Started reading this book with much anticipation. The glowing reviews made it seem that this was going to be a hell of a read, but sorry to say, this has not happened. I believe that the writing style may appeal to many readers but not me.. This read should be given personal attempt because it may be enjoyed by many. It just happened that I am not one of them.

After loving a the Mosefucation of Cameron Post so dearly, I have been waiting for Emily MmDanforth’s second novel very impatiently. She does not disappoint with a gothic school girl tale that’s enchanting and mysterious, and a great read. I purchased this for ,y library, and will be looking forward to her next book.

Plain Bad Heroines is just like angel's trumpet - slowly intoxicating until you can't think of anything else.

Hi friends! I received this book from HarperCollins and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has already been published, so you can read it now if you’re interested! Although I received this book for free, all thoughts and feedback are my own.


Synopsis & Quick Thoughts
Plain Bad Heroines is Emily M. Danforth’s adult debut that follows sets of heroines past and present. At the Brookhants School for Girls, three young women are found dead, the same novel found in their hands, the causes of death somewhat mysterious. Today, three women travel to the school again to take part in a film based off a book written about the events past (authored by one of our present-day heroines). Upon arriving back at Brookhants, strange happenings being to occur again, and it becomes clear to everyone that things aren’t as they seem.

This book could have been SO GOOD. The mere conception of this plot idea points to an incredibly thoughtful and clever author. The plot is largely character-driven and the development was fantastic. But then….nothing ever happened. There are certainly many things about this novel to praise, but ultimately the sentiments that will stick with me with this book was that it was a long read with an unsatisfying build.

Positives
The pure plot construct of this novel is incredible. It’s confusing when I say this is a book about a movie based on a book about deaths at a school stemming from a club about a book. What an incredibly complex plot to execute, and it was done so well with minimal confusion. The dual plotlines were also both interesting and captivating (although the fact that one of the perspectives also alternated timelines as well was confusing). I think I preferred the plot with Harper, Meritt, and Audrey, but by no means did I dread the other timeline.

In terms of other positive notes that don’t need to be as expanded on: I enjoyed the atmosphere of both plotlines; it gave me gothic vibes which I always love and greatly enjoy. The horror elements were creepy and atmospheric but not downright scary and tended to build suspense and tension more than attempt to scare the reader, which is a type of horror I enjoy as well. I really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book (almost every main character and secondary character!), and while the romance was not a driving point in the plot I did appreciate the dynamics between Merritt, Audrey, and Harper specifically and how their relationship concludes by the end of the novel.

Negatives
With so many overt positives that cover nearly every aspect of this book, I was admittedly surprised at the disappointment I felt upon finishing. I think the main issue I have with Plain Bad Heroines is that it builds to a sort of nothing. The horror elements present in the earlier parts of the plot are never fully explained, and the two plotlines running concurrently throughout the length of the novel never intersected or interacted in any way in the end, like one would generally expect them to do. It just left me with a strange and unsatisfying feeling, especially since the book was so long (and dragged in parts, especially toward the beginning) and had so much page space to intertwine and connect these said plotlines.

My next point is more a matter of differing expectations, but I was under the impression that ere would be more focus on the school or the film shootings themselves than there actually was; honestly I had previously defined this book as a semi-dark academia, which it absolutely is not. In fact, the original heroines that the film is based on are not present at all in the past plotline of the story (it focuses on two faculty members instead). In the present-day story, the written events encompass the hours in which the Brookhants deaths aren’t being filmed. Again, this wouldn’t have been as much of an issue if I knew more of what to expect, but I felt like the plot was slower and less focused because of these choices.

Rating & Final Thoughts
I think I’m right in-between on this book, so I’ll have to give Plain Bad Heroines 3 out of 5 stars! Some people will absolutely love this book. If you’re looking for good LGBTQ+ representation, light atmospheric horror, and character-driven plot, this is your gal. I enjoyed the overall plot ideas and characters a good amount, but ultimately the length and unsatisfying ending kept me from liking this book as much as I wanted to.

Well, this was an absolute delight! It was one of the more immersive gothic novels I've ever read. I loved the tongue in cheek narration and thought the pacing was really well done. There was A LOT to keep track of, but I didn't feel lost. (This is a big deal for me.) It is a massive novel and at some points I found myself ready for the plot to keep going, but that feeling never took away from the clever-ness. I loved the queer characters and loved reading about them, especially in the horror genre. And OMG- the footnotes. These almost went unnoticed by me because I listened to a lot of it, but ultimately I'm really glad I picked up a print version too. All in all, I recommend!

3.5 stars

This is a tricky review to write.

Emily Danforth’s “Plain Bad Heroines” has been one of my most anticipated Fall reads. And it would be a severe understatement to say I was merely thrilled to receive the ARC. “Joyfully ecstatic” may be a more accurate descriptor. I may have even done a little happy dance upon its receipt. (Don’t judge.)

But now that I’ve finished reading it, I’m a bit uncertain as to how I truly feel about the book. My thoughts are all sort of jumbled, contradictory, and complicated.

I absolutely loved certain aspects of the novel, exactly as I expected. But much to my surprise, I found other facets to be slightly disappointing.

Let’s see if I can break it all down for you.

“Plain Bad Heroines” is a story within a story within a story, with all the aforementioned stories being told through two separate narratives – one set in 1902 and the other set in the present day.

The novel first takes us back to 1902, introducing us to The Brookhants School for Girls, where the current obsession of the students is a memoir by the scandalous young writer, Mary MacLane. The intense MacLane fanaticism causes the girls to establish their own club, The Plain Bad Heroine Society. But when three girls are subsequently found dead on the School’s grounds, all with a copy of the memoir in their possession, Brookhants’ Headmistress, Libbie, and her partner, Alex, begin to wonder whether the school is cursed – and whether the MacLane memoir could be the source of the school’s troubles.

More than one hundred years later, Brookhants is left vacant and decaying. But it is back in the public eye, thanks to the hit novel of Merritt Emmons. The novel, telling the tale of the haunted and cursed school, is so successful that it is quickly adapted into a provocative horror film starring “It Girl,” Harper Harper (Not a typo. Her name really is Harper Harper. There’s a story behind it.), and former child star, Audrey Wells.

But as Brookhants welcomes both a movie set and a new group of Plain Bad Heroines through its gates, the line between curse and Hollywood rapidly blurs. And the three young heroines soon find themselves struggling to separate reality from horror-movie magic.

Unequivocally, “Plain Bad Heroines” is an ambitious novel. And to Danforth’s credit, she has created an engrossing, highly inventive, and multilayered story. History, feminism, gothic horror, sapphic love, and playful humor are all masterfully entangled by her amazing storytelling.

The novel, however, takes patience. Being 600 pages in length, it’s loooong. And the problem is, you feel it’s length. It’s noticeable. And while some parts of the story fly by, with the pages turning quickly – there are sizable chunks of the novel where the narrative plods along way too slowly. Particularly, in the middle. There are unnecessary scenes that could have been cut, and necessary scenes that could have been shortened. I appreciate the fact that Danforth never rushes the story, but I do think it would have served the novel well to have been slimmed down a bit.

Danforth’s writing style is also a bit quirky and wordy. She tells the story through the voice of an anonymous omniscient narrator, which, while cleverly entertaining at times, often comes across as forced and a little clunky. But beauty is prevalent in her words, too, and Danforth knows how to write an eloquent turn of phrase.

And I feel I should note that as with so many of the horror novels I’ve read this year, “Plain Bad Heroines” isn’t very scary. It’s atmospheric and creepy, and there are a few scenes of stomach-churning disgust. But scary? Not so much.

Now, on to the dual storylines.

Of the two, I found the 1902 narrative surrounding Libbie and Alex to be far more compelling. It’s dark and spooky. It’s gothic and mysterious. The pace is quicker. It’s just more riveting, all the way around. And it culminates in a thrilling and satisfying conclusion.

The modern-day narrative, however, is from where my disappointment in the novel stems. Harper, Audrey, and Merritt are all interesting characters, but their storyline is soooo sluggish for the first half of the novel. The tempo of their story does dramatically pick up once filming of the movie commences, though, and from that point forward, an underlying current of foreboding slowly begins to build.

And the foreboding builds . . . and builds . . . and builds, straight through to the end . . . and just when you think you are in for a massively huge, climactic conclusion involving Harper, Audrey, and Merritt –

The novel sputters and fizzles out.

Oh, something bad happens in relation to the three young women. But it’s not bad enough. It’s not very startling or shocking. Or heartbreaking. It’s a complete and utter letdown.

Plus, the ending to the trio’s story fails to ever wrap back around to the 1902 storyline. Like, at all. There is no overlap, no final intersection or connection of the two narratives. Nothing ever comes full circle, and we are left with quite a few unanswered questions about what transpired during the filming of the movie.

And sadly, I now wonder what even was the point of the storyline involving Harper, Audrey, and Merritt. Because I clearly am missing it. The entire book has been swirling around in my head for the last day, and I am still unable to discern the reason for their story. I don’t understand why it needed to be told, when it ends the way that it ends.

In hindsight, I believe the book, as a whole, would have worked better had the modern-day storyline simply been eliminated. Or perhaps the two narratives would have both been more successful had they been written as a duology of separate novels.

I know that my criticism of “Plain Bad Heroines” may make it seem as if I failed to enjoy it. But that’s not the case. I did enjoy it, and I do not regret one hour of the many, many hours I spent reading it.

Do I recommend it? Yes. My recommendation is just not an effusive one.

My sincerest appreciation to William Morrow and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

*This review has been posted on Bantering Books (my blog), Edelweiss+, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (my personal page, Bantering Books page, and other private group pages such as William Morrow Scene of the Crime, NetGalley Users Book Discussion, Book Bloggers, Book Blogger Group, and Between Friends Book Club).

Plain, Bad Heroines is just plain, good gothic fun! This is a story within a story within another story- a little matryoshka of haunted lesbians. This is the story of two sets of women at the possibly cursed women’s school Brookhants, and Reader, what a story it is! We begin in 1902 with school principal Libbie Brookhants and her “companion,” Alex, cleaning up after the scandal of three young students who have died after reading the works of the controversial Mary MacLane. Flash forward to modern times and we find Merrit Emmons, who has written a book about the curse of Brookhants, and Audry Wells and lesbian super-star Harper Harper, who are now starring in the movie version of Merrit’s book. The sharp-tongued (and fourth-wall breaking) narrator, takes the readers back and forth between the two timelines, highlighting the similarities in the stories.
In each story, the girls are queer AF, and that’s probably one of the best things about this novel- just about everyone in it is gay! But also, each story has the lovely, dusty trappings of an old-school gothic novel. There is an old haunted castle/house (known as Spite Manor), on the edge of a rocky shoreline, and there is lots of purely sublime nature- the lush growth in the greenhouse (the Orangerie) and the orchard, the natural hot springs, and of course, the yellow jackets. As each story progresses, we are trying to find the truth of one connecting mystery; where did the curse of Brookhants originate?
I loved both of these stories so much, and the characters are all so finely drawn; even though there are so many “main” characters, I felt like I knew them all very well. I did wish that Libbie & Alex’s story moved as quickly as the modern story. The pacing felt a bit off. However, I truly enjoyed Danforth’s narrator. Reader- she was just delightful! Little interruptions like that peppered throughout the book made for many lol moments in the creepy & tense atmosphere.

This one is a solid 4.5 star read!

This book had the set up for so many things I like in a story: haunted abandoned boarding school, flashbacks of historical fiction to today, a horror movie set and everything creepily going wrong. Somehow something fell flat for me and I started to lose interest in the middle. It did pick up at the ending, but it was a little hard to get there. Part of that could be becuase I was in a horror book mindset, and I wouldn't classify this as a horror novel.

While it took me a little bit to get into this gothic tale I'm glad I persevered. Totally original and thought provoking with so many groups I can recommend this to.

There is just way, way too much going on in this book. And at the same time it felt to me like there was hardly anything going on at all. This stems a lot from Danforth's decision to put her focus on scenes and characters that didn't necessary need it, while skirting major plot points that absolutely needed to be focused on way more. Take for example the scenes in LA: were they really necessary? Would we really have lost anything by skipping the throat-clearing pre-production scenes and jumping straight into the movie making (i.e. the far more interesting element)? Because there is so much in those (frankly prolonged) scenes that never gets truly delved into or expanded on. This feels true elsewhere (as there is a LOT of unnecessary info-dumping in this book) but especially here where so much backstory is given out for the three main modern characters. Backstory, I should say, that never gets fully plumbed. (A small example: Harper's mother. Did she relapse or didn't she? I thought for sure Brookhants would force Harper to confront the specter of her mother in some way but, well, then we wouldn't have had time for our one millionth yellow jacket haunting, would we?) This off-focus approach, where so much is skirted and hinted at, led to me feeling, even up until the very end, that we were still building to the main part of the story. And the way the horror elements are approached here added to this sense tenfold.

There is more ~thematic atmosphere than anything that genuinely probes the fears of these characters (in fact, I don't think there is any genuinely provoking fear at all: just a general sense of, "Wait...is this real?") and all of these thematic atmospheric moments exist less within the internal logic of a gothic story and more as unobscured literary devices. The biggest (and most tiresome) example of this is, natch, the yellow jackets. They're there on page one, line one, and they pretty much stay there for the rest of the book, showing up whenever something ~spooky is about to happen and, well, yeah, again, the trouble is that they're not. They're not scary; they're just there. And the reason they and every other atmospheric thing feel like they're only just there is in part because they don't adhere to any internal logic (if the curse is in Brookhants...how are the yellow jackets showing up in LA?) but also because it is not until the second to last chapter that we get any sense of the origin of the curse of Brookhants at all. And even then it felt like there was more to be said, like there was some depth I was expecting to reach. Like this should have been brought into focus sooner or sharper, which I guess I can basically say about the whole book.

I admire what was being attempted here, I do. The meta elements and the story-within-a-story-within-a-story were absolutely fun at points, to say nothing of all the WLW representation. But the underpinnings of the story are just not sturdy enough to hold any of the other elements up, and not a single thing here (save, of course, the yellow jackets) gets nearly the amount of attention it deserves. And you would think, given the length of this book, that they absolutely would have.

I don't doubt other readers will find something to enjoy here. But for me, I was left disappointed.

This is a fun gothic horror story that delves into Hollywood escapades and haunting adventures. There’s a mystery to solve and this a fun book to celebrate Halloween with! It has great representation of LBGTQ+ characters that were not written like stereotypes and a plot that keeps you guessing. The suspense element will keep you on your toes, while trying to figure out horror is next.

I’m not much of a horror reader, so even though I loved The Miseducation of Cameron Post, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Emily M. Danforth’s next book. I should have known better than to doubt her.

The book is set during two timelines—one in the early 1900s following the students and teachers at a Rhode Island boarding school where people keep dying, the other in present day Hollywood during production of the film adaptation of these events. At Brookhants School for Girls, two students are found dead surrounded by hornets, holding a copy of the controversial autobiography of Mary MacLane. As the book is passed around, the deaths keep coming, each one more strange than the last.

Plain Bad Heroines is a fascinating mix of horror and comedy that shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does. I found myself laughing even as my skin crawled. The narrator’s voice is snarky and openly judgmental of the characters, with so many great footnotes, and the author manages to strike a tone that’s both unnerving and amusing, unlike any I’ve read before.

It’s not a book that’s full of jump scares or constant danger right around the corner, but there is an atmosphere of wrongness that permeates the entire book, crawling under your skin and making the most ordinary things feel sinister. (I’m never going to look at a hornet the same way again.) There were certainly moments of genuine horror, when I wanted to throw the book across the room rather than keep reading. On top of all that, the author creates a sense of unreality that leaves you questioning how much of what you’ve read is real. You never know exactly what to trust.

I’ll admit that I was somewhat more invested in the present day storyline, which follows three young women involved in the making of the movie. There’s Merritt Emmons, the author of the book about Brookhants; Audrey Wells, the former child star playing one of the girls killed by hornets; and Harper Harper (not a typo, that’s actually her name), the biggest up-and-coming actress in Hollywood who’s playing the other girl. This storyline seemed to have more movement to it. Plus, these characters felt more like real people reacting to the weird things happening around them (because don’t worry, the horror elements are not exclusive to the historical storyline), as opposed to the historical characters who felt more like characters in a book. Which, you know, they are, but.

Still, the way these stories wove together was wonderfully done. Even with the framing device of a story within a story (within a story), you never know exactly which stories to trust or whose perspective is accurate, sometimes leaving you with more questions than you started out with. At 608 pages, it’s a long book, and I think it could have been somewhat shorter. But the writing is so sharp and the mystery is so delicious that I honestly didn’t even mind much.

This is a haunting, smart book about dark spots in history, queer women, ambition, Hollywood, and more. With a completely unique writing style and a story full of dread and unexpected twists, it’s definitely one I recommend. I can’t guarantee that it won’t keep you up at night, though.

Wow what a ride! Brilliant idea that was well written and contained well developed characters as well. Much has been written about the yellow jackets as central characters and it is all true! ( I dreaded hearing their buzzing sounds.) I really enjoyed the mood the author set. I totally fell for the characters and cared about how and what they did. I have recommended this title to my library friends and users and I am sure they will enjoy it as well. I feel the author has many more stories to tell and I look forward to reading her again.

An intriguing and rich Gothic novel that nevertheless rather seems to buckle under all its different ideas and plot lines. I liked the ambition of the book even though I didn't think it all quite came together. Definitely promising, with some interesting themes, so although I didn't love this I would read more by the author.

Synopsis: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth is told in past and present timelines. The story begins in 1902 at The Brookhants School for Girls. Girls at the school have become obsessed with the scandalous memoir of (real-life) Mary MacLane, a nineteen-year-old from Butte, Montana, that proudly describes her love for another woman and condemns the conventional roles of a woman. In her memoir, Mary MacLane wrote - “I wish someone would write a book about a plain, bad heroine so that I might feel in real sympathy with her” (MacLane, 1902). From this, the girls at the Brookhants School created the Plain Bad Heroine Society. Two of the group's members, Flo and Clara, madly in love with each other, die shockingly. The apple orchard and surrounding woods that served as a secret rendezvous for the Plain Bad Heroine Society ultimately became the sight of the two girls' ghastly deaths by swarms of yellow jackets. The Brookhants School for Girls closes a mere five years later after facing additional eerie and tragic deaths. This past storyline quickly becomes more about the principal Libby and her lover/school teacher, Alex, rather than the girls and their deaths. With each new death, a copy of Mary MacLane’s book was found nearby. Did this signify the book was cursed for those that read it?
Years later, with the help of Elaine Brookhants, writer Merritt Emmons publishes a book that tells the haunted and cursed story of the Brookhants School for Girls. Merritt’s book inspires a horror film adaptation starring the ultra-popular lesbian actress Harper Harper playing Flo and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. Merritt has trouble with Audrey being cast to play Clara; she fears Audrey’s acting is not up to par. Merritt is then cast to be in the film as well.
The crumbling Brookhants School for Girls is occupied once again with the film being made on location. Shortly after their arrival, Merritt, Harper, and Audrey begin to have some unexplainable and eerie experiences. Merritt, Harper, and Audrey are unable to separate fact from fiction. Where does the horror film end and real-life begin?

My Evaluation of the Book: Honestly, I am not quite sure what to think about this novel. It was strange and unlike any book, I have read before yet intriguing. I managed to make it through all six-hundred and something pages. At times, it was a prolonged and meandering story, especially Merritt, Harper, and Audrey's story. Danforth prioritized building the complicated relationships between Merritt, Harper, and Audrey, which added such length to the book. However, we barely get to know the students who tragically died on the school grounds. Their characters and relationships were not emphasized as much as those of the present-day characters.
One of the most noticeable aspects of Plain Bad Heroines is that the cast of strong female characters, who are also either bi or gay. I have never read a book that centered around not only female friendships but female romantic relationships. I liked the inclusion of Mary MacLane’s memoir as something the characters admired. Her tenacity to delve into her feelings towards females in a time when women were rarely allowed to have their own opinions showed early feminist views. I think, in part, this story was to declare that all types of love are equally important implicitly.
Besides being an incredibly long story, I can only find a few significant faults with this novel. Plain Bad Heroines is intended to be a horror novel, but I did not find it particularly scary. It was a bit ominous and creepy at times, but it seemed to be more about the women's relationships. Yellow jackets play a significant role throughout the entire story, in both the past and present timelines. They serve as murderers, omens, and reminders, which lends to the gothic atmosphere. The ending was a bit disappointing. I found it lacked a complete resolution to fully explain the unfortunate happenings at The Brookhants School for Girls in both the past and present. Too much attention was given to trying to build the story rather than explaining what it all meant.

I found this book to be absolutely mesmerizing. My days I looked forward to knowing that this book was waiting for me to finish. The writing was smooth and flowing with wit that continued to make me smirk and laugh to myself. Just simply genius work that created a world of two different time periods and of different lives and how expertly Danforth was able to converge into one haunting, but at times; beautiful novel.

A gothic read with a twist on a curse told from two time periods, the early 1900’s and then again of modern day times. When a boarding school was thought to have been haunted and where girls ended up dead. Things continued to happen at this said school where the majority of girls and headmasters were queer. All blamed on a book written by a queer Author that the girls seemed to be fangirling.

Then today when a movie is in the making to remake the happenings that occurred at the cursed school based on a book written a queer young lady named Merritt who is a frequent guest of one of the original headmasters. The bring on two actresses that are also queer and there is tension from the start. When they begin to start filming, things begin to happen to almost seem as if the curse is still there and possibly preventing the movie from being made. Add in a Director with tricks of his own and characters that all have very interesting story’s to tell; leaves for a read that will have you thirsting to book each page.

To say that this book has had a lot of 'buzz' (sorry) about it doesn't really do it justice, and for a book to meet and surpass the expectations of it, and the expectations were super high, is something truly wonderful to behold. This is like Sarah Waters, but sarcastic and cynical and with a biting sense of humor; think 'Tipping the Velvet' but with a world-weary Nan offering a second person narrative with extra footnotes, and you get partway to this Novel's style.

Written in a second person tone that makes Philip Marlowe seem naive and optimistic, it tells the story of 3 girls, 2 of them lovers, who die horribly at their boarding school, and the mysterious goings-on at the Brookhants school and the Headteacher's home after these supernatural deaths. In between this, we discover the very modern story of three women; Harper, Merritt, and Avery, who have been bought together to make the movie of the cult book written about the tragic Brookhants girls. The unease of one era becomes reflected in another, and the parallels of what is happening become a spooky case of history repeating itself.

This dual-narrative could have been the book's downfall. I often don't like dual-narrative books as I find one story gets left behind and the other is a stronger tale (such as the switch between the modern-day and post-apocalyptic worlds of Station Eleven), but this has not been the case in this story. Anytime I thought the story was getting tired, or it has lost pace, a twist has come along that has piqued my interest. It is also an intelligent piece of work. It is full of literary allusions and references to LGBTIQ history that I previously didn't know, and am now discovering for myself. This merging of historical fiction and gothic horror is so well done, and so convincing it is sometimes difficult to tell which parts are real in 2020, which parts are historical and which parts came from a fertile imagination. This is a real treat!

I honestly knew very little about this book before I read it beyond the fact that it was written by a queer author and featured queer characters, and was a horror novel. Horror is NOT my genre at all. I’ll dabble in the occasional thriller but don’t feel the need to be creeped out by books. This book, however, had more than enough for me to keep me hooked the entire time. This is a big, sprawling novel, which covers a lot of ground, but basically centers on the curse of the land upon which the Brookhants School for Girls was founded at the turn of the 20th century, and the horrors that befell many who lived on the land for centuries.

There were plenty of passages that kept me at the edge of my seat, made me shiver, and just plain creeped me out. By the end, you no longer know what’s real, what’s in the characters’ heads, and what is in your own head.

The essential queerness of this novel, and the way that queerness is not tangential, but central to the story, is refreshing and necessary. The queer relationships within take different forms, defy easy categorization or convention, and feel like a critical part of every page of the story.

I would recommend this to anyone who can stomach a good dose of creepy and wants to read a well-written novel where queerness is at the center of the narrative.

The Brookhants School for Girls is said to be cursed. Or at least haunted. There were a number of very unusual happenings around the turn of the twentieth century, and the grounds of the school may still be haunted by the ghosts of the three teenaged girls who died there.

At least, that’s what Merritt Emmons’ book claims. The Happenings at Brookhants, which she wrote when was only 16, became a huge bestseller, and soon it will also be a major motion picture. Famed horror director Bo Dhillon will be directing the movie, and Harper Harper, Hollywood’s favorite ingenue and social media darling, will be its star. Harper and Caroline Wells, daughter of one of Hollywood’s most beloved former scream queens, will be playing the roles of Flo and Clara. The teenagers’ close relationship and fondness for Mary MacLane’s scandalous book of young sapphic love and please for help from the devil only added to the oddity of their deaths in the orchard attached to the school.

Later, another student found Mary MacLane’s book and slowly found herself succumbing to a numbness to reality, slipping away into her own world, until she was found dead in the school’s Orangerie, poisoned by one of the plants growing there. This student, Eleanor, was the last girl killed at the cursed school, as the school closed soon thereafter. However, one of the teachers died, and her lover, the headmistress and owner of Brookhants, mysteriously disappeared.

Now Bo is determined to take all these stories and turn them into a horror film masterpiece that none can rival. He has Merritt, the expert on the stories of Brookhants. He has his star, Harper. And he has his horror film legacy Caroline. But it’s when he adds in his last major character—The Brookhants School for Girls herself—that the real work on the film can start. But the shoots are plagued with problems, and the women feel themselves being drawn into the same nightmares that these students felt before their deaths. Yellow jackets buzz around them. Fruit rots in an instant. Flowers bloom out of dead plants. And the shadows seem to watch them. Will the curse have its way with these young women too, or will they turn out to be stronger than the black magic that haunts The Brookhants School for Girls?

Plain Bad Heroines is a masterwork of interweaving stories. The stories of these young women are infused with great emotion and dark shadows, they speak of passion and destruction, with the red book written by Mary MacLane running through them all. Author Emily Danforth has written an epic 600-page thriller that skips from present to past, from gothic to gossip, from haunted to Hollywood. It’s a powerful story, told well, and a truly enjoyable thrill ride from start to finish.

That being said, I did have some issues with the book. There were times that the narrator of the story interrupted the narrative, which would have been okay, but there were also footnotes with extra information. Personally, I’d rather have one or the other. Using both became a distraction. And while most of the characters were lesbian or bisexual, it seemed like those who were most deeply in love suffered the most. Because Mary MacLane’s book was both about her love of women and about her crying out to the devil, it was difficult to know which of these were the cause of the hauntings. I don’t think Danforth meant it that way, but I worried about the message underlying the deaths of the young women.

This is not a book for everyone. The length alone will intimidate some readers, as will the horror themes. I get that. There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have tried a book like this. But it is also a good story well written, and if queer Gothic horror and/or behind-the-scenes Hollywood interests you, then it might be worth your time. Give it a chance.

Egalleys for Plain Bad Heroines were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This book isn't for everyone, but it was perfect for me! This is the EXACT type of book I was wanting to read this October--spooky, atmospheric, dark, and chilling. An elaborate, dual timeline story that transcended the page. Everything came to life and it was just so much fun. The conclusion felt a little rushed and anticlimactic for me, which is why I docked 1/4 star. The rest of the book is well worth the high rating. Loved!

4.75