It’s 11;15 PM where I live and I am actually looking around my room frantically in an attempt to see through the darkness and make sure there is no creepy being because oh my s**t, this book was so freaking amazing and scary at the same time (especially if read at night). Cecelia was a main character I could relate to, from her curiosity to her loneliness, and it was an experiencing to see her work. This book was like an older version of Nancy Drew books that I used to read. And the plot was the best! It really lived up to the books genre “mystery and thriller”. The way that everything presented itself at the end just left me with so much shock I’m seriously thinking of waking up the people in my house just to express my fear and shock and awe.

All cheers to the author for this book! Will absolutely read the next book of Alexa Donne’s!

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this YA thriller. I always go into these knowing I am not the target audience but this one was written to be enjoyable by older adults as well. If you’re a fan of Pretty Little Liars, you will definitely enjoy this one.

Pretty Dead Queens has a lot of potentially and I’m just not sure I’m the right audience for it - I think a younger audience will eat it up and that it will do well in school and Public libraries.

The main character feels a bit full of herself and inauthentic, which I think is what turns me off with this one so much. Her life just seems to fall into place without single issue and that just doesn’t feel real? It feels the main character doesn’t actually experience any of the struggles you would typically expect and it seems things are a little too perfect.

The killer was incredibly predictable which made it less than fun and didn’t give me much of a reason to keep reading. While this wasn’t my favorite book and it definitely had its problems it still was a lot of fun all things considered and will likely do really well!

Rating: 3.5

I want to start off by saying this one will be a hit with teenagers! I’m definitely going to purchase a copy for my library as I think the teens will really enjoy this one. I wanted to read this one after reading the synopsis and am glad I gave it a try. While it wasn’t my favorite book I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I think what might have ruined it for me was the main character. I couldn’t really connect or understand why they acted the way they did so that took me out of the story a few times. However, this was such a quick read and because of that I just let it go and kept reading. The author also made me curious to see what was going to happen and that helped keep me interested the whole way through. Overall, I would recommend this one and I say give it a try! It was a quick read, well written, and it had a good build up.

Thank you so much or the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Overall, I thought it was a fun book. I'd be willing to check out more of Alexa Donne's stuff. The writing was mostly fun, and the mystery had some twists I was not expecting. The main bad I guessed right away, but I was still engaged throughout.

Probably my biggest gripe was a personal one - I hate when books make TOO many explicit references to modern pop culture. It dates the book and not in a cute way.

Fun book, def read if you like a teen mystery thriller!

Wow, another stellar YA thriller from this author!!

I have to say, some of the twists were a bit cliched, but I also didn’t see any of them coming to like that was really good. Our main character was really easy to root for and not nearly as naive as some YA heroines can be in books which I really enjoyed. The amount of detail given to each characters backstory as well as the towns history really pulls you in and makes this read unputdownable (I finished it in one day). I will definitely be recommending this book to a ton of readers!

I really struggled with the MC in this one. In the beginning she keeps monologuing in her head about the way houses are built, interior design and architecture and she talks about it in a way that makes you feel like she's some sort of prodigy, but she actually doesn't ever mention having any sort of interest in it and it just feels so forced.

The way she fell in with the super popular kids in such a short time also felt like a convenient plot point to put everything in place for the climax of the book. Which yes, that's how we write books, it's purposeful but this felt far too forced and unbelievable.

Also, by the end of chapter two, once we hear about the real life murder that inspired her grandmother's first book, I knew who the killer was and why. And I was right. I was right about a lot of the plot from reading just 8% of the book and honestly I had hoped for more.

I was really excited to read this book because it sounded so interesting and I have been wanting to read more mysteries. Unfortunately this one didn't quite work for me.

Pretty Dead Queens follows Cecelia Ellis, who moves in with her famous writer grandmother after her mom dies. On her first day of school, she learns about Caroline Quinn, a teenager who died shortly after she was crowned homecoming queen 50 years earlier, and then a couple weeks later, another girl is found dead in a similar fashion.

Honestly, I think one of the biggest issues was that the victim didn't die until 30% into the book, so the lead up to it feels really long because we know it's going to happen and it takes forever. But then on top of that, I feel like there is this huge cast of one dimensional characters, so I don't really care about any of them (and honestly, the victim is probably the one character who I cared least about as they were just a bully). I think the writing was fine, and the book was fairly atmospheric, which was a nice touch, but the actual mystery was really pretty predictable (I didn't predict everything but in retrospect, I think it's because I was thinking it couldn't truly be that obvious, and yet it was).

Also, maybe it's just me, but if I were to find a dead body, my first reaction certainly wouldn't be, 'well the cops are incompetent and can't do their jobs so I need to solve this mystery because no one else can.' Like, I get it, she was still grieving her mom, and then she finds her classmate, but at the same time, it felt so over the top and forced that she HAD to solve the mystery.

I do think the book was fairly fast paced (after the murder happened) and I read most of it in one day, so there's that.

The title caught my interest right away! i love a YA thriller and including prom queens? Heck yes. This book was fascinating and exciting and i really enjoyed getting to work my way through this thriller.

Although this book sounded like a multitude of other books (prom queens with murder) I was still intrigued enough by the synopsis to take a peek at it. I will ALWAYS read a book about books. This one didn’t stand out until the very end tho. Once you finish it you’ll understand why. It was all just really weird.

Ok so there’s so many books about prom queens out there, so I was interested, but I waited a little until reviews started pouring in so I could gage their reaction and decide if I still wanted to read it. (I had also heard about this author’s involvement in the incident with B&N and the author who called out what they’ll be buying for the public and disregarding that woman of color’s feelings on the matter.) But after hearing an apology and hearing mostly good things, I decided it was ok to try. (I’ve never read this author before.) So anyway, I thought it was ok. It had a grandmother who was a super famous author. They live in a small town and everyone knows her and the books she wrote that were based on a real murder. But suddenly things start happening again, and either the killer is back, or there’s a copy cat amongst them.

The mystery was pretty good. I never caught on to who the killer was. Well I kinda did but not really. Once some things came up I had changed my mind, but then it turned out I was right all along lol It was also hard to pinpoint who it was because of the way she made sure certain secrets weren’t told until certain points in the story. And like I love seeing things unfold, but I did feel like it took too long until she started finding things out. There is A LOT of back story here, and tho it may set the stage for the rest of the story, as a mystery/thriller reader, it got a little boring. I found myself pushing through to “get to the good part” if that makes sense. But once it got going, it was fine.

The characters were all over the place. Some I liked and others I didn’t. But the main character, Cecelia was a boss tho. I am usually not impressed with Teens as Detectives, because it’s usually some weird ass coincidence that happens and lets them get access to materials or clues way too easily, but this wasn’t the case in this one. She was really working off the strength of being a reader and being observant. It was actually really refreshing to read about a teen detective who didn’t have it easy or really have anything really handed to them. And in the case she did and I don’t remember it, I don’t remember it so that’s a good sign lol To me anyway.

The narrator also did a great job. I’ve listened to a couple things by them, so maybe that’s why I was hooked from the beginning. It was an easy listen and I enjoyed hearing all the character’s voices she came up with while she was being each one. It really made it that much more enjoyable. And it was easy for me to turn the speed up to more than my usual 2.0 and still understand what was going on. It was just an all around good performance.

This was your typical prom queen with murder but also not. Definitely one to check out if you want to see the twist and the weird turn this one takes. If you read it, be sure to stop by and tell me what you think!

Pretty Dead Queens was an excellent thriller novel. I’ve never read a book like this and I absolutely enjoyed the mystery and thriller aspects of the novel. Cecelia’s journey and the shocking parts of the novel kept me invested. Thanks for the review copy!

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

I *liked* Donne's first two books but the protagonist in this one was just too wretched for me. I know teenagers do tend to act foolishly but generally they have real reasons and aren't completely thoughtless. Or at least, the ones we like to read about are. I tried so hard but the choices the main character kept making just completely turned me off of this story.

Love the cover but the book is just ok. I was getting some serious vintage Fearstreet vibes from this cover so I really excited to try it out. I started off really liking the story and the seaside setting with our relatable main character Cecilia but in the end there were some issues. I figured out the killer<spoiler>s,(whenever there are two love interests one is always suspect and Ben had a big motive, plus the grandma was super shady)</spoiler>, like in the first couple chapters. Another big problem for me was Cecilia just gets away with everything and no one ever gets mad at her! Every time she does something stupid for the "investigation" her friends are like "oh well shucks, your my friend so its ok". I didn't get that. Also, <spoiler>as someone else mentioned in their review, there is no talk about trauma from finding out your boyfriend and grandmother are murders! Cecilia just goes on to date Gabe like nothing happened. That would fuck most people up a little I would think</spoiler>. Could have been a bit better but I appreciated it for what it was.

This book wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it and in fact ended up DNFing this book. Which was sad because I really really wanted to like it. I will try to go back and read this book in the future. Maybe trying to revisit it will make me be able to get into it more.

When Cecelia's mother dies, she is whisked away to live with her estranged grandmother, the bestselling murder mystery author Maura Weston. Cecelia has only just become interested in the real-life murder that inspired Maura's first novel when one of her new friends is murdered in almost the exact same way. With zealous Maura Weston fans lurking around and townie drama that goes back decades, Cecelia tries to figure out if it's the same murderer striking again, or one of her new friends who killed the would-be homecoming queen.

This has a large cast of characters, which has the potential for confusion but also makes it hard to narrow down the list of suspects. There are red herrings and "accidents" and lies upon lies, blackmail, and so much more. The mystery aspect was a lot of fun, especially with the hoopla around the original murder that spawned a book series and a movie, but that part did taper off a bit toward the end, which unfortunately meant less screen time for Maura, who is such a great character. I would have loved more interactions between her and Cecelia, or even Maura and her fans, rather than so much romance between Cecelia and Ben. But there were so many great dramatic scenes to distract me and keep me on the edge of my seat. A fun read for mystery buffs.

Moving to a new town to live with her estranged grandmother is not the senior year Cecelia Ellis had in mind. Her mother’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing have forced Cecelia on a new path, but her plan is to graduate and get out of town just like her mom did. In the meantime, she’s living at the top of creepy Victorian mansion with Maura Weston, her famous mystery writing grandmother. Though a small California coastal town, Seaview was put on the map years ago with Maura’s first book, a fictionalized version about the of death of one of Maura’s classmates. Later turned into a movie which was filmed in Seaview, the town now has its own unique traditions, like a murder tour given by two of Cecelia’s classmates and Weston-Con, a weekend retreat for fans of Maura’s thriller books. When one of Cecelia’s classmates is found dead under eerily similar circumstances to one of Maura’s books, Cecelia distracts herself from her grief by trying to solve the murder and determine if a copycat killer is loose in Seaview – or if someone was wrongly convicted years ago. As Cecelia learns about the history of Seaview and about animosity among her new friends, she’s convinced there’s more to the story. Will Cecelia make a connection before the police solve the case, or will she be the killer’s next victim?

THOUGHTS: Knowing all that Cecelia has overcome, readers will root for her to uncover the truth behind two crimes that are decades apart. Fans of fast-paced mystery/thrillers (like Donne’s The Ivies and Henry’s Two Truths and a Lie) will enjoy this whodunit.

4.75 rounding up to 5 for GoodReads. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. After reading and very much enjoying The Ivies by Alexa Donne, I knew I needed to get my hands on her new release. There are of course flaws with this book. Like any young adult thriller, not everything is going to make sense in the context of the real world. Teenagers don't solve crimes faster than the police. But for the sake of a compelling novel for teens, of course, they do. Cecelia is a relatable character to follow for younger readers and she felt like a seventeen-year-old while I was reading. It did not feel like an older person was trying to write from the mind of a child which often is the case when writing books with younger main characters in first person. This story has a ton of red herrings. So many that while reading I had no idea what the twist could possibly be. I did end up guessing it before the reveals at the end but they still felt authentic to the story and it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I had a major sense of tension and my heart was beating rapidly as the end of the novel came together. Alexa Donne's writing has improved since her last novel and I think these young adult thrillers are definitely something she is fantastic at writing. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good young-adult thriller. It seems perfect for younger high-school students looking to jump into the genre of thriller.

This is the perfect YA thriller, just in time for spooky season! Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars! Having lost her mother, MC Cecelia Ellis arrives at her grandmother’s Maura’s mansion. She remembers visiting the California coastal town, but along the way her mother had a falling out with Maura. Cecelia is navigating a new school, a sweet romance, and finds a group of friends each with parents of high society. Seaview High’s new homecoming Queen is murdered! There’s a copycat killer on the loose and Cecelia is determined to find out who & why! Thank you TBR and Beyond for a copy.

First off, I want to thank Alexa Donne and Crown Books for Young Readers (imprint Penguin Random House) for the ARC (e-book)! Although I feel it’s an amazing honor to be part of her streetteam, this doesn’t affect my opinion of the book.
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If the blurb of Pretty Dead Queen doesn’t convince you to pick up this book, maybe the gorgeous cover will! It immediately gave me some Insatiable (serie on Netflix) vibes, although it turned out the story is nothing like it. The story is set in a rather small town where most people (kinda) know each other – especially Moira, a renowned author of thrillers and grandmother of Cecelia (the main character). This immediately sets this cozy small town mood.

But just like small towns can be relaxed, yet seemingly slow at times, so does the pacing of the story. Which is either a love-it or hate-it case. Turns out, I’m more into fast-paced stories, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the story. Donne does have a way to keep things interesting and make you want to read more with her fun and sometimes dark analogies and descriptions. Her writing style is sophisticated, to say the least. Made me doubt, more than a few times, how well my English is actually developed. I would not recommend it to readers who have a bit of trouble reading in English. It even made me wonder if the writing style works for YA specifically, but I’ll let native speakers/readers decide for that themselves. But! – on the bright side – I did learn a lot of new words, so… cheers for expanding my vocabulary!

Nonetheless, Donne’s vivid descriptions of the mansion, town and people did make the story come alive. Almost as if watching a movie, I could picture everything very well. I was also impressed with the way Donne ended chapters, giving us a little cliffhanger that just screamed to turn the page and dive into the next chapter.
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The main thing that bugged me, however, was Cecelia, the main character herself. I had lots of trouble connecting with her, felt pretty flat at times. The only thing I know is that her mother died, that she didn’t know her grandma who she has to live with now, and that she’s – obviously – still in grieving mode. She only read one book her grandma wrote before she came there, doesn’t look particularly interested in reading – or anything else, really. Also doesn’t seem to have hobbies or friends. The only thing that drives her (more like, severely obsessed), is solving the new murder. Quite a shame, because characters are what drive a story, and because of it, I had trouble enjoying the story to the fullest.

*** small spoiler ahead ***

I also hated the cliché’s and overly used tropes in fiction, like guessing someone’s password (laptop) within a few times and breaks of a car that got cut. Everytime I read or watch a scene like that, I can’t help but roll my eyes. It really feels like a cheap, overdone device in stories (thrillers in particular).
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Reading mystery thrillers, I always feel like kind of a detective. I pay close attention to signs and small hints, and in the end, my hunch about who the killer was, was mostly right. Yet, Donne managed to surprise me, and me – being the great detective I think I am – guessing right, doesn’t mean that it was predictable. Not at all. So you’re definitely in for a fun surprise.

Overall it was a fun read and if you like cozy town thrillers with a surprising plot twist (!) in the climax, definitely pick up this book.