This book gave me everything I could possibly want and didn't even know I needed. 1000% female Patrick Bateman meets Dexter, instead of a dark passenger Maeve has a wolf. Very dark thoughts that slowly melt and take over her reality through a mix of distractions and trigger moments that take place.

I had to remind myself many times this was not a romance book and things were going to be very dark. Certain scenes will hit the spot if you crave books with gore!

I love how CJ Leede gives you the brutal scenes at times and then lightens it other times not going to deep. I just absolutely loved this book and Maeve. She was relatable (not in a wolf way but more of a halloween and music way) such as I myself have spent years searching for a certain copy of Fight Club on Ebay.

I am ready for her next novel now!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maeve Fly
C.J. Leede @ceejthemoment
Extreme Horror
288 Pages
Available Now ( Happy PUB day)
Swipe ↔️ for Synopsis

Possible Triggers: Serial Unaliver, Grief, Gruesome Imagery, BDSM, Unaliving, Eyeballs, Softboiled Eggs, And so many more

So much yes. For real, this danm book. OMG. Im absolutely mind blown. If your a fan of horror what are you doing? Seriously STOP what your doing and read this freaking book. And this is Leede's debut novel I just can't. I CANT. I see you C.J. and I can't wait to see what's next.

Proceed with CAUTION this book is not for the weak hearted or stomached by any means. Things get downright gruesome. And I loved every minute of it. This starts off pretty "tame" and puts a lot of focus on character building and pulling you into the crazy bustle of the LA lifestyle of a Disney Ice Princess but quickly switches gears and gives you all the gory, intense, horrific, explicit scenes some of us horror fans crave. I'm warning you now though, don't expect to fall head over heels for these characters. They got A LOT going on especially Maeve. With that said I have to admit her mind just intrigued me. And I had the hardest time putting this down because I couldn't wait to find out what she was going to do or say next. For my Dark Romance loving friends, YOU GUYS thats in here too in its own twisted way. And you bet I absolutely ate that shit up. Gideon Green, okay Mr. Creepy Hockey Player. I ship it.This book just unpacks a lot and it was just so much danm fun. I succumb, I proudly admit this is my favorite read of 2023 so far.

(Thank you @tornightfire , C.J. Leede and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honost thoughts and opinions 🖤)

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit! I definitely didn’t have any expectations coming into this book but it blew me out of the water! It was the perfect mix of psychopathic horror and demented love story twisted together! I love how the setting of the story is the happiest place on earth and being from LA, I can definitely relate to some of her feelings regarding the people and atmosphere there. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes creepy, unpredictable, yet unputdownable stories that I found it far to easy to see the main characters points of view!

Sadly this book didn't work for me, however I do think that's a me thing. This story felt like a love letter to American Psycho, and if you are a bigger lover of that I think you will love this. You can see where the inspiration has been pulled, scenes that have been reimagined and so on. However I found being inside Maeve's head really boring. I wanted more of a plot and more reasoning then "I just want to kill people" which I also feel about American Psycho. So I think this style of story is just not for me. I also wish I had known more clearly about some of the smut. It's just not something I want really in my horror. So did push my boundaries at time. Again that's a me thing.

In this debut extreme horror novel, Maeve Fly spends her days working as a costumed princess in "The Happiest Place on Earth," living with her grandmother, a Golden Age of Hollywood star, in a mansion, and murdering people in-between watching pornography and inciting online hate mobs. Clearly, she's not the main character many readers have encountered. Maeve's world begins to crack as her grandmother's health fails, her best friend Kate verges on getting that one big break that will take her away from the theme park and Maeve, and Kate's gorgeous hockey player brother draws her in.
Maeve's story is that of a serial killer but she's also someone with a need to be accepted. She is an engaging narrator who builds readers' sympathy with her dark humor and real pain as she loses the grounding that her closest relationships provided while also making them uncomfortable as they realize how dark her desires run. Filled with explicit sex and violence, Maeve Fly is not for everyone but it is a compelling story that fits in well with the recent explosion of extreme horror. Recommended for fans of American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Hailey Piper, and Eric LaRocca.

The book takes readers on a journey into the mind of a Halloween-obsessed Disney princess serial killer, Maeve, offering a unique glimpse into a fascinating and morally skewed perspective. Maeve works alongside her best friend, Kate, the only person, besides her grandmother, she feels a real connection with. That is until Kate's brother, Gideon, arrives in town.

The story unfurls as an unapologetically gory and horrifying journey, sparing no details. With its unfiltered depictions of sexual exploits, graphic violence, and dark humour, it entices and captivates the reader. The book delves deep into her thoughts, voice, observations, and judgments, creating an immersive experience told exclusively from Maeve's point of view.

This was a smart and visceral read that I recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in ecvhange for an honest review.

"Maeve Fly" is the delicious, nasty horror novel I've been waiting for all year, and CJ Leade nails it! Our main character isn't a simple misanthrope, and while there is a deep, disturbed darkness to her, we also see how much she cares for her grandmother, how much she enjoys her work as a princess at not-Disneyland. This makes for a far more interesting character study than the novel it is most compared to - American Psycho - and it makes the entire ride a lot more fun. I loved it!

I adored this novel, which is weird to write/say since it is about a sociopathic serial killer. But I don't care. It is fresh and exciting and gruesome in the best ways. Female serial killers are so rarely written about in fiction, and I wish that wasn't the case. CJ Leede's writing is vivid and comedic, and I can't wait to read more!

Maeve Fly is an original horror novel that fans of the genre will enjoy and discuss for years. It raises the standard for creepy. Recommended for fans of the genre who want to let their imaginations fly.

a really great thriller! I couldn't put it down. Giving Grady Hendrix vibes

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

WTF did I just read?!?!?! It was soooo good. This felt like an homage to Chuck Palahniuk. Maeve, the granddaughter of Old Hollywood royalty, is a princess in a park that shall not be named. She has a friend named Kate that is trying to work her way to be a full time actress. One day, Maeve just kind of snaps. Is it a snap or is it fulfilling Maeve’s destiny? Whatever it is, it’s bloody and gory. Maeve thinks that she’s a lone wolf. There just might be one other wolf, or fly, to accompany her on her…..adventures….through Los Ángeles.

the hype is REAL. the cover intrigued me and ooh this was GOOD! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review

Big thank you to @netgalley, @tornightfire, and @ceejthemoment for an advanced copy of this book that made my heart beat out of my chest.

Prepare yourself for a journey into the twisted mind of Maeve Fly, possibly the most unhinged protagonist I've ever read. From its dark humor to its exploration of depravity, this book had me captivated and disgusted in equal measure. I loved it.

The story opens with Maeve, who leads a double life. By day, she blissfully dons the role of a beloved ice princess at the happiest place on Earth, but by night, she bar hops and revels in misanthropy and dreams of violence. In between, she cares for her ailing Grandmother, her hero. Maeve's life takes a sharp turn, however, upon meeting her best friend Kate's brother Gideon- where does love fit in a life like hers?

I was hooked from page one of this book, but it is not for the faint of heart. It was disgusting and amazing and horrible and creative and, just, WOW. I've never been so uncomfortable while reading. I have never in my life read something like this and I know it's one to watch now that it's on shelves.

3.5 stars
this had all the ingredients to be my new FAVORITE book, female American Psycho OKAYYYY!!!! but while i really enjoyed Leede's writing of the narrator, it took a longggg time to get going with that part of the story. once it became unhinged I gobbled it up, I just wish it stayed in that lane for more of the book.

This book was weird in all the right ways, but also in all the wrong ways. I wanted to love it, and hated that I liked parts of it, but I also loved to hate it. Literary serial killers, female rage, and roasting Disney adults? Phenomenal. There is something absolutely delightful about a slasher princess that I could easily see on the screen of a summer horror flick. At the same time I found the experience of reading absolutely dreadful. Why? The main character.

Maeve was an unbearable narrator. She’s spooky and “not like other girls,” she is a “wolf” and she is obsessed with emulating literary misanthropes and blasting Halloween music. The number of times the words Halloween, misanthrope, and wolf was repeated in this novel was incredibly exhausting and I couldn’t help but cringe at how edgy she (and her grandmother) were.

Narration aside, the plot is decent, if inconsistent, and there are many parts of the book that are obscenely funny. Maeve’s dilemma is a good one, she has a serious fear of abandonment and she knows she’s losing everyone around her, she’s desperate to hold onto the people she cares about to the point that she pushes them away. She makes some decent commentary about how female killers aren’t allowed to be ruthless without a reason, but then contradicts herself by holding male killers up above female ones as truly deranged and not beholden to sex. It just oozed internalized misogyny.

The book rehashes scenes from The Story of the Eye and later American Psycho, which felt so bland and uninspired to me from a writing standpoint. There is a big difference between making a nod to other works of fiction and relying on it entirely, going as far as to spoil every major plot point of an entire book. The pivotal scene is clumsy, so clumsy I couldn’t tell if it was poor writing or if it was an intentional nod to bad horror tropes, and that’s a writing problem.

I digress, the high points of this book are very high, while the lows are equally low. This book will be entertaining for the right audience, but it will definitely be divisive. There were some truly good ideas here that I feel were squandered. I’ve been really mixed on my feelings about this book for over two months now but it was an okay first attempt. I’d be willing to give CJ Leede another try if she continues to write.

This one wasn’t for me. I don’t know I was expecting something different. You will still get a three star for effort because I’m sure this is a good book. I’m into more psychological horror and this was slow going at first and I just didn’t wanna wait around for it to kick it up.

2/5

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. I got about 10% in, enjoyed it to that point, but cannot get past the mental block to finish it. I also requested and tried the audiobook, but still could not get into it. It’s a shame, considering the high praise the novel has received, but I think this one just wasn’t for me.

ohhhh was this book crazy! LOL

I had to space out my reading of this book because it was JUST TOO MUCH! mostly in a good way- HA!

Everyone go and get yourself Maeve Fly and buckle up!

I would like to thank Tor/Forge for a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley. This is a modern horror story with influences from both American Psycho and Psycho infused with tidbits on Halloween media. The narrator is really into Halloween and there are several instances where the narrator comments on specific songs. These instances contributed to the overall experience of the book- which is a mixture of horror with some lighter moments. A large portion of this book shows the protagonist feeling out of touch in the world and her desire to find meaning in it. There is plenty of gore described in graphic detail towards the latter part of the book. Ultimately, this book was a fun ride.

I'm having a bit of trouble finding the words for this one. Just know that it comes with all the trigger warnings and is very gory and very disturbing. Extreme horror is usually not my thing but for some reason I actually quite like Maeve Fly. She is a Disney princess gone wrong; because where else would a psychopath work? There is a fair bit of dark humour and a lot of gruesomeness. It won't be for everyone but if you have the stomach, it is strangely mesmerizing; like an accident you can't look away from. The biggest horror of all is the mundane and dehumanizing nature of working for a paycheck, even at the happiest place on Earth. I actually found myself cheering for Maeve to not be caught while also hoping she would be stopped. Maeve Fly is a crazy, paradoxical, beautiful disaster.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire for providing an ARC via Net Galley for review.