Fans of Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by HoJay will devour this YA thriller.
👸🏻
After her mom dies, Cecilia has to move in with her grandmother, the woman her mother was estranged from most of Cecilia’s life. Her grandmother lives in a creepy Victorian mansion and is a thriller author who writes about murders similar to the one that happened in this very town decades before. Seaview High’s homecoming is on the horizon when she’s brutally murdered and Cecilia finds the body in the school’s swimming pool. There’s a copycat killer on the loose after pretty queens and Cecilia makes it her mission to find out who it is.
👸🏻
I really liked The Ivies and this was a great follow up! A new voice in the YA thriller genre and I’m pumped to read more from her!

CW: death, strangulation, blood, vomit, cancer, death of a parent (off page), murder, blackmail, underage relationship with a minor, affair/cheating, hanging, prison, homophobia

This was a 3.5 ⭐️ mainly because I figured out she twists early on. Still a good thriller!

The queen is dead! When the homecoming queen is murdered, Cecelia must dig up old family secrets to find out the truth. The homecoming queen dead and family secret trope is one that has been over done. While this did give a surprising ending and a pretty good reveal, the journey was not worth the wait. The characters were pretty flat and had no defining characteristics. The main focus of family secrets did not apply any depth to the characters either.

I’ve enjoyed several of Alexa Donne’s previous books, including Brightly Burning – her creative take on Jane Eyre (in space) and The Ivies – a YA murder mystery about getting into the “right” college. (imagine the girls from Chilton willing to do literally anything to get into an Ivy League college with no regard as to who may get hurt).

In Pretty Dead Queens, Donne takes us to a coastal California town where Cecelia has gone to live with her estranged grandmother after her mother’s death. They were strangers to each other, but making the best of it while Cecelia finds her place in the same high school her mother attended. She finds friends (and crushes) quickly but soon senses something percolating just below the surface of this small but mostly well-off town where everyone knows everyone. As did their parents and grandparents.

The town was rocked by the murder of one of her mother’s classmates years ago, and it looks like the killer is at it again. The only problem is he has been behind bars ever since. Is this a copycat, or was he wrongfully convicted? Cecelia intends to find out.

The book is well-paced and evocative. You can smell and feel the damp salt air. The relationships will likely throw you back into your high school years, whether it’s been five, fifteen, or fifty years since you shifted your tassel. I think I suspected nearly everyone in the considerable cast at one point or another, but I missed at least one because the ending was jaw-dropping.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Pretty Dead Queens from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #PrettyDeadQueens #NetGalley

This was a very fast-paced mystery novel. I loved the twists and turns that this novel upheld. The only thing I did not like about the book were the characters. I could not connect to any of them because they were very shallow. Nevertheless, the mystery aspect was it best feature and it was cleverly done! I recommend this for fans of Pretty Little Liars!

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

What a strange journey I've had with this book. I received the ARC and was excited to get started and then my Grandmother became ill. She was diagnosed and died from cancer in the same week. She was my person. We were first responders together. I wasn't prepared to lose her or aware of how much I would miss her. I wasn't ready for this book.

If you're familiar with this book or it's author you may understand why I let it sit for months. I didn't request anything else. I didn't read at all.

I finally finished it today and reviews are hard because I'm still very numb. As others have said it's a well threaded story. The twists are wild and I think it pulls off exactly what it set out to.

The only negatives I found were some gimme points that were skipped over for ease of plot. For example students not being questioned until the following Monday after a murder. Not held for questioning, not watched over the weekend. Just free to get together with enough time to get their story straight if they needed one. A community shaken to its core but still willing to hold its Homecoming Dance after the funeral for its queen. Brave enough to leave the pool open. We're talking, not a single piece of police tape barring your entry.
They didn't even drain the pool after pulling a body out. Gross me green, like seriously.

I also found the cast of characters so massive and the time we had to get to know them so short that I often couldn't remember who was who and it didn't help that everyone sounded exactly alike. Ben and Gabriel. The Sheriff and the Mayor. Elaine and Grace. I can't keep track of all these people. To get through the book I had to give up on keeping them straight all the time.

As for 'whodunnit' I pegged the murderer on the first page they were introduced.

It wasn't as good as The Ivies, but I would read another.

Pretty Dead Queens is a YA mystery that is full of twists, it focuses on Cecelia who moves in with her grandmother after mother falls ill. Her Grandmother is a mystery author and one of her most popular books is about
the murder of a homecoming queen. But then the murder happens in real life and Cecelia attempts to find the murderer. Pretty Dead Queens kept me guessing the whole way through and I did predict the ending. Fun read!

Alexa's PRETTY DEAD QUEENS is a California coastal mystery, in which a girl's new small town is struck by a killer whose murder is pulled straight from the pages of her grandmother's bestselling book. The story started and ended strong, but the middle was hazy. Overall, it was a solid, enjoyable story if somewhat predictable. Some of the characters within Cecelia's friend group were two dimensional, generic, and forgettable. I struggled to relate to them, or care what happened to them, but they didn't get in the way of the story. The story didn't draw me in. Sometimes, I got bored and had to force myself to keep reading.

I guessed the the copycat killer, but the final plot twist caught me very much by surprise. For that, I'm adding an extra star.

WOW! This was such a fun and exciting YA thriller! Pretty Dead Queens is about a murder that happened years ago and a teenager that is trying to solve a copycat killing. This book was fast paced and heart pounding. And, the best part was THAT ENDING! OMGosh! Great YA thriller.

I like books that keep me guessing and this was one them. While I usually like my mystery thrillers not in the YA genre, this was surprisingly good.

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne is a well-written and intriguing book that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional, making them relatable and easy to connect with. The plot is well thought-out and filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes. The main characters grief adds a unique touch to the story and provides a fresh perspective on well-known events. The writing style is descriptive and vivid, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in the world of the book. Overall, "Pretty Dead Queens" is a highly recommended read and I LOVED the ending!

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne, is one of better mystery books I read this year. I found some plot points to be annoying, along with the big twist in the end. That tries to play the reader, as you don't know what actually going on moment. And tries to throw this crazy twist which in my opinion I didn't like and could have been executed better.i do think you should check this book minus how I feel about the ending it was good time up until. the third act.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Pretty Dead Queens has many Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote easter eggs for the older fans and those new to the genre happy. This was a fun read with those twisty red herrings all over the place. Fun and enjoyable.

👸Book Review😵‍💫
Pretty Dead Queens
By: Alexa Donne
⭐️⭐️⭐️/3.5 stars

Eh...maybe I should call it, YA books just aren't for me?! 🤷‍♀️ I need more thrills and chills and it's kinda hard when it's usually based around a high school. And let's face it, I work at a high school so I'm terrified of teens everyday 😂. I'm kidding....kinda.

Cecelia Ellis has tragically lost her mother to her battle with cancer. She now has to go live with her grandmother, the infamous author, Maura Weston.

Her grandmother's book is "loosely" based off of the murder of a homecoming queen which actually did happened when Maura was a teenager. And now it has happened again to a current student that was running for queen! Is this a copycat or is this the original killer who the community thought had been convicted and locked up?

Although Cecelia is new to the area, she's caught right up in the middle of all of the drama. So why not try her hand at her own investigation? She's close to those being questioned already, including who might end up being the murder...😱 Kinda called it early on in the book but it wasn't terrible!

I really enjoyed this YA thriller. It was fast paced and fun snd I loved the murder she wrote vibes of it greatly. I was stumped throughout snd absolutely shocked by the reveal of the killer. I cannot wait to see what this author comes out with next.

After losing her mother due to cancer, Cecilia Ellis goes to live with her grandmother, a bestselling mystery author in Northern California. When her grandmother was a teenager, the homecoming queen was found dead in the gym's pool. She based her first book on the tragedy and it became the town's legend. When Cecilia finds the current queen dead in a copycat killing she begins her own investigation with the help of some classmates. Like all small towns there are secrets which the residents are determined to hide at all costs. This YA thriller had a Nancy Drew girl detective vibe to it that I found engaging. The cast of classmates were well developed and I liked that the focus was not on peer pressure and rivalry but rather comraderie. We follow a twisty path with some surprises encountered along the way. The final chapters were intense almost nail biting to the shocking denounement.. The final chapter seemed to leave open the possibility of more adventures...can only hope. I would recommend this edgy YA thriller to any reader who enjoys a solid crime novel.

Overall, Pretty Dead Queens is a solid YA mystery thriller with great characters and fun twist and turns! I wish it was a bit longer on the investigation and digging into the town secrets, but in general, I really recommend this one if you’re looking for some Nancy Drew x Agatha Christie to read!

Cecilia moves in with her famous author grandma after her mom dies
Her grandma's books started after a murder in high school. Soon Cecilia is living the same story and she decides to investigate herself
I figured out who the killer was closer to the end of the book.

Everyone loves a good murder mystery for the spooky season and the month of October, in the peak of fall and homecoming dances, horror movies and the promise of a new season, and you have Alexa Donne's new book!


Brightly Burning was my favorite work from her (A very successful Jane Eyre retelling in a sci-fi space opera vibes which were perfect!) And I get to add this on to the list. The murder mystery itself was really good, with a plot twist I did not expect at all (But hey, murder authors in books are meant to be creepy!)


Top 5 reasons to consider this one is as follows:

We can all relate to Cecelia's feeling of being an outsider in a new place in the middle of a chaotic year

If you're the type of person to enjoy murder mysteries with LGBTQ+ characters who ACTUALLY get to do some important things, read this one!

A good plot twist that has you wondering which love interest will stay with Cecelia is also worth checking out

It is in the homecoming season we all either hate/love but it gives Riverdale vibes and I AM HERE FOR IT

Alexa Donne has a way to pull you in with vivid imagery and topics that will really make you enter Cecelia's shoes and will have you rooting for her.

In summary, add this to the spooky October list now!


Overall:5/5

Being a woman on the edge of her 30s, I do find a good young adult novel to be my guilty pleasure and this one did not disappoint! There were a good mix of predictable twists that made you feel like you had the whole thing figured out, but also some big jaw-droppers that I never would've seen coming in a million years.

This novel hearkens back to some of the campy thriller and horror movies of the '80s, like Carrie or Heathers. Growing up having watched those movies, this one spoke right to my heart but I think would've missed the point if someone from the book's intended audience picked it up. Though a knowledge of the foundation isn't required to enjoy these books, I think an affinity for that moment in pop culture really enhanced it's appeal.

That being sad, I LOVED this book and simply could not put it down. I raced to the finish, thinking I had it all figured out but boy, was I wrong! I will recommend this one to literally anyone that asks, especially those that are specifically triggered or find the books of Karen McManus or Holly Jackson to be too dark. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cecelia Ellis arrives in Seaview, a small coastal California town, to live with her estranged grandmother after her mother’s death. Her grandmother is a famous author who initially rose to fame when she wrote a murder mystery novel based on the real life events that took place in the town surrounding the death of a homecoming queen. Seaview seems rather ordinary these days though, until history repeats itself with another homecoming queen murdered. Certain that there is a copycat killer around, Cecelia starts investigating, but the further she digs, the more questions come up and it’s starting to look more and more like this case might be related to the first murder in more ways than one.

This review is so long overdue, especially as I had an ARC of this, but with the terrible couple of reading months I’ve been having, I only managed to sit down with this book two weeks ago. Having read The Ivies last year, I was excited to pick up another mystery by this author. This was a compact read and didn’t waste time going off track, which I really appreciated since I wasn’t at all in the mood for something that required too much analysis. The pacing was good and the investigation was interesting, with the events leading up to it starting off relatively quickly. The setting of a small town with so many generations of secrets provided a great backdrop to this story and it set the scene and mood quite well.

On the downside, just like with The Ivies, I felt there was a disconnect with the main character Cecelia and couldn’t really bring myself to care about her, or indeed any of the characters. They didn’t feel very well defined, and to be honest, there were far too many of them for my taste (especially given that this a single POV story), and I kept having to go back and remind myself who was who. Then there’s the fact that Celia has next to no reason to be investigating at all, apart from the fact that she was the one who stumbled onto the body. This resulted in a lack of any emotional connection to the story for me, despite the mystery itself being interesting. The romance arc was extremely insta-lovey and it also had such a typical love triangle trope that automatically had me marking it down half a star.

The big reveal was very well orchestrated, and I didn’t really suspect anything until well past the 75% mark – and even after that, I certainly wasn’t prepared for the last minute twist at the end of it all. In hindsight, it doesn’t really make sense from a logical angle that the killer would have gotten away with it for so long, but I think this is the type of book you just enjoy and don’t read too much into. Even though Halloween has long passed, this book is definitely a read that suits the spooky season and fans of mysteries and thrillers are sure to enjoy this intriguing whodunnit!