It’s a stormy night and Jessa and her friends are having a slumber party at their secluded home in the woods. While thunder and lightning rage, the four girls play games, watch movies and gossip. Suddenly their party is interrupted by Jessa’s older brother Jason and his best friend Ryan (who Jessa has a major crush on). Things quickly move from who is asking who to homecoming and take on a different meaning. When a strike of lightning hits a tree, sparking, and the lights go out, things go into overdrive. A figure is seen outside and Ryan and Jason give chase catching the perpetrator who happens to be Jessa’s friend Tiny’s loser boyfriend. Since they are quickly losing battery percentage on their cellphones, Jessa and Ryan go to the gas station down the hill. When they return, everyone is gone. They head down to the nearby creek looking for their friends, only coming across Tiny on the way

Overall, I enjoyed this book—it was a short listen at only 7 hours and change. I was slightly bothered by the overemphasis the narrator put on certain words and by her voice for the character of David, Jessa’s neighbor, but it wasn’t enough for me to completely write off the book.

Told in dual narratives with less time given to murders that happened before Jessa’s story, Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart was a good thriller though some of the characters (like Tiny’s sketchy boyfriend) seemed a bit extraneous and unnecessary. Jessa is repeatedly described as being perfect and her anxiety comes through loud and clear. An enjoyable YA thriller. Not too much gore, and overall a good, dark storyline.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Jessa is the perfect daughter, student, and friend. She is constantly teased about being a good girl. But one night when she has a sleepover at her house everything changes. A giant storm rolls in, her parents are no where around, and uninvited guests continue to show up at her house. Before the night is over, secrets will be revealed and Jessa will have to break the good girl mold.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a good YA read that was a bit like Pretty Little Liars, which I love. The narrator, Angie Kane, was perfect for this book. I gave listened to other books she has narrated and I always enjoy her performances. I thought the author did a good job writing about teenagers that actually seemed like teenagers! This one was spooky which I was glad about! My only critique would be the resolution at the end, but I wont say more about it.

Overall I gave this one a 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review

3.5 stars

“If I'm going to leave a messy and broken reputation behind, I might as well earn it."

I loved the storyline of this book, even if it was pretty predictable. I wish to go back to the moments when I had sleepovers as a younger girl, and this gave me that feeling of nostalgia. I liked the characters enough, yet I still feel overall they were some areas and plot holes within their writing.

I listened as an audiobook and I loved it!! Very soothing, even as it was a spooky book. Thank you so much for the ARC of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed :)

🎀Book Review🎀
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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?
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts- Thank you @netgalley and @macmillianchildrenpublishinggroup for the advanced copy, this one releases next week. It was a perfectly fine YA thriller that was super predictable. My main issue with YA mysteries is that the main character is often naive and self righteous, this one is no different. I found Jessa to be just so annoying, I was siding with Tiny the antagonist most of the book. It was fun but the villain definitely needed a little more backstory, it was a bit ridiculous at the end. But I was engaged and wanted to finish this one!
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QOTD- do you read YA books ?! What is one that you definitely recommend ?
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<i>Perfect Girl</i> screams the call is coming from the neighborhood. If you loved an early 2000's horror movie and need a book to validate your female rage... this is it.

Jessa is your classic type A, people pleaser, "I have to be perfect" high schooler. She achieves all her goals and doesn't break any rules, because that is what is expected of her. She does things by the book and is always polite, no matter how angry she actually happens to feel. Breaking their own rules, her parents allow her to have friends stay over when they are out of town. What is supposed to be a fun night quickly turns into something out of a nightmare.

Filled with power outages, suspicious neighbors, locked doors, and what happens when women are treated as objects and not people. This horror story hits the mark.

The audiobook did an amazing job of creating a tension filled experience, leaving you on the edge of the seat waiting to see what happens. I know I screamed out loud at certain parts.

I absolutely recommend this read. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an ALC to review.

While I really enjoyed the narration of this one, I have to say it was a little forgettable. Partly due to the characters and partly due to the heavy repetitive YA themes.

Jessa Morgan has always been the perfect girl, and she finds life easiest when she’s the girl her parents and society expect her to be, no matter how much her brother and her friends tease her for it. One night, Jessa has her friends over for a sleepover when a storm comes up and the power goes out; on top of it, her friends start to fight, guests show up and scary things start to happen.

This was such an entertaining read with such a specific, fun vibe. It somehow felt like a Pretty Little Liars episode at its best, and I mean that as the highest compliment. The pacing was great and it hooked me very easily, which says a lot considering I didn't really care for any of the characters. The writing was great, and it felt like I was there with the characters most of the times, especially in the most chilling parts of the story, which honestly made it that much more enjoyable to me.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I had the best time! The narrator did an incredible job with each character, making them easily distinguishable, and kept suspense up in the best way possible. It truly did a lot in making this even more enjoyable than it already was.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

It was a decent book and I loved the ending but overall it wasn’t for me. Wasn’t invested enough in the characters. I did enjoy the narrator though.

If you're in the mood for a teen or young adult thriller, Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart is the book you need. It tells the story of a sleepover that takes a dark and unexpected turn. A storm knocks out the power at Jessa’s creepy, old house and things spiral quickly. Her friends start fighting, and unexpected guests arrive. A killer, hunting for the "perfect girl," has Jessa in his sights. She’ll have to break all the rules if she wants to keep herself and her friends alive until morning.

The audiobook was narrated by Angie Kane, and she did an absolutely phenomenal job bringing the story to life.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Tracy Banghart and Dreamscape media for advance access to the audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date- Nov 19 2024
#PerfectGirl #NetGalley

Teenage girls sleepover gone wrong but with a twist. It's not a typical sleepover, this one is thrown by the studious girl of the class and her besties are invited. A storm comes and there isn't electricity and people start going missing.
I liked to see the FMC and why she seems to be a perfect girl and her thoughts, her relationship with her family and their expectations playing a big role in who she is.
The mystery was good, it was not obvious at first which I really liked and it was very eerie and creepy.
This book is perfect to read on a rainy, gloomy day.

This would have gotten a better rating from me if it hadn't been YA. I could not get past the twist (which I called as soon as it was foreshadowed), because it was just unbelievable. And how many times are you going to mention the COVID-19 pandemic in one short-ish story? That and school shootings. Maybe it was meant to be relatable for younger audiences? I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it being mentioned SO many times, but it was extremely annoying for me and took me out of the story every time it was mentioned.

Jessa seems to have it all—beauty, intelligence, a future planned out—an ideal life. Yet she finds herself trapped by others' expectations of her "perfect" image. And that perfection led her to have a psychotic stalker who wants to isolate her, leading to the overnight with her friends taking a wrong turn.

Banghart delves deeply into the protagonist's internal conflicts and vulnerabilities. As the readers get introduced to the familial and societal pressure, Jessa's journey unfolds as the struggle between fulfilling others' expectations and finding her own voice, which makes it one of the novel's strengths. The realistic portrayal of people often face in order to be "perfect" and the courage to forge a unique path is commendable.

"Perfect Girl" imparts the importance of being true to oneself. This is perfect for those who enjoy contemporary novels.

this is a good, quick read or listen if you're in the mood for an atmospheric YA thriller that has likable characters and suspense. i really enjoyed the story and thought the narrator and audio production were phenomenal. thank you to netgalley and dreamscape media for providing me with a free advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review!

A storm..a sleepover..a killer on the loose searching for his perfect girl.

"A liquid glint on the floor caught my eye. I grabbed the jagged piece of broken glass.
I tightened my grip on the shard of dad's fancy bourbon glass. Hissing as it cuts into my skin.
The pain, sharp and bright, wakes me up.
This whole day, this whole night, I've been fighting myself. Fighting the person everyone thinks I am . My perfection made me the object of a dangerous, delusional guy. Who thought I'd be quiet and obedient and just allow him to make me his secret child-bride or whatever sick fantasy he had. If I'm going to leave a messy and broken reputation behind, I might as well earn it."

Tropes:
Fast-paced and well-written YA popcorn thriller 🍿🔪🩸
Pretty little liar vibes
Abducted/missing girls
Dealing with Abusive relationship / PTSD
Dual storyline and POV
Creepy house / ghost
Suspense / self-discovery /Survival Story

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and Angie Kane did a great job with the narration. Her voice sounded soothing and enticed me to keep on listening. Just like Jessa, Tiny and her other friends, I can't help but to also get flashbacks and reminisce of fun sleepovers during grade school/middle school (though I'm really lucky that I'm not a perfect girl and thankful for no crazy killer or stalker on the loose), also of petty fights and friends gone distant and estranged relationships with friends, classmates turned barkada over the years.
Perfect read if I just want something light and interesting to listen to after a tiring day or before going to bed. There were just a few topics discussed that I did find repetitive and some parts unnecessary. Some scenarios and situations were cringey and creepy but not too obscene or gory. Also, just the right amount of twists and the last part was action-packed.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook arc. 🖤

4✨

I enjoyed this book as a YA "thriller". I did think parts of it were predictable but I absolutely loved Betty. I don't normally read YA but the cover of this book drew me in. Overall it had some parts I felt were unnecessary but I still enjoyed it!

I was given the opportunity to get a ALC & I really enjoyed this thriller!

This YA was done well! I feel like I could let my teenagers listen to this without having to worry about what was being put in their books!

I definitely enjoyed the narrator! They did a great job!

A fast paced YA thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Jessa is a goodie-two-shoes that's parents, brother, and friends all think of as a "perfect girl". One weekend she has her friends over for a sleepover, and when a freak storm happens things get creepy, especially with multiple visits from unannounced guests.

The narrator did an excellent job capturing Jessa's voice. This was a great paced thriller that made me glad I didn't read it while home alone.

4.5 stars

The audio of this was really well executed. There was no flaws in the audio, and the narrator did a wonderful job.
The story, however, was not as good as I hoped that it would be. Which is always a let down because I was looking forward to this one.

I really enjoyed this book, I felt like it was the perfect blend of suspense and thrill. The character development was great, I wish there would have been a little bit more of a backstory but overall it was a good read for spooky season! I enjoyed the narrator for this book and definitely recommend it as an audiobook!

A neat and tidy thriller that felt like a satisfying, creepy snack! Loved the concept, which was smart but not overly complex--and that's a compliment! I loved that I didn't have to puzzle too much and that we knew who the baddies were right away. The story was not a matter of unraveling many threads but sitting on the edge of my seat as I followed these characters getting out of a locked room (iykyk). A realistic depiction of teenhood and friendship too. I received an ALC of this book and the narrator was PERFECT (haha) for this character. So emotive and played the internal and external dialogue SO well. Loved her. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early listen.