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The Perfectionists #2
The Good Girls
Mackenzie, Ava, Caitlin, Julie, and Parker have done some not-so-perfect things. Even though they all talked about killing rich bully Nolan Hotchkiss, they didn't actually go through with it. It's just a coincidence that Nolan died in exactly the way they planned . . . right? Except Nolan wasn't the only one they fantasized about killing. When someone else they named dies, the girls wonder if they're being framed. Or are they about to become the killer's next targets?
282 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2015
About the author
Sara Shepard
114 books14.6k followersSara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.
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December 15, 2024
4 stars to Sara Shepard's The Good Girls, the potentially conclusive second novel in her Perfectionist's series. After reading the debut of the series last month, I was quickly intrigued and needed to read the second novel to learn what happens to the 5 girls who seemed to be hiding something. I picked it up yesterday morning and finished it within a few hours as my Sunday read. It's a fascinating ending and floats a potential opening for a third installment down the line, but it is also good should it just end here at book 2.
Story
Book 1 leaves the 5 girls recognizing that the teacher they thought was the killer (who actually enacted the murder plot the girls has dreamed up as a joke) was then murdered himself. Yikes, the teacher can't be the murdered, so now what? Book 2 picks up with the girls each being interviewed by the police to try and piece together what's going on. The girls hold strong and don't reveal all they know hoping to figure out who is doing the killing and making it look like it's actually the girls behind it all. The sub-stories grow more intense and one by one each of the proposed murder victims from the original plot start to show up dead. A huge twist comes into play about 2/3 of the way through this book leaving the reader utterly confused and shocked but in the last 100 pages, it unravels and you realize all that you missed along the way.
Strengths
It's a well-orchestrated plot with so many stories having to collide and so many potential suspects having to be present and concerning. It takes a strong writer to pull off this type of complexity; however, Shepard takes it a whole leap forward with the twist reveal 2/3 of the way through that I kept stopping to think back to the first book and the beginning part of book 2. I swore there were mistakes and it didn't jive, but it actually does... you get so drawn into the story that you may miss the hidden clues along the way.
Weaknesses
Due to the style and the actual plot/killer, a few things had to be left out along the way. Some readers may be annoyed because they think they know someone but they really do not know them. It's also a bit of a jump to go from what we know to what we actually find out and see it as fully believable. (Trying not to reveal any spoilers here!) In the end, with a bit of disbelief and blinking one eye a lot, I see how it happened. But it went pretty far before someone figured out what was actually going on... I think that's where it gets a bit off track.
Final Thoughts
Shepard is highly imaginative and really knows how to create different characters and plot lines. For that alone, one should read this book... but given this is her 25+ book, it will eventually start to feel all too similar. I watched Pretty Little Liars so I don't feel the need to go back and read all ~15 books in that collection, but I will probably give another one of her series a chance next year.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Story
Book 1 leaves the 5 girls recognizing that the teacher they thought was the killer (who actually enacted the murder plot the girls has dreamed up as a joke) was then murdered himself. Yikes, the teacher can't be the murdered, so now what? Book 2 picks up with the girls each being interviewed by the police to try and piece together what's going on. The girls hold strong and don't reveal all they know hoping to figure out who is doing the killing and making it look like it's actually the girls behind it all. The sub-stories grow more intense and one by one each of the proposed murder victims from the original plot start to show up dead. A huge twist comes into play about 2/3 of the way through this book leaving the reader utterly confused and shocked but in the last 100 pages, it unravels and you realize all that you missed along the way.
Strengths
It's a well-orchestrated plot with so many stories having to collide and so many potential suspects having to be present and concerning. It takes a strong writer to pull off this type of complexity; however, Shepard takes it a whole leap forward with the twist reveal 2/3 of the way through that I kept stopping to think back to the first book and the beginning part of book 2. I swore there were mistakes and it didn't jive, but it actually does... you get so drawn into the story that you may miss the hidden clues along the way.
Weaknesses
Due to the style and the actual plot/killer, a few things had to be left out along the way. Some readers may be annoyed because they think they know someone but they really do not know them. It's also a bit of a jump to go from what we know to what we actually find out and see it as fully believable. (Trying not to reveal any spoilers here!) In the end, with a bit of disbelief and blinking one eye a lot, I see how it happened. But it went pretty far before someone figured out what was actually going on... I think that's where it gets a bit off track.
Final Thoughts
Shepard is highly imaginative and really knows how to create different characters and plot lines. For that alone, one should read this book... but given this is her 25+ book, it will eventually start to feel all too similar. I watched Pretty Little Liars so I don't feel the need to go back and read all ~15 books in that collection, but I will probably give another one of her series a chance next year.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
March 8, 2017
omg OMG OMG
Pero cuánta razón teníais. Este segundo libro es muchísimo mejor que el primero, y me ha parecido maravilloso. Aunque ha tenido sus fallos, de los que ahora os hablaré.
The Good Girls es una seguida parte que consigue sorprenderte como su primera no lo hizo. Los personajes siguen con sus problemas, el misterio sigue sin resolver, y poco a poco van creciendo más dudas según nos vamos acercando al final, para ser resueltas de manera magistral.
Me ha gustado especialmente el cierre que le ha dado Sara a las tramas de las protagonistas, no porque crea que es el correcto, sino porque ha conseguido que sean motivos entendibles y justificables, con total sentido dentro de la evolución de cada personaje. Y con uno me he emocionado y todo. Maldita Sara Shepard.
Pero sin duda lo mejor ha sido resolver el misterio. Con esta mujer realmente nunca sabes por dónde te va a venir, sobre todo porque las explicaciones que da son las que te dejan con el culo torcido. Y en este caso, además, es algo que yo deseaba que ocurriese en la serie Pretty Little Liars (que se basa en sus libros).
EL PLOT TWIST. No sois conscientes. Me avisasteis de que hacia la mitad ocurría algo muy fuerte que lo cambiara todo, pero eso no fue lo que más me sorprendió, sino lo que ocurre más hacia el final. Es una maldita pasada. Es que omg
En fin, que recomiendo increíblemente esta bilogía. La única pega que tengo de este segundo tomo es que me costó más engancharme que con el primero, hasta más o menos la mitad las tramas no avanzaban con un ritmo destacable y los descubrimientos acerca del misterio no tenían mucha relevancia. Pero leed esta saga, por favor. YA.
Pero cuánta razón teníais. Este segundo libro es muchísimo mejor que el primero, y me ha parecido maravilloso. Aunque ha tenido sus fallos, de los que ahora os hablaré.
The Good Girls es una seguida parte que consigue sorprenderte como su primera no lo hizo. Los personajes siguen con sus problemas, el misterio sigue sin resolver, y poco a poco van creciendo más dudas según nos vamos acercando al final, para ser resueltas de manera magistral.
Me ha gustado especialmente el cierre que le ha dado Sara a las tramas de las protagonistas, no porque crea que es el correcto, sino porque ha conseguido que sean motivos entendibles y justificables, con total sentido dentro de la evolución de cada personaje. Y con uno me he emocionado y todo. Maldita Sara Shepard.
Pero sin duda lo mejor ha sido resolver el misterio. Con esta mujer realmente nunca sabes por dónde te va a venir, sobre todo porque las explicaciones que da son las que te dejan con el culo torcido. Y en este caso, además, es algo que yo deseaba que ocurriese en la serie Pretty Little Liars (que se basa en sus libros).
EL PLOT TWIST. No sois conscientes. Me avisasteis de que hacia la mitad ocurría algo muy fuerte que lo cambiara todo, pero eso no fue lo que más me sorprendió, sino lo que ocurre más hacia el final. Es una maldita pasada. Es que omg
En fin, que recomiendo increíblemente esta bilogía. La única pega que tengo de este segundo tomo es que me costó más engancharme que con el primero, hasta más o menos la mitad las tramas no avanzaban con un ritmo destacable y los descubrimientos acerca del misterio no tenían mucha relevancia. Pero leed esta saga, por favor. YA.
April 21, 2020
At first, I didn't think this was going to be as good as the first book in the series (as is so often the case!), but I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this even more... In fact, I sat down with the intention of reading a chapter two and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting!
If you're looking for a really gripping, fast-paced mystery story with lots of twists and turns, I would recommend!
If you're looking for a really gripping, fast-paced mystery story with lots of twists and turns, I would recommend!
September 27, 2015
BLOG REVIEW:
https://thebookgram.wordpress.com/201...
The Good Girls, book 2 in The Perfectionists duology
actual rating: 4.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, I think more than the first instalment because I already knew who all the characters were and I was so excited to find out who the killer was!
This book was mind-blowing! That plot twist...
On page 245 we find out exactly what the heck is going on in Beacon Heights, and boy did Ms Shepard not disappoint!
I was very impressed, shocked and creeped out by how Shepard constructed the plot and revealed the killer (and yes we do find out, this isn't a 16 book series). I loved who it turned out to be and the story that went along with it! Amazing.
Although I had my speculations about certain characters, and I was kind-of on the right track, the overall reveal of the killer still left me with goosebumpsand left me too scared to sleep facing the wall...
I cannot express my satisfaction enough in relation to the ending, I'm happy with how every characters story arc's tied up. Even though Shepard has a knack for ending her series with a loose end, and an opportunity to write more,I don't think I'd oppose to that... I am still content with the ending.
Basically, I'd buy and read anything Sara Shepard writes, and can't wait to see what she has in store for the future!More murder mystery books, please.
https://thebookgram.wordpress.com/201...
The Good Girls, book 2 in The Perfectionists duology
actual rating: 4.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, I think more than the first instalment because I already knew who all the characters were and I was so excited to find out who the killer was!
This book was mind-blowing! That plot twist...
On page 245 we find out exactly what the heck is going on in Beacon Heights, and boy did Ms Shepard not disappoint!
I was very impressed, shocked and creeped out by how Shepard constructed the plot and revealed the killer (and yes we do find out, this isn't a 16 book series). I loved who it turned out to be and the story that went along with it! Amazing.
Although I had my speculations about certain characters, and I was kind-of on the right track, the overall reveal of the killer still left me with goosebumps
I cannot express my satisfaction enough in relation to the ending, I'm happy with how every characters story arc's tied up. Even though Shepard has a knack for ending her series with a loose end, and an opportunity to write more,
Basically, I'd buy and read anything Sara Shepard writes, and can't wait to see what she has in store for the future!
January 24, 2018
can I pls just read one thriller that doesn't use mental illness as a plot device
October 7, 2016
Honestly this was my dream come true of mystery series endings so right now I'm just super excited. I had so much fun racing through the pages to see if my theory was right.
Aside from that, this ending was so well paced. Sara built up more from the initial mystery, then gave you a reveal earlier than expected with plenty of time left to discover more to the story and have full closure, while not dragging on for too long.
I re-read my review of the first book and I said I thought there were too many characters, but in this sequel I found myself impressed with how the characters' home lives were portrayed. One character has a hateful stepmother. One is adopted, has two moms, and is struggling with the loss of her brother. One has an abusive father that's in jail and is struggling with the physical and mental repercussions of his abuse. One has a neglectful, hoarder mother. Now, because it's an ensemble cast you may not get as attached to the characters, and some of these topics are not explored as fully as other books would tackle them, but I do love that Sara Shepard portrays teens from various backgrounds, and who aren't immune to psychological problems.
There are some diverse main characters here: one is Iranian and one is Korean. I would not really count the mental health mentioned in the previous paragraph as representation - although I felt it was true to what a real person's experience would be and I loved its inclusion, it was definitely written for the outsider.
Aside from that, this ending was so well paced. Sara built up more from the initial mystery, then gave you a reveal earlier than expected with plenty of time left to discover more to the story and have full closure, while not dragging on for too long.
I re-read my review of the first book and I said I thought there were too many characters, but in this sequel I found myself impressed with how the characters' home lives were portrayed. One character has a hateful stepmother. One is adopted, has two moms, and is struggling with the loss of her brother. One has an abusive father that's in jail and is struggling with the physical and mental repercussions of his abuse. One has a neglectful, hoarder mother. Now, because it's an ensemble cast you may not get as attached to the characters, and some of these topics are not explored as fully as other books would tackle them, but I do love that Sara Shepard portrays teens from various backgrounds, and who aren't immune to psychological problems.
There are some diverse main characters here: one is Iranian and one is Korean. I would not really count the mental health mentioned in the previous paragraph as representation - although I felt it was true to what a real person's experience would be and I loved its inclusion, it was definitely written for the outsider.
June 12, 2015
Okay, wow! I can't believe that Sara Shepard went there with this book. I totally didn't see the first twist... then the second and third twists coming. I was so thoroughly impressed with Sara's unique viewpoint for a mystery book that I had to reread the confession four times before I believed it was real.
I still have one question though, one that I don't think I will get the answer to as Sara has said that The Good Girls is the last of The Perfectionists series, and that is 'Is Julie really crazy?'
I still have one question though, one that I don't think I will get the answer to as Sara has said that The Good Girls is the last of The Perfectionists series, and that is 'Is Julie really crazy?'
May 14, 2017
what a twisted ending. i had to check with previous scenes how had it played out with that fact.
& the last scene made it so complicated, real & unbelievable at the same time.
& the last scene made it so complicated, real & unbelievable at the same time.
August 1, 2015
Well, well, well, I certainly didn't see that coming. If I thought the first book had some plot twists, they were nothing compared to this. Sara Shepard, I applaud you and your brilliance.
May 20, 2017
Esto más bien es un 4.3, y no puedo creer que estoy calificando tanto un libro de Sara Shepard y que tiene mucha relación con su súper larga PLL.
Primero, recuerden que la única referencia 'extraordinaria' que yo tengo de Sara Shepard es por supuesto, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Tanto los libros como la serie y no gastare caracteres aquí hablando de la trama de PLL, pero tienen que saber que era lo suficientemente buena para ser el boom del 2010 hasta el 2016 y me atrevo a decir que la serie fue lo que le dio la importancia a los libros. Los libros eran buenos, muy buena trama, misterio y acción, policial. Pero por alguna razón la autora escribió creo que 13 o 14 libros, y en el transcurso de esto,! la idea en general y la trama se desgastó muchísimo, tanto que obviamente se volvió aburrida y más de lo mismo.
La serie si resultó ser buena y no siguió la trama del libro, lo cual odie y ame en partes iguales.
The Perfectionist fue un libro remotamente bueno, la trama me pareció aceptable y tenía la chispa suficiente para causar un incendio. Sin embargo no me termino de convencer, inserto el misterio, y nos engañó toda la trama y al final, nada era lo que parecía y todo cambio. Sin embargo no logró llamar mi atención.
Ahora con The good girls, es como si comenzáramos nuevamente, mismos personajes del primer libro pero una trama más prometedora aunque tenía base en la del primer libro, esta vez sí era esencial para mantenerme atento pensando ¿que está pasando aquí? Y es que comenzó donde nos dejó el primer libro justo en la pregunta que se dejo sin respuesta y justo lo que se necesitaba para evaluar todo, y créanme aquí si sucede el incendio.
Sobre los personajes, tengo que decir: desde el primero libro estoy obsesionado con Nolan, y siento que se debió dársenos la oportunidad de conocerlo más a fondo, y a su familia, siempre me han atraído los bully y su background y esta vez no tenía porque ser diferente, sin embargo solo nos dieron un poco de lo que Nolan representaba para nuestros protagonistas y ya. Lamentable
Me encanta Caitlin y sus madres, el cambio que dio su vida amorosa y como se desarrolla su trama. Y por supuesto me gusta Julie, su historia es tal vez la más prometedora.
Ahora, en este libro se presenta Ee mejor PLOT TWIST que he leído en mucho tiempo, lo juro no me lo esperaba para nada, cuando pase las líneas me quede tipo: "un momento, ¿me salte algo y me perdí? ¿Es esto posible? De verdad que el PLOT TWIST hace que todo cambie repentinamente como debe ser y te haga evaluarte toda la serie. Y no mencionó nada más para no arruinarles más esta lectura.
Sin embargo no estaba conforme nada con ese final que no fue más que otra conclusión, no causó demasiado impacto y me recordó muchísimo a PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, y un intento de mantener las cosas estables por si había algo más que escribir.
Creo que no hay más libros y lamento muchísimo eso, porque podría tener mucho potencial aunque sea por un libro más.
De nuevo, lo disfruté muchísimo y le pongo un 4.3. Es un libro que hay que leer, Sara Shepard es la reina se los misterios juveniles, es la verdad.
Y todos deberíamos ponernos al día, para los amantes de las series, este libro ha sido comprado para hacer un SPIN OFF de PLL y sucederá este año o el otro por la misma creadora de la otra serie.
Primero, recuerden que la única referencia 'extraordinaria' que yo tengo de Sara Shepard es por supuesto, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Tanto los libros como la serie y no gastare caracteres aquí hablando de la trama de PLL, pero tienen que saber que era lo suficientemente buena para ser el boom del 2010 hasta el 2016 y me atrevo a decir que la serie fue lo que le dio la importancia a los libros. Los libros eran buenos, muy buena trama, misterio y acción, policial. Pero por alguna razón la autora escribió creo que 13 o 14 libros, y en el transcurso de esto,! la idea en general y la trama se desgastó muchísimo, tanto que obviamente se volvió aburrida y más de lo mismo.
La serie si resultó ser buena y no siguió la trama del libro, lo cual odie y ame en partes iguales.
The Perfectionist fue un libro remotamente bueno, la trama me pareció aceptable y tenía la chispa suficiente para causar un incendio. Sin embargo no me termino de convencer, inserto el misterio, y nos engañó toda la trama y al final, nada era lo que parecía y todo cambio. Sin embargo no logró llamar mi atención.
Ahora con The good girls, es como si comenzáramos nuevamente, mismos personajes del primer libro pero una trama más prometedora aunque tenía base en la del primer libro, esta vez sí era esencial para mantenerme atento pensando ¿que está pasando aquí? Y es que comenzó donde nos dejó el primer libro justo en la pregunta que se dejo sin respuesta y justo lo que se necesitaba para evaluar todo, y créanme aquí si sucede el incendio.
Sobre los personajes, tengo que decir: desde el primero libro estoy obsesionado con Nolan, y siento que se debió dársenos la oportunidad de conocerlo más a fondo, y a su familia, siempre me han atraído los bully y su background y esta vez no tenía porque ser diferente, sin embargo solo nos dieron un poco de lo que Nolan representaba para nuestros protagonistas y ya. Lamentable
Me encanta Caitlin y sus madres, el cambio que dio su vida amorosa y como se desarrolla su trama. Y por supuesto me gusta Julie, su historia es tal vez la más prometedora.
Ahora, en este libro se presenta Ee mejor PLOT TWIST que he leído en mucho tiempo, lo juro no me lo esperaba para nada, cuando pase las líneas me quede tipo: "un momento, ¿me salte algo y me perdí? ¿Es esto posible? De verdad que el PLOT TWIST hace que todo cambie repentinamente como debe ser y te haga evaluarte toda la serie. Y no mencionó nada más para no arruinarles más esta lectura.
Sin embargo no estaba conforme nada con ese final que no fue más que otra conclusión, no causó demasiado impacto y me recordó muchísimo a PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, y un intento de mantener las cosas estables por si había algo más que escribir.
Creo que no hay más libros y lamento muchísimo eso, porque podría tener mucho potencial aunque sea por un libro más.
De nuevo, lo disfruté muchísimo y le pongo un 4.3. Es un libro que hay que leer, Sara Shepard es la reina se los misterios juveniles, es la verdad.
Y todos deberíamos ponernos al día, para los amantes de las series, este libro ha sido comprado para hacer un SPIN OFF de PLL y sucederá este año o el otro por la misma creadora de la otra serie.
August 7, 2024
What the fuck.
4.5/5
4.5/5
January 2, 2016
WARNING, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
I want to start off with saying that English isn't my first language, so I apologise for any grammar- or spelling mistakes I make while writing this review. <3
Wow... This book! My head's spinning!
"Mackenzie, Ava, Caitlin, Julie, and Parker have done some not-so-perfect things. But even though they all talked about killing rich bully Nolan Hotchkiss, they didn’t actually go through with it. It’s just a coincidence that Nolan died in exactly the way they planned . . . right? Except Nolan wasn’t the only one they fantasized about killing. When someone else they named dies, the girls wonder if they’re being framed. Or are they about to become the killer’s next targets?"
Sara Shepard has this way of writing books that are fun and scary/creepy at the same time. It's been a while since I read the first book, and like Pretty Little Liars this series has multiple pov's, so at the beginning of the book it was rather difficult for me to tell apart all the characters. It didn't take long though, and when I finally got into it for a 100% I loved loved loved it!
Each of Shepard's characters is different, and yet they are so alike! I enjoyed reading from all the pov's, tho I liked Julie's the most, since I sensed something was off with her.
AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MAYOR PLOT TWIST AT THE END? I was just taking a sip of tea and I snorted it out when I read the sentence.
'Caitlin looked at Julie again, her expression sad and scared and very, very worried. "Julie. Parker's been dead for over a year."'
MY HEART! I had never read a book which contains dissocative identity disorder and it was so heartbreaking to see that Julie firmly believed that Parker was still alive. It really fucked with my head and heart. It blew my mind!
It was an open ending again... But there isn't a third book coming out, right? I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO JULIE!
5 out of 5 stars, this is gold!
I want to start off with saying that English isn't my first language, so I apologise for any grammar- or spelling mistakes I make while writing this review. <3
Wow... This book! My head's spinning!
"Mackenzie, Ava, Caitlin, Julie, and Parker have done some not-so-perfect things. But even though they all talked about killing rich bully Nolan Hotchkiss, they didn’t actually go through with it. It’s just a coincidence that Nolan died in exactly the way they planned . . . right? Except Nolan wasn’t the only one they fantasized about killing. When someone else they named dies, the girls wonder if they’re being framed. Or are they about to become the killer’s next targets?"
Sara Shepard has this way of writing books that are fun and scary/creepy at the same time. It's been a while since I read the first book, and like Pretty Little Liars this series has multiple pov's, so at the beginning of the book it was rather difficult for me to tell apart all the characters. It didn't take long though, and when I finally got into it for a 100% I loved loved loved it!
Each of Shepard's characters is different, and yet they are so alike! I enjoyed reading from all the pov's, tho I liked Julie's the most, since I sensed something was off with her.
AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MAYOR PLOT TWIST AT THE END? I was just taking a sip of tea and I snorted it out when I read the sentence.
'Caitlin looked at Julie again, her expression sad and scared and very, very worried. "Julie. Parker's been dead for over a year."'
MY HEART! I had never read a book which contains dissocative identity disorder and it was so heartbreaking to see that Julie firmly believed that Parker was still alive. It really fucked with my head and heart. It blew my mind!
It was an open ending again... But there isn't a third book coming out, right? I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO JULIE!
5 out of 5 stars, this is gold!
April 12, 2017
Welp this ended exactly how I thought it would. Womp.
January 26, 2022
Three stars for the ending was amazing.
In terms of characters, plotting, and romance, this duology is nothing new. The concept of morally ambiguous perfect girls losing their popularity is pretty interesting, and Shephard doesn't do a terrible job with it. Each character is sufficiently morally ambiguous, although some come off more catty than realistically flawed.
The issue is that each girl's individual plotline doesn't tie in with the overarching murder plotline. Shephard would prefer to focus on easy-to-market romance and high school drama, when I'd rather read about her five main characters solving mysteries together. This book lessens that issue, putting the focus less on mindless drama and more on the actual mystery. The plotting still suffers from being tropey and full of adults who are stupid for the sake of it.
The characters are a little flat; I had to actively take notes about which character was which while reading this book. (Actually, my note-taking started a good trend, but I digress.) Julie was the only memorable character to me; she seemed slightly more well-rounded than her friends. She's catty in a realistic way, but she's aware of how she comes across. Parker was a bit annoying here, slowly going out of control. Mackenzie's storyline continued to be annoying and full of girl hate. Caitlin and Ava are both likable enough, but they were relatively forgettable.
This duology should have been reduced to one book, because the first book is essentially a lead-up to the one big reveal of the murderer, which loses urgency in the two-book series. This series was enjoyable crap until the twist at the end of book two, which changed everything. That twist is amazing. It threw everything I thought about this series on its head, and sent these two books from "completely forgettable" to something I'll remember long after this.
In terms of characters, plotting, and romance, this duology is nothing new. The concept of morally ambiguous perfect girls losing their popularity is pretty interesting, and Shephard doesn't do a terrible job with it. Each character is sufficiently morally ambiguous, although some come off more catty than realistically flawed.
The issue is that each girl's individual plotline doesn't tie in with the overarching murder plotline. Shephard would prefer to focus on easy-to-market romance and high school drama, when I'd rather read about her five main characters solving mysteries together. This book lessens that issue, putting the focus less on mindless drama and more on the actual mystery. The plotting still suffers from being tropey and full of adults who are stupid for the sake of it.
The characters are a little flat; I had to actively take notes about which character was which while reading this book. (Actually, my note-taking started a good trend, but I digress.) Julie was the only memorable character to me; she seemed slightly more well-rounded than her friends. She's catty in a realistic way, but she's aware of how she comes across. Parker was a bit annoying here, slowly going out of control. Mackenzie's storyline continued to be annoying and full of girl hate. Caitlin and Ava are both likable enough, but they were relatively forgettable.
This duology should have been reduced to one book, because the first book is essentially a lead-up to the one big reveal of the murderer, which loses urgency in the two-book series. This series was enjoyable crap until the twist at the end of book two, which changed everything. That twist is amazing. It threw everything I thought about this series on its head, and sent these two books from "completely forgettable" to something I'll remember long after this.
July 9, 2021
Well, the ending was better than I hoped. This is a quite enjoyable book than the first book because by the start of this book, I knew all the characters without mixing them up.
July 2, 2016
Sara Shepard is the queen of everything!
My mind is so freaking blown right now ... I don't even know where to start. I might need to edit this review a couple of times because I'm sure I'll forget to mention a lot.
I need to jump right into one of the greatest mindblowns I have ever read: Parker and Julie. Julie and Parker. Julie-Parker. THE SAME FREAKING PERSON! I so didn't see that one coming! I had a suspicion about Parker having another personality who did all the killing very soon into this book. The only thing that threw me off was that it was too obvious … and that it was “only” the second book. (For some reason I was convinced there would be more.) When it was revealed that Parker really was the killer I was disappointed, because it had been so foreseeable. Oh ye, of little faith … never in a million guesses would I have thought that Julie was the one with the other personality a.k.a. Parker. When I read that Parker had been dead for a year it all fell into place. Because even in the first book something about Julie had always felt off. I didn't suspect her. I was even bored of her! Now I know why … every girl had had a personal connection to Nolan. Except for Julie. The entire reason why she hated him was because of what happened to Parker … it all makes so much sense now! The same goes for Julies behavior when she figured out "Parker" was behind he killings. Especially because Julie had realized Parker was sick. Parker needed help for gods sake she didn't need someone to help her hide her crimes! But after the revelation that Julie was really the sick one ... of course she acted that way.
And then there's Elliot. He knew! The entire time! The first time he met Parker in the first book and the time he took her to the cemetery OH MY GOD it makes so much sense now! Unfortunately he didn't realize Julie was the killer, otherwise he could have saved some lives.
This whole thing was written so freaking well. It can easily make you question your own mind. What is real? What isn't? There's no way to know, really.
That is why I have no choice but to give this book 5 stars. I even had to bump the first one up to 5 stars as well.
Even though the other girls didn't quite get to me. Don't get me wrong: I liked Ava just fine and Alex of course. I didn't dislike Mac, most of the time she was okay. But Caitlin? It got to a point where I actually hated her. I hated how she expected things from Jeremy she didn't give him herself. Jeremy was so sweet! He had his faults, of course he had, but overall he can do better than Caitlin. Josh – I didn't buy his character development at all. It didn't make sense to me, sorry.
However, I was really glad Claire came around in the end and made up with Mac. I really hated her during the first book but I ended up almost liking her. Blake … well, he's still an ass for what he did to Mac and he didn't even fight for her! So he gave her the cupcake and wrote that note but … that was really it. Still, I guess given time and enough effort from his side … it's possible to forgive him.
To sum up: Definitely one of the best books ever! I feel like I will re-read this (way too short) series lots of times and look for clues I've missed.
My mind is so freaking blown right now ... I don't even know where to start. I might need to edit this review a couple of times because I'm sure I'll forget to mention a lot.
I need to jump right into one of the greatest mindblowns I have ever read: Parker and Julie. Julie and Parker. Julie-Parker. THE SAME FREAKING PERSON! I so didn't see that one coming! I had a suspicion about Parker having another personality who did all the killing very soon into this book. The only thing that threw me off was that it was too obvious … and that it was “only” the second book. (For some reason I was convinced there would be more.) When it was revealed that Parker really was the killer I was disappointed, because it had been so foreseeable. Oh ye, of little faith … never in a million guesses would I have thought that Julie was the one with the other personality a.k.a. Parker. When I read that Parker had been dead for a year it all fell into place. Because even in the first book something about Julie had always felt off. I didn't suspect her. I was even bored of her! Now I know why … every girl had had a personal connection to Nolan. Except for Julie. The entire reason why she hated him was because of what happened to Parker … it all makes so much sense now! The same goes for Julies behavior when she figured out "Parker" was behind he killings. Especially because Julie had realized Parker was sick. Parker needed help for gods sake she didn't need someone to help her hide her crimes! But after the revelation that Julie was really the sick one ... of course she acted that way.
And then there's Elliot. He knew! The entire time! The first time he met Parker in the first book and the time he took her to the cemetery OH MY GOD it makes so much sense now! Unfortunately he didn't realize Julie was the killer, otherwise he could have saved some lives.
This whole thing was written so freaking well. It can easily make you question your own mind. What is real? What isn't? There's no way to know, really.
That is why I have no choice but to give this book 5 stars. I even had to bump the first one up to 5 stars as well.
Even though the other girls didn't quite get to me. Don't get me wrong: I liked Ava just fine and Alex of course. I didn't dislike Mac, most of the time she was okay. But Caitlin? It got to a point where I actually hated her. I hated how she expected things from Jeremy she didn't give him herself. Jeremy was so sweet! He had his faults, of course he had, but overall he can do better than Caitlin. Josh – I didn't buy his character development at all. It didn't make sense to me, sorry.
However, I was really glad Claire came around in the end and made up with Mac. I really hated her during the first book but I ended up almost liking her. Blake … well, he's still an ass for what he did to Mac and he didn't even fight for her! So he gave her the cupcake and wrote that note but … that was really it. Still, I guess given time and enough effort from his side … it's possible to forgive him.
To sum up: Definitely one of the best books ever! I feel like I will re-read this (way too short) series lots of times and look for clues I've missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2015
Whoa! This book was crazy!
Sometimes, in these type of books, I try to figure out who the killer is. But there are times when I just relax and enjoy the ride. Today I just wanted to see what will Sara pull out of her sleeve next. She didn't disappoint!
The Good Girls picks up right where The Perfectionists ended. Girls are still in big trouble. Someone is trying to kill all of their enemies and the list of possible suspects is getting shorter.
I really liked the friendship between Julie and Parker. They were like sisters.
In a way, I'm glad Shepard didn't made us wait long to find out who the killer was but I still want more sequels. Everything was resolved in the end and yet she left us wanting more. Gah! This is so frustrating!
Sometimes, in these type of books, I try to figure out who the killer is. But there are times when I just relax and enjoy the ride. Today I just wanted to see what will Sara pull out of her sleeve next. She didn't disappoint!
The Good Girls picks up right where The Perfectionists ended. Girls are still in big trouble. Someone is trying to kill all of their enemies and the list of possible suspects is getting shorter.
I really liked the friendship between Julie and Parker. They were like sisters.
In a way, I'm glad Shepard didn't made us wait long to find out who the killer was but I still want more sequels. Everything was resolved in the end and yet she left us wanting more. Gah! This is so frustrating!
February 13, 2017
"HE DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED."
Because it started with this one line and ruined some people's life seriously. I picked this up straight after #1 and knowing Shepard I was not even sure whether it will end here, because let's face it, I was thinking it would like #10 or #11 when we finally know who killed Nolan. But thank God it ended here.
It wasn't like I wasn't enjoying this series, but I was getting antsy to know the big reveal. And what a reveal it was!
I am also happy that I started this totally blindly, based on purely my liking of #1. I was so tempted to read reviews of my friends but I just avoided and I am glad I made that decision because the secret total paid of.
In other words, be careful what you wish for. Because you might get exactly what you want.
MILD SPOILERS AHEAD FROM #1
So we know that Nolan is dead and girls suspected their teacher Granger but at the end of #1, he was also found dead so the question is who killed them? Is there single person of multiple people involved here?
Girls made a list when they were talking in their film study session and names are -
Ava's stepmom Leslie
Parker's father
Julie suggested Ashley
Mac suggested Claire
Caitlin wanted Nolan dead
Then is started. First Nolan and as counter part Granger, both dead, murdered.
So, whose turn is in now? Who is going to get hurt or killed next? and who is doing that?
I really don't want to spoil anything here but when I reached to that point, I was like nodding my head like - that makes total sense but that twist after that -
It totally messed with my head and I had trouble sleeping after reading this (I stayed till 3 AM to finish this) but was totally worth it.
That ending make me want to reread this series totally!
June 6, 2015
Sara Shepard is one of those authors that I will continue buying as time goes on. She may not be incredibly brilliant in her writing style, but she does write good stories. She writes concepts well, and The Good Girls didn't disappoint me at all. I really enjoyed the characters and their struggles (I am actually sad that this series is really only a duology). It is well written and just all around awesome.
The twist (which I will not spoil) is delectable, though a bit predictable if you REALLY think about it. I was mostly in for the ride and didn't feel like speculating who the perpetrator was, so I didn't see the twist coming. (Though maybe I wouldn't have caught it if I were looking for it.) I was willing to read this book at school, which is saying something. The book is hot pink. Yeah, hot. PINK. I seriously didn't feel very uncomfortable reading because I was so engrossed in the book.
Though similar to Pretty Little Liars in concept (ruining lives) it had its own specialties that set it apart from the popular A-List Thriller. Heh, did you get what I did there? No? Oh.
I LOVED. THIS BOOK.
The twist (which I will not spoil) is delectable, though a bit predictable if you REALLY think about it. I was mostly in for the ride and didn't feel like speculating who the perpetrator was, so I didn't see the twist coming. (Though maybe I wouldn't have caught it if I were looking for it.) I was willing to read this book at school, which is saying something. The book is hot pink. Yeah, hot. PINK. I seriously didn't feel very uncomfortable reading because I was so engrossed in the book.
Though similar to Pretty Little Liars in concept (ruining lives) it had its own specialties that set it apart from the popular A-List Thriller. Heh, did you get what I did there? No? Oh.
I LOVED. THIS BOOK.
August 11, 2021
AHHAA IM NOT AMUSEDDDDD
I NEED ANSWERSS
I NEED ANSWERSS
June 19, 2024
THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER AND I NEED TO REREAD (for the 5th time) TO WRITE A GOOD REVIEW!! go read it rn 😤
January 2024
This book is seriously TOO GOOD. I honestly can’t handle it.
The characters are perfect, the plot is amazing and keeps you reading and the plot twist is so well thought out and I never would’ve guessed it, but rereading the book, all the signs are there.
I cannot say this enough: READ THIS BOOK
November 2023
This book is absolute perfection
August 2022
That plot twist tho… gets me every time
January 2024
This book is seriously TOO GOOD. I honestly can’t handle it.
The characters are perfect, the plot is amazing and keeps you reading and the plot twist is so well thought out and I never would’ve guessed it, but rereading the book, all the signs are there.
I cannot say this enough: READ THIS BOOK
November 2023
This book is absolute perfection
August 2022
That plot twist tho… gets me every time
July 2, 2015
No comment.
July 7, 2017
Oh. My. God. That was totally out of the blue. Even if my guess turned out to be right, I am still shaken by the way it turned out. For all the feels it gave me 4.5/5.
Ava, Caitlyn, Julie, Mackenzie and Parker are still the suspects on the Nolan Hotchkiss-Granger murder case. Their casual conversation not long ago, in the film studies class about whom each of them wanted dead, is being carried out one by one. First it was Nolan, then Parker's dad, then Ashley Ferguson. Everyone of them is killed just the way they had stupidly planned in that class. Who would it be if not one of them? Till now, all they did was be for each other and try to pick up evidences against the killer. But every evidence points to one of them. They must figure out who it is, before the remaining people on the list are attacked.
I had my doubts about the killer, in the beginning of the first book itself. And this book made it clear from the start that I was right. Yet, till the last page, it churned my mind to pulp. I was literally gasping all the way. Sara Shepard sure knows how to play with the minds of her readers.
The plot twist came out of nowhere, and I will have to reread the whole series now to make complete sense of it . Though, it does seem to have clichés, and the ending seemed a bit confusing, this book was an intense read all the same.
For all the mystery, thriller or even YA fans, this series is certainly not one to be missed.
Ava, Caitlyn, Julie, Mackenzie and Parker are still the suspects on the Nolan Hotchkiss-Granger murder case. Their casual conversation not long ago, in the film studies class about whom each of them wanted dead, is being carried out one by one. First it was Nolan, then Parker's dad, then Ashley Ferguson. Everyone of them is killed just the way they had stupidly planned in that class. Who would it be if not one of them? Till now, all they did was be for each other and try to pick up evidences against the killer. But every evidence points to one of them. They must figure out who it is, before the remaining people on the list are attacked.
I had my doubts about the killer, in the beginning of the first book itself. And this book made it clear from the start that I was right. Yet, till the last page, it churned my mind to pulp. I was literally gasping all the way. Sara Shepard sure knows how to play with the minds of her readers.
The plot twist came out of nowhere, and I will have to reread the whole series now to make complete sense of it . Though, it does seem to have clichés, and the ending seemed a bit confusing, this book was an intense read all the same.
For all the mystery, thriller or even YA fans, this series is certainly not one to be missed.
November 8, 2016
WHOA!!!
That's very TWIST PLOT ever I read!
I wish Sara Shepard would write other book for one more of this series...
I am dying to know what's happened to Julie!!! O.O
Oh, it is really make me to want to go back to reread this damn book to see if Sara Shepard is making a joke with us about someone.......
That's very TWIST PLOT ever I read!
I wish Sara Shepard would write other book for one more of this series...
I am dying to know what's happened to Julie!!! O.O
Oh, it is really make me to want to go back to reread this damn book to see if Sara Shepard is making a joke with us about someone.......
February 28, 2023
4.5
Woww what a book?!!😱
I was completely in shock.
Woww what a book?!!😱
I was completely in shock.
October 25, 2015
Rating: 4.5
This book was definitely better than the first one! It was interesting and crazy from start to finish, which was exactly what was missing in the first book. I had a feeling something was wrong with Parker. In the first book, it mentioned Parker's blackouts and I knew that had to play a significant role in whatever was happening. I just DID NOT expect it to end the way that it did.
However, I'm still a little confused about the ending. Either way, Sara Shepard ended this series perfectly! Definitely keeps the readers wondering.
This book was definitely better than the first one! It was interesting and crazy from start to finish, which was exactly what was missing in the first book. I had a feeling something was wrong with Parker. In the first book, it mentioned Parker's blackouts and I knew that had to play a significant role in whatever was happening. I just DID NOT expect it to end the way that it did.
However, I'm still a little confused about the ending. Either way, Sara Shepard ended this series perfectly! Definitely keeps the readers wondering.
December 2, 2016
ORIGINALLY POSTED: https://bibliomantics.com/2016/12/01/...
My 25th Sara Shepard book shouldn’t have surprised me, but holy hell that twist ending had me metaphorically floored. The Good Girls wraps up The Perfectionists duology in typical Sara Shepard fashion: even more murders are committed and solved by our intrepid teens and their bad decision making skills, romances are broken and remade, and the bad guy/girl/twins live on to fight another day.
My 25th Sara Shepard book shouldn’t have surprised me, but holy hell that twist ending had me metaphorically floored. The Good Girls wraps up The Perfectionists duology in typical Sara Shepard fashion: even more murders are committed and solved by our intrepid teens and their bad decision making skills, romances are broken and remade, and the bad guy/girl/twins live on to fight another day.
March 28, 2016
I loved this book, it was about 10 times better then the first book 'The Perfectionists'... It was hooking how more people on the list were dying! When I found out who the killer was my jaw dropped, then when I found out the twisted story behind it my jaw was on the floor! Overall: Great book 5stars
December 31, 2020
3.5
Última lectura del año y de verdad quedé impresionada. Definitivamente este libro es mucho mejor que el primero! El giro de la trama en la última parte no me lo veía venir 🤯
🌟🌟🌟✨
Última lectura del año y de verdad quedé impresionada. Definitivamente este libro es mucho mejor que el primero! El giro de la trama en la última parte no me lo veía venir 🤯
🌟🌟🌟✨
March 19, 2024
i cannot process
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