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!

Not gonna lie, I’ve been in a major reading slump before I picked up this audiobook and basically binged it in an afternoon. Generally speaking, audiobook narration can be hit or miss. Usually it’s either completely flat or over-the-top weird and animated, but the Perfect Girl nailed the tone. It was just unique and fun enough that it pulled me into the story right from the start.

While the story itself doesn’t employ any new or groundbreaking plot points, it is an interesting, fast-paced YA thriller that kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. So, if you’re looking for something relatively light to fill a foggy, stormy fall afternoon - Perfect Girl is it.

If I could, I’d give it extra points just for Betty the ghost.

3 stars⭐️✨

I liked the narration for this book. However, there were a lot of covid-19 references in this book. Also, the main character of this book was not very clever for some of her decisions, but the characters overall were not bad.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced audiobook copy.

Thank you to Netgally for letting me get a sneak peak into this Audiobook,
I thought this was such a good listen, I think I finished the book in two days!
More of a young adult book but I still enjoyed it.
Jessa is the perfect teenage girl with a brother who gets most of the attention at home because he is just not as well behaved as Jessa.
One night mom and dad leave them home alone, when suddenly a murderer on the loose, maybe the next victims.
Jessa ends up being kidnapped and you will never guess by who?

The storyline is set up well enough to keep you guessing about who is abducting and murdering the girls until about half way. Then it's not the mystery but the tension and suspense of will the girls survive that keeps the listener hooked. The narrator does a wonderful job of expressing the teen girl angst that comes with new love, stress over school work, deciding your future, and being in the throws of an attempted abduction / murder. I really enjoyed it.

thank you netgalley. i really enjoyed this narration and at times forgot this was just one person. i liked basically hanging out with these teens for a bit before the twists happened. but when they did! i was here for it. a little annoyed with the decisions but that’s how teenagers in thrillers do.

TW: Abduction and medical/psychological abuse.

I felt very called out by the main character. Seriously though, this was a fun little psychological thriller. Ir was well-written and all of the characters were people I wanted to get to know better. Every twist was filled with tension about what would come next, and I had a hard time putting it down.

I would recommend this book to fans of Cabin in the Woods (movie), and The Honeys.

Thank you for this ARC!

Perfect Girl had everything you could want from YA thriller: a dark and stormy night, a group of friends alone at a sleepover and a VERY creepy stalker/murderer that no one was expecting.

The story was super fast paced and stressed me out (in a good way of course!) The pacing of the story was perfect!

I also really loved some of the small details added to help stress the reader out a little more. Jessa lost her glasses at one point and as a glasses wearer myself, that worried me! I can't imagine running from a murderer practically blind!

There were a few moments that I had to remind myself that I was reading YA. The characters sometimes got distracted with a little romance while their friends were being held captive in the stalker's basement. But they are teens so, I guess hormones sometimes get in the way!

I do wish we had a little more background about all of the other murders. But, it wasn't totally necessary to Jessa and her friend's story so I understand not having it!

Overall, really great YA thriller and I would definitely recommend!

Okay, this book gave me SCREAM vibes in the best way possible.

The story was predictable, you can figure out there is misdirection in the beginning. But, what I think make this book so perfectly creepy is the fact that the pain the main characters go through is at the result of the patriarchy and the idea of a "perfect girl". The main character is always described as "perfect", but no one considers how she is feeling or what she wants. As long as she doesn't cause problems, is quiet, doesn't argue, doesn't fight back, then she must be alright? But, what if those traits are exactly why she is a target?

Okay, this book hit too close to home.

I recently got into YA thrillers and I think “perfect girl” was a pretty fun one! It was fast paced and engaging, I managed to finish it in two sittings. This is definitely catered towards a younger audience and it’s not as gory as it could’ve been but I personally liked that.
I really liked the story and the foreshadowing, combined with the spooky haunted house setting and the two intersecting stories.
I also loved that it wasn’t as predictable as some other books I’ve read before.

I have been loving YA thrillers recently, and “Perfect Girl” was another fun, fast-paced page-turner. I loved the spooky “haunted house” atmosphere combined with the stormy night and secluded setting. This book isn’t necessarily scary or gory, but I also don’t recommend reading it late into the night while home alone like I did! The story is full of tension, suspense, and teenage drama. It is definitely a book that you can (and will want to!) read in one-sitting. This is a great book to read this fall, especially on a stormy night!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the kind of story that starts off as a fun sleepover with mild jump scares and ends up, well… off the rails.

Let’s start with our main character, Jessa, who’s got that “perfect girl” vibe drilled into her by society and helicopter parenting. She’s unfailingly polite, always listens, and never rocks the boat—except, of course, when things inevitably go sideways, and she’s forced to get her hands a little dirty. Her friends? Pretty much every personality trope in the book (and not in a good way). There’s the snarky one, the skeptic, the drama queen—all standard fare, each more frustrating than the last as they start making questionable decisions one after another.

But hey, that’s nothing compared to the story’s grand finale. No spoilers, but let’s just say, things get extra supernatural. At first, this little paranormal bit shows up as a cute joke—a wink from the author like, "Haha, wouldn’t it be wild if that little thing actually did something useful?" But then it goes from quirky sidekick to a full-on deus ex machina, swooping in to save the day. The twist here? This supernatural bit somehow has ties to the antagonists, and, out of nowhere, it’s got a grudge to settle. Seriously? I mean, sure, fiction requires suspension of disbelief, but this ending felt like I’d suddenly switched to watching a Scooby Doo cartoon.

In the end, Perfect Girl had potential, but it ultimately felt like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle, with characters and plotlines forced to fit into a story that tried to be too many things at once. If you’re in the mood for a twisty thriller with some mild scares, maybe skip this one unless you’re okay with scratching your head in disbelief by the end.

Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy of this audiobook.

This story grabbed me from the beginning and I really enjoyed listening to this one. The narrator was great at the different characters and creating an atmosphere that was suspenseful and thrilling. It kept me interested the entire time and I would highly suggest it to those that love mystery/thriller/YA etc.

Jessa is a perfect girl- she follows the rules, is respectful, and enjoys the clear expectations of her that she lives up to. Considered the “rules police” by her friends. Her friends are planning a sleepover and Jessa’s parents let her have people over despite their usual rule of no sleepovers when parents aren’t home. They agree to this so she’s not alone since her brother, Josh, will be out and oh yea- there’s a serial killer lurking around.

During the sleepover, there is a storm that knocks the power out. Tensions are high with the girls fighting, mainly because Tiny who is recently made herself an outsider with her older, creepy boyfriend. There’s also Ryan, Josh’s friend who Jessa has a crush on. Both Josh and Ryan also join the party after the storm.

Fast paced popcorn thriller, fun young adult read. Some creepy vibes, but nothing out of control. Super quick read. Nothing ground breaking, but perfect for a cozy night in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 11/19

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart was a thrilling ride from start to finish! This young adult thriller had me hooked, constantly guessing and on the edge of my seat with every twist and turn.
What really kept me engaged was the pacing. Banghart does an excellent job of blending the typical high school personalities with a psychological thriller element. There’s a lot of tension between some of the characters.
One thing I particularly appreciated was how the book also touches on deeper themes of relationship abuse, and the pressures of trying to meet everyone's expectations. Pressures many teens deal with.
If you're looking for a fast-paced YA thriller,  this one’s worth checking out!

A stormy Friday night, 5 teens & a game of truth or dare turn deadly.
*Super cute YA Mystery!

Publisher Summary
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?

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!

Perfect Girl
By Tracy Banghart
Narrated by Angie Kane
Release date 11-19-24
7 hrs and 33 mins
Publisher Dreamscape Media
Categories Teen & Young Adult

I got about halfway through this book, but unfortunately couldn't bring myself to finish it. The pacing is slow, with several scenes feeling repetitive and drawn out. I found myself waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never really did. For a YA thriller, I didn't feel as if the stakes were very high, and I wasn't getting the 'freaked out effect' that the author was trying to deliver. 'Perfect Girl' is a perfectly okay book as far as the writing/dialog/character chemistry, but it won't leave you thinking about it long after you turn the last page.

3.5/5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early.

General Description: Jessa has always been the perfect girl. She hates staying home alone, especially with a serial killer on the loose, so she invites her 3 friends over. 1 friend has been drifting away but surprisingly shows up. However, when the power goes out and a storm rages outside, and more than just Jessa's 3 friends are in the house. Will Jessa and her friends survive?

The goods:
- I felt like the audiobook narrator did a good job and I could tell who was talking when, which made the story easy to follow along with.
- There were a few good twists in here that kept me on my toes.
- The book was wrapped up nicely at the end and left me with no questions.

The loss of 1.5 stars:
- It felt like there was just too much crammed into one book. I felt like we got 2 different stories that hardly overlapped, and then another plot line that did not need to exist. It just felt like a disjointed story that was tough to follow at points.

Overall, if you need a thriller, this is okay, but there are other high-action ones out there that don't feel so clunky.