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sophie_shelves's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea what to say or what to feel right now. Kinda feel like I need to talk about this book with anybody and everybody who wants to listen.
Around half way through this book I started to suspect Parker, which I really didn't want to do because she was my favourite. But I was still in shock when it was revealed she was the killer, probably because it was so predictable. But BOY WAS I WRONG. Of course it wouldn't be that simple.
Now, I'm struggling to form coherent thoughts about the next reveal. I still kind of don't know what to do with myself. I've never read a book before that made me feel like I needed to reread the whole thing to try and spot the signs, but that's exactly what I did. I still can't quite believe it. The true killer reveal would've been cliché if I'd expected it in any way, but it was so not what I was expecting, it actually blew my mind a little.
I wish the ending had been slightly different because I feel like it could be slightly confusing and read like a cop out (when it reality it was just good writing, and we finally get to see the symptoms of Julie's split personality), and it really shouldn't be that easy to break out of a mental facility. But I guess I learnt from Pretty Little Liars that in Sara Shepard's world, it is.
All in all, this was a really good story. It's definitely better than Pretty Little Liars by a mile, but the plot twist is what made this book what it was. If it'd been left with Parker being the killer, it'd have been too predictable and simply okay. But the twist secured this book a firm four out of five stars.
Around half way through this book I started to suspect Parker, which I really didn't want to do because she was my favourite. But I was still in shock when it was revealed she was the killer, probably because it was so predictable. But BOY WAS I WRONG. Of course it wouldn't be that simple.
Now, I'm struggling to form coherent thoughts about the next reveal. I still kind of don't know what to do with myself. I've never read a book before that made me feel like I needed to reread the whole thing to try and spot the signs, but that's exactly what I did. I still can't quite believe it. The true killer reveal would've been cliché if I'd expected it in any way, but it was so not what I was expecting, it actually blew my mind a little.
I wish the ending had been slightly different because I feel like it could be slightly confusing and read like a cop out (when it reality it was just good writing, and we finally get to see the symptoms of Julie's split personality), and it really shouldn't be that easy to break out of a mental facility. But I guess I learnt from Pretty Little Liars that in Sara Shepard's world, it is.
All in all, this was a really good story. It's definitely better than Pretty Little Liars by a mile, but the plot twist is what made this book what it was. If it'd been left with Parker being the killer, it'd have been too predictable and simply okay. But the twist secured this book a firm four out of five stars.
houdach's review against another edition
4.0
**4.5 stars**
this story was so nicely wrapped up with some very unexpected twists and turns!
this story was so nicely wrapped up with some very unexpected twists and turns!
geno's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
cupcates's review against another edition
4.0
yes hi hello I DID NOT SEE THAT PLOT TWIST COMING. i don't care if other people did or w/e; i didn't, and the fact that i read the entire pll series, watched the show, and am watching the perfectionists now and still didn't even see it coming says a lot about this book.
IT'S GOOD, Y'ALL. it's really, really good.
IT'S GOOD, Y'ALL. it's really, really good.
mxharriet's review against another edition
4.0
*Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The first novel The Perfectionists I read earlier this year, and I really disliked it, largely because of the characters. But Sara Shepard just has such addictive writing and story lines that I had to pick up the sequel, and I am very pleased I did. I really do like these covers, they are so beautiful and girly yet horrifying at the same time.
I am not going to give a synopsis of this sequel, as you really just need to go into it remembering the key events from the first novel like: Nolan Hotchkiss' death, Granger's death and the list the 5 girls compiled.
Nothing about the characters in this novel changed, I really really dislike them all. They were incredibly immature, naive, selfish, cruel, and whiney. Especially to their boyfriends which was a recurring theme with them all. But I shall stop talking about my dislke for these characters for I could go on and on, as I was able to overlook it due to the amazing plot.
This is one of the main things I love about Sara Shepard's novel, she is able to completely capture you in the novel, making you feel like you are there, and the suspense and imagery has you constantly on the edge of your seat. However it was the ending that blew my mind. It was like nothing I had read before, and though I was sort of right when it came to the murderer, I was totally not expecting that, and it really blew me away. And that is why I love Sara Shepard's novels, she crafts them so intricately and completely shocks you; when I thought back to try and understand how I had missed her clues, she was so brilliant in intertwining them that I was truly astonished. And for that reason I had to give it the four stars it deserved, as it was just so clever; I am truly astonished.
Therefore this novel really blew-my-mind, and even if you really disliked the first novel, you have to give this a go as that ending is like nothing I have ever read before.
The first novel The Perfectionists I read earlier this year, and I really disliked it, largely because of the characters. But Sara Shepard just has such addictive writing and story lines that I had to pick up the sequel, and I am very pleased I did. I really do like these covers, they are so beautiful and girly yet horrifying at the same time.
I am not going to give a synopsis of this sequel, as you really just need to go into it remembering the key events from the first novel like: Nolan Hotchkiss' death, Granger's death and the list the 5 girls compiled.
Nothing about the characters in this novel changed, I really really dislike them all. They were incredibly immature, naive, selfish, cruel, and whiney. Especially to their boyfriends which was a recurring theme with them all. But I shall stop talking about my dislke for these characters for I could go on and on, as I was able to overlook it due to the amazing plot.
This is one of the main things I love about Sara Shepard's novel, she is able to completely capture you in the novel, making you feel like you are there, and the suspense and imagery has you constantly on the edge of your seat. However it was the ending that blew my mind. It was like nothing I had read before, and though I was sort of right when it came to the murderer, I was totally not expecting that, and it really blew me away. And that is why I love Sara Shepard's novels, she crafts them so intricately and completely shocks you; when I thought back to try and understand how I had missed her clues, she was so brilliant in intertwining them that I was truly astonished. And for that reason I had to give it the four stars it deserved, as it was just so clever; I am truly astonished.
Therefore this novel really blew-my-mind, and even if you really disliked the first novel, you have to give this a go as that ending is like nothing I have ever read before.
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
3.5: Whilst I thought this was a good ending for the duology, I felt it lacked in comparison to the first one. I would still recommend this duology to YA mystery fans.
jennysobiella's review against another edition
2.0
I really truly am no fan of this book/series.
The first one wasn’t to my liking but after finishing I wanted to see how the story would continue.
The only good thing was the ending. Just as twisted as we’re familiar with from her works of PLL.
It was okay but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to any of my friends.
The first one wasn’t to my liking but after finishing I wanted to see how the story would continue.
The only good thing was the ending. Just as twisted as we’re familiar with from her works of PLL.
It was okay but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to any of my friends.
ihateprozac's review against another edition
3.0
The Good Girls is essentially PLL with a name change. We've got teenage girls living seemingly perfect lives, only to find out that their lives aren't as perfect as they seem. They're embroiled in a deadly mystery - except rather than trying to figure out who killed their best friend, they're trying to figure out who did them a favour by killing their enemy.
We've got a girl who lives with a hoarder mother, a girl who was beaten to within an inch of death by an abusive father, a girl with a crazy frenemy, a girl with a crazy stepmother, and a girl dealing with the loss of her brother.
If I had never read or seen PLL, I might be able to rate this more highly. It's a quick read that you'll knock over in 2 hours and it's certainly entertaining enough, but it's not as high octane and fun as I'm used to. It lacks the momentum of the PLL series; it lacks that special something that made us connect with Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna; and it lacks the mystery that has you constantly pointing fingers, believing wholeheartedly that you know who the killer is.
And interestingly enough, it also lacks male figures of any interest. While authors often write one-dimensional or dull female characters - much to my dismay - Sara Shepard has done the opposite, creating boyfriends and brothers who are utterly devoid of personality. They could dress like Miley Cyrus and sing every line of dialogue, and they'd still be [insert uber supportive unrealistically mature teenage boyfriend here]. Looking back on her various book series I now realise that this isn't unique to The Perfectionists, and that Shepard's male characters across the board are dull as dogshit. I suppose I shouldn't complain as I'd much rather have complex female characters and weaker males than the other way round, but it's a curious and annoying phenomenon of her writing.
And I don't know if it's simply me getting older, but I really felt that this book was too young for me. I'm fully aware that I'm several years older than the YA target market, but the majority of the time I'm able to breeze through books without feeling alienated. This made me feel like the reader equivalent of mutton dressed as lamb. It's a little too immature, a little too simple, a little too shallow, a little too stereotypically girly. Not to mention I guessed the ending two chapters in. It's an overdone trope that should've died when Nolan Hotchkiss did.
Overall: If it's a free copy, you're looking to kill an hour, or you're a mega PLL fan who's exhausted every fanfic on the internet, you should consider picking this up. It's quick and fun fluff, but comparing it to PLL is like comparing a head of iceberg lettuce to a wonderful, greasy burger. It'll do the job but it's nothing to write home about.
We've got a girl who lives with a hoarder mother, a girl who was beaten to within an inch of death by an abusive father, a girl with a crazy frenemy, a girl with a crazy stepmother, and a girl dealing with the loss of her brother.
If I had never read or seen PLL, I might be able to rate this more highly. It's a quick read that you'll knock over in 2 hours and it's certainly entertaining enough, but it's not as high octane and fun as I'm used to. It lacks the momentum of the PLL series; it lacks that special something that made us connect with Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna; and it lacks the mystery that has you constantly pointing fingers, believing wholeheartedly that you know who the killer is.
And interestingly enough, it also lacks male figures of any interest. While authors often write one-dimensional or dull female characters - much to my dismay - Sara Shepard has done the opposite, creating boyfriends and brothers who are utterly devoid of personality. They could dress like Miley Cyrus and sing every line of dialogue, and they'd still be [insert uber supportive unrealistically mature teenage boyfriend here]. Looking back on her various book series I now realise that this isn't unique to The Perfectionists, and that Shepard's male characters across the board are dull as dogshit. I suppose I shouldn't complain as I'd much rather have complex female characters and weaker males than the other way round, but it's a curious and annoying phenomenon of her writing.
And I don't know if it's simply me getting older, but I really felt that this book was too young for me. I'm fully aware that I'm several years older than the YA target market, but the majority of the time I'm able to breeze through books without feeling alienated. This made me feel like the reader equivalent of mutton dressed as lamb. It's a little too immature, a little too simple, a little too shallow, a little too stereotypically girly. Not to mention I guessed the ending two chapters in. It's an overdone trope that should've died when Nolan Hotchkiss did.
Overall: If it's a free copy, you're looking to kill an hour, or you're a mega PLL fan who's exhausted every fanfic on the internet, you should consider picking this up. It's quick and fun fluff, but comparing it to PLL is like comparing a head of iceberg lettuce to a wonderful, greasy burger. It'll do the job but it's nothing to write home about.
book_nerd2012's review against another edition
5.0
This was a good mystery/thriller book. I’ll admit I did not expect the ending but overall I would recommend this and the first one being The Perfectionists.
sharonsm_28's review against another edition
5.0
Actual Rating: 4.5
This was an amazing read. This is a shorter version of PLL book series. I think they are planning on making The Perfectionists a TV series as well based on how well PLL did, and I wonder how they would expand the story. I thought the ending of this book was crazy and I hope there will be more books to follow Mackenzie, Ava, Julie, Parker and Caitlin. The characters are amazing and I really loved reading each girl's POV. I am glad I finally read this book. Overall, an incredible read.
This was an amazing read. This is a shorter version of PLL book series. I think they are planning on making The Perfectionists a TV series as well based on how well PLL did, and I wonder how they would expand the story. I thought the ending of this book was crazy and I hope there will be more books to follow Mackenzie, Ava, Julie, Parker and Caitlin. The characters are amazing and I really loved reading each girl's POV. I am glad I finally read this book. Overall, an incredible read.