Book Review: The Perfectionists (#1) by Sara Shepard

Published: October 2014

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Pretty Little Liars comes a thrilling new novel about five perfect girls who are framed for a murder they didn’t commit.

In Beacon Heights, Washington, five girls—Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker—know that you don’t have to be good to be perfect. At first the girls think they have nothing in common, until they realize that they all hate Nolan Hotchkiss, who’s done terrible things to each of them. They come up with the perfect way to kill him—a hypothetical murder, of course. It’s just a joke…until Nolan turns up dead, in exactly the way they planned. Only, they didn’t do it. And unless they find the real killer, their perfect lives will come crashing down around them.

From Sara Shepard, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, comes another story of dark secrets, shocking twists, and what happens when five beautiful girls will do anything to hide the ugly truth.

The Good Girls (The Perfectionists #2)

Published: June 2015

From Sara Shepard, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, comes the shocking sequel to The Perfectionists—with an ending you’ll have to read to believe!

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?

Well, this set of books are very different from Pretty Little Liars! From the initial synopsis I was expecting another retelling of PLL with new characters and new faces. I was pleasantly surprised.

I am a bit surprised Shepard capped The Perfectionist’s at a mere two books. This storyline could have continued developing resulting in several more books (who knows, maybe that will still happen) Yes, Shepard is notoriously known for dragging out stories, but I love her. Every book she has ever written I simply adore. I will always fangirl over her work. This lady just knows how to tell a juicy story.

I decided to bunch these two books together because it is much easier for readers if the story is discussed as a whole. I imagine once the paperback version hits there will be a bundle edition with both books in one. This story easily could have just been made into one book, but then readers wouldn’t feel the pain of waiting a year to find out what happens–from a publishing viewpoint, where’s the fun in that?

Everything readers love about PLL can be found in The Perfectionists. The mystery, the intrigue, the character love/hatred. Shepard has grown as a writer since her PLL days. While still targeted for a YA audience, this storyline reads more clearly and it is obvious planning was more thoughtful and less chaotic than the outline of the PLL world.

Yes, I keep comparing to PLL–I can’t help it. There are similarities, in that both books are thrillers, mysteries that discuss gossip, revenge and murder. There are so many dualities in the elements of the stories it is impossible not to note them.

The Perfectionist’s has great characters and readers can relate to their struggles. The concept is well-developed, and the story is written well.

The twists are EPIC and ones that personally I never saw coming.

Perfect books for summer. Read them…NOW.