From NetGalley
"A riveting thriller packed with so many chills and swoon-worthy moments, readers will be tearing through the pages." ―Natalie C. Parker, award winning author of the Seafire Series
"A chilling cat-and-mouse game." ―April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Stolen and Stay Dead
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?
"Perfect for a stormy night!” Diana Rodriguez Wallach, author of Small Town Monsters and Hatchet Girls
Perfect Girl was perfectly surprising, in the end. With easy-to-read, clear and concise prose and typical teen angst, Tracy Banghart's Perfect Girl is a fast-paced thriller for readers who enjoy interesting twists and imperfect characters.
Jessa's curse is one many of us can relate to: perfectionism. The pursuit and expectation of presenting the perfect exterior to the world and to ourselves. Her perspective is very easy to understand, especially coming from a high school junior. The prospect of the future post-graduation looms overhead constantly, for Jessa. Not so much for her small group of girlfriends and definitely not for her apathetic older brother, Josh.
Her house is less than perfect, with its isolated location, horrible cell service, and resident ghost. So when she's faced with the possibility of being home alone on a Friday night she begs her parents to let her friends sleepover, with the promise that they'll be perfect angels. And what with the mysterious disappearance of multiple young women in the surrounding areas, her mother agrees that leaving Jessa all alone might not be the best idea.
Banghart does a great job at setting up the atmosphere in their eerie, old farmhouse. The heightened tension between the girls due to a strained relationship with one outlier, Tiny, and Jessa's nerves at the appearance of her brother's best friend and her crush, Ryan, add texture to an already anxiety-inducing situation. A storm, a power outage, and a pack of hormonal teens with no supervision on a Friday night. What could go wrong?
So many things.
What doesn't go wrong is the twist. Some might be able to predict it, but not me. Banghart's bait and switch was effective, and Jessa's naivety overwhelmed the narrative enough to distract from the real villain of the story. And when reveal finally came, though I wasn't shocked, I was pleasantly impressed. By then I became invested in seeing if Jessa and her friends would make it out of this situation alive. And the stakes continued to raise all the way through. This story is a slow build but when the action pops, it takes off like a bullet train. So keep reading!
In the end, Perfect Girl reminds its readers that perfection isn't worth it--the cost of your safety, your loved ones, or your happiness. Some rules, personal and societal, are made to be broken. Imperfection is what makes us human, makes us survivors.
I recommend this book to lovers of a good old teen slasher/thriller like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, amusing banter, and happy endings.
Comments