I was totally with this novel at the beginning. Loved the setting at the "unnamed theme park" (cough, cough, Disneyland), the old Hollywood glamour, the seedy bars on the Sunset Strip. But by the halfway point of the novel where we were treated to yet another of our anti-heroine's S&M sexcapades with no real plot to speak of, I had to put it down. Our heroine was becoming increasingly difficult to root for, or even like.

"Maeve Fly" by CJ Leedes takes readers on a thrilling journey as the seemingly enchanting ice princess, Maeve Fly, reveals her darker side in the neon-lit world of the Sunset Strip. By day, she captivates as every child's favorite princess, but by night, she immerses herself in the shadowy corners of dive bars, channeling the spirits of her misanthropic literary heroes.

The arrival of Gideon Green, her best friend's brother, becomes a catalyst for change, stirring something dangerous within Maeve. As the familiar world around her undergoes a profound transformation, Maeve sheds her discontented facade and embraces a new, audacious persona—one inspired by the chilling pages of "American Psycho."

Leedes skillfully navigates the thin line between enchantment and menace, crafting a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Maeve's metamorphosis into a character reminiscent of Patrick Bateman adds an intriguing layer of complexity and depravity to the story. "Maeve Fly" is a gripping tale that explores the consequences of untethering oneself from the ordinary and giving into the darkness within.

Shocking and disgustingly wonderful. This had my jaw dropping at several points in the story. Cannot wait for what CJ Leade delivers us next

A deliciously gruesome fever dream of contemporary life in LA. Maeve Fly is a wild ride of the shocking, the sensual, and the downright brutal. It offers a feminist spin on the usual slasher genre, and also a surprisingly impactful commentary on mental health, loneliness, and the need for fame or infamy, especially in urban society. Filled with black comedy, cringe worthy gore, and electric prose, this is a sucker punch of a debut perfect for fans of both classic social horror and for those who recognize that it’s time for feminine rage to enter the slasher scene.

This book was an absolute crazy ride that I loved so much! Maeve is not a character that you are made to love, yet I loved her anyway. She did whatever she wanted when she wanted. She had no qualms about being herself. And the fact that she was trying the whole book to not kill anyone was off the chain. And the twist ending?? I was so upset! I will be impatiently awaiting CJ Leede's next book!!

Maeve Fly is definitely one of the darkest and most different books I have ever read. It should probably have an entire Prologue dedicated to disclaimers. There are several instances of sexual violence that are not for the faint of heart. With that being said...I loved it, but I love weird, dark and unhinged horror novels. This was an insanely fun ride into the mind of a burgeoning psycho. Maeve is a breath of fresh air with her love of halloween music, her macabre mind and her murderous tendencies. She reminds me of a female Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. I enjoyed following her descent into madness. I will NEVER look at an 🥚 the same again. 😬

If you enjoy movies like American Psycho,reading  Dark Romance Novels and can handle dark displays of violence then this book is for you.

I don’t know what I read but it was definitely SOMETHING.

Maeve Fly is being considered extreme horror/splatter punk so if you decide to read this, please know you’re going into some ~dark stuff~ & gore. I personally didn’t think it went THAT hard, but there was a particular scene that went from HOLY SEXY HOT to HOLY HECK, did she just do that?! IYKYK.

I can’t say that Maeve Fly is a book I’m gonna obsess over in terms of the plot but it was definitely weird & I actually really enjoyed the characters & that’s enough for me.

When people said this book was like female version of American Psycho, they were not lying. I even bought American Psycho to read right afterwards as a comparison since I had only seen the movie and the vibes are the same! This book was a JOURNEY (and a sometimes difficult one, but in a good way)

This book is brilliant and disgusting and I absolutely loved it! I loved following Maeve in this story and didn't expect some of the twists we got in here making it just an overall fun ride.

🪰 The synopsis compares the protag Maeve to Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. I haven’t read American Psycho or seen the movie; but, I have heard about it enough over the years to have a general idea what it was about. So, I felt like I knew – at least a bit – what I was getting myself into with this book. I was wrong.

🪰 This book is gratuitously violent. It is horribly gory and cruel. It’s way over-the-top and it made me cringe often. I admit to skimming parts because the viciousness was just too much. I enjoy reading horror, but I have a line regarding violence, and this book crossed it for me.

🪰 Yet, despite the violence Maeve is compelled to commit, I found myself oddly intrigued by her… and I honestly can’t fully explain why. She’s smart, she’s a reader, she is great with kids, she loves her grandmother… yet, she is so messed up! She’s the type of person everyone always describes as “such a sweet, quiet girl” after they discover she’s done something horrific. She’s a psychiatrist’s dream patient for sure.

🪰 The relationship between Maeve and her grandmother wasn’t fully developed IMO. There was a lot of background that was hinted at, but I wanted more.

🪰 The first line of the book was flawless – “This is my story, and you cannot control it.” It was a warning of sorts, and I thought it was perfect.

🪰 I can’t say I enjoyed reading this book (the violence was too extreme for me), but there were elements I was intrigued by. Like I said earlier, Maeve is a fantastic character study (if you are into that kind of thing and can stomach her actions).

Thank you @NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Wow. Just wow. What a read. This book was phenomenal.

First off, the characters. Maeve was tragic. Her character development was so realistic and thorough that you truly feel she is real. And Gideon was extremely interesting. I loved theorizing about his true role in the story. Part of what made this book so incredible was the side characters. By only giving us Maeve's perspective on them helped truly solidify Maeve's cynicism.

Second, the gore. It was sickening in the best possible way. It really helped solidify Maeve's psychotic tendencies. She didn't just kill people, she made her own version of art.

All in all, this book delivered on every promise it made.

This book gave me everything I could possibly want and didn't even know I needed. 1000% female Patrick Bateman meets Dexter, instead of a dark passenger Maeve has a wolf. Very dark thoughts that slowly melt and take over her reality through a mix of distractions and trigger moments that take place.

I had to remind myself many times this was not a romance book and things were going to be very dark. Certain scenes will hit the spot if you crave books with gore!

I love how CJ Leede gives you the brutal scenes at times and then lightens it other times not going to deep. I just absolutely loved this book and Maeve. She was relatable (not in a wolf way but more of a halloween and music way) such as I myself have spent years searching for a certain copy of Fight Club on Ebay.

I am ready for her next novel now!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maeve Fly
C.J. Leede @ceejthemoment
Extreme Horror
288 Pages
Available Now ( Happy PUB day)
Swipe ↔️ for Synopsis

Possible Triggers: Serial Unaliver, Grief, Gruesome Imagery, BDSM, Unaliving, Eyeballs, Softboiled Eggs, And so many more

So much yes. For real, this danm book. OMG. Im absolutely mind blown. If your a fan of horror what are you doing? Seriously STOP what your doing and read this freaking book. And this is Leede's debut novel I just can't. I CANT. I see you C.J. and I can't wait to see what's next.

Proceed with CAUTION this book is not for the weak hearted or stomached by any means. Things get downright gruesome. And I loved every minute of it. This starts off pretty "tame" and puts a lot of focus on character building and pulling you into the crazy bustle of the LA lifestyle of a Disney Ice Princess but quickly switches gears and gives you all the gory, intense, horrific, explicit scenes some of us horror fans crave. I'm warning you now though, don't expect to fall head over heels for these characters. They got A LOT going on especially Maeve. With that said I have to admit her mind just intrigued me. And I had the hardest time putting this down because I couldn't wait to find out what she was going to do or say next. For my Dark Romance loving friends, YOU GUYS thats in here too in its own twisted way. And you bet I absolutely ate that shit up. Gideon Green, okay Mr. Creepy Hockey Player. I ship it.This book just unpacks a lot and it was just so much danm fun. I succumb, I proudly admit this is my favorite read of 2023 so far.

(Thank you @tornightfire , C.J. Leede and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honost thoughts and opinions 🖤)

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit! I definitely didn’t have any expectations coming into this book but it blew me out of the water! It was the perfect mix of psychopathic horror and demented love story twisted together! I love how the setting of the story is the happiest place on earth and being from LA, I can definitely relate to some of her feelings regarding the people and atmosphere there. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes creepy, unpredictable, yet unputdownable stories that I found it far to easy to see the main characters points of view!

Sadly this book didn't work for me, however I do think that's a me thing. This story felt like a love letter to American Psycho, and if you are a bigger lover of that I think you will love this. You can see where the inspiration has been pulled, scenes that have been reimagined and so on. However I found being inside Maeve's head really boring. I wanted more of a plot and more reasoning then "I just want to kill people" which I also feel about American Psycho. So I think this style of story is just not for me. I also wish I had known more clearly about some of the smut. It's just not something I want really in my horror. So did push my boundaries at time. Again that's a me thing.

In this debut extreme horror novel, Maeve Fly spends her days working as a costumed princess in "The Happiest Place on Earth," living with her grandmother, a Golden Age of Hollywood star, in a mansion, and murdering people in-between watching pornography and inciting online hate mobs. Clearly, she's not the main character many readers have encountered. Maeve's world begins to crack as her grandmother's health fails, her best friend Kate verges on getting that one big break that will take her away from the theme park and Maeve, and Kate's gorgeous hockey player brother draws her in.
Maeve's story is that of a serial killer but she's also someone with a need to be accepted. She is an engaging narrator who builds readers' sympathy with her dark humor and real pain as she loses the grounding that her closest relationships provided while also making them uncomfortable as they realize how dark her desires run. Filled with explicit sex and violence, Maeve Fly is not for everyone but it is a compelling story that fits in well with the recent explosion of extreme horror. Recommended for fans of American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Hailey Piper, and Eric LaRocca.

The book takes readers on a journey into the mind of a Halloween-obsessed Disney princess serial killer, Maeve, offering a unique glimpse into a fascinating and morally skewed perspective. Maeve works alongside her best friend, Kate, the only person, besides her grandmother, she feels a real connection with. That is until Kate's brother, Gideon, arrives in town.

The story unfurls as an unapologetically gory and horrifying journey, sparing no details. With its unfiltered depictions of sexual exploits, graphic violence, and dark humour, it entices and captivates the reader. The book delves deep into her thoughts, voice, observations, and judgments, creating an immersive experience told exclusively from Maeve's point of view.

This was a smart and visceral read that I recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in ecvhange for an honest review.

"Maeve Fly" is the delicious, nasty horror novel I've been waiting for all year, and CJ Leade nails it! Our main character isn't a simple misanthrope, and while there is a deep, disturbed darkness to her, we also see how much she cares for her grandmother, how much she enjoys her work as a princess at not-Disneyland. This makes for a far more interesting character study than the novel it is most compared to - American Psycho - and it makes the entire ride a lot more fun. I loved it!

I adored this novel, which is weird to write/say since it is about a sociopathic serial killer. But I don't care. It is fresh and exciting and gruesome in the best ways. Female serial killers are so rarely written about in fiction, and I wish that wasn't the case. CJ Leede's writing is vivid and comedic, and I can't wait to read more!

Maeve Fly is an original horror novel that fans of the genre will enjoy and discuss for years. It raises the standard for creepy. Recommended for fans of the genre who want to let their imaginations fly.