Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. I am a huge fan of true crime and I've always felt the Lizzie Borden case was intriguing. It does have several creepy/spooky elements to it, but I wasn't a fan of the supernatural element in the book even though it ties in to the plot. I was able to predict the ending, which is always a bummer for me. I always enjoy multiple perspectives told in a before and after setting. I think it's a solid Halloween read and I would read more from this author.

I had a good time reading this book from start to finish. I have always been intrigued by Lizzie Borden and her story. It was interesting to read a similar plotline, fast-forwarded over 100 years. Although it touched on the sensationalized case/trial of the Bordens, the different spin was a nice change. I liked the viewpoints & jumping around the timeline and the twist I really didn't see coming. Overall, a great spooky read for the season.

This was such a fun YA horror! Hatchet Girls takes place in the town where the real life Lizzie Borden situation occurred. Now it seems that the same situation has happened again, with our main character, Tessa's, brother being accused of murdering his girlfriend, Mariella's, parents with an axe. From the police's standpoint, it seems like a clear open and shut case, especially with Mariella being a witness. The only thing is Tessa's brother doesn't remember anything. In order to save her brother's freedom, Tessa takes it upon herself to figure out what really happened that night and stumbles upon some supernatural happenings.

This one was a great read for the Halloween season! I loved how it was structured, with being from Tessa's point of view after the murders and Mariella's point of view leading up to the murders. It was nicely paced and it truly was a creepy story. I thought the ending was also done really well, something that a lot of horrors tend to lack on.

I also really appreciated that the author included the known facts of the Lizzie Borden story at the end of the book. I thought that was really tasteful since it was a real story with real victims.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to someone who's looking for a spooky Halloween read, but maybe doesn't want something too intense.

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

If you’re looking for a quick horror thriller read for the spooky season, then you can give this one a try.

This story was set after the Lizzie Borden murder that took place in 1892 – one of America’s greatest unsolved murder mystery.
I didn’t know much about this case, therefore I was very intrigued to read this book. I also appreciate where the author gives information regarding the truth of the case as well as the real history to some places mentioned throughout the story like the Fall River town, the swamp and the forest at the end of the story.

I really like how this story incorporate some of the real events and places into this story which makes the atmosphere feels creepier.
As for the paranormal element with the potions and the mysterious presence near the ending left me with unanswered questions. I kinda wish there’s more information or exploration regarding Mariella’s family.

Overall, it was a unique plot idea which makes an interesting read. However, the pacing was slightly rushed, I don’t mind if the length was longer in order to create room for exploration and development of the plot and the characters.

Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to read more books by this author in the future.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Violence, child abuse, emotional abuse, murder, death,

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Diana Rodriguez Wallach for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Hatchet Girls coming out October 10, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When Mariella Morse accuses her boyfriend, Vik Gomez, of killing her affluent parents with an axe, the town believes her almost instantly. Vik is caught standing over their bodies with blood on his hands, unable to remember anything about murdering them.

But Vik’s sister, Tessa, knows that Vik could never be capable of such a horrific crime. Haunted by the mistakes she made that led her family to move to Fall River, MA in the first place, she’s determined to prove her brother’s innocence.

Tessa’s search for answers will lead her into a infamously cursed forest, where she and Mariella must face a darkness that has lurked within their town since before the days of Lizzie Borden—the original axe murderess of Fall River.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was super excited to check it out. I loved it! I’ve read a few books and seen a few shows on Lizzie Borden. The setting and backstory were interesting. It was the right amount of spooky and horror. I loved the writing and different points of view. Definitely want to check out other books by this author!

I would recommend this to anyone enjoys Lizzie Borden and murder stories.

This was such a good story! Can't wait to read more from this author and to own this as a physical book! Thank you so much for netgalley for allowing me to read this fantastic book!

This story is gripping and fast-paced and absolutely perfect for October. The story is balanced very well between character development and plot. My favorite character was by far Oscar, he lit up every scene he was in. The major plot twist wasn't super surprising, but it didn't necessarily need to be in my opinion. The author built the story to make sense with the twist and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Hatchet Girs is a fun, fast read that definitely gave the Lizzie Borden vibes. I really enjoyed how this jumped right into the action where we see Vik getting arrested for the murder of his girlfriend's parents. We also get dual POVs and timelines, one from the days leading up to the murder alternating with what happened after. I loved how they slowly came together revealing the truth of what really happened the night of the murder. It gave great thriller/ could it be supernatural vibes and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it was all going to play out.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for eARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy reading the story of Lizzie Borden. This was a fun and perfectly creepy read. Highly recommend, especially for tweens and teens.

This book was an arc from Netgalley. I would rate it 3.5. I liked the concept of a horror book based on the Lizzie Borden case. I found the book to have an excess of adjectives for my personal taste but that might be how YA books are written. I thought the conclusion was a little too fantastical but the mystery of the whodunit was written well. I enjoyed the chapters from the sister's perspective the most and I appreciated that a teen girl was used as the strong character who is brave and determined to solve the murders. If you are into mystical horror, I would recommend this book.

This was an excellent young adult horror book! Hatchet Girls switched between Tessa and Mariella’s points of view as well as switched between before and after the murders. This story was very well written and researched and had me intrigued throughout the book. I loved how this book combined horror and mystery and also had supernatural elements. This book is perfect for the spooky season!

Read this if you like:

🪓 YA Horror
🪓 The Lizzie Borden Case
🪓 Dual POV
🪓 Supernatural Reads

I loved this book and I definitely recommend picking it up if you are looking for a spooky read.

This is the perfect book to start off the spooky season right! The author does a spectacular job at blending several genres together, it really is a good mix. If you like young adult, thriller, mystery, horror, paranormal, and a little romance then this book has you covered.

I was completely sucked into this story and the Lizzie Borden case tie in. I loved all of the unexpected supernatural elements woven in how everything made sense and had a place in the plot.

You could definitely tell that the author took the time to do her research and it really had a good outcome.

If you are a fan of the Lizzie Borden case and the paranormal then this is definitely one to add to your tbr this fall!

Hatchet Girls is a perfect choice to pick up as the sky darkens and the chill settles on your skin.

I really enjoyed this dark and brooding mesh of different, but all very autumnal genres for me. This is a murder mystery or thriller, mixed with some paranormal elements and a historical tie to the infamous Lizzie Borden case. In fact, the marketing describes it as imagining a similar case to Borden’s now and this explicitly comes up in the story a lot. There is a sense of historical trauma marking a place. Rodriguez Wallach conveys that tight, paranoid atmosphere so well.

Tessa works perfectly as a main protagonist, serving as the audience stand in, as she determinedly tries to find the truth of what happened that night at any cost. She was driven, passionate, loving and intelligent, particularly around gauging people. This is a complex emotional tapestry, with messy relationships and long-standing dynamics. The entire time, you are questioning whether what you have seen is the truth. This is added to with the use of multiple narrators and differing timelines.

This book pushes a lot of questions around justice and how that intersects with race, class and institutional prejudice. The framing of the victim and perpetrator here comes from a racialised lens that also brings in gendered and class elements. It speaks to the sensationalisation of violent crime within modern day culture. Everything is able to be consumed, by the public and by the media until another fresher, more juicy story emerges to feast upon. That vicious cycle of use and discardment is keenly felt throughout the book. It brings the snap decisions often made by media, public and police perceptions to the forefront and examines them under a harsh spotlight.

Hatchet Girls brings an infamous case into modern contexts to reveal a twisty and tightly plotted story.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Hatchet Girls was a highly anticipated book for me, and I’m so happy it met my expectations. The Lizzie Borden case has fascinated me since I learned about it, especially the questions around whether she did it or not, not to mention the wider mythos around it incorporating the supernatural that exists to this day. I love the way this book tapped into both echoing the domestic circumstances of the Borden family’s story, showing how little has changed on that front, while also tapping into some of the supernatural conspiracies around the subject.
With the circumstances of the crime echoing the Borden case, there’s not a ton of surprises, particularly initially. But there are some twists, particularly Mariella involving a third party in the form of Vik, and how she gets him involved, and the way the supernatural angle makes the question of who is truly responsible much more murky, until the reveal of who is pulling the strings. I also liked that there’s some subtle interrogation of the dynamics at play, like the privilege afforded to white, pretty young women in the criminal justice system, especially compared to people of color (in this case a young man).
I also enjoyed the choice to tell the story in two timelines, with Mariella’s telling about how the crimes happened, and Vik’s sister Tessa searching for answers. Mariella toed the line between being sympathetic due to being abused by her father, and being a bit cowardly for wanting her father gone, but not being able to do it without involving Vik, even to the point of drugging him with something she doesn’t fully understand. While she could not anticipate that his reaction would be different from hers, or that there was more to it than was presented to her, Vik still would not have been involved if she hadn’t got him involved. However, once she gets in over her head, she does redeem herself and do the right thing.
Tessa could easily have been a bit of a superfluous character, but she isn't’. I like how she serves to flesh out Vik’s life and backstory, giving both of them personhood and showing how another family is impacted by Mariella’s choices (even if, again, she’s not the one fully in control of her own agency). And the fact that what initially seemed like a random love triangle between Tessa, a pretty ok love interest, and a guy who also happens to be close with Mariella brought the story full circle?
Between the “investigation” in the present and flashbacks to that night (plus a bit of the anticipation of it), there’s a lot going on. It’s fast-paced and consistently engaging, leaving me with bated breath as I anticipated each plot twist.
I loved this book, and I’d recommend it to fans of thriller/horror fiction and/or true crime enthusiasts.

Hatchet Girls is a YA thriller, horror, paranormal, mystery and romance and I highly suggest reading this if you are a horror fan or if you are a true crime fan. This book takes place in Falls River where Lizzie Borden and her family lived and where Lizzie's parents got murdered. Now the Morse family owns most of the historical properties in town but nothing is what it seems with the Morse family. Who and what happened when the Morse family got axed to death? What will the Morse's daughter do now since her parents are dead and her boyfriend Vick is accused of murdering them? Hatchet Girls was such an amazing book that I highly recommend to people especially to those you like horror and if you are a true crime fan. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

This book was an interesting take on both young adult and horror. I really liked the historical angle of the Lizzie Borden connection as well as bringing in the paranormal in the Bridgewater triangle. I recommend this book to anyone who likes those subjects for a creepy Halloween read.

So this is a thriller that is based off of the Lizzie Borden mystery. If you don’t know what this is, it was a case back in the 1800’s when lizzie was arrested for the axe murder of her father and step mother but was found not guilty because no way a woman could do that. There’s many movies about it. Well here’s a story inspired by it but with a supernatural twist. I liked this one. I don't think I'm quite the target audience for it but I'm glad I took the chance to read it because I can definitly see this as a good recommendation for someone.

I loved how this story recaptured the eerie tale of Lizzie Borden. This has a murder/mystery and horror/ghost story vibe that I really enjoyed.

The popular girl in town, Mariella, starts dating the new guy, Vik. But when her parents are suddenly brutally murdered in the same way Lizzie Borden's were, Vik gets the blame. Soon, his sister, Tessa, is there to help him.

This really had a cool feeling to this story. Seeming realistic and also supernatural at once. It's definitely a very creepy read!

Out October 10, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🪓 are obsessed with the Lizzie Borden case
🌲 love to go hiking
👻 believe in the supernatural
📖 like your fiction sprinkled with a little truth

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

When Mariella Morse accuses her boyfriend, Vik Gomez, of murdering her wealthy parents with an axe, the town is quick to believe her. It doesn’t help that Vik is caught standing over her parents’ bodies with blood on his hands, unable to remember anything about the night in question.

But Vik’s sister, Tessa, knows that Vik would never be capable of such a gruesome crime. Haunted by the mistakes she made that led her family to move to Fall River, MA in the first place, she sets out to prove her brother’s innocence.

Tessa’s search for answers will lead her into a sprawling, notoriously cursed forest, where she and Mariella must face a darkness that has lurked within their town since before the days of Lizzie Borden—the original axe murderess of Fall River.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

First of all, I love the Lizzie Borden case! I even wrote a poem about it in college! So I knew I would love this story, and it did not disappoint. Filled with all things supernatural and unexplained, I love that the author mixed a little bit of truth in with the fictional characters. I also appreciate that she did her research and physically stayed and explored the areas she wrote about in her book! Tessa and Mariella’s stories were both so interesting and took twists and turns I really didn’t expect to see. Overall, I loved this story but just wish there was a bit more of an explanation about what exactly was in the woods (mostly because it just really intrigued me and I wanted more information!) I highly recommend this to fans of the paranormal and Lizzie Borden!

The quick premise is that Tessa & her older brother Vik moved to Fall River, Massachusetts for reasons that still haunt Tessa to this day. Vik’s new girlfriend Mariella accuses him of murdering her parents after he is found standing over their bodies with an axe, covered in blood. Vik can’t remember anything that happened that night, so Tessa takes things into her own hands to figure out what exactly transpired that night. She does this with the help of Phil, who has a crush on her, and he is also Mariella’s best friend. This town is also where the infamous Lizzie Borden lived with her sister and parents!

The book is told in third-person POV, with chapters rotating between present day as Tessa unravels this mystery, and the day/night of the murders from mostly Mariella’s point of view. I sped through it, because I had an inkling of what happened but I needed to find out for sure! Diana Rodriguez Wallach set the tone so well with this young adult sort-of paranormal horror novel, & I really felt like I was in the middle of Fall River! She also provides some historical facts at the end of the book about the town, & Lizzie Borden (I never knew she was an animal advocate👀), which was fascinating! Overall, I devoured this book & can’t wait to read more from Diana! This book felt perfect for anyone looking for a creepy fall read!

cw: child abuse, intimate partner violence, murder, violence, gore, blood, emotional abuse, gaslighting, car accident