A fantastic reimagining of The Lost Boys meets The Craft! I love the punk 80s vibe, and MAYHEM herself is badass!

**Review to be posted on my blog on 6/29/20**
**3.5 stars**

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

My Reactions:

My Attention: what is this magic water? 🤔

World Building: Late 80’s California coast inspired – think…Lost Boys. The magic system? Vague.

Writing Style: lyrical

Bringing the Heat: 🔥🔥

Crazy in Love: insta-Love

Creativity: magic water gives drinker powers (at times confusing)

Mood: dark 🌑 and a little nostalgic

Triggers: domestic abuse, drug use, death, killing, toxic relationship

My Takeaway: there is magic in the water and it can make you see things

What I Liked:
*The cover and title. Love it.

*I liked the whole Santa Maria, California beach 80’s vibe in this book. You can definitely tell it is inspired by The Lost Boys. I felt some nostalgia and I haven’t watched that movie in awhile so I can’t compare it side by side, but it definitely got the vibe right.

*Roxy and Mayhem’s relationship is complex. They confront many issues like suicide, the family’s past, domestic abuse and drug addiction. I’m glad that Mayhem and Roxy come to terms with their “roots” and their family history. Roxy had a lot of secrets she kept from Mayhem but she was drowning in a lot of her own pain and misery.

*This whole story intrigued me because it’s starts off as an abuse story and then…things just get twisted in a strange way that at times worked and then a lot of times that didn’t.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:

*This magical, addictive “water” that was being described in the story was aggravating me a little because of how vague it was. It could make the drinker see who was good and evil and that made the Brayburn bloodline powerful. But at times I was almost hoping this was The Lost Boys remake and vampires were gonna jump out somewhere – that didn’t happen.

*They use this magic power basically at the end to stop a serial killer. But there is a lot going on already with Roxy and Mayhem, this killer is just not a focus of the book or it didn’t seem urgent enough to me until the second half of the book.

*The insta-love between Jason and Mayhem felt unnecessary. He became her “great love” in a span of days!

Final Thoughts:
Without the magic elements of this book, I found Mayhem’s story gripping as she and her mother try to start over their lives in Santa Maria. The magic water introduction felt a bit weak to me and confusing but I did like the nostalgia of The Lost Boys. Mayhem standing up to her abuser and learning about her family and the magic they have is a powerful message that everyone can learn from.

I always enjoy when authors make a change in direction and with her third YA novel Estelle Laure edges away from teen dramas into the world of the supernatural with the excellent Mayhem. However, it is not a complete turnaround as a large proportion of this 1987 set story is a compelling family drama, the twist being that the Brayburn clan are not your average family. Teen readers will have to show patience in this slow burner, before figuring out what exactly makes them different.

Mayhem begins with sixteen-year-old Mayhem Brayburn and her single parent mother, Roxy, returning to the family home in the seaside town of Santa Maria. For the previous thirteen years they have lived in Texas with Roxy’s violent and domineering husband Lyle who recently struck Mayhem, the final straw in a catalogue of domestic abuses instances which led to them running away. The teenager barely remembers her ancestral family home but is aware that her natural father died there, possibly suicide, not long before her mother moved to Texas thirteen years earlier. Much of the story is built around Mayhem’s return to Santa Maria and the secrets connecting her to her family and their weird history.

In the years away from Santa Maria, Roxy has developed a prescription drug habit and the complex relationship between mother and daughter lies at the heart of Mayhem. Expanding that, Mayhem deals with the complex family dynamics in the Brayburn family and the vaguely explained hold they have over the local town. In the time Roxy has been away her sister Elle has fostered three other children Jason (almost eighteen), Neve and Kidd who is nine. The eldest and youngest are natural brother and sister, whilst Neve is a wild free spirit who is a contrast to the much more reserved and closed-off Mayhem.

The convincing friendship dynamics of the four children were crucial to the success of the book and for most of the time their relationships dominated the plot and the supernatural element lurked in the background. Readers looking for a loud supernatural romp might find this book to be rather frustrating, it is a much quieter coming of age story with Mayhem trying to uncover the mystery of herself and her connection to the local area, which frustratingly, nobody wants to talk about. It is very subtly handled with Mayhem being an engaging first-person narrator who moves from outsider to a key member of the group of four. On the other hand, her mother Roxy was frustrating, with her daughter showing more sense of responsibility than the flaky parent.

I felt one of the main taglines which has been used with this book was slightly misleading; “The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.” Firstly, technically there are no traditional vampires, there is only one boy in the story, and it was not ‘feminist’. Just because a book has predominately female characters does not automatically make it a feminist novel. Comments have also been made of its mid-eighties setting, it did not particularly come across as eighties; neither did it rely on pop-culture references from the period, but this was not a particular drawback as the story could have been set anywhere. The author is obviously a fan of The Lost Boys as Mayhem features several references to the film, including characters called ‘The Frog Brothers’ which fans of the film will undoubtedly recognise.

The supernatural element revolves around what makes the Brayburn’s different from everybody else in Santa Maria, with added conflict thrown in because the three other children are not Brayburn by blood. At a certain point the ‘magic’ is explained away because the town is built upon a ‘Psychic Vortex’ where weird stuff can happen, never mind The Lost Boys, this had me thinking of Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s ‘Hell Mouth’, where Sunnydale was located!

Whilst Mayhem is uncovering her family’s weird history, helped by the discovery of old diaries, there is a second major plotline of a serial killer, the Sand Snatcher, killing young women, which eventually involves Mayhem and her new siblings. This was not the strongest element of the story and seemed to lurk in the background before bubbling to the top towards the end of the novel and was resolved far too easily. However, the spooky beach setting was excellent and contributed much to the atmosphere. On the downside, an unconvincing, and unnecessary, romance was also thrown into the plot in the final third.

Mayhem will be aimed at girls aged thirteen and above and continues the trend in recent horror and dark fiction to turn male characters into background wallpaper and, sadly, that is exactly what Jason was. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but its success with real teen readers will depend on how well they connect with Mayhem as a leading character and their interest in the family vibes which dominate the story. Some readers will find it too slow and lament the lack of action, but for fans of teen driven dramas with a supernatural twist there is much to recommend.

It's the 80s, and we follow Mayhem and her mother who have just moved back to the mother's family home after escaping an abusive relationship. Mayhem soon comes to realise that there's more to their family than she ever would have thought. This book promises 80s vibes, mystery and magic and has heavy nods to the 80s cult classic 'The Lost Boys'.

Let me start off by saying that 'The Lost Boys' is my favourite movie.

I was clearly excited by this book when I received an email offering me access to an ARC... but overall I was left with mixed feelings.

I enjoyed the writing, general vibes of the book, and some aspects of the story. The book also felt very nostalgic which does make me question who this book is for as it is a YA but how many current teens will feel nostalgic about the 80s? I personally didn't live through the 80s but I felt that nostalgia having grown up on 80s movies and having had such a love for 'The Lost Boys' since I was fourteen.

Then the last page of this book happened which completely lost me. There is so much present within this book which was ripped directly from the film to an extent it was uncomfortable. The last page of this book featured a quote directly from 'The Lost Boys' which really had NOTHING to do with this book and was given to a different character (but still one from the movie) which added insult to injury.

Honestly removing the quote and the presence of the brothers within this book (or leaving them at one brief cameo) probably would have left me with much more positive feelings overall but I've had a hard time getting past it to enjoy everything else this book had to offer.

I think for now I'm settling on a rating of 2.5.

I’ve seen lots of reviews bring up similarities to Lost Boys but I truthfully don’t remember it will enough to draw comparisons. If anything, it reminded me a little of Alice Hoffman. With a little less subtle whimsy, a little more not so subtle murder. That’s not a complaint though. I enjoyed the balance it struck.

There were a lot of surprising elements I wasn’t expecting. I thought the whole vengeance, seeking justice aspect would be the main plot. But that seemed to take a back burner to the mother-daughter story. If anything, I wish it had gone more into the generational stories between the families.

This really wasn't my thing. I like to have a clear grasp of who characters are and their relationships to one another right from the start, I'm just a character-driven reader. I was constantly getting confused by characters and their relationships, which made this overall reading experience really tedious for me. This isn't a personal observation, but many people have said that this is a really strong copy of The Lost Boys. I have no knowledge of The Lost Boys, though, so I couldn't say for sure!

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<p>This book is <strong>such </strong>a tough one to review. It contains several of my favorite tropes - found families! creepy small towns! magical secrets! - and some of my least favorite tropes - insta-love! retellings that add nothing to the original work! As someone who hasn't seen <em>Lost Boys </em>but <strong>loves </strong><em>The Craft</em>, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I just felt dissapointed.</p>
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<p>The major weakness of this book, in my opinion, is the plot (or lack thereof). When I was trying to compose a summary for this review, I found myself drawing a blank. It's about... water? Someone has magical powers? Saving the town? Something about... immortality? Maybe? Truthfully, I was incredibly confused as I was reading, and while I hoped things would be cleared up by the end, I only had more questions. Such as: what's with the <em>Lost Boys </em>tie-in? Why set this book in the world of <em>Lost Boys </em>at all? In a lot of places, this felt like the author's self-insert fanfiction, and it was difficult for me to figure out what exactly was even <em>happening </em>at scenes that should've been climactic. </p>
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<p>Simply put: I'm at a loss for how to review this one. I really have no idea what I read, and I feel legitimately confused by the "plot" of the story. What <strong>happened? </strong>I'm normally someone with (I like to think) good reading comprehension, and I'm baffled by how little of this book made sense. I really, truly felt like I forgot how to read at several moments in this book, and when I finished reading, I had that most bizarre feeling of confusion. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what happened in this book. If anyone can provide some kind of plot summary, <strong>please </strong>do. I'm just at a loss for words with this one.</p>
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I could see the potential of this novel, but I just could not get engaged or enjoy the novel.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this novel, but I just did not enjoy or become engaged with this novel.

I rarely post negative reviews. I don't feel like it's always fair to the author. I respect that authors work very hard on their books. I also respect that all readers have different tastes and while I may not like a book, many other readers will.

I had such high hopes for this book. Lost Boys is a classic and if a book is compared to Lost Boys, I thought for sure it would be extremely enjoyable. I also loved the author’s note at the beginning and thought the book to follow would be something I would enjoy. But the writing didn’t draw me in and it felt like the author crammed every vulgar, negative thing she could into one book. It feels like a bit much for a YA book.  There’s a possible suicide, rape, abuse, addiction, a lot of swearing and that was just in the first 5%. I appreciate that these things do happen in the world, and there's nothing wrong with having them ALL in a book when it helps propel the story or when it is well done.

I have seen some amazing reviews for this book, so if this is on your radar and if it sounds like something you would enjoy, I would definitely encourage you to pick it up! I am sorry I didn't like it. That's rare for me. I typically find something to enjoy about every book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Estelle Laure for the ARC of Mayhem in exchange for my honest review.

This wasnt what I expected going into reading the synopsis. Im rating this one 3⭐ because I didnt feel like this book was as fleshed out as it could have been which made reading it confusing at times. Also the confusing factors made this book harder for me to get through. There was a lot of triggers in the book of sexual trauma and other kinds of abuse as well. I loved the 80s vibes with the clothes, the festivals, the boardwalk, and shops. Definitely a slow burn read though.

This book was an expected joy for me to read. It has heart, strength, and of course a little bit of magic amongst the mayhem that is this story. It captured my attention and I was entranced by the character that is Mayhem Braeburn. May is a strong character who has been dealing with an extremely difficult and harsh home environment, and in order to escape, both her mother and her return to her mother’s original hometown. This is where the mystery and intrigue kicks in. This is where the magic and mayhem, so to speak, sparks. I loved the progression of the story and the struggles within May as she tries to find herself and fit in with her new home. The town and lore of the family was a nice touch that added a gothic feel to the story that I liked.
**thank you netgalley for sending me an early arc**

The writing in this book was STUNNING. In combination with the magic system and the exploration of a coming of age family story, This felt like a breath of fresh air. it was easy to read and the characters were so complex. I loved each and every one of them! The only downside for me was that every problem throughout the plot seemed to be instantly solved without much work and it just didn't feel believable. The villain wasn't explored at all and I felt like the book could have gone on longer to bring more detail to the actual conflict. Other than that, I had a fantastic time reading this.

I loved this book! Definitely for fans of The Lost Boys and Wilder Girls. It would be a quick and intriguing summer read complete with a teenage girl finding her power through her matriarchal lineage and a magic water source that gives her super human strength and the ability to find and kill abusive and predatory men. We follow along with Mayhem Brayburn, our heroine and eventual vampiric vigilante, as she and her mother escape from her abusive stepfather and discovers herself and her chosen family. The book balances light YA horror and fantasy with more serious topics. Trigger warnings: child abuse, suicide, and rape.

Believe me when I say I don’t know what I’m supposed to say about this book. I honestly didn’t care at all about this story but I guess, appreciated the message and writing enough not to give it a lower rating. But at the end of the day, it won’t be a book I’d recommend unless someone has a specific book they want to read.

I don’t know how I’m supposed to pitch this book since the plot was all over the place. I guess it’s the story of this girl, Mayhem, and her mother who went back to Santa Maria after the domestic abuse in their home goes to far. Then from there, there is something to do with witches, magic, kidnapping and? Honestly I don’t know. This book felt like the author wanted to do too many things at the same time even though she did talk about interesting themes and subjects. I liked what she wrote in her author’s note and I would tell you to read it before going into the book. She explains why she used rape as a « plot device » (I guess that’s how you’d call it) to explain how one character became what she became and even though you can legitimately think that it is quite distasteful, I still believe it is worth the shot if you’re into witchy books.

"I guess that’s what I tried to do here. I wanted girls who feel powerless to be able to imagine themselves invincible. And yes, I used a rape as the seed for that fierce lineage, not without thought. For me, there is nothing worse, and I like to think great power can rise up as a result of a devastating trespass. — Estelle Laure."

Mayhem and her mother did became stronger after leaving their abusive home. But for some reasons I can’t really explain, I didn’t care. To be more precise, I just didn’t care about the whole book and I feel so awful about it because I know this book would be appreciate in better hands, hands which aren’t mine. I believe some people will like and love this book, will read Mayhem’s story, her family’s story and feel seen. I feel kinda sad about all of this because I did like the ideas, the messages and the vibe surrounding this book. But at the end of the day, this book wasn’t for me and it would honestly be dishonest to give it a higher rating only because I think other people would enjoy it more.

What I would compliment though, is how great the writing style is. It’s really fluid and easy to read and I guess I’d have read it in one or two days if I was more interested in the book itself. I also liked how nothing was really black or white. When confronting the kidnappers, the characters asked themselves if killing them is what they should do because they’re not supposed to choose who should die or who should live.

Ultimately, I believe I wasn’t into the story because of the characters. It’s not that they weren’t likable but they weren’t for me? If that makes sense? Mayhem, as a main character, pretty much left me indifferent. You’re supposed to root for her and I guess at some point I did root for her but more because of what she had lived because of her step-dad than because I actually liked her. And it was the same thing for the other characters. Kidd was a sweet kid, Jason was great (I guess), Neve was… okay let’s be honest I didn’t like her at all.

I don’t know where I’m trying to go with this review. It’s hard to review a book which isn’t bad but isn’t that great in my eyes. I’m kinda stuck in the middle so I guess what I want to say is: go for it if you want a story with a witch atmosphere, if you want a story where girls get stronger and stronger. But go for something else if you want a more memorable story.

What I Liked
The results of change we see in the characters was my favorite, even though the change was not very smooth except one character. I believe almost every important character had a change. The pier reminded me of summer. I could almost smell and hear it.

What I Didn’t Like
I had a hard time placing the settings. I loved the pier, but I wish there was more description on the stores. The character‘s change was really quick. I loved the direction they went, but it was a really quick switch. I wish in the writing just said what they where exactly. Unless I read over it, I was confused what exactly the powers where and the extent of them. I know the Brayburns where still discovering what exactly was going on as well, but it was something that annoyed me while reading.

https://readingchinchilla.wixsite.com/madz/post/mayhem-by-estelle-laure-review

I loved this book! There were some touches of supernatural, but the main focus of the story is the relationships between the characters, and how they deal with family issues. The main characters are interesting, although I feel like Neve's backstory could have been explained more. I loved reading about the different generations of the Brayburn women, and how their stories came together to influence Mayhem. At the end I still had so many questions though, I didn't want to stop reading!

Wow. It was like a was reading the script for The Lost Boys. The Frog Brothers who own a comic bookstore? Even the saxophone player makes an appearance. Direct lines from the movie with only one part of the city named changed. It's one thing to get inspiration from something but this was just too much. I'm really quite surprised it isn't violating something. I'm thinking the positive reviews haven't seen the movie.

I enjoyed this read! As a fan of The Lost Boys, I appreciated the references. I thought the characterization for most of the characters was done well. I thought Jason’s character fell a little flat for me and romance felt a bit forced.

Mayhem was less light-hearted than I expected based on the tagline, but boy oh boy did I love the magic system. Once I adjusted to the tone taking on some more serious topics I was all in. I also really loved the Lost Boys references sprinkled through-out.

Mayhem is a book about the struggles and heroics and magic of the Brayburn family, who, for generations, have been tasked with protecting their city by a mysterious curse/magical water (it never really gets explained beyond this). Mayhem, our protagonist, and her mother, Roxy, have finally left Roxy's abusive husband after years of marriage and returned to Roxy's childhood home in Santa Maria. There, Mayhem begins uncovering the truth behind her biological father's death and the strange force that drove her mother to leave all of those years ago.

Mayhem talks of magic and deep family roots, but the atmosphere that Laure created felt flat to me. I can't really describe it in any other way--it's almost as if this world was a 2D painting that Laure was trying to convey as a sculpture. I feel extremely harsh putting it this way, but I can't tell you that it was something that it's not. The characters also felt a bit static to me. They were archetypes of the usual YA personalities, and though there was some attempt at character development, it was pretty shallow and didn't feel organic.

I should address the fact that this book includes some serious topics, namely rape, murder, domestic violence, and drug addiction/abuse. I really appreciate the way Laure handled these topics, and from her foreword, I know that this book was her way of addressing her personal relationship with them. While these topics did drive some aspects of the story, they weren't particularly descriptive so it would be manageable for a more mature young adult audience.

This review is going to stay pretty short since I really don't have much to say. Unfortunately, this is another book that fell a little flat for me. I think the concept itself was strong and exciting, but Laure didn't execute it to its full potential. All in all, I'm not sure I would recommend this. It was kind of all over the place in terms of themes, dialogue, setting, and pacing. The storyline didn't flow super well and was also pretty anticlimactic. It was entertaining, at best.