2.5 stars

If you enjoy small-town settings with a bunch of secrets, this may be a book for you to check out. I found it to be way too predictable, and I was expecting more mystery. I enjoyed The Ivies, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I did enjoy Cecilia's grandmother.

I really enjoyed this book overall. The book is centered around Cecilia, who discovers a dead body in the school pool and investigates the murder for herself. There was a similar murder years ago, so she investigates both cases and compares them. I enjoyed following Cecilia along as she tried to discover who the killer was. It was pretty quick read and the ending was really good!

Pretty Dead Queens was a thrilling, interesting, and captivating novel that kept my attention.

The story follows our main character, Cecelia, who moves into her grandmother’s mansion in a peaceful New England town…or so she thinks. When the homecoming queen dies a gruesome death, similar to a homecoming queen who was murdered years ago, Cecelia attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery- even if that means all of her new friends are the suspects.

Personally, I liked Cecelia. She definitely wasn’t my favorite character, but she wasn’t completely clueless (like some ya protagonists are). Even though she was basic, she was still a solid character. All the other characters had a lot depth and motivation and were fun to read about. Brontë & Gabriel were probably my two favorite characters.

The pacing was very well done, I read the entire book in around 2 days. I enjoyed. the writing style, no complaints there; and I liked the atmosphere of the book.

The plot made sense and was interesting. My only complaint is how predictable it was. I figured out the murderer quite early on, but I didn’t figure out the final plot twist, which redeemed the book for me and was not as predictable.

The romance was…eeh. It could’ve been better and I didn’t feel like it was completely necessary, but I can see how some people might like it.

Overall, I liked and would recommend Pretty Dead Queens. It’s an engaging ya mystery/thriller that’s a quick read and has a shocking plot twist. It’s also perfect to read during homecoming season!

Seaside Town: √

Murder Mystery: √

High School Drama √

Jessica Fletcher would be proud.

Alexa Donne said that "Pretty Dead Queens" is an homage to Murder she Wrote and I am here.for.it. A cozy mystery but with a higher body count and more secrets? Done and done.

Cecelia has moved to Seaview to live with her grandmother, a famous mystery writer, after her mother passes away. Struggling to adjust in a new town isn't easy, especially with the shadow of an infamous murder hanging over the town. And oh yeah, the murder just happens to be the subject of your grandmother's most popular book.

What follows is a plot that seems ripped from her grandmother's books: another homecoming queen has been murdered, mirroring the crime from decades ago. Cecelia is drawn into the mystery of solving the crime--and along the way she begins to wonder if maybe an innocent person is in prison.

When everyone seems to be lying, who can you trust? Is the truth really stranger than fiction? What if Murder She Wrote was rated R? I had a great time finding out the answers to all of these questions and recommend this creepy mystery.

4 stars/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for my arc.

I loved the Ivies so was very excited to see what the author had up her sleeve for her newest novel.

I absolutely could not believe it when I realized the author had killed Natalie in the exact same way she killed Emma in The Ivies. Can she truly think of absolutely no other way? I was immediately let down. I instantly questioned why I was reading the exact same book twice! I honestly almost DNF’d it right there.

I tried so hard to connect with this story but it just never happened. I was overwhelmed with the amount of characters, I had such a hard time remembering who was who. Both twists were completely predictable.

I cannot stress how desperately I wanted to like this. Ultimately it was simply meh.

In particular, I like books about amateur detectives who look into homicides. This was so simple to get sucked into, and the small-town mysteries kept me guessing right up until the very end.

I adore it when there are suspicious activities going on in addition to the murder. It keeps the story interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat as I wait to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.

I enjoyed this one. It was a quick read even if it was predictable. The characters were decent, the setting was good, and the mystery was okay.

Cecelia has just lost her mother to cancer, the only family she's ever known, and has to move in with the grandmother she barely knows, Maura. Her grandmother is a local celebrity, however, as a best-selling author. She only just starts to adjust to her new life when a murder occurs, eerily similar to the homecoming queen murder that her grandmother's debut novel is based on. Cecelia throws herself into the investigation to find out who the copycat killer is, and who is next.

I've had mixed luck with YA mystery thrillers, but this definitely didn't disappoint! I like Cecelia as a character and loved how her dealing with her grief ties in with how she goes about doing things. I also really appreciated that Cecelia's suspicions and opinions change as she discovers new details and clues instead of immediately knowing who to point the finger at. Her own sleuthing ebbed and flowed with what was happening, which just added to the authenticity of the mystery.

The overall mood was very suspenseful with a hint of spooky, so this would definitely be the perfect book to read right around Halloween. There were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming and was honestly on the edge of my seat right up to the ending.

📌 Pub Date: October 4, 2022

Thank you to the author (Alexa Donne), the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC!

4.5 stars - First & most important disclaimer: I am friends with the author. I obviously am sharing what I experience as my honest opinion here, but I fully acknowledge that unconscious bias is a thing

That said... I absolutely loved this. I think this is the best book Alexa has written so far in terms of quality of writing, plotting, and theming. It helps that this could not be more up my alley trope wise: secrets from the past, small town secrets, and an homage to Murder She Wrote/Cabot Cove. My own critique is that it takes a while for the main story/mystery to get going because there is such a large cast to introduce; that said, I still found that interesting, so just know it is a bit of a slow burn on the front end that cascades into a rush to find whodunnit by the end

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Alexa Donne has DONE it again. She has written a masterfully plotted, beautifully written, and perfectly atmospheric thriller. I was very curious to read more of Alexa's thrillers after the Ivies, and I am pleased to discover Pretty Dead Queens proves Alexa's place as a thriller writer in the industry.

My favorite things about this book were the setting (I mean, a small cozy killer town near a beach? I'm in love), the atmosphere, and the prose (Alexa's words are beautiful!).

I will say it took a little bit for the book to pick up, and for the murder to even happen. The relationships between the friend group were okay, but individually I loved every single one of them. I think Cecilia's drive to investigate the murder could've had a stronger reason, as I was not completely convinced in the first place, but overall the parallel between Cecilia's personal history and the occurrences of the book interlaced beautifully.

I give this book 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the read so much! Can't wait for Alexa's next thriller!

Pretty Dead Queens is a fast-paced YA thriller with engaging characters and a compelling mystery. The book is perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, One of Us is Lying, or Jessica Goodman. When seventeen year old Cecelia's mom dies, she goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a famous murder mystery author. When the homecoming queen gets murdered, Cecelia begins investigating because the killer is a copycat killer and the original murder was the basis for one of her grandmother's books. The story has plenty of twists and unpredictable gems throughout. This is a fun read for fans of YA thrillers. Be sure to check out Pretty Dead Queens today!

I really appreciate having the opportunity to read this ARC, and for the majority of the book I did enjoy reading it. By the end, however, it felt messy, inappropriate, and poorly executed. The concept of the plot was super solid - a teenage girl's mother dies, and she had to move in with her grandmother, who is a famous murder mystery writer. Once adjusting to her new hometown, one of her friends is killed in what appears to be a copycat killing of the murder from her grandmother's first book, and she finds herself trying to solve the murder. It sounded really fun and interesting, but there were so many scenes that felt like they needed another pass or two through editing, either because of typos or pacing issues. Some parts I had to reread multiple times because it felt like crucial details had been skipped, like the characters just jumped from one location to another without explanation. Some details were glossed over, while others were described almost too in-depth; the characterizations were too "perfect" and stereotypical for my liking. Additionally, I found the "twist" of the affair to be wildly inappropriate- especially everyone's reactions to it. Cecelia saying she felt bad that the other girl was being manipulated by this older man, but that she still hated the girl for the affair and trying to supposedly throw herself at the man felt very sleazy and victim shame-y. I so badly wanted to like this book, but there were too many plot holes and poorly written scenes for me to truly enjoy it.

After her mom dies, seventeen-year-old Cecelia moves in with her eccentric grandmother, a famous writer known for her bestselling novel about her high school’s homecoming queen who drowned in the 70s. Cecelia, barely settled into her grandmother’s creepy Victorian mansion, finds her classmate and homecoming queen drowned in the same way and becomes determined to find the copycat killer. As her investigation unfolds and she delves deeper into the town history and connection between the murders, Cecelia discovers secrets the townsfolk would rather have remained hidden. Donne packs her novel with plenty of angst and drama that isn’t reserved for just the teens in the small California town, and the rich backstories of the cast will keep you guessing who the murderer is all the way up until the exhilarating climax in the final chapters.

Synopsis:
Seaview High's homecoming queen is dead . . . and she's not the first. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and the teen who won't stop until she discovers the truth.

After the death of her mom (screw cancer), seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a celebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town . . . until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she’s not Seaview’s first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother’s books. But the more Cecelia digs into the town’s secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending.

Review:
Honestly, this book was just depressing most of the time. Which made it hard to read. Everyone was either too into this local murder story or so ambivilent about it when they live in a town where people seem to die suspiciously all the time. The characters were somtimes interesting, but the adults had way more drama than the kids and I truly wanted the story from their perspective more than I wanted to hear from Cecelia. The grandmother is selfish and doesn't make any sense as a person. She's no consistent at all, with her writing, with the people in her life, or with her granddaughter.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book!

This is a fun read! I love that it's coming out in October, because I think that's going to be the perfect time to read it (though it does make for a fun summer horror, too).

The book follows seventeen-year-old Cecelia, who moves in with her grandmother after the death of her mother. Her grandmother just so happens to be a well known murder mystery author, living in a small California coastal town. Obviously, death ensues.

For the most part, I enjoyed Cecelia as our main character. I think there are relatable aspects to how she handles grief (you know, like throwing herself into a murder investigation instead of processing said grief.––I get that) and she's, for the most part, a solid character. There was some dialogue I thought was a bit awkward, in that it didn't feel authentic to how teenagers today speak, but the writing was solid overall, as well. I also really enjoyed the environment of Seaview––the small town coastal vibes really add to the experience of the novel, especially if you're someone who likes small town mysteries. Some of the side characters are a bit too on the nose as to who they are, trope wise, but again, I thought it worked well for the story.

Overall, this is an entertaining way to pass the time and a quick read. I think for the genre/tropes its using, it's a solid thriller with a great cast of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Click here for content review and a shorter version of my thoughts:
https://www.novelnotices.com/pretty-dead-queens

Pretty Dead Queens is the second Alexa Donne book I have read, and it was as different from the first (Brightly Burning) as it could possibly have been. Pretty Dead Queens follows Cecelia as she moves in with her famous mystery-writer grandmother after her mother's death, and a copycat kill of a murder that had taken places fifty years before occurs to one of her new friends.

I was torn between giving this book four or three stars. In the end, I went with three for a few reasons. For one, the beginning of the book was so slow and seemingly meaningless that I just was not sure what to do with it. I knew the author was building up to something, but the relationships formed far too quickly even as Donne spent much longer than necessary on setting the scene. I might have abandoned it, but I pushed myself to continue until—at last—the murder came along.

There was also far, far too much swearing for my taste. "S" and "f" were used frequently throughout, apparently for no reason other than to try and create the atmosphere of teens. And while yes, that can be what high school sounds like, it was still excessive.

I did guess the twists, but surprisingly, I still enjoyed it. I knew what was coming and yet I still wished that I was wrong and ground my teeth in frustration when the reveals came. I touched on the slow beginning earlier, but the novel really picked up the pace shortly after the murder occurred. The characters were a bit one-note, but they all played their parts well. I could see most of them committing the murder with all of the woven secrets and possible motives. On the mention of characters, I also actually liked Cecelia as a character. She was a classic YA mystery protagonist, but I enjoyed following her on the journey and wasn't annoyed with her as I often am with the narrators.

I read an ARC, so there were some parts that I was scrunching my brows at, trying to remember if that information had been mentioned before (and in a few cases characters repeated actions that had already been done), but I'm sure that will be edited before the final product is published.

I would certainly read another thriller by Donne.

Pretty Dead Queens was AMAZING! Donne wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story

I went into this book a bit hesistant cause i have recently really stuggled with unlikable main characters in thrillers this book was a delight. This book had so many buzz words that captured my like a young moving to small town after her mother death to live with author grandmother and gets got up in series of murders. This book gave me massive coxy mystery vibes. It also remidned me alot of pretty little liars and nancy drew. I also had a very hard time predicing the twists and turns and loved how there was two murders very simialr to her grandmothers books!! I read this book in less the 24 hours! I loved all the side characters and really hope this becomes a series.. A great early fall read!!

Thoroughly gripping! It's not often I'm consumed by a book the way this consumed me. I blazed through this when normally it takes me a long time to finish a book. While we don't learn much of the MC as a person aside from her family members and I called one twist about halfway through, there's tons of twists in here that are sure to grip you!

After loving The Ivies, I was so excited to read more Alexa Donne! (So, thank you!)

Unfortunately, I had pretty high hopes for this book and it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I did enjoy reading it and thoroughly enjoyed the premise. However, it felt slightly contrived and forced. And, more importantly, the ending just did not feel completely fleshed out and realistic. Particularly: the house that was falling apart and people feeling comfortable going into a structure that is literally falling into the sea, and also the reveal of who the main culprit was. Maybe I needed more explanation - but it seemed too prolific to fit the character?

Overall, I do enjoy her writing - this plot was just a miss for me.