Such a good book! This one I read in one setting. The story was well done and the characters were perfect.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Great story. While I thought I had it figured out a few times, it wasn't until the very end when I really knew Who Done It

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. It looks like my original review didn't post - so trying again.

This book was not for me. I tried - I really did but I could not finish it. I made it about half way through. It was SO repetitive. I felt like I kept reading the same thing over and over again. I wanted to know the end to the mystery but I eventually didn't care because it wasn't holding my interest.

Murder mysteries always tend to peak my interest so I felt the need to check this one out. This book was just alright. It didn't really add anything new to the genre and was somewhat predictable.

A fun, fast-paced thriller! Definitely a book that gets you on the edge of your seat. However, the book had too much pointless swearing for my taste, which was ultimately distracting --- especially for YA. I feel like the characters all felt their age which was nice because often YA characters feel so much older than they are supposed to be.

This was such a fun new high school mystery from Donne—perfect for fans of Karen McManus and a ton of fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne for me to preview.

thank you to @netgalley and Alexa for this ebook in exchange for a review ❤️⠀
⠀
finished the good girls guide to murder series and need a new teen detective to follow? i introduce you to Cecelia. after her mother’s death, cecelia has to move in with her grandma, who is a near stranger (she hasn’t seen her in years and years). her grandma is a best-selling author and her most famed book is based on a murder that happened in the California town her fancy mansion is currently in. ⠀
⠀
so what happens when a young prom queen is murdered the exact same way 3 decades later? Cecelia creates her own detective badge, that’s what. alongside a love triangle (delicious trope), she has to work her way through being an outsider, causing drama at funerals, getting f**ked over & her feelings hurt from a lot of different people, honouring her mums legacy & finding out all the towns secrets that have been buried for decades. ⠀
⠀
this was a gorgeous, engaging read that i absolutely adored the entire way through, would highly recommend for all the YA thriller vibes this autumn/winter, release day is today (happy pub day alexa 🎉!) so go grab your copy now! 👻🎃

This definitely gave me Karen M McManus vibes! I am a huge fan of these YA thriller/mystery books. This shows it’s possible to write a great thriller and not have it constantly filled with sex (a huge complaint for me when it comes to adult books).
This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last! I loved how well written it is. There was great character building and the plot was easy to read. I kept having to make my self slow down when all I wanted to do was finish the book!

This was a quick and easy read. One POV from a teen girl. It had Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes! Ultimately, this teen girl is trying to solve a current day murder that parallels a historical murder in town. It is a different format to GGGTM though. I liked the homecoming element and that there was a decent amount of characters. However, I did peg the outcome of this relatively early, but still enjoyed the novel. It didn’t reinvent anything in the YA mystery genre, but will still good! As a true crime fan, I laughed out loud when she mentioned that she needs to sit up straighter in the police interview room because she imagines it showing up on the ID channel someday 🤣

This book was predictable but definitely a good October read. I would recommend this to anyone who likes quick easy Murder Mystery reads. I was a little surprised at the ending but kind of saw it coming at same time.

Pretty Dead Queens was a delight to read from start to finish. The setting, the backstory, the town with a haunting history of murder...what's not to like? When Cecelia Ellis' mom dies, she is sent to live with her grandmother Maura who just so happens to be a famous murder mystery author. Her grandmother's notoriety in town gives Cecelia access to an exclusive group of friends packed with their own drama and secrets. When one of her new friends is found murdered, Cecelia takes it upon herself to solve the crime. This is one of the more engaging and entertaining YA reads I've picked up in a minute. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read it in exchange for my honest review!

This was a solid mystery book. It had plot twists, relateable characters, and while it started off a little slow - I found myself not being able to put it down. Cecelia is a 17-year-old who has to live with her grandmother after her mother dies. Her grandmother is famous for writing of thriller books based on events that have taken place in the town. Cecelia starts school right before homecoming and is the one that finds one of the girls running for homecoming queen dead in the pool. Like I said, there are lots of twists and turns, leaving you guessing "who dunnit" until the very end.

5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Alexa Donne for allowing me to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I could not put it down. I think I read it in like 2 sittings. I did not see the ending coming.
I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone. Especially readers new to the thriller genre. This is a fast paced and well written story. And is very easy to follow, without being obvious.

Pretty Dead Queens is my second Alexa Donne book (the other was The Ivies), and she is quickly becoming a favorite of mine when it comes to YA Thrillers.

Donne has the perfect balance of mystery in her book, and she is truly talented when it comes to creating characters. Cecelia had the complexities of a real 5 didn't have the annoying characteristics teenagers often possess in similar styled books.

I will say the ending did feel a little rushed. I easily figured out the first twist, but the second did surprise me. A lot of the times with thrillers, the twist is not foreshadowed well enough. This was not the case for this book. The twist I didn't figure out made sense.

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After losing her mother, Cecelia moves to a small California town to live with her famous author Grandmother. Her grandmother, Maura, wrote a fiction book based on a murder in the city. After another murder, Cecilia sets out to discover whether it is a copycat of the actual murder or the book's murder.

This YA mystery balances good character development, mystery, and intrigue splendidly. Typically my critique of YA mysteries is that they can be surface-level. The mystery and suspense were there throughout. Joining Cecilia on the investigation was fun; with the writing, there was always a question of who it could be and no clear answers. Pretty Dead Queens was an incredibly written book in the plot line, depth, pacing, and character development. Highly recommend this book.

I sped through this juicy YA thriller! It’s fast paced and full of unlikeable characters! You won’t know who to trust and it will keep you guessing until the end! Definitely recommend!

I'm not completely sure why I picked up Pretty Dead Queens but I'm so glad that I did. The story is fast paced and the main character was written very well. Alexa does a great job making you really feel what the main character feels and I loved it. I also didn't expect the ending as well. I can't wait to read more by Alexa!

This was a quick and easy read.
One POV from a teen girl and it had Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes!
Ultimately, this teen girl is trying to solve a current day murder that parallels a historical murder in town. It is a different format to GGGTM though. I liked the homecoming element and that there was a decent amount of characters. However, I did peg the outcome of this relatively early, but still enjoyed the novel.
It didn’t reinvent anything in the YA mystery genre, but will still good!
As a true crime fan, I laughed out loud when she mentioned that she needs to sit up straighter in the police interview room because she imagines it showing up on the ID channel someday,