Reinvention, Secrets & Showbiz: A Review of "Difficult Girls" by Veronica Bane
- Kim Bartosch
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane, published by Delacorte Press and book tour sponsored by Toppling Stacks Tours, is a YA thriller with teeth. Set against the backdrop of a theme park called Hyper Kid Magic Land, this novel blends a murder mystery with a sharp look at the masks we wear to be accepted—and what happens when they crack. Released on July 8, 2025, it's a gripping debut that's darkly funny, deeply self-aware, and wonderfully atmospheric.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the book and my honest review.
About the Book:
Title: Difficult Girls
Author: Veronica Bane
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publishing date: July 8, 2025
Synopsis:
A teen girl’s attempt at social reinvention takes a deadly turn when a co-worker disappears—and she learns she may have been the last person to see the missing girl—in this razor-sharp, murderously funny thriller debut.
After the incident last year, Greta Riley Green is looking for reinvention—a fresh start—and a job at Hyper Kid Magic Land, the local amusement park, seems like the perfect way to forge a new path . . . no matter what it takes.
So when fate pulls Greta into Mercy Goodwin’s orbit, it feels like things are looking up. Beautiful and confident, Mercy dazzles audiences daily. And at the first party of the summer, she picks Greta to confide in. Mercy has a secret to share, if Greta will just meet her the next day. It’s a sign that Greta’s truly fitting in.
Only, when the time comes, Mercy is a no-show—as she is everyday after that—and Greta knows something’s wrong. She can’t help thinking back to the night of the party. Did Mercy seem upset? Terrified, even? Could she be in trouble? It wouldn’t be the first time a talented young performer came to a sinister end at Hyper Kid. . . .
Of course, Greta has her own issues with the past, and the more she uncovers Hyper Kid’s secrets, the more her own threaten to surface. This job was meant to be a reboot, a summer without trouble. But trouble, it seems, finds Greta, and her past—and the bloody past of Hyper Kid—is about to catch up with her.
My Review and Favorite Quotes "Difficult Girls" by Veronica Bane
After a mysterious incident the year before, Greta Riley Green is desperate to leave her past behind. Reinvention is the goal, and a summer job at Hyper Kid Magic Land feels like the perfect setting. But when she connects with a popular co-worker named Mercy Goodwin, things spiral quickly. One night Mercy shares that she has a secret—and asks Greta to meet her the next day. Mercy never shows up. And Greta might be the last person who saw her.
As the mystery unravels, Greta finds herself caught in a web of secrets, both the park’s and her own. Trouble was what she was trying to escape… but it seems to find her anyway.
💬 Characters: Real, Raw, and Occasionally Over the Top
Greta’s voice is raw and honest—even if, at times, she comes off a little whiny. But in that vulnerability, there’s something real. She’s not trying to be a perfect heroine; she’s just trying to survive. As she puts it:
“It wasn’t lying, not really. It was adjusting. Presenting the best version of myself. That’s what this summer was for.”
The supporting cast walks a fine line between fun and exaggerated. Think: mean girls with perfect hair and cutting one-liners, or the rule-obsessed mentor who’s almost too on-the-nose. That said, these tropes work here because the book is self-aware—and it's operating in a space where performance is the job.
🎡 Setting: The Dark Side of Cotton Candy
The setting is where this novel shines. Hyper Kid Magic Land isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a metaphor come to life. I used to work at an amusement park myself (I ran rides, not shows), so I found the behind-the-scenes realism spot-on. The way Bane captures both the whimsy and the eeriness is pitch-perfect.
“Even when the sun went down, the park sparkled like a promise that nothing bad could ever happen here. That’s how you knew it was lying.”
And then there’s the underground staff areas:
“There was something about the backstage tunnels—quiet, cold, and echoing—that made you feel like someone was always watching.”
Creepy. Deliciously so.
🕵️♀️ Theme: Identity, Secrets, and the Performance of Being Okay
At its heart, Difficult Girls is about the tension between who we are and who we pretend to be. Greta’s reinvention is fragile, and as the mystery deepens, so does her struggle with truth:
“Some people start fresh by moving to a new city. I chose a theme park where I could play a part.”
The park becomes a metaphor for the masks all the characters are wearing—Mercy most of all:
“Mercy said she had a secret, something big. She smiled like it was a joke, but her eyes told a different story.”
And perhaps the most haunting quote of all:
“The truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes it locks you in tighter.”
🎯 Final Thoughts
While some of the secondary characters felt a little tropey, and Greta’s self-consciousness might grate on a few readers, Difficult Girls offers a refreshing mix of thrills, voicey narration, and social insight. It’s the kind of book that’s aware of its genre—and still manages to surprise you.
If you’re in the mood for a YA mystery with heart, humor, and haunted tunnels beneath a smiling mascot's face, this one belongs on your shelf.
📚 Perfect For Fans Of:
Sadie by Courtney Summers
People Like Us by Dana Mele
Amusement park horror stories on Reddit (but make it literary)
Meet the Author:
Veronica Bane spent her formative teen years working at a popular theme park. Following days spent as a princess and an usher, she graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Creative Writing. Since then, she has worked as a high school English teacher in Lincoln Heights, California. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring Los Angeles with her husband and their beloved dog, Bodhi. Her debut novel Difficult Girls comes out July 8, 2025 from Delacorte Press.
Veronica recently organized a book drive to support those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. To date, she has distributed over 15,000 books to teachers and families who lost their books in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Her work has been covered in Forbes, Los Angeles Times, The 74, and more.