This was a lot of fun! It was twisty, spooky, and I really liked the characters. I think it was a little over-descriptive in its writing, but I still had a really fun time reading it.

I had a great time with this one! It was a really fast paced, mystery book. I didn’t guess the ending at all which is also a major plus for me.

I really enjoyed the main character Bett & Eugenia’s character was great, their friendship was lovely to see develop.

I did find the middle a little slow & there was also a LOT of emphasis on appearances, outfits & environments ect - it just got a little “do I care?”.

Also I absolutely HATED Wells, which I know we are meant to but EW.

Overall I had a fun time, super quick read.

The true crime vibes is this book are completely off the chart!! I loved the dynamic between Bett and Eugenia. They're messy, and gritty, and angry in all the best ways. The tension is top-notch! And it was also giving me Riverdale vibes in the sense that you "think" you know the people in town, but there's this constant dark undercurrent of 'do you really?' which I absolutely loved. And the plot twist was soooo gooood!

This book was full of interesting plot twists and we were hooked for the journey. The characters were developed and the backstory for each girl was a great addition.

I was immediately attracted to this book when I saw the cover. The title didn't hurt either. The story was just OK for me. It felt like it jumped around a lot. One moment the main character is talking about losing her virginity and then it's a non point, life goes on, so why was it necessary? I thought it would go somewhere, I thought the love interest would matter more. The main character was a brat and I couldn't tell if she was going to change or if that was some sort of point. It's never addressed, not really, so you kind of suffer through it. Me-me-me. She does something bad, her grandfather gets mad, but then she goes out for breakfast the next day. Even when she loses her car, she gets it back. It felt weird to me that her grandparents were so strict but she never actually got in trouble. Eugenia was fun to read about but I'm not sure I could stand her in real life. I will say though that the friendship does develop. Bett did seem to learn a bit about caring more for others at the end. Maybe. I guess the characters felt kind of flat. What was the point of Xavier? Why was Bett such a spoiled brat for no reason? There were several plot points that seemed to go nowhere so they felt undeveloped. It wasn't a tough read, at least, and I had no problem getting through it. I think there's potential but this wasn't my favorite.

Mysteries and thrillers are dominating the YA sphere and trending now, and Dead Girls Talking is the perfect entry into this category of devour-in-one-sitting worthy books. No doubt that libraries serving young adult populations will see this title circulating with great success.

"Dead Girls Talking" by Megan Cooley Peterson is a gripping thriller that delves into the heart of a small town haunted by the past and terrorized by new horrors. Wolf Ridge is notorious for the chilling legacy of the Smiley Face Killer, a moniker given to Bettina Holland's father, who was infamously convicted of her mother's murder a decade ago. This dark history has cast a long shadow over Bettina, known to the town's residents and true crime aficionados as the "true crime princess."

Bettina's life, already complicated by her father's notoriety, is thrown into further turmoil when a series of copycat murders begins to unravel the truth she thought she knew. The question that haunts her is no longer about accepting her father's guilt but confronting the unsettling possibility of his innocence. This narrative twist is the heart of Peterson's tale, making for an exhilarating and emotionally charged read.

Teaming up with the enigmatic Eugenia, the mortician's daughter with a penchant for the macabre, Bettina dives into an investigation that challenges her perceptions and tests her resolve. Eugenia, with her gothic sensibilities and intimate knowledge of death, is the perfect foil to Bettina's old-money upbringing and public persona. Their unlikely partnership brings a dynamic energy to the story, as they navigate through lies, secrets, and the ever-present threat of the new killer.

Peterson's writing is both gritty and evocative, pulling readers into a vividly depicted world where danger lurks around every corner. The atmosphere is palpably tense, maintaining a wire-taut suspense that keeps the pages turning. The author's deft use of humor provides necessary relief without undercutting the story's serious themes of justice, transparency, and the anger that drives women to seek the truth in a world that often silences them.

"Dead Girls Talking" is a standout in the thriller genre, thanks to Peterson's sharp prose and well-crafted characters. Bettina and Eugenia's journey is not just a quest to unmask a killer but also a poignant exploration of identity, legacy, and the power of reclaiming one's narrative. This novel will particularly resonate with readers who appreciate strong female leads who aren't afraid to confront darkness, both external and internal.

In summary, Megan Cooley Peterson delivers a powerful and engaging thriller in "Dead Girls Talking." It's a story that cuts deep, offering not just thrills but also a thoughtful commentary on the complexities of truth and the fierce drive for justice. A must-read for fans of crime fiction who enjoy a blend of psychological depth and relentless suspense.

I was so excited to start Dead Girls Talking by Megan Cooley Peterson!
An intriguing YA mystery/thriller that hooked me immediately.
I thought the story was fabulous, filled with unexpected twists and turns. The characters were great and I loved getting to know them.
A gripping and compelling page turner from start to finish and I loved every single minute it!

Thank You NetGalley and Holiday House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Megan Cooley Peterson wrote quite the true crime takedown with this intriguing and suspenseful thriller. I was captured by the unlikability of the MC and the cold blooded ending was an unexpected delight. This work really fought against the usual YA experience. I was thoroughly impressed by the author.

Thank you to Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This was a really good, quick investigative read. For my students it’s perfect with not to long chapters and fast placed flow. I know the exact requests I am going to request this to when they come back in the fall!

I really enjoyed reading Bettina's story. Her father, the Smiley Face Killer, is serving a prison sentence for killing her mother (and another woman), but when another victim turns up with the same trademark smile carved into her face and the words, "I'm back," Bettina has to confront the possibility that her dad may not have committed the crime, all while navigating the return of the media's attention, especially since she's the one who found the newest victim.

This was a good, engaging mystery; however, it's not appropriate for my audience (teachers making recommendations to students - the novel has heavy profanity and teen partying, including in the first chapter, which makes it tough to recommend from the front of the classroom).

Dead Girls Talking is a superb addition to the YA mystery/thriller genre. Ten years ago, Bettina's father murdered her mother in cold blood and Bettina was the witness who sent him to prison. In the present day, she is living with her grandparents, has recently been dropped from her friend group, and has started making some bad decisions drinking and boy-wise. And then she stumbles upon another body, found in exactly the same way as her mother, with a cryptic message written on the corpse. Is this the sign of a copy cat killer? Or has her father been innocent all this time? Enter Eugenia, the daughter of the town's morticians and exactly the friend Bettina needs in this moment. The girls decide to investigate this murder because they don't know who to believe or trust.

One thing I absolutely loved about this story is that it is definitively YA. It seems that some YA writers have recognized that many adults read their stories, so now the plots and events skew older and the main characters, while ostensibly teens, behave and have the knowledge of much older people. Bettina and Eugenia read like actual high school students. When they set out to investigate the murder mystery, they have no idea what they are doing and it shows. They realize very quickly that it takes more than a white board and a bundle of red string to solve a crime, and it is really interesting to watch them brainstorm strategy and find potential leads and then follow them, sometimes blundering into information.

Megan Cooley Peterson's writing here is just right. We spend the perfect amount of time in the beginning getting a feel for the town and its inhabitants, get enough of Bettina's back story to pique our interest, and then the tension and the mystery slowly build as Peterson weaves a twisty tale that seems to include half the town. Because the main characters are written so well and so accurately as children, when they are threatened the tension amplifies--kids are not going to pull some superhero action to save themselves, there is a real threat for them here--and by the third act you will be right at the edge of your seat.

The mystery itself is eminently satisfying. Peterson builds a strong cast and then casts strong aspersions on pretty much everyone named. When the final revelation comes to light, there is no hint of a copout or pulling a conclusion out of thin air. I went back and re read the first few chapters after finishing this and the threads hidden in plain sight were impossibly clever. Despite this being very much a YA novel, I, as an adult, really enjoyed the story and its conclusion, but this would also make a great summer read for any teen in your life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Megan Cooley Peterson for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Dead Girls Talking coming out June 18, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoyed YA murder mysteries. I thought the plot of Bett’s dad killing her mom was interesting and I was keen to see what the outcome from that was. I thought Bett and Eugenia becoming friends was interesting. Eugenia was a cool character as the daughter of a mortician. I think the ending could’ve been a little more flushed out. There were some side characters who were a little two-dimensional. I think some characters disappeared suddenly as the plot progressed. Bett was pretty mean some of the time, but I think she had a lot of trauma. But overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the writing was fun. It kept me entertained.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA murder mysteries!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about a young woman whose father killer her mother but did he?

I liked the idea of this book and the cover is cool.

However, I didn’t really connect with the characters or the plot. I thought the writing was decent but nothing special.

This book was just ok for me but I hope others love it.

Wow what a great YA thriller!! Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this eARC. Dead Girls Talking by Megan Cooley Peterson was a page turning thriller about Bettina June known in her small town for being the daughter of a man who killed her mom. Half the town was convinced he was innocent while the other half are sure it was him. Suddenly 11 years later copy cat murders seem to pop up and Bett may be the next victim. I loved the dynamic of Bett and Eugina her new best friend - the weird funeral home director's daughter. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I truly didn't expect ending. I loved this book. Highly recommend!

Bettina lives in a small town. Everyone knows that her father was arrested and is now in prison accused of being the Smiley Face Killer. Everyone knows that Bettina’s father murdered her mother a decade ago.

Years later another girl is brutally murdered and the modus operandi matches that of the Smiley Face Killer. Is it simply a copycat? Is her father an innocent man? This is the mystery that we have to solve.

The writing style was alright but it felt a bit more simple and straightforward. Which it does not have to be a bad thing. The book had good pacing and I was able to read it quite quickly. But also when things move along so quickly it can feel a little bit abrupt and choppy.

I really loved Eugenia as a character. She is considered weird because she lives basically in the mortuary but she is a good person and the one that will help Bettina crack the case.

But it was an entertaining true crime murder mystery and we have two teenage girls in a small town trying to solve it before they are next. So it definitely has a little bit of Riverdale and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder in it.

The town of Wolf Ridge is famous for the Smiley Face Killer... a man who killed a woman and carved a smile onto her face.. and that man is Bettina Holland's father. Bettina's father murdered her mother a decade ago, and the murder has become famous in podcasts, murder tours, and docuseries. Bettina was a witness and testified against her father and grew up having to visit him twice a year for ten years as he was sentenced to life in prison.... and now the murders have begun again and Bett is determined to find out who the copy cat killer is and what the truth of what happened to her mother all those years ago was. Bett comes from old money yet she's pushed everyone away, and in order to solve this case she'll need the help of bookish goth girl Eugenia, the mortician's daughter. The closer Bett gets to the truth the closer she gets to becoming the next target, can she find out who truly murdered her mother and if her father was the killer or not? This book started off kind of fun but then just got annoying if I'm being honest. I was so tired and fed up with Bett and that ending?? Seriously?? I hated it if I'm being honest. I would have rather the story be told form Eugenia's POV, she seemed like the better character to read from. Honestly this book just kind of felt like a mess. The story felt frustrating, but not in the fun tv show teen mystery drama way but more in the I just need to get to the end because everyone here is so frustrating. Bett never really grew on me and the killer reveal was meh at best. Unfortunately this book was a miss for me, but if you enjoy small town mysteries with teen girl detectives, give this one a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: June 18,2024

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

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Holiday House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I dnf'd about 40% in. I couldn’t connect with the main character and the writing style wasn't for me. I really wish this hadn’t been the case because I love YA mystery/thrillers and was so excited to read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This was a fast-paced and engaging YA thriller. I was gripped and invested in the story and the characters. I never managed to guess the killer, but had throughly fun trying to. Our mc was relatable, something I don't always find in thrillers. It was a fun and quick read for readers by authors like Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus

This is exactly what I want when I’m craving a YA angsty thriller!
I liked the main character, Bett, she was the perfect mix of flawed, empathetic, and tough.
I was suspicious of several characters, which always makes me want to keep saying “one more chapter…” and I wasn’t disappointed!