Thanks to NetGalley, the author, Tor Nightfire for the copy of this eArc. I read this book way back in June 2023. Sometimes life gets in the way of reviews despite the reviewers best intentions. This is this reviewer's attempt to make up for past regressions. This book has the perfect backdrop for me Disneyland and its cast members. I mean afterall aren't we all want to go a little unhinged when we visit Disneyland. Put yourself in the shoes of Maeve, a cast member, who wants but doesn't want to be one of the top cast members, whose friend's boyfriend has entered the picture too. The gorgeous cover says it all and should be enough to draw you in. CJ Leede will be a horror mainstay. I have gone on to read American Rapture which was as fun as the description reads.

i'm not even sure what i just read.

netgalley is an excellent resource for acquiring books that i either haven't heard of or for early access of those that i have.

i've been doing the "FIFO the netgalley books without reading the descriptions" & wow.
even if i *had* read a recap, i still would not have been prepared for this book.

it was as if someone decided to filter a hallmark movie through a blumhouse filter.

was it well, written? absolutely. would i recommend it to others? probably not unless i knew they had a strong stomach & penchant for nihilism.

What did I just read? I’m middle of the road for this one. The story was just okay for me, the twist at the end was slightly predictable but was a fun read for the spooky season.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Maeve Fly is the story and name of one very disturbed individual, obsessed with Halloween music, in love with her job playing Elsa at the Disney park, and dedicated caretaker to her ailing grandmother, who was famous once upon a time.

Highly defensive of the secret culture of LA, unwilling to open up to others, and with an extremely unusual taste in reading material, Maeve isn't like other girls, and she'll make sure you know it.

I'm not a horror aficionado. Some of the references in this definitely went over my head. But I found this to be not only dull and boring, but also stale. Nothing struck me as extremely feminist or fresh about this story. Maeve isn't special or strong, she's just a jerk who has too many mental issues to count. Many reviewers have mentioned the copy of American Psycho she reads and begins to act out, and I found that it ruined the ending of an already downhill journey. Her main book obsession revolves around trying to hold an egg in her anus without breaking it. And that's how she ends up connecting with her sexual partner, over the egg dilemma.

Her "love interest" is an annoying prick who pokes and prods her to get a reaction, since she's such a ray of sunshine. They bicker and argue and have very wild and kinky and dangerous sex, and it's all very taboo. I hope you can hear the sarcasm in my tone. He is framed as the only man who might possibly be able to understand her, in ways even her best friend never could.

The horror aspects of this story were flat for me as well. I'm not scared of visions of little girls with Toy Story Sid doll amalgamations. I'm not scared of a girl who is obsessed with her grandmother to the point where she murders her nurse and takes over caring for the woman until she dies due to negligence. I'm not scared of badly written BDSM. And I'm definitely not scared of a Disney princess who lost her mind because she got fired, put on a playboy bunny costume, and went on a murder spree. The gore wasn't even really shocking, and I'm pretty weak-willed when it comes to gore, so.

I just really didn't see a point to any of this story. If it wasn't heartfelt, or funny, or satirical, or scary, or thought-provoking... Then what was it, other than a bother to read?

Bonus points for the cover.

Equal parts Palahniuk, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, American Psycho and blended modern and golden age Hollywood, this book is also one of the most engaging and unexpected narratives I've gotten pulled into in the last couple years. It's macabre, mystery, and bizarre all at once, intense and detached both, and more than a little strange. Maeve is unlike so many protagonists and initially sets herself up as someone abrasive and coldly judgemental, but soon enough we get deeper into her story and beyond the mask she wears, even for herself, to the heart of who she is and what she needs and always sought from everyone around her. You have to be willing to get there though, and the book may not be for everyone (even many horror fans) particularly those who have limited patience for unreliable narrators, twisted love stories, and a book that holds back on the gore and mayhem until it doesn't. The fact that I ate this up within two days time says quite a lot in itself.

this book serves as a poignant reminder of why i love the horror genre so much. it's visceral, gory, and unflinching. we definitely need more books like this one!

thank you Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that will leave you nauseous. I enjoyed the story but was hoping for a bigger reveal at the end or a moral to the story. It was interesting but not my favorite.

Sick and twisted and I loved it! A bit more gory than I typically read, but I still enjoyed my time reading it. For fans of Bunny and American Psycho.

Maeve Fly is a darkly comedic horror novel that pairs one woman’s gory thrills alongside a twisted love letter to Los Angeles. By day, Maeve's a cheerful ice princess at a theme park. By night, she's a literary misanthrope with a taste for violence, inspired by iconic horror villains. When a new arrival to LA and her social circle awakens something very dark within her, Maeve embraces a bolder, bloodier persona, channeling her inner American Psycho.

Maeve Fly is a wild ride and I adored it. The main character is deliciously unhinged – she's quirky, dark, and surprisingly compelling. Let's just say, she wouldn't win Mother of the Year, but you find yourself rooting for her twisted journey. The author does a fantastic job of creating a complex character who's both absolutely awful and strangely endearing.i also loved the strong sense of place. The Los Angeles setting isn't just a backdrop, it's a character itself. The neon glow of the Sunset Strip practically drips off the page. There was a little mystery tied into the plot which wasn't "hard to figure out" but I was still pleased with how everything wrapped up. Maeve was so weird and awful and wicked, but for some reason I couldn't help but root for her. There was something about her and her love interest that was so compelling and the Scorpio in me ate this story up. If you cannot do gore and/or weird, including some spicy scenes that will have you wanting to run for your life, then maybe don't read this one. But, if you're like me and you love stream of consciousness narratives about unhinged women, with a little bit of gore, a whole lot of weird, a bit of a romance, then I highly recommend this one.

One of my friends pitched this as “a terrible hockey romance,” and if you’ve read the book, this will make you cackle.

Maeve Fly is so intent on not being average that she takes a wide swing into psychopathy.

Thank you, Tor Nightfire and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.

This book was so unhinged and gross, and I loved it. A new favorite book for sure, and I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with!

My absolute favorite horror book I have read this year. O.M.G. I am so obsessed with every aspect of this story and the characters and the nods to other horror greats. It's over-the-top, and gross, and devastating, and just perfect.

Thank you Netgalley for the change to read this spectacular book! This review is my own and unbiased.

Absolutely awesome prose, a unique premise, and fantastic blend of fun and creepy. I look forward to reading more of Leede's books!

This made it to my top 10 list of 2023! This was so sick and twisted but in the best way. It is not a mindless slasher story, every bit of gore had its own story. I will be reading everything this author writes and can’t wait to see what she does next!

I've heard a lot of hype about this book, and it definitely lived up to it! Found this to be a very enjoyable read, and I'm definitely looking forward to more from the author. It's always difficult for a novel to still be readable even with an unlikable protagonist, but the author does exactly that here.

Despite the unpleasant main character, this book is still highly entertaining- but with that comes my one small gripe. A lot of people talk about how shocking this book is, but it didn't quite hit that mark for me. It's big on the fun, but not on the squirm factor. I'm a big fan of American Psycho, which is an influence on both this book and its protagonist. The biggest difference is that AP, while being extremely funny at times, is also one of the few books I've had to put down to take a breather from. This book didn't have that factor for me.

Still, this was a very fun read and I'd recommend it to any fellow horror fans. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book. Wow!! This book is super intense, and graphic, and I could not put it down. I loved it. This book is on the final Stoker ballot for best debut novel. I’ve read three of the books now (the others being The Spite House and Edenville) but this one was the best of them. I plan on reading the other two nominees as well, but I’m having a hard time thinking those will top this one.

Maeve is Princess Elsa at Disneyworld. She lives with her grandma, Princess Anna (played by Kate) is her best friend, but Maeve has a dark side. Kate’s brother comes to town and becomes involved with Maeve, but little does he know when Maeve’s dark side comes out, bad things happen. This book is a modern-day take on American Psycho. It’s definitely graphic, but nowhere near as bad as AP, which is one of the most difficult books I’ve ever had to read. I had to skim a lot of that one, but I was glued to Maeve and her intensity.

UNHINGED. This book is dark, and funny, and off the rails, and great, but gross and really just unhinged.

The horror in this novel is pretty gruesome, especially towards the end but I think the book would have made a bit more of an impact if the horror had been throughout the book instead of bunched up at the end. The pacing of the book was fine, I was always interested enough to pick the book back up but I kept waiting for the horror to happen but not until the last third of the book do we get the horror that the main character subjects the people around her. Would definitely read this author again because I think the way she handled the narration of the main character was very well done. I could definitely have followed the character for a lot longer, she definitely kept my interest throughout the story.

When I finished the book the only thing I could think was, "WTF??" This was a very bizarre book. Maeve was a very disturbing character. I love the correlation this book had to American Psycho, which is one of my favorite books. I really enjoyed this!

"Maeve Fly" is a gripping horror novel that weaves a web of suspense, leaving readers teetering on the edge of their seats. The author masterfully explores the supernatural, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that permeates every page. With a compelling protagonist and a plot that twists and turns, "Maeve Fly" immerses readers in a world where fear and mystery collide. This haunting tale is a must-read for anyone seeking a spine-chilling experience, as it skillfully navigates the realms of horror with a unique and captivating narrative.