A supernatural feminist YA novel set in 1987? Sign me up, especially when it has a cover as beautiful as this one Mayhem by Estelle Laure is the story of our eponymous heroine and her mother Roxy, who have returned home to the beach town of Santa Maria, California as they flee from a dangerous and abusive situation. Returning to her ancestral home may help to cure Roxy of the mysterious illness that has plagued her for as long as Mayhem can remember, and Mayhem might even get some answers about the one topic that Roxy never wants to talk about, her family. They are taken in by Roxy's twin sister, who has also taken in a group of kids, and this group soon takes Mayhem under their wing, revealing the magical mystery at the heart of the family, and the power that has passed down the female line , and that Mayhem is due to inherit. However that power does have a downside , and Mayhem is forced to weigh the cost when she holds the life of another in her hands.
I really enjoyed this blend of fantasy and coming of age story. As part of coming to grips with her powers, Mayhem has to face up to the responsibility that they bring. The characters were well crafted and I loved the relationship between Mayhem and Roxy, even when they argued, it was from a point of caring and worrying about the other. The supernatural element was not the typical witchcraft, which I really appreciated, it made the book a little different to the norm. While there is a romance element to the book, it is not the main focus of the story, and adds to the book overall as it really forces Mayhem to think about what she really wants her future to be, and how she can avoid the tragedies of the past repeating themselves.
There are some darker moments that touch on areas like abuse , addiction , murder and suicide, but they are handled well and always relevant to the story, never gratuitous, and entirely appropriate for the target YA audience.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a very new sort of mythology wrapped around a family of women with interesting skills that make them both revered and feared by their local community. Of course, being a member of the family has its strengths and drawbacks. It's a story about embracing one's destiny while coming to terms with right and wrong. Very entertaining and thought-provoking read.

Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, mention of rape, suicide, drugs

About: When Mayhem’s stepfather goes too far with his abuse, she and her mother, Roxy run away from him and back to Roxy’s home back in Santa Maria. Set in 1987, this book follows the mystery to why Roxy ran away from Santa Maria in the first place and why she never wanted to come back.

Characters: Mayhem was a really strong character and that’s what I liked about her. Her relationship with her mother was complex and really well-written. I liked her aunt’s foster kids with whom Mayhem makes friends with, especially Kidd. I also enjoyed the sisterly bond of Roxy and her twin sister Elle.

Feelings: The writing was great. I loved the setting of the boardwalk and the atmosphere described around the beach. The mystery of Santa Maria is what kept me intrigued. After halfway through the book it gets a little slow paced and the magic of the Brayburns isn’t explained that much in detail. The world building wasn’t much but I loved setting by the beach and it gave all the summer feels.

Recommendation: If you love a good slow-paced book with a group of friends, a little magic and a small-town setting, this book is for you.

Favourite Quote:

“You can’t spend all your time focused on negative things. You have to keep living or you let the bag guys win.”

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Mayhem by Estelle Laure in exchange for an honest review. Based of the title alone I thought this book was going to be filled with a bunch of Mayhem not realizing until I read the synopsis that is the main character's name and doesn't have anything to do with the story really. When I read it was for fans of The Lost Boys I knew I would want to pick it up. At first I thought this book was going to be sort of a remake of The Lost Boys which I am glad it was different minus the pop in of the Frog brothers. I was looking forward to vampires but that was a disappointment. I thought maybe the characters were witches, I was not expecting soul snatchers. The writing flowed really well and kept your attention. I liked the character of Kidd. Strong willed, smart, and motherly to Mayhem from the beginning. I would like this book to become a series. I think how things were left with Neve and Jason there could be potential for at least another book.

Received this book for an honest review on Netgalley


This is a fun book but a little dark that tackles a wide variety of issues. It's a genre-bending mashup with elements of horror, fantasy, and mystery. I personally love these genres. It follows Mayem and her mother who returned to their hometown. She soon finds out that her family has a history with magic and that's where the plot and story take off. I would definitely recommend this book.
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I adored This Raging Light by Estelle Laure. Just loved it. So I was so excited to read an advanced copy of her new YA novel Mayhem, available July 14. Mayhem is a very different book, but the writing is just as beautiful as I remember Laure’s first book.

It’s the 1980s, and Mayhem’s mother Roxy moves them back to her hometown in California after years of being abused by her husband. But Roxy doesn’t seem happy to be home and she won’t tell Mayhem why. Roxy’s sister Elle seems nice, and so do her three adopted kids including the brooding, attractive Jason, but they seem to be hiding a secret that Mayhem’s mother doesn’t want her to know. And girls are going missing on the beach, suspected to be victims of a serial killer. Ultimately this book is about female empowerment, coming into your own strength, and realizing that the things that make you strong can be toxic for others. It’s hard to say much more without giving the book away, but there are magical elements, letters throughout the book from multiple generations of the women in Mayhem’s family, and a strong mother daughter connection that was hard to read, but had a lovely arc.

With everything going on in the world, this book was definitely on the heavier side. It took me a little bit to get into it, but by the halfway mark I was so curious to see where the book was headed. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and I loved the observations about motherhood and love. I would recommend this book to fans of magic or the 80s or harder stories about imperfect families trying to make the best choices they can without all the answers. I think this is one that will be settling into my consciousness for a long time.
Thank you to @, @netgalley , and the author ¬for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books are some of my most approved books and I appreciate it so much. I feel like I let them down but I couldn't get into Mayhem and chose to DNF.

*Please be aware of the subject matter of this book before reading.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Mayhem.

I have only a very basic knowledge of the inspirational media for this book, so I was coming into the book without much background but also without particular expectations. I ended up not feeling drawn in by the narrative. I thought the pacing was pretty odd - somehow achingly slow, bogged down in the minute forward movement without much actually happening, and then not actually dwelling on the times when there were action - and the characters weren't particularly likable, but more than that, were not really engaging. The writing style seemed to give even main character Mayhem an emotional distance, an opacity that made it hard for me to connect with her.

The storyline with Mayhem's stepfather, Lyle, seemed to me much stronger and richer than the magical water/family history storyline. From the author's note, it seemed clear that this was the area with which she had more personal inspiration, and I think capitalizing on that rather than trying to marry it with the fantasy element might have led to a better put together book.

Although other reviewers seem to indicate that this is a disappointment for those who are looking for Lost Boys style, it might be an option for readers transitioning from urban fantasy or realistic fiction into magical realism.

The Brayburn women of Santa Maria, California have always carried an air of mystery and the residents both fear and appreciate them.
Roxy Brayburn did her best to escape the pull of Santa Maria and her destiny by taking her daughter Mayhem far away. She’s become dependent on the cocktail of prescription meds and white wine that have kept the memories of her hometown at bay for many years but she must return when her husband Lyle’s abuse goes a step too far for her.

Now Mayhem has the opportunity to learn about her estranged family and discover magic in her lineage that she will inherit. Roxy and Mayhem have just begun to settle into the their small beach town with Roxy's sisters Elle when rumors of a serial killer dubbed the Sand Snatcher begin and Lyle’s phone calls threaten the peace the mother and daughter hoped to find.

I wanted to love this story. The cover is killer, the book summary grabbed me, and I love the idea of a “feminist mash up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft.”
There are several Lost Boys references here but I’ll just say there are appearances from the Frog brothers and the oiled-up sax man. I didn’t get any Craft vibes; I felt Roxy’s relationship with her sister along with the abusive ex was very reminiscent of Practical Magic.
Instead of traditional vampires we get something watered down (if you read the story, know this pun was intended) with a backstory explained through letters that left me with way more questions than answers.

The story breezed through insta-love, a friend to frenemy, and justice for a serial killer and abusive ex. I never felt the urgency or like the stakes were high. I appreciated the 80s low-key horror influence as well as women taking a stand against abuse, and the recovery process for addiction, but the overall story was rushed and relied too heavily on nostalgia.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Mayhem is scheduled for release on July 14, 2020.

“This can be really fun if you aren’t a drip about it.”

** Content warning for suicide, addiction, and violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, and rape. **

Brayburn lady coming for you
Take your man and curse you, too.
Brayburn lady knows your sins
Reads your mind and kills your friends …

***

I don’t know how to explain in words the feeling I have now, about how a person’s history affects their standing with themselves. About how in Taylor my mother and I were peculiar and nonsensical, but here we have the strength of all the Brayburns behind us and it runs like a current under our feet. Makes us stand taller.

***

Don’t deny evil, Billie. Crush it. That is your duty.

***

Seventeen-year-old Mayhem Brayburn has always felt like a square peg in a round hole. (I did an ’80s reference!) She and her babe of a mom, Roxy, live in West Texas, home of giant hair, fatty casseroles, and judgey conservative xians. Mayhem is lonely and “weird” and her only real friend is Roxy.

But it wasn’t always this way: like her mother (and grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother before her), May was born in Santa Maria, California, the land of sun, surf, and endless beach parties. Mayhem is drawn to the water (Taylor is sadly landlocked), is a little bit punk – and her biracial heritage (she’s Brazilian on her father’s side) probably doesn’t endear her to the suburban bleached blondes in her neighborhood.

Roxy up and fled Santa Maria after the (allegedly) accidental death of May’s father, Lucas Machado, when Mayhem was just a toddler. She hopped in the car and drove until they ran out of money, and wound up in a shelter – which is where Mayhem’s now-stepfather found them. It wasn’t long into the relationship that Taylor’s golden boy Lyle – a pastor, no less – started abusing his wife. He also got her hooked on painkillers and alcohol, and was no doubt thrilled to maintain Roxy’s isolation from her family. (Patterns, people.) When the abuse escalates to Mayhem, Roxy throws May and a bunch of random stuff in the car and books it.

With a little bit of cajoling and a lot of good/bad luck (read: no monies), Mayhem is able to convince Roxy to return to the family home, Brayburn Farm, now run by Roxy’s twin sister, Elle, and Elle’s adopted kids Neve, Jason, and Kidd. Here, Mayhem hopes to find some answers: about what happened to her father, why Roxy cut ties so suddenly and completely, and who she comes from. What she finds is so much more: a home, her people, a purpose. A voice and the power to wield it.

When she gets to Santa Maria, Mayhem is shocked to find that the Brayburns are celebrities of a sort (a really weird sort).

"[T]his place was build by Brayburns, and here Brayburns matter. I know because the whole road is named after us and because flowers and ribbons and baskets of fruit sat at the entrance, a gift from the people in town, Roxy said. They leave offerings. She said it like it’s normal to be treated like some kind of low-rent goddess."

It’s clear from the get-go that Elle and the kids are keeping secrets – BIG SECRETS – from her, but it’s hard to concentrate when you’re worried about your stepdad tracking you down and dragging you back to a literal hellhole, kicking and screaming. When there’s a serial killer called the Sand Snatcher hunting the Santa Maria beaches – YOUR beaches – for girls who look like you, who could maybe even *be* you. When your mom is an addict trying to detox after a life spent running from her demons. When she’s maybe trying to escape by having sexy fun times with a dude nicknamed Boner (or, alternately, Officer Biceps). When your soon-to-be-adopted cousin is super hot and sexy and has a mouth made for kissing (I feel like I should be more grossed out by this last than I was, but idk, I shipped it).

MAYHEM is billed as “A YA feminist mash up inspired by THE LOST BOYS and THE CRAFT” – which is accurate but also doesn’t quite cover it. THE LOST BOYS is 110% accurate, for reasons I’ll dive into later. I can see THE CRAFT for sure, but a better comparison is Mindy McGinnis’s THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES (possibly my favorite feminist revenge/female serial killer story of all time…not that there are nearly enough to choose from!). It’s a little softer and fuzzier than FEMALE, to be sure, and a lot more magical, but Neve and to a lesser extent May definitely send off some low-key Alex Croft vibes.

Elsewhere I saw references to Rory Power’s debut novel WILDER GIRLS – which is kind of funny-serendipitous, as I read MAYHEM immediately after BURN OUR BODIES DOWN, and felt some similarities in the foundations of each story. (Misfit teenage girl lives in Nowhere, USA with only her mom for company. She longs to know more about her extended family, which – as it just so happens – is matriarchal, occupies a supernatural/magical/sentient estate, and is longing for its wayward daughters to return home.) But MAYHEM proved infinitely more enjoyable.

Laure’s writing is, in a word, exquisite. As in, the lady knows how to turn a phrase; there are so many quotable bits to be found here. But it’s not all flowery prose; the meat of the tale is delicious and satisfying as well. This is a story brimming with ferocity, anger, compassion, and heart. MAYHEM is about justice: what it looks like, where we might find it, and who’s responsible for meting it out. It’s about losing your way, and finding it again. About family: that bound by blood, as well as the family we choose for ourselves. About what we owe to each other, and to our truest selves.

MAYHEM is set in the ’80s (LOVE!: 1978 baby here), and borrows heavily from THE LOST BOYS. As in: it’s a massive understatement to say it’s “inspired by” THE LOST BOYS. As in: Laure lifts some elements directly from the source material, including the Frog brothers and a half-naked, pied piper-esque musician clearly based on Tim Cappello. (To be fair, I remember the Frog brothers from the film; Tim Cappello, not so much. It has been more than a decade, though; I half considered a rewatch before calling it a day on this review – but, alas, THE LOST BOYS is sadly absent from Netflix.)

I should probably be more offended by this than I am; after all, it feels a little closer to plagiarism than homage. And what’s weirder is that the presence of the Frog brothers and the hypersexual musician really don’t further the story, or add to it in any way; MAYHEM would be just as rad without those elements. But the story is just so darn good otherwise!

I’m also not terribly happy by May’s desire to work with the police, rather than outside of them, especially considering these times we live in. The legal system doesn’t take violence against women seriously as it is, and I can’t imagine it was any better in the ’80s. Their track record is even worse with women and girls of color; ditto: sex workers, those with disabilities, LGBTQ folks, etc. The occasional Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer aside, most rapists and abusers get away scot-free. Why should we think that Officer Boner will be any better, especially with all that victim blaming nonsense he pulled on Roxy?

On this note, I was downright incensed that Lyle was allowed to live … but I guess his ultimate punishment was even better. idk, maybe we can segue that scene into another entry in THE CROWS HAVE EYES franchise? Kidding! But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t already fancast Catherine O’Hara as Billie Brayburn.

I waffled between a 2 and 3 on this book. While I get some of Mayhem’s motivation, there were parts that were slow/hard to get into but there didn’t seem to be a lot of agency or reason to why she made some of her decisions. I think the supernatural-like premise that surrounds Mayhem’s family is interesting, but a lot of that intrigue gets lost on less likeable side characters or literally reusing characters from The Lost Boys & I’m not sure why or who that’s for.

I requested Mayhem based on the description of this book being a mashup between The Lost Boys and The Craft which are two of my favorite movies.

I didn’t think anything about this book was similar to The Craft, though it did give out Practical Magic vibes on a darker level. It was also just a little too similar to The Lost Boys for my liking. So much so, the Frog brothers were even minor characters.

At first, I liked the nods to The Lost Boys until it became too much. Santa Carla vs Santa Maria, the Frog brothers, etc.

Mayhem was a bit of a slow book. I felt like things were never fully explained and kind of just “were.” It was never made clear what the Brayburn’s actually were. Maybe it was meant to be that way? The Craft/Lost Boys description would make it seem they were either witches or vampires, but they didn’t seem to be either. I was initially excited about that family journal entries but they didn’t end up giving as much insight into the family history as I had hoped.

This book was also described as a feminist YA novel. While the main characters were all female, I didn’t get many feminist vibes. I feel like they tried with Elle but we also didn’t get a deep enough look into her, or any of the characters for that matter, to make that association.

I did like the general idea of the book and I think it was set up perfectly for a sequel. I would enjoy reading what happens to Neve, Jason and Kidd and hopefully learn more Brayburn family history. I think this would be a fun book for anyone who is a fan of witchy/slightly supernatural YA books. It was an easy read and kept my interest the whole time.

Sadly, this was a DID NOT FINISH for me. I loved the idea, but I couldn't get through the exposition for some reason.

Roxy Brayburn returns to Santa Maria, a place Roxy fled, brokenhearted a decade ago, with her three year old daughter Mayhem. Leaving her twin sister and mother and all the Brayburn women's legacy. In Santa Maria the Brayburn name is both revered and feared. When Roxy's life was no longer bearable away from her family home, barely able to function anymore she flees once again this time from a life of brutality. Returning to her roots and all she ran from, her name, her duty and her legacy as a Brayburn woman one she must pass on to Mayhem.
Mayhem is excited to meet her aunt. who has three charges soon to be adopted a girl and two teens. Mayhem is quickly learning everything about the Brayburn women their specialness, the danger and responsibility their specialness brings. Magical waters and powers that can be deadly for someone not of Brayburn blood.
A book of abuse, assault, magic, mystery, and how women and teenagers deal and rise up. I enjoyed the book even if I don't usually read this type genre it was a fast thought provoking read.
Thank you Estelle Laure, NetGalley, and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this digital copy in exchange for a review.

Description
The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.

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.

It was a slow start for me, and for whatever reasons, I expected more 80's elements to the story. Midway through the book, I still didn't know exactly what Mayhem and her family were - it wasn't a good or bad thing, just seemed to make the surprise of it go on and on. Stick with it to the end. You may find yourself surprised. I'm not so much a fan of the 'feminist' stigma, but it's still worth the time to read!

trigger warning
<spoiler> being orphaned, suicide, rape, grief, trauma, kidnapping, substance abuse, domestic violence </spoiler>

Mayhem and her mother Roxy come back to the hometown May doesn't even remember because she was so small as they left; now they're fleeing an abusive partner. May suspects there are some secrets about their family that will have to be lifted. She doesn't expect magic.

I am glad I was forewarned by a friend who also got an arc that I had to expect some heavy topics. I think that if I hadn't known that, my reaction would be entirely opposite.

The plot is predictable, and nothing new. There is this family with roots and a secret, tied to a town that kinda knows but pretends to be none the wiser. Things kinda work, but it's a fragile balance. The protagonist falls in love and the emotions are reciprocated. Found families play a role on top of it all.

I liked it, maybe because this was exactly what I was in the mood for, though I have to say that the pacing at the end felt off. Suddenly, everything was resolved, while some aspect could have needed more space to come to a conclusion. It feels like the author is still growing in their craft.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the first half of it but the last bit was kind of a struggle to keep reading. I think i felt that there were to many plot points going on that were just tied up without any real flourish. I really liked the recontextualizing of The Lost Boys. That was a lot of fun.

This was an okay read for me. I admire the author’s focus and message with this book, and I did really enjoy the writing style and Mayhem as a character. For me, the pacing in this was a little two slow and I found it hard to stay engaged with the story.

Oh gosh this is a tough one to review! I enjoyed reading this novel, and I liked the plot, and the characters. The whole idea of the oppressed/betrayed/hurt/abused rising up and finding some kind of revenge is always a pretty awesome theme to me. And for someone who bears the brunt of childhood trauma, I have always courted the idea of suddenly obtaining some kind of supernatural powers to get revenge on those who hurt me as a child. It’s just that we have seen this story before, kind of. Mayhem follows the plot of The Lost Boys movie so closely, that it’s hard to differentiate between them at times. An old family heritage, secrets, a California beach town with a dark side, a bunch of teens who belong in one or another group… But I love The Lost Boys (I was born in 1978, anyone my age loved that movie), and the many resemblances to the movie didn’t bother me as much as I thought they would in the end.

The plot in short: Mayhem Brayburn and her mother Roxy leave Roxy’s violent husband and return to Santa Maria, California, home of the Brayburn family and their legacy. Mayhem finally discovers the truth about herself and her family, all the while a serial killer is on the loose in the beach town, preying on young girls. Several evil characters, witchcraft/magical elements, the beach, a family legacy, and some strong female characters make this into a fun summer read.

This is a 3 star story for me. I enjoyed it despite the many similarities between The Lost Boys and the plot, and because some of the magical elements were pretty interesting and original. I did think there was a lot of room for expansion though, some of the areas of the plot could have been fleshed out a lot more (the serial killer storyline, Mayhem and Neve’s relationship and difficulties, the blurring of lines between vengeance and justice etc).

I could actually see this work as a series though, I would love to see where Mayhem goes from where we left her at the end. (And I absolutely love that Estelle Laure named her main character Mayhem!).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Whatever this book was is not what I was expecting. This was messy and convoluted. There was so much going on, and none of it was given enough time.

The magic element was severely under explained in my opinion. Drink the water and poof, magic! And then you can do...things. What those things are, I’m not entirely sure. See the truth of people’s souls. Run super fast? Other things that were vague and confusing?

The characters I found to be flat and pretty empty. I didn’t care for any of them. There was a romance here too, and I hated it. It was very insta love, and there was zero chemistry. It also felt really unnecessary. I expected a more family/sibling type dynamic and feel like it would’ve been way better.

There were chapters from Mayhem’s ancestors’ points of view that didn’t add much, if anything to the story and were just there, taking up space.

The plot (or lack thereof) was slow. Nothing started happening until like halfway through, and even then, nothing really happened! The synopsis would lead you to believe that this missing girl thing is a big part of the book, but it was over so quickly and felt a bit pointless. Everything else was pretty underdeveloped and rushed as well.

One thing I did enjoy was the boardwalk. Loved the descriptions and atmosphere of the town.

I think this could be a book for some people. But if you’re going into it expecting a riveting mystery...don’t.