“We are what we are”

Maeve Fly is a fast-paced, gory horror novel. Maeve, Princess by day, Patrick Bateman by night, is the perfect narrator for this story. I loved the ending to it.

Wow. I’ve heard author CJ Leede has drawn plenty of inspiration from Stephen King. But I don’t think Stephen King has written something this dark. Maeve Fly throws readers into the mind of a warped Disneyland princess actor. Maeve has everything she could ever want, a best friend, her idol of her grandma, and a job she absolutely loves. But what happens if she starts to lose the things that tether her to sanity? Using incredible references, humor, and twisted description, Leedes has written something truly special for the horror genre. We are not worthy.

Let me introduce you all to a new friend of mine, Maeve Fly. But before you meet her you need to know a few things. For one, she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. So beware, she does bite and it’s way worse than her bark. And yes, she may be a princess at Disneyland but let’s be real at the end of the day, she’s got acting and Hollywood in her blood Just because she works at the happiest place on earth does NOT mean she’s nice girl. Actually, it’s probably safest if you don’t meet her in person at all. Instead you should probably just read about her through C.J. Leedes’ new novel Maeve Fly, it’s safest that way and trust me, she’s gonna be someone soon, just you wait , I’m always right!

Thank you C.J. Leede, this is in all honesty, my one of my favourite books I've ever read! Maeve Fly is the feminist monstrous antihero, I never knew that I needed. A far cry from the final girl archetype, Maeve is a clear decent of Pyscho and the 21st century female version of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman with a love of all things horror and halloween. A feminist take on the monstrous-self narrative told entirely through Maeve, and she simply wants to demonstrate in this dark and bloody tale how one can be monstrous without being a victim, esp. as female. I seriously recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of feminist horror, dark horror or american psycho. This is definitely for fans of blood and gore.

I got this book as an advanced reader copy from Tor publishers through Netgalley, and I loved this book so much, I definitely will be getting a hardcover copy for my horror collection when released in June because Leede's dark, and humorous writing style brought Maeve to life and I fell in love. Never have I related to a protagonist so much (not the murdering part), but the last of connections, isolation and feeling as though one is an outcast and alone surrounded by people who just don't understand you, and the social acceptability of provided to men for their behaviour and gender and social expectations narrowly confine what is deemed acceptable for women.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever wanted to take a utensil to some else's eye!

As a huge Halloween and hockey fan, I think my reading this book was probably like a New Wave fan reading American Psycho in the 80s. The satire worked for me in a way that was more affecting than American Psycho (which is one of the only comps I have for this book) because all of the things in it were so much more familiar to me. Maeve Fly worked on a lot of levels for me, and even though I was sort of conflicted while reading it, once I understood that it was a satire, it was smooth sailing and a fun trip.

DNF, not for me! The book went from meandering to extreme horror which really just isn’t my fave. I also was confused on how this is based on the story of the eye but it’s like story of the eye inception bc the mc is obsessed w the book? Idk, it felt poorly fleshed out and simply not my bag. The setting was cool tho

I did not enjoy this. It's not for me because from the very beginning the one scene that at the Princess park where the one worker is described not waring a bra and that whole disruption left a bad taste and the cherry on top was when the photo was taken and a young boy grabbed her boob and before that looked at the other worker to see if was OK to grab it. The whole thing made me feel icky and I thought it wasn't humorous at all. It just set the whole tone of the book.

I'm disappointed that I didn't like this because I've seen some good reviews and the synopsis sound great.

Thank you for the opportunity of the ARC.

Maeve Fly
By C.J. Leede
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Publish Date: June 6, 2023

Genres: horror, psychological horror, slasher

What you need to know:

Maeve Fly is a pretty princess. Really, her day job is that of a famous children’s ice princess character. Her best friend Kate is also a pretty princess. Maeve fills her days with Kate in the happiest place in the world, and her nights following Kate and her man of the month to strip clubs and dive bars, with her book, on the Strip in LA. Maeve is (dis)content until she meets Kate’s brother, Gideon, who seems to awaken a dark, primal fury inside.

My reading experience:

I was completely blown away by this book and Maeve’s character! The complex personality of Maeve is conveyed so well with her inner talk and her actions. Being a psych nurse I believe I may have analyzed Maeve a little more than the average reader might, but I was genuinely intrigued by her complexities, and truly impressed with how well her personality was developed and shown to the reader throughout. I will not use “unhinged” to describe Maeve, as I don’t believe that she just lost it. I believe Maeve is who she is; what she is.

This book is raw, brutal, and graphically violent and erotic. I applaud such raw honesty in writing.

The ending destroyed me… seriously, I’m still recovering.

I loved this book, I loved Maeve.

Maeve Fly was incredible. We follow the titular Maeve, who is so terrible and cool I couldn’t help but kind of like her (when I wasn’t absolutely horrified by her). This book is going to be a classic- absolutely will recommend it to horror lovers!

"There are many definitions of insanity in this world. One could argue that spooning a man’s eyeball out of the socket and performing carnal acts of religious desecration with it is insanity…"

Seeing this cover will either gross you out or excite you. It was both for me. It took things that are so normal and put them together to create something that will haunt your days. It’s beautiful and had my attention quick. I couldn’t turn my back on something that I knew was going to deliver something twisted.

Patrick Bateman would be so proud.

I am blown away by the craziness that is this book and I'm kind of in love. I keep saying that horror needs more females and C.J. certainly answers my demon-filled prayers. She makes you cringe, turns your stomach, and makes you laugh as she envelops you in a blood-soaked hug from the depths of hell.

The last 30% of this book was bonkers, and so incredibly messed up that I had to reread it. That is what made this book a true gem and highly recommendable.

"You are what you are, and no matter what you think, you cannot change it. A wolf is only ever a wolf."

I couldn’t understand this book. It spends chapters upon chapters on just inner monologue that added nothing to the story. Sad that I couldn’t finish it but ten chapters in and there was nothing bringing me in.

Straight up nihilism for the whole thing. Could be fun if done a little differently but this book is not trying to have a good time with the narrative it brings.

The eponymous Maeve Fly is a theme park princess with a deep-seated penchant for violence and vice. Maeve cares for her ailing grandmother - former movie star and a woman Maeve holds in high-esteem - but things begin to spin out of control when Gideon enters the scene. When the two are together, Maeve's dark desires come to the surface and the two find themselves delving into sadomasochistic pastimes. Halloween music - Maeve's favorite - serves as leitmotif throughout the story and pairs well with the overall dark humor of the novel. However, readers are likely to find several scenes deeply disturbing. As a librarian, I would only recommend this book to avid horror readers with strong stomachs.

Maeve Fly is a book I'm not quite sure how I feel about...and I think that's ok. Very early in the book I felt a bit taken aback, but that was just the tip...I wasn't quite prepared for the full force Maeve thrusts upon the reader! Hey, if this review deters you just a bit, you should keep your distance.

Leede holds nothing back and turns the level of disturbance to 11. Not only are there some brutal kills in this book, there is also a heavy thrum of sexual content.

I say all this up front because that may be all you need to hear on whether you pursue or avoid Maeve Fly for yourself. If you're still here, I'll say that Leede has a great voice and this story is absolutely propulsive! Personally, I felt a bit out of my comfort zone, but I couldn't turn myself away and felt I had to keep reading to see what happens next and how it all ends.

This book will shake you and disturb you. It will gross you out. It will make you cringe. I believe Mave will also captivate and entertain you.

Ultimately, Mave Fly is not just another book. It's also not a book for everyone. Is this book for you? I cannot say, but personally I appreciate when a book is so different from those I've read before and Maeve Fly was definitely that for me. Jarring and disturbing, Maeve Fly is not one I'll soon forget!

Okay- this book was horrific. There were parts that were so uncomfy, but I couldn’t put it down. There were so many moments that I caught myself laughing, but what I wanna know is why Maeve is the way she is.

Not for the faint of heart.

But like, I'd read another story about Maeve.

I just reviewed Maeve Fly by CJ Leede. #MaeveFly #NetGalley

This book was SO GOOD!!!! I loved it! The ending was SHOCKING!!!

Thank you Tor and Net Galley for this ARC. This book was a wild ride!! It kept me on my toes from beginning to end. My favorite thing about this story was having such conflicting feelings for the main character who is simultaneously caring and psychotic. It had the right amount of gore with a sprinkle of humor. Absolutely disgusting and brilliant!

Where does one even start with Maeve Fly? I loved it! I genuinely absolutely loved it, but it took some time to grow on me. Perhaps like a fly laying eggs and it taking time to hatch, so this story has latched into my brain and created a swarm of interest second to none.

This book starts out slow and it took me a minute to determine if this was young to be something I liked. But just like the main character in this story, I sensed a darkness that I loved. This book is DARK and it's intense. It truly isn't for the faint of heart, but I think for those that don't mind some violence, some gore, and some mutilation. Go read this book because it's a slow descent into madness that will leave you hungry for more. Oh and did I mention the twist at the end will have you SCREAMING AS YOU FLIP THE LAST PAGE!!

This book is so freaking awesome!!

Maeve Fly follows a badass girl working as a well-known Princess at a well-known theme park by day and is a merciless killer by night.

Maeve lives a quiet life in the Hollywood Hills with her grandmother. Her passions include Halloween music, Disney, exposing racists online, and keeping her murderous tendencies at bay. Its not until Gideon moves to town that her limits are tested. Together they embark on a journey of kinky sex and torture. But how much of her true identity can she expose before everyone sees just how dangerous she truly is? Maeve believes that we are who we are who we are, and sometimes our inner demons simply must come out to play.

This author does not hold back… like at all! The details are all here in their visceral bloody gross glory. The writing is spot on and Maeves voices comes through distinctly. True Horror and body horror fans alike wont be able to put this down- I mean that flat iron scene… My one critic is that it needed to be longer!!

Despite being a horror this one just wasn't for me. It's not only similar to American Psycho but some other books I've read that feel like they are trying to make a point. This just feels like it's trying to be shocking. There's nothing about the main character that makes me want to root for her.

What a roller coaster of awesomeness! Maeve Fly takes you all over the map as it follows our protagonist through the drama and excitement that is her complete devolution into a complete true american psycho. I loved every minute of it and stayed up way too late reading it.