The Perfectionists

September 15, 2014
After several dissimilar girls discover they have suffered at the hands of rich, popular bully Nolan, they drug him at his own party and scrawl mean messages on his face, which they share online. When Nolan is discovered dead the next day, the girls become the central suspects and must work together to figure out what really happened. This scintillating series kickoff from Pretty Little Liars author Shepard employs a similar formula, mixing archetypical girls—the popular one, the musician, etc.—with an array of scandals. A slimy teacher suggestively offers beautiful, brilliant Ava “extra credit,” while soccer star Caitlin becomes attracted to her boyfriend’s younger brother. Meanwhile, police are uncovering clues that further implicate the girls, especially after a second murder occurs in their tony town. There’s a lot going on, and some of it—like a suspicious therapist who seems to have only two teen girls as patients—defies believability, even for an outrageous story. But Shepard expertly crafts characters that are morally complicated, yet sympathetic. An Alloy Entertainment property, in development for a CW television series. Ages 14–up.

September 1, 2014
In a gossipy thriller from the creator of Pretty Little Liars, a prank on a powerful and popular boy turns deadly. At Beacon Heights High in Beacon Heights, Washington, Nolan Hotchkiss reigns supreme. Or at least he did, until a blowout party he hosted ended in his death. At the party, five girls come together to enact a shadowy revenge. The particulars of the girls' plan are revealed slowly-as slowly as anything can be revealed in short chapters littered with plot twists, forbidden kisses and name-dropping fashion descriptions-and readers are kept guessing as to who might be responsible for Nolan's demise. Alongside the Nolan mystery, each girl has her own high-stakes story arc: Mac competes with a frenemy over a boy and a Julliard audition. Julie struggles to hide the truth about her home life. Caitlin develops feelings for her boyfriend's younger brother. Ava struggles to live down rumors spread by the dead boy. Parker starts seeing a therapist with a hidden agenda. The landscape of suburban affluence is described in deliciously shallow detail ("The stone fountain [at a party] was already full of discarded red Solo cups, along with someone's iPhone"). As police investigate Nolan's death and the girls work underground to clear their names, tension rises. The resolution leaves loose ends tantalizingly untied, leaving readers eager for the promised sequel. Suspenseful and juicy. (Suspense. 14-18)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Image is everything at Beacon Heights High, where only the best is good enough for the ultracompetitive teens of this affluent Seattle suburb. The highest grades, the chicest clothes, the wildest parties are part and parcel. In this bubble of pressure and privilege, no one is more popular-or more feared-than Nolan Hotchkiss. Cruel and hypnotic, he seems to know everybody's dirty little secret. And everybody seems to have one, including Parker Duvall, Ava Jalali, Caitlin Martell-Lewis, Julie Redding, and Mackenzie Wright. Each girl has her own reason to hate Nolan, and each one has something to hide. When his dead body is discovered with the words "Monster" and "Liar" scrawled in Sharpie on his face, the five emerge as murder suspects. Did they really do it-or are they being framed? Fans of the author's "Pretty Little Liars" series (HarperCollins) will recognize that certain plots (deceit, secrets, murder) and structural elements (chapters rotate among the lead female characters) have been recycled; unfortunately, the new series feels derivative by comparison. An additional purchase, based on the strength of the author's popularity.-Susan Wengler, Saint Dominic Academy, Jersey City, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 It's murder to be beautiful, smart, and perfect. Five high-school-senior girls hate one classmate, Nolan, enough to collectively want to kill him for the pain he caused them individually. Instead, they decide an embarrassing prank will do the trick. That mission is soon accomplished, with one hiccup: the morning after the prank, Nolan is found dead, murdered in the exact manner they'd once laughed about. When the police zero in on the girls and their other dirty little secrets, they become desperate to prove their innocence. That becomes increasingly harder to do as additional obstacles threaten their once-blossoming futures. Intriguing characters and complicated relationships intersect with sorrows, triumphs, hopes, and dreams to make this first of a two-book series thoroughly unputdownable. Diverse backstories offer a taste of realism and a dose of complexity, while backbiting, two-timing, questionable behavior, close calls, and clandestine detective work keep the momentum building to the last page. Fans of the author's Pretty Little Liars series and the Lying Game series won't be disappointed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)