I really appreciate having the opportunity to read this ARC, and for the majority of the book I did enjoy reading it. By the end, however, it felt messy, inappropriate, and poorly executed. The concept of the plot was super solid - a teenage girl's mother dies, and she had to move in with her grandmother, who is a famous murder mystery writer. Once adjusting to her new hometown, one of her friends is killed in what appears to be a copycat killing of the murder from her grandmother's first book, and she finds herself trying to solve the murder. It sounded really fun and interesting, but there were so many scenes that felt like they needed another pass or two through editing, either because of typos or pacing issues. Some parts I had to reread multiple times because it felt like crucial details had been skipped, like the characters just jumped from one location to another without explanation. Some details were glossed over, while others were described almost too in-depth; the characterizations were too "perfect" and stereotypical for my liking. Additionally, I found the "twist" of the affair to be wildly inappropriate- especially everyone's reactions to it. Cecelia saying she felt bad that the other girl was being manipulated by this older man, but that she still hated the girl for the affair and trying to supposedly throw herself at the man felt very sleazy and victim shame-y. I so badly wanted to like this book, but there were too many plot holes and poorly written scenes for me to truly enjoy it.

After her mom dies, seventeen-year-old Cecelia moves in with her eccentric grandmother, a famous writer known for her bestselling novel about her high school’s homecoming queen who drowned in the 70s. Cecelia, barely settled into her grandmother’s creepy Victorian mansion, finds her classmate and homecoming queen drowned in the same way and becomes determined to find the copycat killer. As her investigation unfolds and she delves deeper into the town history and connection between the murders, Cecelia discovers secrets the townsfolk would rather have remained hidden. Donne packs her novel with plenty of angst and drama that isn’t reserved for just the teens in the small California town, and the rich backstories of the cast will keep you guessing who the murderer is all the way up until the exhilarating climax in the final chapters.

Synopsis:
Seaview High's homecoming queen is dead . . . and she's not the first. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and the teen who won't stop until she discovers the truth.

After the death of her mom (screw cancer), seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a celebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town . . . until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she’s not Seaview’s first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother’s books. But the more Cecelia digs into the town’s secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending.

Review:
Honestly, this book was just depressing most of the time. Which made it hard to read. Everyone was either too into this local murder story or so ambivilent about it when they live in a town where people seem to die suspiciously all the time. The characters were somtimes interesting, but the adults had way more drama than the kids and I truly wanted the story from their perspective more than I wanted to hear from Cecelia. The grandmother is selfish and doesn't make any sense as a person. She's no consistent at all, with her writing, with the people in her life, or with her granddaughter.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this book!

This is a fun read! I love that it's coming out in October, because I think that's going to be the perfect time to read it (though it does make for a fun summer horror, too).

The book follows seventeen-year-old Cecelia, who moves in with her grandmother after the death of her mother. Her grandmother just so happens to be a well known murder mystery author, living in a small California coastal town. Obviously, death ensues.

For the most part, I enjoyed Cecelia as our main character. I think there are relatable aspects to how she handles grief (you know, like throwing herself into a murder investigation instead of processing said grief.––I get that) and she's, for the most part, a solid character. There was some dialogue I thought was a bit awkward, in that it didn't feel authentic to how teenagers today speak, but the writing was solid overall, as well. I also really enjoyed the environment of Seaview––the small town coastal vibes really add to the experience of the novel, especially if you're someone who likes small town mysteries. Some of the side characters are a bit too on the nose as to who they are, trope wise, but again, I thought it worked well for the story.

Overall, this is an entertaining way to pass the time and a quick read. I think for the genre/tropes its using, it's a solid thriller with a great cast of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Click here for content review and a shorter version of my thoughts:
https://www.novelnotices.com/pretty-dead-queens

Pretty Dead Queens is the second Alexa Donne book I have read, and it was as different from the first (Brightly Burning) as it could possibly have been. Pretty Dead Queens follows Cecelia as she moves in with her famous mystery-writer grandmother after her mother's death, and a copycat kill of a murder that had taken places fifty years before occurs to one of her new friends.

I was torn between giving this book four or three stars. In the end, I went with three for a few reasons. For one, the beginning of the book was so slow and seemingly meaningless that I just was not sure what to do with it. I knew the author was building up to something, but the relationships formed far too quickly even as Donne spent much longer than necessary on setting the scene. I might have abandoned it, but I pushed myself to continue until—at last—the murder came along.

There was also far, far too much swearing for my taste. "S" and "f" were used frequently throughout, apparently for no reason other than to try and create the atmosphere of teens. And while yes, that can be what high school sounds like, it was still excessive.

I did guess the twists, but surprisingly, I still enjoyed it. I knew what was coming and yet I still wished that I was wrong and ground my teeth in frustration when the reveals came. I touched on the slow beginning earlier, but the novel really picked up the pace shortly after the murder occurred. The characters were a bit one-note, but they all played their parts well. I could see most of them committing the murder with all of the woven secrets and possible motives. On the mention of characters, I also actually liked Cecelia as a character. She was a classic YA mystery protagonist, but I enjoyed following her on the journey and wasn't annoyed with her as I often am with the narrators.

I read an ARC, so there were some parts that I was scrunching my brows at, trying to remember if that information had been mentioned before (and in a few cases characters repeated actions that had already been done), but I'm sure that will be edited before the final product is published.

I would certainly read another thriller by Donne.

Pretty Dead Queens was AMAZING! Donne wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story

I went into this book a bit hesistant cause i have recently really stuggled with unlikable main characters in thrillers this book was a delight. This book had so many buzz words that captured my like a young moving to small town after her mother death to live with author grandmother and gets got up in series of murders. This book gave me massive coxy mystery vibes. It also remidned me alot of pretty little liars and nancy drew. I also had a very hard time predicing the twists and turns and loved how there was two murders very simialr to her grandmothers books!! I read this book in less the 24 hours! I loved all the side characters and really hope this becomes a series.. A great early fall read!!

Thoroughly gripping! It's not often I'm consumed by a book the way this consumed me. I blazed through this when normally it takes me a long time to finish a book. While we don't learn much of the MC as a person aside from her family members and I called one twist about halfway through, there's tons of twists in here that are sure to grip you!

After loving The Ivies, I was so excited to read more Alexa Donne! (So, thank you!)

Unfortunately, I had pretty high hopes for this book and it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I did enjoy reading it and thoroughly enjoyed the premise. However, it felt slightly contrived and forced. And, more importantly, the ending just did not feel completely fleshed out and realistic. Particularly: the house that was falling apart and people feeling comfortable going into a structure that is literally falling into the sea, and also the reveal of who the main culprit was. Maybe I needed more explanation - but it seemed too prolific to fit the character?

Overall, I do enjoy her writing - this plot was just a miss for me.

Pretty Dead Queens is a YA mystery/thriller that kept me enthralled in the story and guessing throughout. Highly recommend to fans of Pretty Little Liars and anyone who loves a good YA thriller! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty Dead Queens is a fast-paced murder mystery with so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. While at times the story veered a little off course for the sake of character development, it offered dynamic characters with hidden motives that kept me guessing. However, the story skipped over a lot of the genuine connections between those characters in favor of insta-love and trauma bonding. It was also really contemporary, with lots of pop-culture references that became a little cringey at times. Overall, a cute read that delivers what it promised.

I had really high hopes for this book but it just didn’t do it for me. Maybe because it’s very YA? I did not like the main character at all and thought she was just a pot stirrer. She talked about not wanting to stay in this town but then forced herself into everyone’s life. It just wasn’t a book for me.

The writing itself was great and flowed really well.

Pretty Dead Queens is an interesting and fun YA murder mystery. While I suspected the identity of the killer from the beginning, nothing could've prepared me for that final twist!

When Cecilia's mother dies, she has to live with the grandmother she's never known in a small town where everyone is in your business. Her grandmother Maura is a local celebrity. She's a best-selling author who got popular from writing about the homecoming queen being murdered when she was in high school. No one seems to think it's tacky she turned her friend's murder into fiction and profited from it, haha.

Early on, Cecilia compares herself to Bella Swan but only in looks and not in an entirely favorable way. Well, she has no idea how apt that is. The second she goes to her new school, she happens to fall in with the elite clique. And she immediately falls for one boy and is attracted to another. Those are the similarities that stood out.

As for the clique, if you quizzed me on their names and the unique traits each character has that sets them apart, I couldn't tell you. They're all thrown at you at once and they're all exceptional people whose parents are all a Big Deal in this small town. And as for the not-even-a-love-triangle, it was really unnecessary but I get it. She's new to town, life turned upside down, grieving for her mother. She needed a distraction.

Which is why when a copycat killer has murdered a candidate for homecoming queen not long after Cecilia's arrival, she takes it upon herself to investigate. She questions if one of her new friends is capable of murder. Everyone the victim knew had a motive since she wasn't very nice at all to put it mildly.

Over the course of the investigation, Cecilia's suspicions change constantly. But to be fair, she isn't privy to the intricacies of everyone's relationships. She can only go with where the clues are taking her. And obviously everyone in this town has something to hide..

Overall, I enjoyed Pretty Dead Queens. I liked Cecilia as a protagonist and how the plot progressed. It was just every instance involving romance I could do without. Those were the times she became extremely naive and lost common sense but again, I get it. Also I'm pretty sure I felt a possible sequel was hinted at in the end. There's certainly potential for one and if so I will definitely read it.

Thank you Random House Children's/Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I really enjoyed this wild ride of a YA mystery told masterfully by Alexa Donne. This will be a perfect book for spooky season this fall. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book and really feel like this could be adapted to a movie extremely well. As for the story itself. I liked our main character Cecilia, and I could sympathize with her grief. The setting of the small town, along with Cecilia's grandmother's creepy manor really helped the spooky ambiance be front and center. The mystery kept me guessing and I really did not expect the ending at all! I would recommend this to fans of YA mysteries or anyone looking to enjoy a spooky time.

This was a pretty good fast read I really enjoyed the suspense and everything going throughout the story. It was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it a lot everything going throughout the story. It was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it a lot

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne is a fun high school whodunnit rife with drama, lying, backstabbing, and sexual tension. Essentially, a copycat murder has happened in a small town that has yet to move on from the original, which was immortalized in a crime novel written by the famous grandmother of the main character. Cecelia, new to town after her mother's death, gets wrapped up in investigating the crime. One problem: literally EVERYONE is a suspect, as the titular pretty dead queen had more than her fair share of enemies.

I suspected the killer straight away, but then got wrapped up in the sleuthing and ended up suspecting practically every character before my initial suspicions were finally confirmed. Some of the suspects had interesting and complicated motives, so I was a bit disappointed that the suspect with (IMO) the most obvious, straight-forward motive was the real killer. It was very entertaining nonetheless, especially as the leads started piling up.

My sole complaint is that the focus on the investigation was so heavy, while literally timeskipping over bonding moments like the movie date, so I never really felt the connection between Cecelia and her "friends." In most of their scenes together, Cecelia is silent while they interact/infodump, or else she's accusing someone, questioning someone, or pressuring someone into doing something they don't want to do for the sake of the investigation. And then suddenly she's saying that Seaview is her home and she has loyal friends? I just didn't get it. (On a side note, I don't love conflict that relies on cheating/lusting or being suspicious of one's partner for cheating/lusting, but I suppose it's fitting for high school drama, so I'll let it slide).

The writing style was polished and entertaining, and I really enjoyed myself. I can't wait to devour The Ivies next!

I didn’t like this one as much as the ivies , but it was still good. It was slight slow for me in the beginning…..the pacing picked up thought! Relatively predictable, but I would still recommend if you like the genre

For fans of: Mean Girls, Pretty Little Liars, High School Drama, Secrets from the Past, Love Triangles, Small Town Vibes

Pros: Immediately got wrapped up in the story! The setting. The characters. The drama.
Loved our main character, Cecelia. I found her relatable and easy to like.
Her grandmother Maura was just fascinating! And super interesting to get to know. Don't we all wish we had a rich & famous author for grandmother...or do we?
The writing is witty and fast-paced. Super easy to read, a lot of fun!

My only con is that I wished we got into the murder stuff a little bit quicker.

4 stars! :)

Pretty Dead Queens is a fast-paced thriller. I enjoyed the tenacity of the main character, Cecilia, and all the twists within the story. I know my high school students will love this one!

I enjoy amateur detective books, especially with teens investigating murders. This was so easy to fall into and all the small town secrets kept me guessing to the end. I love when there are other shady things going on that aren't part of the murder. It keeps the plot entertaining and me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what will happen next.

Cecilia did not hesitate to jump into an investigation, even though she barely knew these people she was questioning and accusing. She made some mistakes along the way and put herself into danger, but it felt like that's how a real teenager would go about things. Though we didn't get to know the side characters very well, I did like the crime fiction author, the mean rich girl, and the various townspeople with things they'd rather keep hidden. It was a fun setting and made me wish I lived in a coastal town in the fall.

I thought the pacing was quick and ramped up to a fun climax at the end. This was a great mystery to dive into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy