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cupcates's review against another edition
3.0
what if i told you this is better than pretty little liars even though it has so many characters i can't remember like half of them
mxharriet's review against another edition
2.0
*Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I really struggled to rate The Perfectionists. On one hand, I'm asking if you can put zero stars but on the other I say two to three stars. Now this cover, is beautiful; it goes perfectly with the novel.
Nolan Hotchkiss is one of the most hated individuals, and yet he is the most popular. However, his popularity comes from the secrets he holds over many. When five girls decide to utterly humiliate him at his own party, he soon turns up dead. But they did not murder him. The girls must find his real murderer, before they are the ones accused.
Now the characters… oh dear:
It took me a long time, due to the five POVs to understand who was who, who does what, who's friends are who, and their motives for hating Nolan. It took a long time as the majority of the five sounded like the exact same person.
They made some really, really irresponsible and silly decisions. I will not say what they did as it will spoil it for you. The majority of the time I had to stop reading and look around in disbelief, as if to say, "Are they serious?!".
They also came across as incredibly naive, linking to point two. Especially thinking the Police would believe them after the things they just did! Just… I shall leave it there or I could go on forever.
They were strongly unlikable characters, with awful friends. I think nearly every friend turned on each of them. Yes they were academically intelligent, but otherwise they were just infuriating.
The plot of this novel, was very similar to Shepard's other novels. I expected more originality and danger, but all I felt I got was five girls making everything worse for themselves with their decisions. I feel my only positive thought of this novel was, that I still want to know who the murderer was. Meaning I am indecisive as to whether I should carry on with the series or not.
Overall, I strongly disliked this novel yet I still really want to know what happens next.
I really struggled to rate The Perfectionists. On one hand, I'm asking if you can put zero stars but on the other I say two to three stars. Now this cover, is beautiful; it goes perfectly with the novel.
Nolan Hotchkiss is one of the most hated individuals, and yet he is the most popular. However, his popularity comes from the secrets he holds over many. When five girls decide to utterly humiliate him at his own party, he soon turns up dead. But they did not murder him. The girls must find his real murderer, before they are the ones accused.
Now the characters… oh dear:
It took me a long time, due to the five POVs to understand who was who, who does what, who's friends are who, and their motives for hating Nolan. It took a long time as the majority of the five sounded like the exact same person.
They made some really, really irresponsible and silly decisions. I will not say what they did as it will spoil it for you. The majority of the time I had to stop reading and look around in disbelief, as if to say, "Are they serious?!".
They also came across as incredibly naive, linking to point two. Especially thinking the Police would believe them after the things they just did! Just… I shall leave it there or I could go on forever.
They were strongly unlikable characters, with awful friends. I think nearly every friend turned on each of them. Yes they were academically intelligent, but otherwise they were just infuriating.
The plot of this novel, was very similar to Shepard's other novels. I expected more originality and danger, but all I felt I got was five girls making everything worse for themselves with their decisions. I feel my only positive thought of this novel was, that I still want to know who the murderer was. Meaning I am indecisive as to whether I should carry on with the series or not.
Overall, I strongly disliked this novel yet I still really want to know what happens next.
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
I recieved a free copy from the publishers via Edelweiss
I went into The Perfectionists with rather mixed feelings. I was excited because I enjoy contemporaries like this, but also wary because I had heard mixed things about [a:Sara Shepard|93970|Sara Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1229580414p2/93970.jpg]’s previous series (that others have said The Perfectionists is similar to in many ways) [b:Pretty Little Liars|162085|Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)|Sara Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377830522s/162085.jpg|2191061]. However, I must admit, I was very much pleasantly surprised and came out actually really enjoying this.
Five girls — Parker, Julie, Caitlin, Mac and Ava — have all, in some way or another, fallen victim to Nolan Hotchkiss and thus all secretly despise him. In a town where everybody has to be perfect, Nolan is the most perfect and most revered of them all. Together, the girls come up with a way to murder him — all hypothetical, of course, until he turns up dead. The girls must find the real killer before their very perfect lives are ruined for good.
I really enjoyed the characters in The Perfectionists and, for me, it was certainly one of the high points. Each of the five girls had a very distinct personality and were rather likeable characters (my favorites were Ava and Julie). I deeply admired the friendship between the five girls, and loved how it was portrayed — they knew each other’s secrets, yet each were understanding and were very accepting of each other. There were also some serious creepy, predatory pervy men that I very much disliked!
The plot was sometimes over shadowed by the romantic entanglements of the girls. Although I did like reading of their ‘perfect’ lives, sometimes I wished it to get back to the mystery at hand — WHO KILLED NOLAN? I do have my own suspicions and I can say that I’m eager for the next book in the series, but I do hope it doesn’t drag out like I’ve heard the PLL series does.
Overall, an enjoyable read that’s very much entertaining and difficult to put down (& it’s a quick read, too).
I went into The Perfectionists with rather mixed feelings. I was excited because I enjoy contemporaries like this, but also wary because I had heard mixed things about [a:Sara Shepard|93970|Sara Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1229580414p2/93970.jpg]’s previous series (that others have said The Perfectionists is similar to in many ways) [b:Pretty Little Liars|162085|Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)|Sara Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377830522s/162085.jpg|2191061]. However, I must admit, I was very much pleasantly surprised and came out actually really enjoying this.
Five girls — Parker, Julie, Caitlin, Mac and Ava — have all, in some way or another, fallen victim to Nolan Hotchkiss and thus all secretly despise him. In a town where everybody has to be perfect, Nolan is the most perfect and most revered of them all. Together, the girls come up with a way to murder him — all hypothetical, of course, until he turns up dead. The girls must find the real killer before their very perfect lives are ruined for good.
I really enjoyed the characters in The Perfectionists and, for me, it was certainly one of the high points. Each of the five girls had a very distinct personality and were rather likeable characters (my favorites were Ava and Julie). I deeply admired the friendship between the five girls, and loved how it was portrayed — they knew each other’s secrets, yet each were understanding and were very accepting of each other. There were also some serious creepy, predatory pervy men that I very much disliked!
The plot was sometimes over shadowed by the romantic entanglements of the girls. Although I did like reading of their ‘perfect’ lives, sometimes I wished it to get back to the mystery at hand — WHO KILLED NOLAN? I do have my own suspicions and I can say that I’m eager for the next book in the series, but I do hope it doesn’t drag out like I’ve heard the PLL series does.
Overall, an enjoyable read that’s very much entertaining and difficult to put down (& it’s a quick read, too).
jennysobiella's review against another edition
3.0
Kudos to me to only realise that there’s a second book out just before finishing this one.
Anyhow I don’t really have that many thoughts on this. Nor do I actually know how to feel about it.
I knew what to expect from PLL, and it met my expectations to a certain degree - but at times it was just a little hard for me to follow.
It took me longer than usual to finish it and if I’m honest I’ll just read the second book to see if she actually ties up all the loose ends she created in this one.
The journey isn’t over yet.
Anyhow I don’t really have that many thoughts on this. Nor do I actually know how to feel about it.
I knew what to expect from PLL, and it met my expectations to a certain degree - but at times it was just a little hard for me to follow.
It took me longer than usual to finish it and if I’m honest I’ll just read the second book to see if she actually ties up all the loose ends she created in this one.
The journey isn’t over yet.
lelemontgomery's review against another edition
1.0
Sadly, the books isnt as the same as the tv series so it‘s a no go for me.
I had high hopes when I discovered this book and i loved the tv series but sadly the books is completely different from the series and not as good as the series
I had high hopes when I discovered this book and i loved the tv series but sadly the books is completely different from the series and not as good as the series
ihateprozac's review against another edition
4.0
The Pretty Little Liars series has come to an end, and in spite of how crappy those books became, I still felt a void when the adventure ended. The last time I picked up a seemingly similar series during a PLL hiatus, I wound up suffering through the ridiculous adventures of Kate Brian’s Private series. (TL;DR it’s some clique-y boarding school bullshit with a murder mystery thrown in, that spans 20 books and somehow ends up at the conclusion of ‘oh yeah, it’s all magic’.) In spite of that, I picked up The Perfectionists in the hopes of a less frustrating outcome.
If you’ve got one talent, you might as well milk it for all it’s worth. and Sara Shepard’s talent is writing super compelling young adult chick lit murder mysteries. She nailed it with The Lying Game, and she nailed it with Pretty Little Liars (let’s pretend that books 9 and onward didn’t actually happen….) The Perfectionists follows that same formula and I can only hope for more of the same.
This is basically Pretty Little Liars but with a few tweaks. We have five perfect girls living fabulous lives, attending a high pressure school in an idyllic American suburb. At the beginning of the novel a Noel Kahn-esque characer called Nolan is murdered at his own house party. At first it appears that the girls had been plotting to kill Nolan in revenge for being a revolting human being, but then you learn that they set out simply to humiliate him. The murder came afterward and is a total mystery.
The Perfectionists is eerily similar, but overall more sinister than Pretty Little Liars. Nolan is like Noel Kahn, but a total sadist who gets off from ruining peoples’ lives (read: the male Regina George). He’s driven at least one individual to kill himself, and zero fucks are given. Granger is like Ezra Fitz, but more of a straight up pedo-creep than adorable starcross’d lover who just happens to be a little bit too old.
The skeletons in each girls’ closets are also more complex and in some cases more sinister than PLL. Julie’s mum is a Grade A hoarder and is the reason she had to change schools. Parker’s dad is horribly violent toward her. Caitlin’s brother killed himself due to Nolan’s bullying. Mack struggles with a frenemy, Caitlin has two mums, and Ava struggles with feeling abandoned after her father remarries.
When Sara Shepard is is good, she’s really good. She’ll have you on the edge of your seat, pulling your hair out as you try to guess the killer, only to shit all over your theory and spend the next book convincing you it’s somebody else. Unfortunately The Perfectionists falls a little flat. I half suspected creepy Mr Granger of being the killer, and I half suspected Claire and Ashley working together, but I never 100% put my faith into either suspect(s). I can’t work out if this is a fault on behalf of the author, or if I’ve simply grown so familiar with Sara Shepard’s work that I’m being critical in thinking “Nah, Granger killing Nolan to stop being blackmailed is a bit basic”.
Overall: While it’s a bit of a “meh” start, I’m hopeful that The Perfectionists series can fill the void that Pretty Little Liars left. We’ve got an evil villain, a murder mystery, and a bunch of rich teenage girls who have more than a few skeletons in the closet. I can’t offer too much insight as this book serves to set the scene as a jumping off point for a larger series, but it was a fun, quick read with some entertaining scandalous drama. I’m intrigued enough to keep reading!
If you’ve got one talent, you might as well milk it for all it’s worth. and Sara Shepard’s talent is writing super compelling young adult chick lit murder mysteries. She nailed it with The Lying Game, and she nailed it with Pretty Little Liars (let’s pretend that books 9 and onward didn’t actually happen….) The Perfectionists follows that same formula and I can only hope for more of the same.
This is basically Pretty Little Liars but with a few tweaks. We have five perfect girls living fabulous lives, attending a high pressure school in an idyllic American suburb. At the beginning of the novel a Noel Kahn-esque characer called Nolan is murdered at his own house party. At first it appears that the girls had been plotting to kill Nolan in revenge for being a revolting human being, but then you learn that they set out simply to humiliate him. The murder came afterward and is a total mystery.
The Perfectionists is eerily similar, but overall more sinister than Pretty Little Liars. Nolan is like Noel Kahn, but a total sadist who gets off from ruining peoples’ lives (read: the male Regina George). He’s driven at least one individual to kill himself, and zero fucks are given. Granger is like Ezra Fitz, but more of a straight up pedo-creep than adorable starcross’d lover who just happens to be a little bit too old.
The skeletons in each girls’ closets are also more complex and in some cases more sinister than PLL. Julie’s mum is a Grade A hoarder and is the reason she had to change schools. Parker’s dad is horribly violent toward her. Caitlin’s brother killed himself due to Nolan’s bullying. Mack struggles with a frenemy, Caitlin has two mums, and Ava struggles with feeling abandoned after her father remarries.
When Sara Shepard is is good, she’s really good. She’ll have you on the edge of your seat, pulling your hair out as you try to guess the killer, only to shit all over your theory and spend the next book convincing you it’s somebody else. Unfortunately The Perfectionists falls a little flat. I half suspected creepy Mr Granger of being the killer, and I half suspected Claire and Ashley working together, but I never 100% put my faith into either suspect(s). I can’t work out if this is a fault on behalf of the author, or if I’ve simply grown so familiar with Sara Shepard’s work that I’m being critical in thinking “Nah, Granger killing Nolan to stop being blackmailed is a bit basic”.
Overall: While it’s a bit of a “meh” start, I’m hopeful that The Perfectionists series can fill the void that Pretty Little Liars left. We’ve got an evil villain, a murder mystery, and a bunch of rich teenage girls who have more than a few skeletons in the closet. I can’t offer too much insight as this book serves to set the scene as a jumping off point for a larger series, but it was a fun, quick read with some entertaining scandalous drama. I’m intrigued enough to keep reading!
betweenthelinesbookclub's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sharonsm_28's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book in this new two-book series by the author. It kind of has a PLL theme, but this one will end soon than that one. I think it is the perfect blend of mystery and suspense. Sara has a talent for writing some amazing stories through mystery and suspense. This is one of them. If you liked or loved PLL, this book is for you. It was fast-paced and intriguing to see if all secrets were exposed. However, we will have to wait for book two to know if that happens. Left me wanting more. 4/5.
mello_kh's review against another edition
3.0
I need to start this review by saying that I felt like I was on a roller coaster while reading this book. I remember being so overwhelmed with the number of names throughout the entire story, but thinking about it now, I think it added more depth and realism.
The main girls were fantastic. I loved that each chapter was about a single girl and her own struggles and story. Each character felt real and not perfect, which is interesting since they all want to appear as perfect girls in their surroundings. I enjoyed the small romance and love triangles, and it honestly had a little bit of everything.
I have to say that the ending was a little bit rushed, and I think I would prefer if it were explained a bit more and sooner. I feel the same about the middle of the story. I can't say I didn't enjoy the extra story and getting to know the characters, but I would prefer if the actual mystery was explained more.
I'm really 50/50 about the ending. It does open up a really nice path into more mysteries and drama, which is definitely explained in the next book. The entire time, I was really suspicious of one particular person, but I thought it was too obvious for them to be the actual killer, and I was actually surprised by the end. I did not expect it at all so that's big plus from me.
The main girls were fantastic. I loved that each chapter was about a single girl and her own struggles and story. Each character felt real and not perfect, which is interesting since they all want to appear as perfect girls in their surroundings. I enjoyed the small romance and love triangles, and it honestly had a little bit of everything.
I have to say that the ending was a little bit rushed, and I think I would prefer if it were explained a bit more and sooner. I feel the same about the middle of the story. I can't say I didn't enjoy the extra story and getting to know the characters, but I would prefer if the actual mystery was explained more.
I'm really 50/50 about the ending. It does open up a really nice path into more mysteries and drama, which is definitely explained in the next book. The entire time, I was really suspicious of one particular person, but I thought it was too obvious for them to be the actual killer, and I was actually surprised by the end. I did not expect it at all so that's big plus from me.