I really liked the idea of this book, I just wish it hadn't been so long. The hardest part about reading it was how confusing it was. Cleve just goes back and forth so much it was hard to follow. Overall an OK read. I would still recommend to others and would like to check out more by this author.

I am usually a big fan of historical fiction but this was one was lost on me. I rated three stars because Hannah writing was amazing, I love that it was a reimagining of a Historical moment of history but I think the whole Henry8th story didnt quite reach me. I think I would love this more if it was about Henry mother or even grandmother. I can't wait to give more of Hannah books a chance thou because I do love how she lays out a story plot.

Not the best or my favorite book of all time, but for a YA retelling of the Tudors I wouldn’t say it was bad. For the most part I was entertained, but more so by every character that wasn’t Cleves. It was kind of struggle to be in her head as you really want to shake her and yell in her face for the majority of the book. She definitely came off like the kid of the group. The other ‘queens’ were much more interesting, and I would’ve enjoyed more time with all of them, to be honest. For a story as bloody and gruesome as King Henry VIII and his wives, this YA story did a pretty good job of interpreting the whole tragic story.

Not sure who exactly I would recommend this to, but it would probably be a good beach/vacation read?

Received via Netgalley. All reviews and opinions are expressly my own

After reading this, I feel like I need to catch up on the story of Henry VIII. I'm sure there were little parts in the book that didn't come across as well as they would have if I had been more knowledgeable. It was still an enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

I did have a little bit of a problem keeping some of the characters straight. There are some that are mentioned and explain some of the plot, but they are not truly characters in the books. It's like a background character in a movie, something they do may be important, but you are going to remember the main characters more. I guess in a way it's okay that I couldn't remember the differences between some of the background characters. I was able to understand the importance of their experiences.

For me, I have to wonder just how good the cops were that investigated the situations. It seems like there were enough things that didn't add up for them to question their findings, but they never seemed to.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Hannah Capin
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada) and Inkyard Press
Publication Date: 29 Jan 2019

I never expected to read a feminist twist to the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. The Dead Queens Club provides that along with a funny, sarcasm laced, modern take. This may not appeal to those looking for a more historically accurate read but those wanting a fresh take on this story will find much to enjoy within these pages.

The adapting of King Henry VIII's reign to a highschool setting works incredibly well. It's dramatic and filled with heightened emotions. It fits within a setting that breeds rumours and gossip as naturally as breathing. The setting is helped by the winks to the historical inspiration of this story. Many of the side characters are ones that history enthusiasts will recognize. The six girlfriends easily represent the six wives with fun details woven in for those Tudor obsessed. It's all done in a way that isn't overt and allows the story to go outside its inspiration. Some of my favourite details are the way Jane Seymour's Jane Seymour-ness was written into the story, the way Anne Boleyn's iconic necklace was woven into the story, Henry's obvious insecurity, and the portrayal of the character who represents Jane Parker. She is a character often vilified in recounts of this story so what was done with her here was a little more interesting.

The stories of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard have always angered me. The smear campaign, slut shaming, and overall character assassinations these ladies endured was nothing short of a travesty. Capin, obviously, shares this anger (and has an apparent soft spot for Katherine Howard). She twists their story into something empowering. It becomes a story of support and sisterhood. It, at times, made my heart soar with how these ladies were portrayed. Their defense is something this book gets incredibly right. Both Anna and Katie were more than their reputations within this novel and I appreciated that care was taken for us to get to know both of them, even though Anna is already dead when the story begins. Along with slut shaming other topics like toxic masculinity and gaslighting are also represented with the snark and wit that the main character dishes out at every turn.

Cleves (aka Henry's fourth girlfriend) is the type of character that many will label 'unlikeable'. I personally loved her. Her anti-slut shaming rants are thing of beauty and she's intelligent if a little unfocused. She may be indecisive at times, and may hide behind her sharp wit but she's quick to defend those in need. She's also relateable in that she isn't sure she what she wants from her future. She's a teen who is still figuring it out. I think that will resonate with a lot of people in comparison to some of the other characters. She isn't perfect but I think that makes her a much more interesting character.

My only real issues with this novel are some pacing issues as it feels uneven at times and that I wanted more time with the other characters. I was intrigued by so many of them and just wanted to see them developed a little bit more. It worked for me overall which is why I will be looking forward to whatever Hannah Capin writes next.

Those looking for a very different take on the drama of Henry VIII will want to snap this one up. It's a clever take that gives the focus to the women instead of the tyrannical nightmare that was Henry. It celebrates female friendship, overthrowing the patriarchy, and manages to be a fun read in the process. Long live the queens, indeed!

Though I never planned to review this book, or even finish it, I did, because Goodreads showed me I was still reading it, and I felt guilty abandoning a book without finishing. I was maybe a hundred pages in when I stopped reading the first time, and the plot hadn't moved, which is why I gave up on trying to finish it.

I finally read through the whole thing today, and I wasn't any less disappointed. The plot just took too long to take off. Remember those plot charts we did in elementary school, with the whole exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action? This book was 50% exposition.

Cleves was a good character, who always supported her friend Henry, even when he messed up with a girl. Girl, you can't call yourself a feminist when you always support Henry, even when he's wrong. But then again, loyalty to a friend is much appreciated, so I forgave her.

The retelling aspect seemed a little off, in the sense that all the dead girlfriends weren't really addressed until it was absolutely needed by the plot, which would not happen in a real life situation, but I get it, you do what you gotta do for the plot.

I love that the author made all her characters three dimensional, and not just told from Henry's skewed perspective because it really helped me sympathize with them.

AND THE ENDING SCENE WHERE THEY CONFRONTED HENRY. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE OF A HEART ATTACK, IT WAS SO TENSE. THE COVER DOES NOT DO THIS BOOK JUSTICE.

Overall, 4/5, knocking off a star for the slow start but overall great finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I grew up reading about Henry VIII and his wives (Anne Boleyn was my favorite), so when I found this retelling, I was so excited to read it. The narrative centering around Anne "of Cleves" seemed to be a down-to-earth story with a thrilling murder mystery element. However, I was a bit disappointed by parts of the execution.

First, the good: I appreciated Cleves' narration. She was funny and curious, and best of all, a journalist! I love reading about high school journalism because of the character archetype: a plucky investigator who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and usually discover something about themselves along the way. Cleves did not disappoint.

It was also fun to see the modern personas of the 6 wives, and reading about their historical achievements represented as modern-day teenage pursuits. Their representations were suprisingly accurate for having been translated into teenagers. I was impressed with Capin's work.

The bad: So much petty drama. A strange amount, even though I suppose it represents court politics. Everything felt very minimized, even the murders of two girls. I've seen some people criticizing Cleves' treatment of other women, but I think that was something that folks who DNF'd didn't get to read about, because I actually appreciated how that was resolved. If you DNF'd, I would advise finishing, because the book's ending was my favorite part. It gets better.

Overall, any problems were "me" problems. I think I read this book as a drama with a hint of comedy, when it's actually the reverse. I expected the atmosphere to be different, less cavalier about some of the plot points. 4/5 stars for a fun historical read, with an intriguing mystery element.

THIS WAS SO GOOD; everyone go read it now!

I know Veronica Mars comps are overdone but truly if you want Henry VIII and his wives done in the style of Veronica Mars meets Mean Girls, this is the book for you. It was WONDERFUL and WITTY and DELIGHTFUL and Cleves was an absolute perfect protagonist, and even though you think you know how this goes down, I still found myself questioning everything because of how insidiously good this was at creating its plot. I would say spoilers but well history lol.

Go read! Long live the queens.

This book was a slow burn for me.
I was intimidated by the length. 500+ pages...could have been trimmed, if I'm being honest.

I felt like there were a lot of moments in this book that were a bit slow, and there was a little bit too much interaction between characters that felt a little forced. Also, Cleves leaned almost too far into manic pixie dream girl with the constant witty and "quirky" comebacks throughout the story. Also as an aside, some of the Tumblr references were inaccurate and don't represent real experiences interacting with the website.

Overall, though, despite my minor issues with the story, I thought it was a fun modern take on a historical retelling. I think it would be a hit with many readers, even if it wasn't for me.

I was unable to get into this book. It sounds really cute — a modern take on Henry VIII and his wives, but set in high school. However, I’m just not into historical elements and it was too much for me. This makes me sad, because it’s orobsbly a really good book!

First of all, shout out to this book for taking place in my home state and including real places in Indiana. Of course, this doesn't affect my overall rating of it.

I had no idea that The Dead Queens Club was supposed to be a retelling of King George VIII and his multiple wives until I read the synopsis, which was after I started the book. I think it's a good thing that you can't necessarily tell, though, because it makes The Dead Queens Club not as predictable as a simple retelling (but maybe that's because I know nothing about George's history).

I liked this book, but it has its issues-- the main one being that it tried to be something like Pretty Little Liars, but didn't reach the mark. This novel was good, but it could have been a lot shorter than the almost 500 pages it was. There's so much character interaction between the many girls in this book that it was too much. Almost nothing happens in the middle of the book, but the ending makes the slow build-up worth it.

I liked the premise of The Dead Queens Club and how it was an alternate history that wasn't much like the real thing because of its modern-day setting and characters with first-world problems. Overall, the book was good enough for what it was and I did thoroughly enjoy it-- it just wasn't anything special.

I do have to add that the Tumblr aspect of it was mostly accurate, but not completely. Sure, getting 900 notes on a new blog's original post is pretty good, but it's not "going prime-time"; also, no "actual blog" is going to send you an ask about being featured on their website because Tumblr doesn't have any "actual" blogs-- the accounts all run by teenagers who get famous by posting memes.

Thank you Net Galley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I grabbed this book because I loved the title and the cover-little did I know that it was a modern take on Henry VIII and his wives! If you are into this moment of history, I think you would enjoy the connections you can make with characters throughout this book.

I did think it could have moved a little faster. I found myself wanting to get to the next page and next event. One of my favorite parts was the girls coming together.

I loooved the idea of this book. I like history, I like historical romance's when I am in the mood. So I figured this YA rendition of Henry VIII's wives would be right up my ally....sadly it was not.
I had to force myself through this book. Many times I actually contemplate stopping all together but sheer stubbornness pushed me through it.
The ending sort of saved it for me but it was a lot of work to get there. And something that I am not really willing to go through again. I loved the idea but the follow through was not up to par sadly.

I really enjoyed this book! I've always loved reading about Henry the 8th and all his wives, and this book put a fresh spin on it. In the beginning, you can't help but like Henry, all the while shaking your head at his poor choices in girlfriends. But his and Cleves' friendship is super cool. I love the way the author writes this retelling. It's a super interesting and super thrilling read.

The Dead Queens Club has an amazing premise: the court of Henry VIII, but in high school. And overall, it was really fun. The story is narrated by Annie Marck (Cleveland or Cleves aka Anne of Cleves) who becomes best friends with Henry at a scholastic camp she dubs Overachiever Camp. We see Henry's relationships with his girlfriends through her eyes, as well as Cleves's friendships and rivalries with them. Capin does a great job translating the gossip and drama of the court to high school, and I especially like how she handled Katie (Catherine Howard) and her reputation. That was really well done. I did have a few issues with the book, though. It was l-o-o-o-n-g; I think it could have been edited to be much tighter and at least 100 pages shorter. Some of the high school minutiae felt a bit tedious. I really liked the characterizations, and thought all of the girlfriends were great characters. However, Cleves was a bit much. Her narration was fun but it was so sarcastic, quippy, and in your face at all times that it prevented the reader from having a deeper connection with her. I wanted some sincerity at some point. This book grapples with serious issues - gaslighting, slut shaming, domestic violence, murder - and I would've liked a deeper exploration of them. Overall, this book was definitely well researched and a labor of love - I'd recommend it to anyone who is really into the Tudors. I'd also be into seeing this as a TV show. (Although, it could've used more Cromwell.)

I haven't read anything from this author before but I found this book to be pretty good. It was funny and dark and well-written. I'll definitely be picking up more books by Hannah in the future.

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin is my first book by this author. I really wanted to like this book, young adult books are one of my favorite genres, but I did not like this book. It was too out there for me, and complicated for me to enjoy.

I was given a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

YES this book was excellent. I was cackling the whole way through. I heard about it on recommendation from several trusted friends, and they didn't let me down. Plus...I mean...Mean Girls meets Henry VIII? Sign me up. I don't usually like funny books, but this one delivered.

Absolutely riveting! I could not get enough of The Dead Queens Club. It was fun, witty, and dark. This book was tiny glimpse of history mixed with John Tucker Must Die. A must-read!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am going to start by saying I am not well educated in all things Tudors, and though I recognized who was who in this retelling, I could not trace each and every act back to the original. What I will say is that I was throughly entertained by this book. I was a big fan of Cleves. She was snarky, witty, and her commentary often made me laugh. Her narration was one of the things that kept me reading.

Knowing what I know about Henry VIII, I expected a lot of drama, and Capin really delivered there. Wow! It's dramarama, but instead of being repelled, I was drawn into it. It was fun and there was a lot of humor and interesting social commentary, but I will admit, that there were a few times I got lost in the story. There is a LOT going on, and with quite a few threads intermingling, it got a bit muddy for me.

With that said, I still rather enjoyed the book. Was it perfect? No. Was it an intriguing historical interpretation? Absolutely.