Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Perfect Little Monsters

Moderately interesting twist ending I won't spoil, but so many of the details of Dawn's attempt to investigate were predictable and "revealed" in an obvious way. Even the twist isn't a surprise and is there for shock value that just isn't actually there - but perhaps it's not meant for mystery/thriller fans? (Or anyone past teen years, considering the ridiculous throw-in lines emphasizing "Isaac's car is so ancient, it takes a key to start it, not a button" but no mockery of it having a CD player.)

I did enjoy it, it's a decent first book, but it's oddly hollow. I might read more from this author but probably not anything else featuring teen characters.

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kfajack27's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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grunkle's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

He’s debut is everything you could dream; shocking, thrilling, and at times downright stomach-churning. This novel puts the importance of “anti-bullying” initiatives into an extreme but very emotionally real context. Can’t wait to see what He cooks up next.

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Wow, this book was fucked up! We are given two rotating perspectives (third person POV of Hannah - flashbacks & present-day first-person POV of Dawn Foster). Hannah endured bullying because of her weight when she tried out for the cheerleading squad by Ella, Naomi, and Lucy - a popular girls' clique reminiscent of Mean Girls. Dawn transfers schools in her senior year of high school, and ends up living with her Aunt Maddy, then running into Ella, Naomi, and Lucy too. She makes a new friend Raquel, who is autistic and also bullied by the three popular girls.

The day after a party at Ella's house, Ella is found dead by her boyfriend, and then Dawn is immediately a suspect as the "new girl". Dawn and Raquel begin their own investigation to see who had a motive to kill Ella, and the friend group's secrets begin to unravel.

I feel uncomfortable that this, like many other psychological thrillers, posit mental illness as this evil, uncontrollable, villainous part of you? Was I a bit surprised at the twists? Sure, absolutely, and I recognize it made for an enticing story. I just wonder if the mental health representation (beyond the autistic rep) could have been navigated a bit differently.

Overall, I think Cindy RX He knows how to write a compelling, engaging story, and I will read more of Cindy's work in the future. I read this in one sitting, so it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat and I was absolutely entertained, but I still am a bit exhausted by this trope of "the bad guy was mentally ill!" that is often used in this genre.

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nisforneville's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Dawn has to transfer schools for her senior year of high school where she makes the cheerleading team and is invited to a party by the head cheerleader Ella. The morning after the party, Ella is found dead, and Dawn is a suspect.

This book has a dual timeline and also follows Hannah, a student at the same school, only in the past.

It’s a fast, easy read. I was in a bit of a reading slump, as in not being able to read for very long at one time, but when I started it before bed last night, I ended up reading just under the first half of it and finished it today. It’s full of high school mean girls and drama, so there are characters who are easy to dislike or even hate. It gave me flashbacks to when I was in school. There’s a little romance. I was definitely surprised by how the book wrapped up.

I do suggest reading the note at the beginning of the book if you have any triggers. There are a lot of them, especially for young adults with mental health issues.

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yalibrarianjen's review

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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