don't want to say anything to spoil it for people) at the end. Overall, I would highly encourage those who think the summary sounds interesting to read it!

(I definitely recommend checking trigger warnings, because it touches on a lot of difficult topics.)

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was an absolutely nail biting thriller! I couldn’t stop reading and the plot twists were SO good. I flew through this.

🤯🤯🤯 There are few books I can’t seem to put down and this was one of them. Finished this super quickly because I could absolutely not put it down. Reminds me of an early 2000s teen thriller movie and I loved it.

This was such an incredible ride! From the first page to the last I was so drawn in by the premise and the build up, and it only continued to get better as the story progressed. I love that this was loosely based from the author’s personal life- that made it feel extra impactful and special. For it being an incredible thriller with some truly wild and unhinged twists and turns, it also had some amazing moments of girlhood that I loved and was so happy to see have their moment to shine. And some haunting!!!! Hi Betty :) Truly, this was such an enjoyable experience and a book I couldn’t put down from the moment I picked it up. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advanced digital copy of PERFECT GIRL in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really liked the concept of this book, but I had too many problems with it to really get into it. First, it all feels very “how do you do, fellow teens?” In terms of dialogue, characterization, etc. And at the same time, Jessa was such a stereotypical protagonist I feel like her strong moment at the end wasn’t deserved. I knew nothing about her, I didn’t care about her struggles because they were barely mentioned, and she doesn’t really DO anything too wild like I thought she would based on the cover and description.

Also, the twist wasn’t twisting. There was hardly a lead up to it, and it all felt super rushed. I wasn’t scared once, and I didn’t care enough about any of the characters (except maybe Tiny?). I also feel like a lot was mentioned that just got brushed off, like Alexis being bi, Ryan being what I assume the only black kid in a predominantly white neighborhood, etc. I wanted to learn more, but with so many characters and action sequences, we got the barest bones.

There were some good lines and moments, and the pacing was done really well with so much going on. I also thought the setup was just cheesy enough for me to be excited to see how the slumber party derailed. Also- finally, a realistic sister-brother dynamic! Josh and Jessa hated/ cared for each other the perfect amount, and some of their scenes were funny.

This book had such potential, but just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Our main character Jessa was always labeled a “goody two shoes” but, little does everyone know she can be far from it! During a sleepover at her old creepy (haunted) house the power goes out and everything very quickly spirals out of control. Friends do things friends shouldn’t to each other, unexpected visitors arrive, and a killer looking for the “perfect girl” is on the loose! To survive the night Jessa must drop the good girl act and show everyone what she can really become.

This was a teen thriller/horror novel. Super faced paced and definitely kept me on my toes while reading in the middle of the night. I would recommend to those just getting into the horror genre (like me). This was the perfect amount of scary and gory without being overwhelming! I finished this book feeling admittedly a little scared (as I should be) and very much satisfied with the ending; which I feel doesn’t happen much with thrillers. A must read!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For young adults and older adults alike, this is a page turning, easily digestible thrill of a book. While a little predictable, it is still a very fun ride and a quick read. Makes for an amazing palette cleanser between heavier books, or a great switch in genres. Overall, well written, tied up and satisfying. A sleepover among friends during a heavy storm out in the boonies with little to no cell service or internet. Will they make it till morning?

The cover of this book drew me in, so I decided to give it a try. I am just starting out with horror, and decided maybe this would be a good start.

I read this at night when I couldn’t sleep. Let me tell you, I was scared while reading this book. It had a lot of spooky things and also a lot of jump scares. It was a perfect read for October. Definitely recommend for any horror/thriller fans or someone who loves a good SCARE!

This was fun and I read it in one day.

Jessa and her friends are home alone during a bad storm. The power goes out, a tree falls, and they're worried about a fire. At first the kids are just having fun playing truth or dare and watching a movie. Jessa's brother and his best friend (and her crush) show up and say that there were footprints outside. There is a possible serial killer taking girls and it's put Jessa more on edge than normal. She puts a lot of pressure on herself to be perfect. But that perfection is what makes her the perfect target for the killer.

This wasn't too hard to figure out early on, but I still really enjoyed reading it. The pacing was pretty good and it wasn't too long. The characters were pretty typical teens. I both liked and disliked them.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc and physical copy.

I liked the idea of this one, but the execution fell a little flat. I enjoyed Jessa's character, but felt like she wasn't developed enough to make her hero role in the ending feel believable. Also with the ending...just...what? The ending itself wasn't bad, but it didn't quite fit with the whole horror/slasher trope, making it feel a bit out of place. While entertaining, I think having more development in the plot and character arcs would flesh things out and make it feel more whole. I think younger YA readers would be a better fit for this novel, but might feel like it's missing something for older ones. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my review!

Tracy Banghart’s Perfect Girl feels tailor-made for fans of classic teen slashers, blending high school drama with a deadly twist. The story follows Jessa, a girl who’s always colored within the lines, living up to her parents’ strict expectations. But when she heads to a sleepover hoping for a night of harmless fun, things take a dark turn as a mysterious threat begins targeting her and her friends. A raging storm cuts them off from help, leaving Jessa to dig deep and break free from her “perfect girl” persona to protect herself and those she cares about.

Jessa’s transformation from rule-follower to fierce leader gives the story heart, making her someone you can truly root for. She faces some life-or-death choices and even finds courage to face her longtime crush. While the suspense builds well, her friends and brother feel a bit two-dimensional, lacking depth compared to Jessa’s growth. Still, Perfect Girl offers just the right mix of chills and thrills, capturing the fun and fear of a Halloween read with a fresh take on a classic teen horror vibe.

Perfect Girl follows our protagonist Jessa and her friends during a sleepover in her (creepy and haunted) home during a storm and a power outage.

I’ve realized I do enjoy reading slasher books and I figured Halloween would be such a fun time to read and finish this book! There were some bits that I wasn’t a fan of, such as the filler “before” chapters. Even though the story was very fast paced and easy to read, the filler chapters felt pointless.

I did however like that the characters actions felt very high school -esq. I like that Jessa found her courage and time to flirt with her crush and it didn’t feel shoved in. Jessa being the “perfect girl” read kind of good to me. She fit into what she had to in order to be “perfect”. I felt though, that the other characters lacked a lot of personality. I wish we had more from them than what we did.

I won’t lie, the ending was pretty… interesting. I also knew who the characters should’ve watched out for nearly from the beginning. I wasn’t very surprised by the circumstances.

2.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced thriller perfect for autumn. I found the story to have some lose points I wish had been tied up, but overall really enjoyed my experience and look forward to sharing it with others!

**CW: Abuse, kidnapping, violence, and a few instances of racism.

I could easily see Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart as the perfect teen slasher movie, like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer. The story follows Jessa, who has lived her entire life following her parents’ plan to be successful. Though she hates her goody two shoes reputation, she can’t break free from it — not even at a parent-free sleepover with her friends. But when innocent jump scares turn into serious dangers, including a raging storm and an actual killer, Jessa will have to break out of her comfort zone if she wants to protect herself and her friends.

The key to a good slasher, for me, is a protagonist you actually want to root for. And here, with Perfect Girl, I was definitely rooting for Jessa to make it out alive. I was mostly invested in her journey, cheering her on as she gradually loosened up and went into some tough decision-making. She really stood up as the leader of the pack, and she even built up the courage to pursue her longtime crush. (Yes, there’s a killer out there, but there’s still time to flirt. There’s always time to flirt.)

As the storm goes on, there’s a lot of decent build-up that results in some satisfying scares. But as the book wrapped up, I realized that I didn’t care as much for Jessa’s brother or her friends. They’re pretty two-dimensional, and at times, sound like they should be in middle school rather than high school — the only thing that saved them for me was that Jessa cares. So maybe this wasn’t the perfect teen slasher, but a fun Halloween read nonetheless.

My one good thing to say about this book is it reads pretty fast paced. Other than that there was not much that I enjoyed. There are several ‘before’ flashback chapters that were completely irrelevant.

The story is centered around Jessa and how she is the ‘perfect girl.’ Her neighbor David is weirdly stalker-ish and seems to know things about her he shouldn’t. So we then find out that him and his mom are kidnapping and drugging all these missing girls in hopes of finding him the ‘perfect girl.’ Which coincidentally he believes is Jessa.

Also, can we talk about how crazy the ending is…you mean to tell me an explosion happens and only the 2 villains are injured or killed, and the other 6 are fine?

This was such a fun read that had me hooked from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the setting of this one with the storm and the secluded house. This one had the perfect creepy vibes for a YA thriller and was a bit surprised with how this went in some ways while I had a good idea early on what would most likely happen. That didn't take away from the story though. I thought the author also did a good job of describing Jessa's internal struggle of being "perfect" and not wanting to let people down. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one!

⭐️2.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC!

Perfect Girl is a YA thriller/horror in the POV of Jessa, a girl who’s a wound-too-tight-type-A-perfectionist because of her toxic mother putting way too much pressure on her—type of girl.

There’s been some disappearances and missing girls in the next town over and Jessa wants to have some friends over when her parents are out of town because tbh she’s scared. The sleepover quickly turns into a Misery meets Stepford Wives horror movie when the power goes out from a storm and the friendly neighbors make an appearance.

I like that this was a really quick and easy read with quick pacing and no boring lulls. The story overall was interesting and had me wanting to find out more.

The author captured the true horror of this book so well — that’s the horror of losing your glasses and not being to see in a horrifying situation like getting kidnapped. As a fellow glasses wearer, that is my actual nightmare.


What I didn’t like:

- The “before” chapters involved characters that had no connection to the MC and didn’t add to the story that much. It was just some confusing filler at times.

- The main character: she was so insufferable at times. The way she leaned into the “nice, perfect girl” was just so unrealistic. If you’re a nice perfect girl and some old woman is trying to drag you into a basement but you don’t want to push her and run away because “that would be rude”, you need to have your head examined. And if you don’t want to break the lamp to create a weapon because “the lamp is just so nice” again. Head. Examined.

- The conclusion of the story. They get to the climax, they’re all in an impossible situation in the final confrontation, and then a supernatural element swoops in and saves the day? It cheapened the “real-life horror” of the situation and made everything tie up too nicely in a bow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Perfect Girl!

• 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

1. Are you a fan of slashers? Then this book is for you!
2. Do your friends and family often refer to you as a perfectionist? You and Jessa already have something in common!
3. People who enjoy scary sleepovers will get a kick out of this one!
4. Did your parents ever leave you on your own for the night? Same for Jessa.
5. If your house is also haunted, read this!

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Jessa has been raised to be the “perfect girl.” She is unfailingly polite, never rocks the boat, and always follows the rules―no matter what. Her friends love to give her a hard time for being such a goody two-shoes, but Jessa likes it this way. She knows what's expected of her, and she's happy to be the person her parents (and society) want.

When a freak storm takes out the power during a sleepover at Jessa’s creepy, old house, things go south before the pizza gets cold. Her friends are at each other’s throats, unexpected guests keep showing up (some more welcome than others), and it’s not just her brother serving up jump scares. A killer looking for the perfect girl has targeted Jessa, and she’ll have to reject everything she’s been taught if she wants to keep herself―and her friends―alive until sunrise.

Who knew perfection could be so dangerous?