The narration was fantastic! The voice brought the characters to life, making their struggles and triumphs feel incredibly real. I found myself completely immersed in the story, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn.

What I loved most about this book was how it cleverly subverts the typical horror tropes. The atmosphere is thick with suspense, and the pacing is relentless, making it feel like a cinematic experience. Banghart does an excellent job of exploring themes of perfectionism and the pressures young women face, all while delivering a gripping narrative.

The character development is also noteworthy. Jessa’s journey is not just about survival; it’s about breaking free from the constraints of her "perfect" persona. As she confronts her fears and the expectations placed upon her, I found myself rooting for her transformation.

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. The narrator did a great job of getting the emotions across.

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.

I had such a fantastic time reading this book! The synopsis sounded thrilling, and I couldn't put this book down, it was so engaging and I had to know what's going to happen next! Especially as things kept getting creepier and creepier, and tended to be going downhill.

Things are set up pretty quickly, and then things quickly started to escalate! With Jessa and her friends in her home, with the power out and no phone service, each moment just got more and more tense! There's a neighbourhood boy who seems to be lurking, her brother and his friend (who she has a crush on) shows up, and oh, yeah, it all kept growing!

Jessa tries her best to be perfect, she was scolded for being messy, and that's a pretty crippling weight for her to carry, those expectations. Especially when things her brother does gets carried over to her. But it's also something that she struggles with in every situation, to make everybody happy.

We did get brief times in another perspective, of a friend or a girl who went missing, and I had to know what was going on and how it was all connected! I had a suspicion that the book laid out, and I just had to know how it was all going to play out! That ending was epic to read!

This was such a terrific read and I can't wait to read more by Tracy Banghart!

Fast paced but not for me.
This is YA and as much as I really have been trying to find my place within this trope, I just could not get into this one.
There were certain elements I did enjoy but I just cannot get connected to teenage characters and their angst and constant internal monologue.
I’d buy this for a teen as a gift or an avid reader of YA horror/thriller, but not horror fans.

Perfect Girl
by Tracy Banghart
Narrated by Angie Kane

thank you so much dreamscape media for the gifted audiobook!

About the book 👇🏽
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?

📖 My thoughts:

I flew right through this! The story was great and the narration was superb. This story actually reminded me of a pretty little liars episode (I didn’t read the books) and I enjoyed it! It’s pretty fast paced, keeps you engaged, and holds your attention all the way throughout. It’s the perfect binge read if you’re looking for something quick and entertaining. or even a palate cleanser! I’d recommend giving this book a read or the audiobook a listen! Perfect Girl is out TODAY 11/19/24!

Happy reading 📖

A serial killer on the loose, a sleepover, a storm, a ghost story AND the power is out? No need to panic?

Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart is such a fun, quick and suspense filled read. It has all the makings of a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and it delivers! I was so excited I stayed up ignoring the time as I read through, but it eventually reached 5am and I couldn’t ignore the time anymore.

Really recommend this one when it comes out on the 19th of November
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Rating: 4.5 stars!

4.5 stars? 5 stars? A sleepover, a storm bad enough to cause a power outage, a ghost, and a serial killer?! What is there not to love about this thrilling story! This book had my jaw dropping constantly! Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gripping and suspenseful read that will captivate fans of dark, fast-paced mysteries and young adult thrillers who enjoy stories about self-discovery, rebellion, and the complexities of societal expectations.

This was okay. I liked the narrator, but found the characters a little immature, even for YA. They also seemed to pack a lot of events into 1 night.

“Perfect Girl” is a fast paced YA thriller surrounding Jessa and her friends.

Jessa is having a sleepover with her besties while her parents are away for the evening. Her brother unexpectedly crashes the party with his friend - who may just be the guy Jessa is secretly crushing on.

Tensions are high as there has been a series of missing girls recently, so when playing truth or dare during a storm / power outage leads to one of Jessas friends going missing, they split up to search for her - it’s safe to say from this point things go from bad to worse.

I enjoyed how much of a quick read this was, the author wasted no time getting to the point and keeping the momentum moving forward with lots of action and suspense, I definitely listened to this in one sitting!

I also liked the main character Jessa, I thought she was a really good friend and sister and always does her best to help others and not hurt anyone’s feelings. She does learn however that she may need to work on taking more risks and setting boundaries which I think is a great topic for the YA age group. Finding yourself as a young woman and learning to keep yourself safe whilst being expected to be the “polite nice girl” is definitely something every girl experiences as they are learning how the world works. The character growth in this book was fun to watch.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Tracy Banghart for the ALC!

Publish date: tomorrow! November 19th 2024

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an alc!

i’m only recently getting into the thriller/horror genre, and while this was a good read and had a good narrator, it was not particularly chilling or thrilling

This is the classic teen horror story. There’s a bad storm, the power goes out, cell phones don’t work, 6 teens are hanging out in a friends’ house sans adults in the middle of the woods in a creepy basement. To add to the scariness factor, there have been reports of girls going missing in the nearby community recently. Through a series of twists and turns, the night drags on (sometimes longer than you think possible) as the teens struggle to survive.
I really liked this book. It hooked me right from the beginning and I read/listened to it almost all in one day. That being said, there were a few things that didn’t sit well with me and some that had me saying, huh? (The dollhouse dungeon? The creepy mom? Why didn’t they leave to go someplace safe?)
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook arc!

This had all the makings of being a great YA thriller: a girl’s night sleepover, a storm, unexpected boys showing up, and a killer on the loose. And in the end it just fell flat for me.

I loved the atmosphere, I loved the petty teenage drama going on between the girls, I loved the set up of the main character always being dubbed as “perfect” by everyone even though she doesn’t think she is. I thought it was a great setup.

But once we got into what being the “perfect girl” really means for the context of this book, and we changed locations, I just felt very uninterested. I wanted a teenage slasher book, and instead got something completely different. It wasn’t bad, just not what I expected.

The audiobook was great though; the narrator did a fantastic job with all the characters and really getting across the emotions of everyone. Highly recommend this narrator.

Overall, it’s a 3 out of 5 stars. I was going with 3, but there was a lot of diversity in this book and I really appreciated that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

This was surprisingly delightful. It has been on my radar, but I was thoroughly impressed by how it all came together. There were some twists I definitely did not see coming. Overall, really impressed with this YA horror.

This came across as very YA, nothing wrong with that but I went in thinking it was an adult thriller so I was a little bit letdown just because I thought it was going to be more “adult.” I listened to the audiobook of this book and I really enjoyed listening to it & also enjoy the narrator. This story started out very cutesy and like a typical teenagers life, but the farther into the night & into the story the crazier the night gets! There wasn’t anything really wrong with this story, it was a good story and was a perfect Young Adult Thriller. I just wish I knew that before jumping into the story. If you don’t mind the YA genre thrillers then you’ll definitely enjoy this book! But if you’re wanting a more adult thriller with gore, insane twists & and suspense or horror, then this is not the story for you.

Perfect Girl is a fast paced, quick read, YA thriller about Jessa and a sleep over gone wrong.

Jessa is the perfect child - always follows the rules, gets good grades, has high aspirations. With recent abductions in the area and her parents away for the night, Jessa’s parents let her have a sleepover so Jessa isn’t home alone. During the sleepover, there’s a massive storm that knocks out the power in the midst of a game of truth or dare. From there, the friend group splits up, people start to go missing, her friend’s boyfriend is possibly stalking them, no one has service.

The audiobook was really fun and a quick listen. The storyline was pretty outrageous, but It was never boring. I was always wondering what was going to happen next. There were a lot of Covid references, which didn’t totally fit the storyline. I definitely overall recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my opinion. My opinions are totally my own.

This one was interesting! The perfect girl, Jessa, convinces her parents to let her have a sleepover with her friends while her parents are out. A storm comes through and that's when all the weird things start happening.

I feel like everything I say will give away what happens in the story which is a little predictable but also so creepy! It kind of gave me Riverdale vibes with the old-fashioned neighbors but we soon learn why they are so old-fashioned.

I will say ALL the pandemic talk in this book was overkill!

I have attached my good reads below. My review for "Perfect Girl" is listed in my good reads. Thank you so much for providing me the ARC for this novel.

This is an enjoyable YA, but boy do you need to suspend disbelief with this one. When I think back on all the things that happened in this book, it’s almost comical.

I had to laugh at the Third Eye Blind reference. I loved them in the 90s and now I’m old enough for the MFC in a YA to be making fun of her mom for loving them!

Jessa is trying to spend her high school years being the perfect girl. She’s getting good grades, she’s polite, and she’s involved in extracurricular activities! I think a lot of young readers will be able to relate to her character and anxious inner monologues. Her strained friendships and complicated family dynamics.

I can’t go in to the plot too much because it’s hard not to give stuff away, but the crazy nurse made me laugh. Where are nurses in these types of books getting their drugs from?! I’ve been a nurse 18 years. You can’t just walk away with a bag full of meds whenever you want. But hey, it makes for a good story anyways.

If you’re in the mood for a quick, easy fast paced YA that’s a bit over the top, then this is the book for you! Plus, if you do decide to give this one a try, then I definitely recommend the audiobook! The narration is great!