Book Review: Perfect Little Murder by Yawatta Hosby

A psychological exploration into what makes a child a killer that is as much a tragedy as it is horror.

13 year old Loren isn’t coping with the tragic death of her older brother, Franco, and is convinced that her younger sister, Kina, killed him. Determined to avenge her best friend, and ensure justice is done, Loren sets out to stop Kina from getting away with her perfect little murder.

The book starts with Loren being questioned by the police, before traveling back in time to detail the events that led up to the first, shocking chapter. Told in first person, from Loren’s perspective, the reader is let in to every thought of the disturbed young girl, while also been given enough information to piece together a broader narrative of events than the teenager’s very subjective interpretation.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author, but it won’t be the last. I applaud Hosby for the amount of complexity she conveys through the mind of a grieving child, without betraying the character or breaking the suspension of disbelief.

While there is horror inherent in the subject matter, my overwhelming take away from this book is that of tragedy. A series of unfortunate events conspire to compound on an already tragic circumstance, and, even though you know how it is going to play out, you can’t look away as the events unfold.

My only criticism of the book is the ending. I understand the reason for changing perspective, but after spending the entirety of the book in Loren’s head, it would have been nice to end there.