Perfect Mistake

This book is interesting to begin with, then just frustrating as the weak lead character Ariana fails to emerge victorious even once over her sociopathic roommate, Kaitlyn. The author tries to make Ariana likeable and give her some moral high ground, but it doesn't work, since to get to Atherton High, she had to escape from prison (or juvie hall...that was never explained, nor a reason given for her being there in the first place), then murder someone to steal her identity, then steal a million dollars worth of stuff to send Kaitlyn away. Later in the plot, she attempts to murder another girl, but is foiled by Kaitlyn. Two hours into this book, I kept checking the time left, because I was determined to finish it, and I just couldn't stand any of the characters. But the book stopped abruptly with NONE of the plot lines resolved, and although I didn't care who died or was exposed by that time, I was at least mildly curious to learn how it all came out, but it never did. Did the publisher lose the last half of the book? This was REALLY a waste of money and time.

I wanted to listen to this just for fun. Bought it on sale. It's a bad listen. Narrator is good. Story is empty. Descriptions are so sterotypical. Characters are dumb, shallow people. It's about two girls who are both killers and are tied together by guilt and trying to start a new life at a rich prep school - sounds good, right? Not and it just ends all of the sudden - so much so I thought there was a mistake - one of the girls kills someone else and she says a tart line and the book ends. Not a good listen.

I can see how these books are not everyone's cup of tea, but the heroine is a wonderful serial killer. She keeps trying to live out her dream of going to school, being popular, finding true love and a career. The only problem is that she ends up killing people and often the wrong ones. The author plays it straight, no winking at the reader. The narrator is excellent and captures the earnest preppy southern girl perfectly. Just be prepared, not your typical young adult heroine.