I never seen the original movie of The Lost Boys which is an almost exact replica of Mayhem apparently. But whereas I’ve always wanted to get around to watching that movie.. this book on the other hand was a little bit much for me. I could definitely see potential in the author’s writing which makes me curious to check out her other books but whereas this book is concerned, I just didn’t get as into it as I was hoping to based on such an interesting cover.

Sadly, this one was a DNF for me. I am only rating it low because while I became bored about 25% of the way through, the first bit was interesting to me. It just didn't mesh with my type of book.

Mayhem is kind of a retelling of The Lost Boys with a witchy side and a feminist touch in the #MeToo era.

Set in 1987, Meyhem Brayburn runs away with her mother Roxy from an abusive stepfather to Santa Maria California, where Roxy lived as a kid. At the Brayburn farm Mayhem meets her aunt and the three kids she kind of adopted. But that place harbors much more than Mayhem could have expected.

If you like The Lost Boys you are probably going to enjoy this, the setting and the pacing is the same, but it has some cool differences that I quite enjoyed.

I really liked May and her new friends (the kids her aunt adopted - Neve, Jason and Kidd), it was interesting to see them together although some friendships were a bit too much - which is where I totally saw The Craft, which I read to be something this was inspired by too.

Neve was wild. She definitely was a bad influence on the others, but I also couldn't necessarily not like her. She was definitely an interesting character and in her own way she did help May... But one of my fav characters has to be Kidd, she is super sweet and she still has a touch of innocence for how young she is and that really balanced their group. I loved their interaction with "magic", I always love reading about new magical ways and this was super interesting! I'm not going to say more about it, but although it's simple, I loved it and it really worked well with the story.

The abuse described in the book was quite heavy and could be triggering. However I did really like how it was approached and it made the end as sweet as can be. It showed that there's help to be given, there's hope and it's possible to get better even if its not easy. No means no and everyone should respect that.

As for what I didn't like so much...

As I said, the pace is pretty much the same as the movie, and being something that already irked me in the movie, in a book is a bit too much. I would have preferred a bit of a faster pace. I think it would have really worked with the story and made it more compelling.

The story could have gotten a bit more changes too. Half of the book was pretty much the same as the movie, which it didn't necessarily need to be just to see the inspo. I would have liked a bit more differences because I loved everything that was different in this book and I would definitely want to check out more by the author.

Overall this book was quite enjoyable, I loved the main character and to see her relationship with her mom and her family evolve and change. It deals with abuse and its hard to read at times, but its definitely important, and the end really gives hope.

Mayhem contained many elements of an intriguing mystery and narrative, but those elements aren't developed fully and leave me as a reader a bit confused and wanting more. I wanted the search for the man abducting girls on the beach to go on longer and be more mysterious, I wanted to reason behind the magical elements to be explained eventually and the purpose to be understood. The characters develop, but we don't witness the development on the page.

This book was WILD!! It took some turns I didn’t expect. Not my normal reading genre but still lovely just the same.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: RAPE, ABUSE, SUICIDE


I really enjoyed this book! I am all for witchy books, so this was perfect for me. I have only seen The Lost Boys once, (I know, shame on me) so I didn't pick up on any of the references.


I absolutely loved the setting of the book, California is one of my favourite states and I love the whole '80's vibe. It really felt as I was taking a step back in time. I liked how it did not constantly try to tell me that we were in the '80s.


The pacing throughout the book felt steady. I felt that I was really able to get to know Mayhem and Roxy and to try to understand what both of them had been through. Mayhem was a wonderful and interesting character, and I really enjoyed reading her character development and becoming a confident young woman. Naturally, I felt terrible for what her and her mother had been through. Roxy has unquestionably struggled with what has happened to her and her daughter.


I did not like Neve one single bit. I found her to be rude and so far up herself. I couldn't understand why Mayhem would even want to try and befriend her, because half the time it seemed Neve did not even like her.


I wished I had understood the magical system more, as it made about zero sense to me. At times I had to keep going back to read certain parts so I could try to understand. I think the author could have made that a little clearer. Nonetheless, it was still really interesting and very mysterious.


I think this book is perfect for fans of The Graces by Laure Eve! I loved the subtleness of the supernatural within the book and how it wasn't shoved in your face. It was a fun read and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Mayhem has always known something was different about her and her mother, Roxy. When Mayhem’s stepfather goes too far, Mayhem and her mother go home. What Mayhem hasn’t realised is that in the coastal town of Santa Maria, California her family, the Brayburn‘s, are something. They are feared and revered due to a secret mystery – some sort of magic, a power that runs through the female lineage in her family. Mayhem soons gets dragged into a new, addictive, and dangerous life and begins to wonder whether it is worth the cost.

A SECRET LEGACY.
A DARK POWER.
A COMPELLING DUTY.
AN IRREVERSIBLE DESTINY.
content warnings: rape, domestic abuse, murder, violence, drug use, addiction

rep: biracial side characters (black, white), lesbian side character

Mayhem was… a weird one, not necessarily in a bad way as I do really love a weird book but it didn’t always work. There were a lot of things to like about Mayhem – it’s fierce and loving protagonist, the reclamation of power, and a family history full of… magic? It’s a story about grief, love, family, about recovering from addiction and abuse, and about taking back control.

One of my favourite parts of Mayhem was the magical mystery surrounding the Brayburns. I absolutely adored the old journal entries and I really loved the obscurity of the legacy. Where did the magic come from? what does it do? how and why does it effect people differently? why did it choose the Brayburns? In the end, there were still a lot of unanswered questions – in a similar way that Wilder Girls ended – but I do think it worked. There was just something so creepy about the Brayburn legacy:

‘The spring is nature. We are servants of the spring. Mom doesn’t see it that way. She tells me the cave called to her, and to her mother before her. She says we are Brayburns, and Brayburns and the spring are one thing.’

Mayhem is a book that also tackles the abuse of women, about reclaiming control, but also about relinquishing control, and having the support and the power to say enough is enough. It has a really great moral discussion about the power that the legacy gives the Brayburn women and the cost of using that power, and whether it is right for them to use their power in the way the family have been wielding it, and is there a better way – which is something Mayhem herself contends with.

I am a monster.
I killed someone.
My mother is an addict.
My stepfather is coming.
I am an addict, too.

Mayhem, our protagonist, was very complex, as was her relationship to those around her. The mother-daughter relationship in Mayhem was a very nuanced discussion about abuse, guilt, and addiction, which I enjoyed. Mayhem also had a brilliant relationship with Neve, her aunt’s adopted daughter, of sorts, who also knows and is invovled in the Brayburn family activities – she’s volatile and angry where as Mayhem is more calm and collected with a dark side brewing under the surface. The two were almost polar opposites and I enjoyed their dynamic. These characters were wonderfully flawed.

The reason this is getting a lower rating from me is not because it’s a bad book my any means, or that I didn’t enjoy it, it’s just that sometimes the pacing was off, and the atmosphere didn’t give me the eerie and ominous vibe that would have made this book that much better. It’s a book set in 1987 in a fictional beach town with lots of murder and missing girls and yet you never felt the urgency and the danger which was a little bit of a let down, but it didn’t fully stop my enjoyment of the book or its themes.

Mayhem is a wild and brutal book about power, control, and justice.

Me throughout the majority of this novel: I am confusion.
Going into this I knew next to nothing about this book and that theme of not knowing what was happening was a common occurrence throughout the novel which even now I find hard to explain. The closest I can get to giving a description of the plot is that it follows a girl called Mayhem who moves back to the town her mother fled years ago and there she discovers a magic that flows through her bloodline. It also features Magic Water and murder so do with that what you will.

Another day, another disappointing read.

Most of the reviews I've read compare this book to The lost boys, but having never watched that movie, I came into this with no expectations at all. Even so I was still dissapointed.

I think this book suffers from a case of a dish with too many ingredients in which all of them end up being undercooked. The pacing is off from the start with nothing truly happening until at least the 60% mark. The missing girls plotline the synopsis leads you to believe will be the main plot is anecdotal at best and with a massively underwhelming climax, to say that the magical element is underexplained would be the understatement of the year (everything happens just because) and to top it all there's an instalove relationship (with zero chemistry, I might add).

Though the initial premise was interesting, the execution made it a total miss for me.

It’s 1987 and we follow the story of Mayhem and her mother, Roxy as they escape the clutches of May’s abusive step-father. Fleeing to Santa Maria, they go to stay with Roxy’s estranged sister. When they arrive, Mayhem learns of the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family. The lineage that Roxy has been so desperate to ignore. As Mayhem comes to learn about her own history and power, she finally begins to feel at home in herself. But then she gets embroiled in the search for a man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach and she realises that her magic comes at a price. Is it really worth it?
.
.
This book is billed as The Lost Boys meets The Wilder Girls. This has been problematic for some readers, based on other reviews that I’ve seen as some have said it's got a lot of (maybe too many) similarities to The Lost Boys. However, I’m not overly familiar with it so I went into this book with no expectation whatsoever.
.
Having grown up obsessed with anything relating to magic – Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Craft, Practical Magic…this was everything my inner teenager wanted, with its running theme of a magical female bloodline. Although it's a YA novel, it's not superficial and definitely not exclusive for a YA audience. The characters all had depth and a complexity which appealed to me at my current age (early 30s if you’re interested 😉)
.
The story itself, once I got into it which probably took a good 25% of the book, was fast paced and I was really invested in it. I found the writing really vivid too, so I found it easy to visualise what was going on and to immerse myself in Mayhem's story.
.
Mayhem has quite a darkness to it - it's definitely not a light hearted novel, covering themes such as domestic violence and sexual abuse.
.
I enjoyed this - I ummed and ahhed over star rating - is it a 3 or a 4? I finally decided it was probably about 3.75 so I've rounded up to 4.

Mty Rating: 🌟🌟🌟.75
🌊👩
TW: Mentions of Rape, Suicide, Violence.
🌊👩
My thoughts:
The beautiful cover was what 1st interested me into this book & after reading the blurb I instantly requested it on netgalley because I love books with MCs who have had a difficult past but overcome it & emerge stronger on the otherside. This book promised that & it came through with it.
✨
The book was a little slow & confusing at the beginning but as the story progressed it picked up speed & things started making sense. The characters were good. The 4 children Mayhem, Neve, Jason & Kidd are the main focus of the story. I liked Mayhem & Neve's characters the most.
✨
Mayhem discovers that she is from a line of magical females when she returns to Santa Maria with her mother. With the help of the magic, the 4 kids set about finding the man who is kidnapping girls from the beach at night. I liked the concept of magical vigilante teenagers but wished the story was more expanded/detailed. Certain scenes were over too fast & were left vague. There was this potential for the story to be great if only the scenes were more fleshed out. I felt like the story went in a single flow from start to end. There were no dull moments but there were no highly exciting ones either.
✨
Overall the story was good & was an enjoyable read.
✨
Disclaimer: Thanking Netgalley & the publishers for providing me with an eARC copy of the book in exchange of an honest review. The thoughts expressed in the review are therefore completely my own.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an enjoyable read for the first half and then I got a bit confused when things were being explained, but toward the 70-80% mark I was understanding the concept more and started to really enjoy the novel again.

This story is about Mayhem and her mother Roxy fleeing an abusive relationship, to a town her mother did not want to bring her daughter back to. The memories Roxy previously experienced in her life made her want to flee and never look back. Now that Mayhem is back in the town she left when she was only three years old, is discovering the secrets of her family and finally beginning to discover herself as well.

I liked the premise of this story, and it was also well written. I would definitely read other works this author produces, as this was a strong novel for Estelle.

This book does contain potentially triggering material for some readers so I would suggest you proceed with caution and read a full list. It deals heavily with physical abuse and drugs as two of the main triggers.

I would recommend Mayhem, to readers who are looking for a bit of magic, a coming of age story, dealing with trauma, but also recovering, discovering and trying to move forward.

This is a powerful feminist novel that is very similar to Summer of Salt and Sawkill Girls. I love Laure’s writing and the imagery it invokes is stunning. Make no mistake though, this book is violent and at times difficult to read.
This book is marketed as The Lost Boys meets The Craft and I definitely agree with that. I happened to grow up very close the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (where The Lost Boys and I’m assuming this book, used as inspiration) and this whole book brought that place back to life for me. That background coupled with Laure’s magnetic writing made this whole story so vivid for me. I was captivated by The Craft angle, but I don’t want talk anymore about it, because I think it is best for the readers to find that out for themselves.

The characters were all damaged by pasts that they didn’t choose and I really felt for all of them. I think the way the book starts out helps to solidify the connection between our main character and reader because it is a heartbreaking life that Mayhem is living. Neve gave me very strong Nancy Down vibes (The Craft) and Kidd reminded me a little of Eleven from Stranger Things. I could go down the list and tell you who every character was in my head but the point is, that they were all distinct and fleshed out characters.

I received an e-arc from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Mayhem and Roxy Brayburn left their home in hopes to get away from Roxy's abusive husband, Lyle. They both return to Roxy's hometown and everything is the same as Roxy remembers although her sister adopted three children. Except there is a kidnapper taking young women. While adjusting to life in her mother's home town, Mayhem learns that things are not all that they seem and there is magic that runs through her family's blood. Mayhem takes to the magic like a fish in water and things quickly turn south for Mayhem and her aunt's adopted children.

I enjoyed reading Mayhem. It wasn't one of my favorite reads, but it was entertaining. I thought it was interesting how Estelle Laure approached the idea of magic being passed down through the family in water that the next daughter has to drink to gain the powers. The powers gained from drinking the cave water were different than how I have seen powers portrayed in other books. That was refreshing and made the story different than others. While this may not be a popular opinion, I found myself like Kidd and Jason a lot more than Mayhem, but only because Mayhem reminded me of the typical whiney teenager who doesn't want to listen to her mother.

I have another one of Estelle Laure's books on my TBR and look forward to reading it as I really enjoyed her writing style and world-building.

3.5 stars

i think i actually like surrealistic fantastical elements? which is news to me.

the atmosphere is wonderful, moody, uncanny. the characters are distinct and fun. complex relationships between sisters and between mother and daughter are always nice to read about. i loved the scenes on the boardwalk and the immediate bonding between mayhem, neve, jason, and kidd. i loved reading about mayhem experiencing the water for the first time. this book balanced themes of anger and resentment extremely well with a beach side atmosphere. i loved elle - she doesn't like cops AND her true love was a woman. i love what the author was trying to do - strong female relationships, a touch of magic, the '80s and summer nostalgia, a hint of murder.

also mayhem should've been gay

i've never read the lost boys so i can't compare the two. i haven't seen the craft in years, but it feels unfair to compare any piece of media about a group of girls and magic to the craft.

although it was not the main focus of the story at all, the romance between jason and mayhem felt forced. maybe i am just scared of men, but they had a weird power imbalance in my head (we don't definitively know mayhem's age until 92% of the way through, but we are aware that jason is almost 18 when he is first introduced) . ALSO they are going to be cousins, even if jason isn't adopted, kidd is. kidd is going to be first cousins with mayhem. i understand there's no blood relation, but like, was the romance aspect necessary? at all? i don't think so.

neve felt underdeveloped in the second half. actually, most of the characters change drastically in the second half. roxy suddenly starts speaking in paragraph long monologues, she suddenly is capable of standing up for herself against lyle, she suddenly doesn't want mayhem near her when there's trouble.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing my review copy

---

some quotes:

At night, when I’m holding on to my mother because she’s trying to get away from you so she can have a few hours of peace, I think about ways you might die. I’d love to stab you, to pull your dreamy blue eyes from your head. I’d love to hear you scream, to see you beg for your life and then take it from you anyway. You’re a plague and a pestilence, and the way you carry your manliness like it’s a permission slip from God to act like you rule everything and everyone in your path, like you can do whatever you want—well, I think the guillotine is a good option. I’d love to watch your head roll across the grass.

Terrible things always happen when you aren’t paying attention and you’re just being.

Kidd plops down next to me in her white bathing suit and plays with my fingers until I tickle her and she lies back laughing. My anxiety fades.

Julianna, you are a spitfire, my father used to tell me. What are you going to do with that spark? I don’t know, I used to tease. Burn everything down?

"Don’t deny evil. Crush it."

When she skims my cheek, I don’t flinch, which tells me something.

“Marcy isn’t any good at small talk, May. Ask her the weather and she’ll predict your future.”

As soon as I’m back to the boardwalk, Kidd reaches for my hand, and though I am surprised, I take it and give her an extra squeeze.

“Family.” Like a wedding vow. “I do,” I say. “I do, too,” Neve says.

“Don’t let the idea of people overshadow truth.”

"This whole place is a trap, and we’re the monsters.”

The trees whisper to me and I search out just the right one, with the plums just beginning to make their way to its branches. I hear it. And then, the birds. We’re here, they seem to say. Come find us.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Mayhem is set in the 80s in a small town with a founding family being held in high regard by the townspeople for helping members of the townspeople when sought.

Mayhem and her mother Roxy return to the town when Roxy's husband (Mayhem's step father) attacks Mayhem.
Roxy has been in this abusive relationship for 13 years and its only when the abuse shifts to her daughter that she finally finds the courage to leave and return to her home town.

Mayhem befriends Roxy's soon to be adopted children and they show her a hidden magical club house in which Mayhem taps in to the magic they are a part of and that is a part of them. They use this magic to do good and seek to stop a serial killer targeting young women that are simply vanishing off the beach.

I enjoyed this book but just wish more was explained as to the magical side such as what the family do to help the townsfolk to receive daily offerings at the gates and that there was more magical occurrences and paranormal happenings as this would have made the book even better.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Thank you to Netgallery, and St. Martins Press for a free e-copy of this book, in exchange of a honest review.

I think this might be an interesting read for young adults and teenagers, but unfortunately, it was not really the book for me. I was attracted to the story because I’ve been wanting to read books set on the 80’s, with a bit of Madonna and Depeche Mode vibes on the background, and the challenges of a generation growing up in the middle of an economic crisis, the appearance of HIV, drugs and the overcoming of many taboos.
Mayhem is the story of Mayhem Brayburn, a 17-year old girl who runs away with her mother, Roxy, from an abusive husband and stepfather. Both head to California, to an imaginary place called Santa Maria, from where Roxy ran away 14 years ago after the death of Mayhem’s father. Roxy was hiding something and promised not to return, as she wanted to spare her daughter of the family’s inheritance. The secret is that Brayburn women have the power of magic - they are witches.

The premise was interesting enough for me and that is why I wanted to read this book. However, I think that while the book goes along the lines of this premise, it strays into many stories, many narrative styles and a couple of characters that felt, at least to me, all over the place, and in the end, did not result on the impactful story that I expected or it could have been. At times the story felt messy or a bit simplistic.
For example, I think the origin of the magic within the Brayburn women could have been explained and built upon way more than it was, as well as how it arise and grew in each of the women. We get a couple of chapters explaining how the first Brayburn acquired that power, in the beginning of the 20th century and how she passed on this gift; however, I found it quite simple, considering this is magic and witches we are dealing with! Also, I found it a bit simple on how Mayhem discovered her gift and how all of a sudden she was able to manage and user her magic.

In terms of the narrative choices, most of the story is told from Mayhem’s perspective but there are a couple of chapters that are either entry diaries or letters. In truth, they felt a bit, random. I think they could have added much more to the story if they had been more used –let us say that half chapters were from Mayhem’s perspective and half from her great-grandmother’s diary. But to be honest, they could have been left out and that story could been narrated by Mayhem herself.

I also felt there was a mix of topics that did not blend well. The book deals with issues of domestic abuse, rape, crime, drug abuse, the pain of becoming and adult and magic. All of these are important issues on their own, but I think all together do not work, particularly the one about magic. I can understand a story about abuse and crime, about drugs and rape, about growing up and abuse, all of these combinations work, but the magical element? Not so sure. It might have worked I guess in a story of domestic abuse plus magic and with a quite solid narrative that did not had so many other subplots. For example, there’s a serial killer in Santa Maria and as soon as Mayhem discovers her magical abilities, she’s able to use them in two days to contribute to the solving of the mystery. To me –the speed with which Mayhem uses her power and the appearance of serial killer, were just… random. There is also a suggestion of the existence of vampires –but is just merely a suggestion so not sure what the importance of this was.

With all that said, I don’t think the story is bad or boring, maybe it was just not for me. I can imagine myself reading this as a teenager or even before my 20s and I think it might have worked as it does have some interesting elements to it. But I am an adult now and I was left with the feeling that there was something missing in the development of Mayhem, on her relationship with the other people from the house and with Roxy, etc. Also, I did not find the 80s vibe I was looking for, as per the description –the setting could have been in present day and nothing would have changed.

So, not for me, but definitely believe the book can have its audience that will thoroughly enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc.

Rating 3.5

The first half of this was a really good slow-burn. But the second was way too fast paced for me. The relationship between the main character and the love interest was too insta-lovey. I guess it was trying to be the same kind of relationship that her mom had with her dad, which we also don't get to see enough of. But in the beginning, it seemed like the author was going for a hate-to-love, slow-burn, misunderstanding type of relationship, which I would have liked a lot more. I really liked the characters and the writing, but I wish the book would have been longer.

I don't know anything about The Lost boys that this story is connected to or supposed to be like so I can't comment on that but it wasn't quite what I was expecting either. This may sound weird but I feel like I enjoyed the synopsis more so than I did the actual story. It was just really slow and hard for me to get into although the subject matter involved is things that need to be talked about.