PRETTY DEAD GIRLS BY MONICA MURPHY

1/1/2018

Pretty Dead Girls is a fantastic and highly enjoyable teen slasher novel. Think movies like Scream! I loved reading every minute of it. Very much recommended.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: Teen and Young Adult. Slasher.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 336
Format: eBook. ARC.

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she's next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she's never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There's something he isn't telling her. But there's something she's not telling him, either.

Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

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Read my Book Review

Release Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Murder Mystery (Thriller. Suspense)

When I first started reading this book I immediately thought it was going to be a replication of a movie from the early 90's called Death of a Cheerleader . I thought this because the opening scene is a popular high school girl being murdered in a church parking lot by an unknown person who just wanted to be her friend (which is exactly like that movie). Additionally, one of the groups in this book- the Larks- is the exact same group (with the same name) in the movie. So i'll admit, I got a little nervous. However, I kept reading because I have really enjoyed Monica Murphy's books in the past and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. THANKFULLY, my preconceived notions were quickly demolished. Monica Murphy writes the PERFECT book for those who like TEEN SCREAMS . It's a little Scream mixed withScream Queens (one of my FAVORITE shows), and has enough mystery and suspense to keep any reader hanging by the edge of their seats. If you enjoy young adult horror, thrillers, and mysteries you don't want to miss this one. I read it (devoured it actually) in 2 sittings (only because I had to sleep).

THE STORY
Someone is murdering off pretty girls from the Larks- a high school community service that is run by the popular girls in school (mainly the beautiful cheerleaders who aren't always that nice)- and it's up to Penelope to figure out who this killer is before it gets her.

Penelope, the main character of the story, is the president of the Larks. She was put in this position by her predecessors and enjoys all that comes with it (the minions, the popularity, etc.) But when one her her friends and fellow member of the group gets violently murdered her life begins to change.

Cass is the bad boy of the school with a sketchy past. He keeps to himself, doesn't get in the way of others, and tries to live as low key as possible. Does this make him a little weird? Sure. Especially considering this is High School and his peers aren't the most open minded. But when a murder occurs and shocks his little community, he can't help but become more involved. And with the help of the uber popular, Penelope, they may be able to figure out the killer before someone else dies...

***

What we have here my friends is your classic teenage slasher book that is filled with characters you can't trust, and a killer that you won't figure out until the very end. Monica does a great job at racking up the tension and making it so that you can't trust anyone. I really enjoyed the novel, the action packed and chilling plot, and the characters who quickly become a part of your life. If you're looking for a book with all this, then try PRETTY DEAD GIRLS.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK

➜ My inability to figure out the killer: I had my suspicions and I was pretty close to figuring out "who-dun-it", but I was really never able to figure out the exact person.

➜ The added romance: Cass and Penelope are as different as they come. She is the popular high school cheerleader with an elite position in the Lark and he is the quiet, shy, and withdrawn loner with a sketchy past. But their romance? So cute! Sure, they had your typical high school romance vibes, but it totally worked for the story.

➜ The classic slasher feels: I love me some slasher flicks so knowing I can read books with this type of theme in it really gets me excited. This book quenched that thirst.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK

➜ The ending was too quick: I have noticed this in MANY murder mystery books- the ending is not drawn out enough. On one page we are doing average things without the tension (in this case, attending a vigil for the dead girls) and then BAM, the killer is unmasked. Had their been a bit more buildup before the unveiling I would have liked it more.

➜ The beginning: As I mentioned above, I got really nervous that this book would be an exact replica of a movie I watched and loved in the past. So much in fact that I ALMOST put the book down. I'm glad I didn't though.