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The Perfect Cheerleader
How far would you go to get rid of the most popular girl in the school…
High school can be hell.
Especially if you go to Sherman Oaks High School where Bea Ardent is the unquestioned head-biatch-in-charge.
Rich, pretty, popular, and a heartbreaker, she gets what she wants from whoever she wants--whether the target is her family, fellow students, or even teachers and administration.
If you get in her way, or do something she doesn’t like, she’s happy to show you the error of your ways--by being the most vicious Mean Girl in the school’s history.
But that’s only scratching the surface of the darkness hidden behind this aspiring model’s perfect smile. It’s fear, not charisma, that she uses to get her way--and Bea knows just how to inflict it.
When sweet, charismatic transfer student Melanie Glass threatens her position as the most popular girl in school, Bea will stop at nothing to ensure she remains queen and show Melanie the true depths of her depravity.
High school can be hell.
Especially if you go to Sherman Oaks High School where Bea Ardent is the unquestioned head-biatch-in-charge.
Rich, pretty, popular, and a heartbreaker, she gets what she wants from whoever she wants--whether the target is her family, fellow students, or even teachers and administration.
If you get in her way, or do something she doesn’t like, she’s happy to show you the error of your ways--by being the most vicious Mean Girl in the school’s history.
But that’s only scratching the surface of the darkness hidden behind this aspiring model’s perfect smile. It’s fear, not charisma, that she uses to get her way--and Bea knows just how to inflict it.
When sweet, charismatic transfer student Melanie Glass threatens her position as the most popular girl in school, Bea will stop at nothing to ensure she remains queen and show Melanie the true depths of her depravity.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2022
760 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Cole Baxter
46 books368 followersCole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It's all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.
He grew up in New York, where there crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night--they are very addictive!
Sign up for Cole's VIP Reader Club and find out about his latest releases, giveaways, and more. Copy and paste this link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/dqL8yT
He grew up in New York, where there crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night--they are very addictive!
Sign up for Cole's VIP Reader Club and find out about his latest releases, giveaways, and more. Copy and paste this link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/dqL8yT
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 3, 2022
This is a very hard book for me to review. It was incredibly unrealistic, had very unlikeable, weak and whiny characters and read so YA I almost abandoned it several times. However, it also kept my attention through the entire book and was a quick and easy read… just a bit of an eye-roll one.
October 27, 2022
Where were the editors?
It was a good solid book, however there were so many errors. Words were missing and grammar was off.
It would have been a 3.5 otherwise.
It was a good solid book, however there were so many errors. Words were missing and grammar was off.
It would have been a 3.5 otherwise.
December 29, 2024
I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It had so many twists and turns. Melanie is a cheerleader who excelled in the sport but her life changed the moment she and her mom were in a car accident where a drunk driver killed her mom. Faced with reoccurring nightmares of the event she starts a new school where she meets the cheerleading captain who gives her a spot on the team. When she excels at cheer it angers the cheer captain who seeks revenge. This story is a slow-burn psychological thriller but it keeps you interested from the first page. I look forward to reading more by this author.
October 16, 2022
Oh Lordy….what a read! Cole Baxter has done it again. What a twisted tale! This psychological thriller finds us in a fancy upper crust high school where crazy is a way of life with the evil students, a pedophile for s principal, and teachers who just stand on the sidelines.
The storyline is incredible; the characters well developed, plot twists and turns you can barely wrap your head around; and a truly awesome ending. This is one helluva read, so grab your copy today! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and absolutely loved it!) ❤️❤️❤️
The storyline is incredible; the characters well developed, plot twists and turns you can barely wrap your head around; and a truly awesome ending. This is one helluva read, so grab your copy today! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and absolutely loved it!) ❤️❤️❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
Disappointing.i really had high hopes for this one but this one failed the mark.
April 5, 2025
Cole Baxter, best known for his adult psychological thrillers, delivers a darkly addictive YA offering with The Perfect Cheerleader—a razor-sharp high school thriller aimed at the 16-30 crowd that asks: how far would you go to get rid of the most popular girl in school?
Set against the backdrop of Sherman Oaks High School, this book plunges readers into a world where popularity is power and cruelty is currency. At the top of the food chain sits Bea Ardent—rich, stunning, untouchable, and utterly ruthless. She’s the kind of queen bee who rules through intimidation, and when she feels threatened by new girl Melanie Glass, the claws come out.
Melanie is everything Bea isn’t: warm, kind, and genuinely liked. But being the “nice girl” doesn’t make her safe. As Bea’s schemes grow more twisted, readers are taken on a breathless ride through jealousy, manipulation, and psychological warfare. If you love books with unreliable friendships, secrets behind perfect smiles, and the simmering tension of teen rivalries gone toxic, this one’s for you.
Though it has all the hallmarks of a teen drama, Cole Baxter keeps the tension taut and the twists coming. His knack for pacing—honed in his adult thrillers—translates well here. He doesn't shy away from the darker side of adolescence either: bullying, mental health struggles, and peer pressure are explored with just enough grit to feel realistic without becoming overwhelming.
What sets The Perfect Cheerleader apart is how it balances fast-paced entertainment with character depth. Bea isn’t just a cardboard cutout of a mean girl—there’s a chilling complexity to her need for control, a vulnerability hidden behind her perfect exterior. And Melanie, while sweet, has her own shadows to wrestle with.
This thriller has echoes of Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls, but with a psychological edge that makes it ideal for older teens and even twentysomethings looking for a nostalgic-yet-intense read.
Dark, dramatic, and totally bingeable, The Perfect Cheerleader is a twisted high school showdown that will have you turning pages long into the night. Just don’t be surprised if you start questioning everyone’s motives by the final chapter.
November 13, 2022
Amazing thriller that i could not put down. This is not a salacious story abut the sexual antics of high schoolers. There is no sex at all. It involves a really nice girl who has recently lost her mother , and moves into a new town and new high school with her dad, a former detective. We see the story through her eyes as she is only trying to get through senior year. The crux of the story is that she runs afoul of the girl who runs the school and the teachers. This girl, the head cheerleader, is evil on steroids. I loved the heroines interactions with her father and her using his detective skills to ferret out the secrets of the school. Wonderful story about friendships, father and daughter relationships,and making a difference.
February 11, 2025
Over the top but fun
I really enjoyed this book! I had a few issues with some of the Cheer terminology. I wish he would have consulted someone in Cheer. For example, cheerleaders don’t do “backflips”, it’s called a standing back tuck. And when they do the whole routine in practice, it’s called going full out, it’s not called going all out. And it’s not outside club competitive cheer when you do it outside of school. It’s called All-Star competition cheerleading. Other than that I thought the book was really good, the ending was a little far-fetched. But I still enjoyed the book enough to give it four stars!
I really enjoyed this book! I had a few issues with some of the Cheer terminology. I wish he would have consulted someone in Cheer. For example, cheerleaders don’t do “backflips”, it’s called a standing back tuck. And when they do the whole routine in practice, it’s called going full out, it’s not called going all out. And it’s not outside club competitive cheer when you do it outside of school. It’s called All-Star competition cheerleading. Other than that I thought the book was really good, the ending was a little far-fetched. But I still enjoyed the book enough to give it four stars!
October 24, 2022
We all know high school can be hell on earth and if you are a student at Sherman Oaks then it's doubly so. Bea Ardent is making it her mission to make everyone life difficult. Bea is beautiful, popular, rich and breaks the heart of every guy she comes in contact with daily to get what she wants and you better not stand in her way or else. Enter Melanie Glass...the transfer student that is ready to throw a monkey wrench in Bea's plans. Bea will not be shown up or denied her current status and the showdown will be epic.
October 28, 2022
A gripping and thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
November 13, 2022
Action packed
This book kept me on the edge of my seat! It was a typical, jealous, self absorbed cheerleader who believed she was better than anyone else vs the entire school population including the staff. The "typical" part changes pretty quickly though and it becomes quite a story! I never knew what she was going to do next and there was a lot of drama. I enjoyed reading this and highly recommend.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat! It was a typical, jealous, self absorbed cheerleader who believed she was better than anyone else vs the entire school population including the staff. The "typical" part changes pretty quickly though and it becomes quite a story! I never knew what she was going to do next and there was a lot of drama. I enjoyed reading this and highly recommend.
January 3, 2023
Suspenseful and yet light-hearted
The way Cole Baxter was able to create a realistic high school setting and also a criminal case is just mind-blowing. But that's what makes this book work so well. You may think that Bea Ardent is just another spoiled, popular teenager, but you never know someone's truth until you look in all the darkest places. This story was told so well, I'd love to see more of our heroine in a future story, pursuing her own cases!
The way Cole Baxter was able to create a realistic high school setting and also a criminal case is just mind-blowing. But that's what makes this book work so well. You may think that Bea Ardent is just another spoiled, popular teenager, but you never know someone's truth until you look in all the darkest places. This story was told so well, I'd love to see more of our heroine in a future story, pursuing her own cases!
January 19, 2023
(mature) after school special (in a good way)
This book covers it ALL from, bullying, body shaming, racism, pedophilia, mental health, rape, safe sex, trauma, peer pressure, etc. to suicide and murder! I love the short but informative way the author wrote on these topics. Also loved the main characters relationship with her father and the self confidence she had as well as being an all around good person. Very likable character!
This book covers it ALL from, bullying, body shaming, racism, pedophilia, mental health, rape, safe sex, trauma, peer pressure, etc. to suicide and murder! I love the short but informative way the author wrote on these topics. Also loved the main characters relationship with her father and the self confidence she had as well as being an all around good person. Very likable character!
February 11, 2023
DNF at 40% done because it’s so incredibly slow and boring. I still don’t know the plot. The characters were basic and annoying. Maybe the worst book I’ve ever read. There were an incredible amount of grammatical errors, I read this exact sentence at least a handful of times: “?” Bea asked.
What did she ask? A question mark and that’s it?
You’d think you’d at least edit the boring book before you release it.
What did she ask? A question mark and that’s it?
You’d think you’d at least edit the boring book before you release it.
October 25, 2022
Easy Read
I jumped into this one on a whim.
The story line is great with a mean girls vibe. Although the Psycholigical Thriller there wasnt as much thriller to it that i was hoping for. I was anticipating more angst and deeper and dark thrills leading up to the conclusion. I enjoyed this book though.
I jumped into this one on a whim.
The story line is great with a mean girls vibe. Although the Psycholigical Thriller there wasnt as much thriller to it that i was hoping for. I was anticipating more angst and deeper and dark thrills leading up to the conclusion. I enjoyed this book though.
November 1, 2022
The Perfect Cheerleader is mean girls on steroids and Bea Ardent is in charge. When transfer student Melanie Glass Bea things take some intense and twisted turns. The storyline and characters are well developed, and intriguing and that ending left me twisted. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
January 11, 2023
Evil
Evil very often loses out in he end. This cheerleader was beyond evil because she had absolutely no empathy for those who were suffering. She actually caused a good bit of the suffering and relished it. She reaped the benefits until discovered and then lost it all, including her freedom.
Evil very often loses out in he end. This cheerleader was beyond evil because she had absolutely no empathy for those who were suffering. She actually caused a good bit of the suffering and relished it. She reaped the benefits until discovered and then lost it all, including her freedom.
July 11, 2023
In this psychological thriller, Cole Baxter created a high school that was amazingly accurate. Excellent writing as always, and I loved the complexities of their characters. Cole Baxter always impresses me.
I read this this book through the KindleUnlmited program, and I voluntarily reviewed this book.
I read this this book through the KindleUnlmited program, and I voluntarily reviewed this book.
October 22, 2025
Surprising book about how far a person will go to bully others and how they can get away with it. Very interesting and good read that was hard to put down, waiting to see what happened next. Looking forward to reading more books by this author and hope they are just as good if not better than this one was.
January 16, 2025
It was kinda cheesy, the names in the books got on my nerves. If you reference TikTok/modern things- Sally, Bea and Tom names don’t belong. I felt like it was a golden girls era with the names. The ending was “too feel good” for me.
October 24, 2022
Seemed YA, but I loved it!
October 29, 2022
wow
Loved this book ! It never lagged . Just kept my interest the whole time. Hope to find this authors next work
Loved this book ! It never lagged . Just kept my interest the whole time. Hope to find this authors next work
November 14, 2022
The perfect cheerleader
Loved this book it was the first book but definitely won't be the last by Cole Baxter looking forward to another one
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Loved this book it was the first book but definitely won't be the last by Cole Baxter looking forward to another one
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November 15, 2022
Loved it
It’s nice to be hooked on a book on the first page. I found it hard to turn my tablet off and go to sleep.n I will be reading more books by this author.
It’s nice to be hooked on a book on the first page. I found it hard to turn my tablet off and go to sleep.n I will be reading more books by this author.
November 21, 2022
Gripping
Loved the characters in this thriller! Nice to.have a.book with a father and daughter as lead characters. A quick and entertaining read
Loved the characters in this thriller! Nice to.have a.book with a father and daughter as lead characters. A quick and entertaining read
November 26, 2022
Was a slow read, thought it was going yo be more drama, only came at the end.
December 12, 2022
I have not read a Cole Baxter book that I didn’t enjoy and this one did not disappoint. It had me from the very first chapter and I couldn’t quit reading it (except to sleep) until I was finished.
December 23, 2022
great book
Great book good storyline definitely a page turner. I love it when the good guy comes ahead and bad guy takes a fall.
Great book good storyline definitely a page turner. I love it when the good guy comes ahead and bad guy takes a fall.
December 27, 2022
It was a typical YA.
January 8, 2023
This is okay
This is about a queen bee who rules over everything and everyone in high school till Melanie stood up against her then Bea's world came crashing down .
This is about a queen bee who rules over everything and everyone in high school till Melanie stood up against her then Bea's world came crashing down .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews