What a beautiful, haunting tale! I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve never read the author, but quickly I was pulled into her world. Fleeing an abusive relationship, Mayhem and her mother end up in her mother’s hometown in California, where a serial killer is on the loose. As Mayhem learns more about her family’s past, she get pulled into a world of magic and mysterious power. The prose was beautiful, but didn’t distract from the plot and the story. It deals with some heavy issues and does it well. The book is empowering to women without putting down or villainizing all men, which is a difficult balance to find. Overall, a unique and haunting story. One of my favorite reads of the year so far! I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to Net Galley for the e-ARC!

WOMEN LIT

Last week's talk of the town is about rape and how trash men are.

The Twitter #HijaAko trended for days and thanks to the Pinoys and Pinays who continuously uphold women empowerment, men who still resort to the clothing logic and victim blaming were blasted and burned. I can not comprehend how most of the male species remain in believing that a female's item of clothing is synonymous to 'asking for it.' 🙄

With this, I have a fascinating book recommendation which, coincidentally, has the same vibe with women empowerment. Meet Mayhem by Estelle Laure, an upcoming novel that is full of magic, nostalgia, and (just) vengeance.

Mayhem was inspired by The Lost Boys, The Craft, and the #MeToo era. This novel is a riveting and complex story about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control, and saying when enough is enough.

BOOK SYNOPSIS

It's 1987 and unfortunately it's not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy's constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem's own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren't like everyone else.

But when May's stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem's questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good.

But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.

From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.

Q: What are your highly recommended women lit/novel?

First, the cover of this book is great! It definitely invites you to pick it up and see what it is about. I think Mayhem's story was tragic but interesting. I kept wanting to read more about her and her ancestors. The plot was engaging for me and I would definitely read more about the people in this universe.
There re some very hard topics that were handled (suicide, murder, abuse) but I think the author handled them well.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This wasn’t for me plain and simple which is kind of sad. It had promise but I DNFed it... The characters and story were bland.

I can't quite put my finger on what was lacking in this book, but it felt like something was missing. I think if the plot and characters had been just a little more fleshed out, the dialogue a little more realistic, this would have easily been a 4 star book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for approving my request to read and review Mayhem by Estelle Laure.
First, I recommend that readers take a moment to read the letter, from the author to the reader, in the beginning. It's a powerful message that allows us to better understand what the themes of the story are and where they came from.

I love the Brayburn women! They are the "superheroes" I've always wished for! And the beautifully gothic feel made for an amazing read.
Mayhem surprised me in the best way! I loved her, as well as the cast of characters we meet throughout the book. The writing style was lyrical and written to create a visual experience. I really enjoyed the realistic relationships, this aspect made the story feel relatable. I loved Mayhem's inner dialogue, we get a feel for who she really is and what she wants.
The pacing kept the story easy to read and made for a quick, submersive reading experience. The tensions and resolutions throughout the book allowed the reader to gracefully transition from one scene to another. I thought the magic system was imaginative and creative, something that many people have probably hoped to do at one time or another. I would love to see this as a duology or trilogy. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Estelle Laure and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit concerned about this one in the beginning as it is super out of my comfort zone, especially the more fantasy type aspect to it. But I was shocked at how much I was invested into this story and how quickly that I fell into the more out-there aspects of the story. I found this one very well written and I found myself so addicted to the story of Mayhem and her ancestors. It was a quick and immersive read where I was too curious to put it down! Overall, I really quite enjoyed it!

Out July 14th!

I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick read that kept you engaged from page one until the very end.

Mayhem is one of those books that doesn't just have one genre but kind of encompasses them all. There's a coming of age contemporary story, mystery, and just a little bit of magic sprinkled in. Its a story about discovering who you are, going back to your roots, and fighting to move forward instead of being stuck in the past.

Its 1987 and Mayhem and Roxy are returning to her aunt Elle's house in Santa Maria, CA after fleeing Mayhems abusive stepfather. Mayhem soon discovers that her family name holds a lot of weight in the town of Santa Maria and there is more to her family that meets the eye.

Her aunt has three children living with her that she is in the process of adopting, Neve. Kidd and Jason. Together they embark on a investigation to see who is snatching girls from the beach and Mayhem learns the truth about her family history. Estelle Laure takes you on a journey through the ages by including diary entries from Mayhems ancestors that teach and reflect the struggles that Mayhem faces in the book.

This book is unique and wonderfully written and handles abuse, drug use, murder, and suicide without overshadowing the coming of age story but instead shows how these things largely impact your life and you can choose to push past these things and grow or drown yourself in the past.

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book after reading the other early reviews. In any case, I always try to form my own opinion. Right away, I was drawn into the story, which begins with the abuse suffered by Mayhem and her mother, Roxy, at the hands of Mayhem's stepfather, Lyle. The depiction of domestic abuse felt honest and real. As a survivor of abuse myself, the details were true to life, and often moved me to tears. But the story really comes alive when Mayhem and Roxy return to Santa Maria. There is something about the Brayburns, and Mayhem herself, that she has never known. Something that will ensure that no one ever hurts Mayhem again. I loved the slow reveal of the family secret, and I also really fell for all the characters. Elle and Kidd are so amazing, and I wouldn't mind another book just about Jason and Kidd and their journey! The only problems I had were with the abruptness of the exploration of Mayhem's family power. We are barely given an explanation of the capabilities, and the rest is just kind of insinuated. I thought the ending was fine, if kind of...meh. This book could have really shined if the Brayburn myth and the history of Santa Maria had been more fully fleshed out. Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.
3 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley.

This book was SO confusing. I literally had no idea what was really going on at any point.

One of the main issues I had with this book was that the start felt like, I had picked up the book half way through and started reading. It was really confusing, I didn't understand what was going on and it never really became clear.

I really did not gel with the writing. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all. It felt like it was trying too hard to be cool and edgy.

This book is labelled as 'feminist' but apart from the odd comment about not wearing a bra, I didn't really get how it was feminist.

I didn't really understand the characters nor did I really care about them.

There was an attempt at a mystery element which is why I picked the book up in the first place but it just fell a bit flat for me.

It did cover some interesting topics like abuse but I just did not get the magical/ fantastical elements and would have preferred a straight contemporary book

Overall, this really wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure some people will love it but it didn't do much for me at all

TW: rape, abuse, drugs and suicide

Really enjoyed the story the world it brought me in to.Characters that come alive ,it’s listed as YA but perfect for adults also.#netgalley#st.martins

The blurb and other reviewers are comparing this to The Lost Boys, something I’ve never seen. Perhaps I should watch the movie? But I think maybe because I hadn’t seen it that I enjoyed this more than others. Mayhem lived in a crappy situation at home, which has expanded into every other aspect of her life, as children in abusive homes experience. It shouldn’t have taken Roxy’s husband hitting her daughter for her to find the strength to leave him. But when a woman is abused, they will put up with way more than they should.

If she hadn’t left him, we wouldn’t have this really fun story where Mayhem suddenly has these amazing powers that put her more in tune with other people. I like her moral compass, which is almost always at play here. Although she was always the social outcast, she related well to the other kids in the home. She has a level of compassion and caring that also probably stems from having to take care of her mother for so many years.

I liked the fantasy elements at play here, with water that can give a person powers. I would love to know why you have to be a Brayburn for it to not drive you insane. Mayhem has the power to change things, and while she seems to lose her way for a while, her moral compass helps to make things better for the town. This was a fun, YA read. The storytelling had me hooked from the start. I liked how Laure weaved the past and present for a complete history of the Brayburn women. If half stars were a thing, I would give this one 4.5. Thank you, St. Martin’s for sending this along.

Mayhem
I received this book as an ARC from netgalley.com. I was initially interested in Mayhem because of its beautiful cover and promise of “supernatural feminism.” It tells the story of a girl, Mayhem, and her mother, Roxy, who escape from an abusive stepfather/husband to Roxy’s hometown of Santa Barbara. They move in with Roxy’s twin sister Elle, who has taken in three children - Neve, Jason, and Kidd. Early in the novel, it comes clear that Mayhem’s family possess some supernatural power, although it is unclear what this power is.

I enjoyed Estelle Laure’s writing and empathized strongly with Mayhem. The domestic violence that sparks Mayhem’s and Roxy’s journey to Santa Barbra is well portrayed and the effects of this violence is well captured within Mayhem and Roxy. This results in the relationship between Mayhem and Roxy feeling rather aggravating and can make it hard to empathize with Roxy, despite her poor life circumstances. This can make some of the early chapters more difficult to read.

As the story becomes less about Roxy (in that Mayhem starts to break away from Roxy), and more about Mayhem’s relationship with Neve, Jason, and Kidd, it got more entertaining for me. I love a good eccentric band of teenagers. However there is a lot missing from their stories, including more detailed information of how they ended up with Elle and what had happened since they moved in with Elle. It’s hard to completely grasp their motivations or Elle’s motivations. In general, I would have liked more direct discussion of Mayhem’s family’s supernatural ability, whereas most of this comes in the form of decades old letters or diary entries that do not reveal enough to begin understanding this ability.

Additionally, although the ending of the book was entertaining, it seemed rushed. The murder and vigilante justice mentioned in the description of the book is too small of a part and I was left wondering what I was supposed to get out of the book. Solid 3/5 stars for good writing and entertainment value that would have been enhanced by building a stronger plot around the characters.

Trigger warning: domestic abuse, rape, child abuse

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read, and it kept me interested the entire time. Even though Mayhem didn’t find out “who she was” until about half way through, I didn’t feel like it was taking too long for the reveal. As someone who grew up in the 80s, I did appreciate the 80s references sprinkled throughout.

Many other reviews compare this book to Lost Boys and Craft. If aren’t familiar with those, don’t let that scare you off. I wasn’t either, and I don’t feel like I missed out for it.

I received and ARC of this book thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley.

I received an advanced copy of Mayhem from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings- this book is thematically centered around domestic and child abuse. Additionally, Mayhem contains scenes of rape, kidnapping, murder, drug use and suicide.

Mayhem Brayburn has power in her blood, even if she hasn’t quite discovered it yet. Mayhem and her mother have struggle through so much in their lives, but when her stepfather goes too far one night, they are forced to flee their home. Traveling hundreds of miles from Texas to their family home in Santa Maria, California, Mayhem quickly realizes that she might have deeper ties to the town than she ever could have imagined. In Santa Maria, she meets a side of her family she’s never gotten to know, including her aunt’s band of adopted children. They group of kids quickly grow close, as the Brayburn magic begins to tighten its grasp on each of them.

You can get your copy of Mayhem on July 14th from Wednesday Books!

Mayhem is described as a mashup between The Lost Boys and The Craft, which are incidentally two movies that I haven’t seen. This might’ve been the reason that this book didn’t quite resonate with me. I thought the premise had some promise, as I loved the idea of an 80s thriller with magic, however, I felt that the execution fell flat. For a book categorized as a thriller, I found the story to be a bit mundane.

My Recommendation-
Even though Mayhem wasn’t a great fit for me personally, that doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy it! If you like stories with inherited magic and mysteries to be solved, you might want to give Mayhem a read and see how you like it!

I really loved this book! It was so full of magic and mystery and I loved Mayhem's character!
Thank you so much for this advanced copy!

It’s 1987 and Mayhem Brayburn and her mother, Roxy, are living in small town Taylor, Texas, and things aren’t good. Life in general for Mayhem isn’t great. She doesn’t have friends, and her home life is a horror show. One night, Mayhem’s stepfather, Luke, takes things too far. As Mayhem and Roxy flee the abusive home, Roxy head toward the last place she wants to be. Santa Maria, California. Home.

The second they pull up to the Brayburn farm, Mayhem feels an almost immediate connection to the family homestead, even as her mother seems hesitant. As she gets to know her aunt’s adopted kids, she begins to uncover things about her family, things her mother has tried to hide from her throughout her life. As the petals of her inheritance begin to unfurl, Mayhem begins to understand what it truly means to be a Brayburn. She also begins to fall in love with the town where her family’s legacy has been firmly rooted, and when she finds out about the Sand Snatcher, someone who has been stalking the beaches at night and kidnapping young teen girls, she feels compelled to do something about it. True power and impowerment is found, Loyalties are tested, the true meaning of “home” is explored, and the balance between good and evil is rocked in this epic beach read.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s the perfect summer read and reminds me so much of the books I enjoyed as a teen when chilling on the beach with my friends. Dark and empowering, “Mayhem” is a triumph in contemporary YA fantasy. It is a spiraling staircase of emotion, power, and learning who you truly are as a person during a pivotal time in your life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get totally lost in an awesome read. I will absolutely be picking up more from Laure in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book given in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are mine.

Content warnings for this book: suicide (not depicted), drug use, domestic abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, child abuse

When Mayhem's stepfather goes too far one night, Mayhem Brayburn and her mother, Roxy, flee to the ancestral Brayburn home in Santa Maria where Roxy's twin sister, Elle, and foster children are living. Through Elle's children, Mayhem is introduced to a source of power which is her inheritance as a Brayburn woman. Suddenly not only is Mayhem angry but she is more powerful than she could ever imagine.

This was a very middle of the road book to me. The story was okay (there were some choices I didn't agree with) and the writing was beautiful but there was just way too much going on in the story. There were flashbacks, a kidnapper, the impending threat of Mayhem's stepfather, a romance, and a story involving Elle's children.

There are so infinitely quotable moments to this book, particularly this one:
"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."

While the supernatural elements of this book may appeal to YA readers, the slow pacing of the story may cause them to give up reading. Books set in the 90s are only nostalgic for adult readers rather than the target audience of this book. Likewise, they may be unfamiliar with the source material for this book and thus uninterested in the elements drawn from it.

The plot wanders and does not feel consistent in narrative. While it can reflect a teenagers mind, when used too often, it is distracting and works against the plot moving along. Comparing a novel to two films gives a false sense of what is to come. Aspects of the novel were lost as they seemed to be created with film in mind. Things that may have translated beautifully on screen were lost in the necessity of wordy explanations.
One of the more interesting things was the insertion of former generations, and how they were drawn to the water as Mayhem also is. Each voice was unique, but it did seem like there were too many generations for continuity to be accurate.
The reveal of the sort of supernatural being is minimal, and frankly, disappointing. More information about the beings, or more devotion to that would have given the plot a deeper, more rich feel.
There were moments when it seemed to gravitate towards LGBT+ relationships, and then a hetero-relationship would be revealed.