This book is P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for fall, a spooky, horror-lite rom-com. I absolutely loved the story, the characters, humor of the prank war amidst mystery of the murder. Can vividly imagine the small town feel and the partial private school setting. The 90s feel was on point, especially the boy band “battle” between characters. The relationship between Theo and Freddie is *chef's kiss.* I also loved how the book captured the friendship between Freddie and Divya, along with the new relationships with the Prank Crew and how Freddie's actions affect the group; it's not a main part of the story but it was realistically shown. This was the most romantic of Susan Dennard's books, accurately capturing the feelings of new love between teens on the brink of adulthood.

Thank you to Tor Teen (seriously, THANK YOU TOR TEEN!) and NetGalley for providing a copy for review, my opinions are my own.

Suze is a master storyteller, and is also SO great with creating an amazing setting and atmosphere. I absolutely loved this, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read the ARC.

This one was a lot of fun! The 90s small town setting, spooky atmosphere, and supernatural murder mystery elements made it the perfect nostalgic fall read. The MCs are in high school so it reads a little young and the humor is a bit silly, but as a 90s baby I loved all of the references - *NSYNC vs. BSB, The X-Files, Scooby Doo, etc.

The murder mystery was really intriguing and I enjoy books that make you wonder if things are actually supernatural or not. The rivals to lovers romance was really cute and Freddie and Theo were kind of giving Winnie and Jay. This did have similar vibes to The Luminaries but that one still remains my fave. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky & somewhat unserious fall YA read!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who loved Truthwitch, this was still a bit disappointing. That being said, I did like it more than some of her other new stuff.

I love a good prank war, so the premise of The Executioners Three had me hooked from the start. The dynamic between Freddie and Divya is fantastic—fun, layered, and just the right mix of sweet and suspenseful. The scares are legit, keeping the pages turning, and the 90s setting adds a nostalgic (and Stranger Things-adjacent) vibe that worked for me, though the heavy references might be a hurdle for some younger readers. The small-town "everyone knows everyone" atmosphere adds to the mystery, which felt like a modern, slightly spooky Nancy Drew story. Freddie is an unapologetic nerd, not your typical polished protagonist, and I loved that. A great blend of mystery, romance, and thriller—I can definitely see this being a strong contender for our summer reading program down the road.

After requesting this ARC on NetGalley, I kept my fingers crossed I'd be approved, especially after reading Dennard's Luminaries series.

What a fun ride this was! I enjoyed every moment spent with Freddie and this charming cast of characters. Set in the early nineties, references are made to The Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and X-Files among others. Boy bands weren't my thing, but I loved how Freddie and best friend Divya share a Lance Bass keychain that supposedly brings them luck.

Freddie's voice immediately grabbed me. As a strong-willed, amateur sleuth with the astute instincts of a law enforcement professional (her deceased father was a detective), she's an enticing blend of Nancy Drew, Velma from Scooby-Doo, and Fox Mulder with hints of Dana Scully. What begins with a dead body (Freddie disagrees with the sheriff's determination of suicide), soon leads to cryptic poems, local folklore, and a small, historic town curse due to Freddie's investigation.

For the romance fans, there's a sweet rivals to lovers relationship guaranteed to give you heart emoji eyes. Theo, who turns out not to be a Very Bad Human Indeed, is just as stubborn as Freddie, and they're equally matched. The supporting characters are well-crafted and distinct (even Kyle, bless his heart), and people you'd be lucky to call friends.

A perfect blend of horror, humor, and small town supernatural murder mystery, this is a novel I highly recommend for fans of quirky, off-beat characters, nostalgic settings, and clever protagonists.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book definitely gives off Gilmore Girls meets The X-Files. Set in the late '90s, it has a nostalgic feel that adds to its charm. It was humorous, mysterious, and weirdly funny. I mean this as a compliment, but it reminded me of those old-school Disney Channel original movies!

It’s technically YA, but I’d definitely describe it as a quick, easy read. It's retro A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. The last time I read a book by Susan Dennard was back in high school, so it was fun to dive into one of her newer works, and it reminded me that I really need to catch up on her other books.

The characters were engaging, and the rivals-to-lovers trope was executed well. I can’t wait to get my own copy this fall!

That was the single greatest piece of 90s nostalgia that I’ve ever read. Scooby Doo was one of my favorite shows growing up and the references in THE EXECUTIONERS THREE were absolutely spot on. I’m sure it was no coincidence that Freddie Gellar, the main character, was named after Fred from Scooby Doo and Sarah Michelle Gellar (who played Daphne in the live action Scooby Doo movies) - and if it was coincidence, it was an entirely happy one.

I loved this story. The romance was so sweet and the numerous boy band references made it even better. I also loved that you couldn’t tell if the mystery was supernatural or not until the end. It felt so Scooby Doo because of that.

I also enjoyed the X-Files references and it even gave Stranger Things vibes.

All in all, this was a great story which made my 90s baby heart happy. It’s perfect for spooky season and is easily my favorite Susan Dennard book to date.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fun romp the likes of Goosebumps and The X-Files, THE EXECUTIONERS THREE brings all the same fun as Dennard's The Luminaries series with a new, twisty mystery.

The Executioners Three is a chilling, atmospheric read that hooked me from the very first page. I loved the 90s setting and the eerie blend of murder mystery and the supernatural. Freddie is a smart, relatable protagonist, and the suspense kept building with every chapter. Susan Dennard has crafted a truly haunting story—I couldn’t put it down!

A very fun and satisfying Scooby-doo like mystery perfect to get you in the mood for the Autumn season! At first I was a not a huge fan of the campy writing. It made the characters who are 17 feel much y0unger to me. But after reading for a bit and getting deeper into the story I started to really enjoy the campiness and the plot came fully into itself in all the best ways. I honestly flew through this and had such a great time with it. I felt the ending was well done and the romance was great!

2.5 ⭐ rounded to 3⭐

Freddie Gellar is an X-Files loving, true crime junkie, grade A nerd. When she accidently gets all the popular kids from the rival prep school arrested she undergoes a classic “She’s All That” moment. Don’t know what that means? This book probably isn’t for you because it’s set in the 90s and has a lot of deep cut 90s pop culture references. As an oldie reading YA mysteries this was completely for me and honestly, the best part of the book. If you’re a young person you may have to do some history research to be in on all the jokes.

As Freddie is taken in by the popular crowd she’s also exploring the mysterious goings on in her town (murder, spooky poetry, weird bells…there’s some stuff) and smooching a cute boy (even though he likes Backstreet Boys and she likes N’Sync!! Can they possibly overcome their differences to find true love??)

I found the suspense to be lacking, Freddie’s character didn’t make a lot of sense to me, and although the mystery had a lot of potential the resolution didn’t quite hit. Oh…and the end? Maybe hilariously bad or hilariously good, I can’t decide.

This is all my adult review though. I think that a young adult will like this, Frankie is weird and smart and has two guys fighting over her and she gets to solve mysteries. There’s a big audience for this kind of rep.

Thanks NetGalley & Daphne Press!

Fantastic new mystery of a feud that's full of cryptic riddles, symbols, and great romance! Reminds me of Nancy Drew and Riverdales shows!

I'm getting a physical copy of the book, so I'm rating and reviewing for my ratio, but I'll be reading it there instead of on Netgalley!

Freddie Gellar es una estudiante con buen ojo para los misterios, escucha gritos en la noche y alerta a la policía. Lo que parece una simple fiesta de adolescentes termina con arrestos masivos, y Freddie, sin quererlo, se convierte en la protagonista de una guerra de bromas entre su escuela, Berm High, y la elitista Fortin Prep.

Mientras los estudiantes compiten con ingenio y venganza, algo mucho más oscuro se mueve entre los árboles. Una figura aparece en la niebla, cuerpos sin vida cuelgan de las ramas más altas, y un poema antiguo parece anunciar la llegada de los “Tres Verdugos”. Con la ayuda de su mejor amiga Divya y un equipo secreto de estudiantes, Freddie se ve arrastrada a una investigación que mezcla leyendas locales, pistas ocultas y fenómenos inexplicables. A medida que las señales se intensifican y los peligros se acercan, el verdadero enemigo podría no ser Fortin Prep, sino algo que ha estado dormido… y que ahora ha despertado.


...

La idea me pareció interesante, pero no fue para mi ya que lo sentí muy juvenil.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

When I found out, Susan Denard had another book coming out I was so excited and this one has the nostalgia of my teenage years. School rivalries and prank wars start to go haywire when Freddie by accident guess a bunch of the rival school arrest, arrested. Coincidentally her school ends up, falling in love with her, and she’s drawn in by the popular group to help with the senior prank wars. During all this Fred and a boy from the other school, Theo are dealing with a mysterious force. The story takes on a Scooby Doo like investigation and it was a bit hard to get behind. Maybe this book is just not for me and felt a bit too immature, but I feel like it’ll be a huge hit with the younger crowd.

Thank you Tor Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Another hit for Susan Dennard! Freddie has an impeccable gut, it never lets her down. So when she hears strange noises in the woods she doesn’t hesitate to call the cops. Only it turns out it was a bunch of students partying from the fancy private school. Her actions get half their school population in trouble. Consider they are Freddie’s school biggest rivalry, her classmates don’t seem to upset about it. In fact Freddie’s more popular then ever and when the most popular kids in school want to hang out with her she’s ecstatic. They let her know about the 20 year prank war between the two schools and ask for her help. Enter Theo one of the popular teens from the rival school who happens to be her big competition. He’s also attractive and Freddie finds herself drawn to him even though he’s the enemy. The prank wars begin but Freddie notices that strange things are happening. And when she stumbles across a body she also learns that this has happened twice before. The police think it was self-inflicted but Freddie’s gut is telling her it’s murder. And when connections are being drawn to an ancient tale of the Executioners Three, she may have stumbled onto something supernatural. But that’s impossible right? Curses aren’t real. Strange things keep happening, bodies are being found, and signs point to the fact that her deceased father, an ex-sheriff she barely knew, was investigating the same strange events. Can Freddie figure out what is going on? Or will she find herself in more danger? I loved the mix of supernatural, mystery, teen drama, romance, and rivalry! I very much enjoy books that take place in the 90’s because of the nostalgia and Freddie’s love for NSYNC versus Theo’s love for the Backstreet Boys was everything! The Executioners Three is thrilling, hilarious, and unputdownable!

The Executioners Three is a fun YA thriller, written in a campy style that only Susan Dennard could pull off.

The story follows teen Freddie Gellar, who accidentally gets half of the rival high school students arrested when she called the cops after hearing shrieks coming from the woods. Little did she know it was just a high school party. But, this accidental incident put Freddie on the radar of the prank squad at her high school, who now welcome Freddie into their group with open arms.

However, the next day, a dead body is found. The local police are calling it a suicide but Freddie suspects otherwise. As Freddie and the Prank Squad continue their prank battle with the rival high school, more bodies start piling up in the forest. Being an X-Files aficionado, Freddie takes it upon herself to try and solve the murder. And in the midst of all of this, the clever―and gorgeous―leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie. And, against her better judgement, she seems to be falling for him too.

The Executioners Three is set in 1999, providing plenty of 90s nostalgia and dialogue. As someone who watched the X-Files growing up, I could completely relate to Freddie's mystery-solving enthusiasm as she channeled Mulder and Scully. The late 90s setting is the perfect fit for a murder mystery based on a creepy old poem that's being reenacted by a murderer.

The book is a bit campy, but it's intended to be that way. If you've ever watched any 90s movies or television shows, you'll understand why. The campiness works well for this story and its characters; characters who are your typical high schoolers living to skip school, party, pull pranks on their rivals, have make-out sessions, and be amateur sleuths.

I’m a big fan of Susan Dennard’s Luminaries series, so I was extremely excited to get an ARC of The Executioners Three from @netgalley and @torteen.

I won’t say this was a perfect book. I think there were a couple of plot holes and some questions that the book dangles in front of you then doesn’t answer. You may also find the major culprit fairly easy to spot.

That said, Sooz is really great at building the atmosphere of her worlds. And in some ways, the lack of explanations for certain things and the hints at who(or what??) is haunting Freddie’s town actually add to the vibe of a 90s/early 2000s whodunnit monster of the week series that permeates this book. This book has such a cozy fall mystery vibe like watching Scooby Doo in October or going out rolling yards with your high school friends, crunching through the falling leaves on a foggy, crisp fall night.

It’s YA, but the mystery is actually pretty gruesome and does keep you guessing about whether some unseen force is at work all the way up to the end. The characters are fun and diverse and the central monsters of the week are genuinely creepy. I’d definitely recommend it as a fun and spooky read for anyone in high school or above. If you’re an elder millennial, you might want to check it out just for the nostalgia (I just missed being the core audience there, as a zillennial, myself).

This book will be released on August 26, right at the start of fall, so preorder it and have your spiced cider ready when it arrives.

Freddie Gellar wouldn't consider herself popular, especially since she got half the rival school in trouble for underage drinking. But the prank squad at her school noticed and suddenly she's in with the cool crowd, including dreamy Kyle. As she begins plotting against the rival school, she finds herself in close contact with Theo, one of the rival school's popular crowd, as well as involved in the paranormal workings of a curse upon her little town.

I was expecting this to be more fantasy, but I enjoyed the retro 90s vibe of this story (don't think I didn't notice the MC's name as an homage). Think lots of "X-Files" references and pre-cellphone research. The mysterious poem about the executioners and the research into the cycle of locals deaths seemed to take a backseat to the romance between Freddie and Theo, but overall it was a fun ride.