Perfect Girl

September 2, 2024
High schooler Jessa is the “perfect” girl, unlike her “chaos demon” older brother Josh. When her parents go out of town, they allow Jessa to invite friends over for a sleepover—a relief, since her family lives in a likely haunted house in the middle of nowhere. Worse, six girls from the neighboring town have recently gone missing. Jessa’s plans to watch movies and eat pizza are thwarted when Josh and Jessa’s crush Ryan crash the party. Then an electrical storm cuts the power. With dwindling phone batteries and no cell service, Jessa and her friends are disconnected from the outside world. Strangers on the doorstep and a game of truth or dare gone sideways heighten the tension. After Jessa’s friend Tiny goes out into the storm and doesn’t return, the gang searches for her in the rain-soaked night, not realizing that they’re being watched—and that they may be outside with a killer. Finely detailed ambient prose brings the eerie rural setting to life in this atmospheric and entertaining thriller by Banghart (A Season of Sinister Dreams) that plays on familiar horror tropes. Jessa cues as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Pam Gruber, High Line Literary.