Began reading: 18.6.2016
Completed reading: 21.6.2016
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Perfect test scores, perfect friends, perfect lives... perfect murderers?
High school senior Nolan Hotchkiss is one of those lucky kids - handsome, rich, living a charmed life - despite the fact that he's a self-centred bully who treats everyone around him like dirt. Still, no one can touch Nolan, no one would try...
Until now.
There are five girls at school with Nolan who each have a very good reason to end his reign of terror, and now they're going to put words into actions and play this player at his own game.
But when you mess with fire you risk getting burnt. For these five fearless girls, revenge comes at a very high price and secrets have a habit of coming out... even when there is nothing to hide...
The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard is a contemporary young adult fiction novel that contains genres including mystery, thriller, romance and suspense. I accidentally purchased the second book first, so I had to search the bookstores for this one. Luckily, I found it at Dymocks not long after, and I’ve been waiting to get into this series! Overall, I thoroughly loved this book! It kept me intrigued throughout. I had to choose my classes for next semester at university, and this book influenced my choice to study crime in literature. I’M SO EXCITED! Anyway, I would definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy young adult novels!
The novel was well-written, with the use of literary techniques such as imagery and juxtaposition to enhance readers’ understanding of the plot. There were also some really good quotes in the book that I had to jot down, including:
With perfection comes pressure (p. 3).
Everyone was striving for something or clawing their way to the top… and for what? A better chance at the perfect scholarship? A better opportunity to score that perfect internship? Perfect, perfect, perfect, brag, brag, brag (pp. 15-16).
‘Secrets are meant to be shared. Especially dirty ones’ (p. 201).
Memory was a tricky thing, but reality was even trickier. Once you made up your mind about something, it was hard to comprehend that the truth could be something else (p. 267).
The plot was well-structured, which assisted with the flow of the novel. I could identify all of the structural aspects of the novel, which helped greatly. I really enjoyed the introduction, as it began with the party that set the whole plot into motion. I could easily imagine a lot of teenagers arriving at a massive house party, dancing and drinking. It was relatable! Towards the conclusion, I believed that there would be a resolution; however, I was surprised by a slightly expected plot twist. I can understand why some readers wouldn’t be too happy with this book’s conclusion, but I liked how it set up the plot for the next book.
Speaking of plots, there were some REALLY GOOD plot twists in this novel! Although I haven’t seen Pretty Little Liars, nor have I read the series, I found that I could sometimes see the plot twists coming. I did not see Granger’s attraction to young girls coming, nor did I expect some of the betrayals to happen. These twists improved the book’s quality, and kept me turning the page. Of course, it was the final plot twist that left me reeling.
I loved all five of the girls, as well as all of the secondary characters. Each of the girls had to deal with their personal problems, as well as the mystery surrounding Nolan’s death. They each had someone bothering/bullying them, which made their stories increasingly interesting. I also liked that each girl had a chapter for their perspective. There were a couple of times where two girls’ perspectives would be in one chapter, which bothered me, but I read past it.
The plot was was so dramatic and suspenseful, and this kept me glued to the book. There were times when my parents or siblings would try to interact with me and I had to give them a “do you mind?” look, haha! Sorry guys! But seriously, it was so intense that I was pulled into the plot almost instantly. This is just one of the reasons why I’m super excited to begin the next book!
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is the Caitlin-Jeremy relationship. I’m so confused – did she really fall for her dead brother’s friend? I thought it was weird, and the last part with him and her together left me puzzled. How will both families react? What will Josh do? I’m interested in seeing how this is resolved.
My favourite character is Ava Jalali, even though I liked all five of the girls. I guess she’s relatable, as she used to slack off in class, then pulled herself together and applied herself. This is definitely something I experienced – slacking off in high school, only to reapply myself at university. Aside from that, Ava is loyal, courageous, and intelligent. Although she didn’t have a close bond with the other girls, she decided to put herself in danger for their safety. I also adored her relationship with Alex – they were SO CUTE!
*WARNING: SPOILER* I didn’t understand Elliot’s character. He was a counsellor, but he was super creepy towards the end. I thought that he was misunderstood, but I guess I was mistaken. I wonder if he’ll be in the next book… I also have mixed feelings about Alex – is he misunderstanding Ava? I hope he’s not the type of guy that Shepard hinted at in the conclusion. He was so sweet to Ava! I completely felt for Mackenzie towards the conclusion too! Poor thing! Claire doesn’t deserve to go to Julliard! Similarly, I believe that Julie didn’t deserve Carson – the fact that he betrayed her emphasises this. Don’t get me started on Ashley! She is so weird – copying Julie. What. The. Hell.
It was difficult to choose a specific part of the book to call my favourite. I loved the entire novel! But if I had to choose, I’d pick the party in the prologue and when the girls worked together. I liked the party scene because it was a great introduction to the rest of the novel, and demonstrated how well these girls collaborated. The way they carried out their plan showed competence, which interested me. I liked the other parts when the girls interacted and worked together, especially at Lucas’ house. They weren’t close, but the fact that they would sacrifice themselves for the safety of the others was sweet.
Recommendation time! If you like the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, Pretty Girl by J. C. Burke, Fake by Beck Nichols, They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire, and Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Scream Queens and How to Get Away with Murder.
I will also be reviewing the second book of The Perfectionists series: The Good Girls. Keep an eye out for that!
Happy reading!
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