Book Review: Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer

  Title: Vicious Little Darlings                                  Pages: 310
  Author: Katherine Easer                                        Source: Library
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books          Published: June 21, 2011
  Series: Standalone                                                 Purchase: Amazon

Sarah Weaver wasn't looking forward to starting at an all-girls school. But that was before she met Maddy. Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are fun and rich and interesting-and for some reason, they seem to really like Sarah.

Before long, Maddy and Agnes have moved Sarah into a big house off campus, where they cook together, buy each other presents, and share each other's secrets. So why does Sarah feel like something's bizarrely wrong? As more and more cracks start to show in Maddy's and Agnes's perfect veneers, Sarah notices some strange and disturbing things: Maddy's compulsive lying, Agnes's obsession with Maddy, and the deterioration of their friendship.

And just when Sarah begins to question her own sanity, things turns deadly. Fans of Pretty Little Liars will devour this juicy debut novel.

When I first heard about Vicious Little Darlings, I immediately fell in love with the premise. The fact that it says fans of Pretty Little Liars would love it had me hooked. It's definitely one of the more underrated novels of 2011 and I think it deserves more recognition. It's an amazing mystery thriller and is very creepy!

The characters in Vicious Little Darlings were wonderful. I felt that they were perfectly formed and each had their own flaws.

Sarah is the problem child. She's sent to the all-girls school after her Grandma catches her sleeping with a boy and she's none too happy. You can tell how mixed up Sarah is and how much she just wants to be loved, no matter how many times she says that she doesn't believe in it. Sarah reiterates the fact that she's messed up by sleeping with someone on the first date and someone's boyfriend. I loved that she was flawed, as this ultimately seemed to push her more into Maddy's and Agnes' arms.

Maddy and Agnes are just as messed up. Maddy is carefree, almost childlike sometimes, yet beautiful. She uses this to her advantage, often manipulating people without their knowing or compulsively lying, as she appears so innocent and nice. Agnes is very different from Maddy, she's mysterious, cold, and brooding. She's the ultimate of poised, often to the extent of seeming two times her age. She's also in love with Maddy, almost in a possessive way, which provides for more creepiness.

The plot was wonderfully juicy and such a page turner. I couldn't wait to figure out what was up with these two girls, why they were so strange! And while the outcome is definitely not something you'd expect, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Overall, Vicious Little Darlings is the perfect read if you want something wacky and mysterious. A book that makes you race through the pages to get to the ending. But keep your mind open to possibilities, otherwise the ending might disappoint. I would recommend this to fans of mystery thrillers.

Pass or Read? If you like mystery thrillers, give it a try!

Cover thoughts: I love this cover because it doesn't have a face on it, it doesn't have a pretty dress, or anything like what covers usually have. Plus it's gorgeous!