An entertaining audio with fantastic narration, some pretty good scenes and an appropriate amount of nasty fun times. I enjoyed it. Looking to see what else this author can do.

Soft boiled egg suppositories, Lester the digit eating cat, and a friendly game of Pretty Pretty Princess complete with hot wax and curling irons and the happiest place on earth.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy audiobook!

Wow. This book is SO MUCH for less than 300 pages. It is graphic extreme horror, with gore, violence and sex, but presented in such an “American Psycho”-like nonchalance that it is chilling. I could not look away.

We get to know Maeve, a part-time Disney princess, living with her aging starlet grandmother. Maeve is dark yet joyful, loving LA’s glitz and dirty underbelly. She is obsessed with a 1930’s novel of teenage perversion, Halloween and porn and she finds her pockets of joy and satisfaction in edgy behaviors. She is wonderful and her child-like cringy joy in both theme parks and Halloween is endearing. I love Maeve.

Soon, Maeve realizes that, not only are the supports in her life disappearing, but her new love interest challenges and exposes her core. Maeve goes DARK. EXTREME HORROR DARK.

God forgive me, l loved it. Maeve’s voice is so current, so demented, so wounded yet joyous, so unrepentant. I was shocked at points throughout this novel. Gleefully shocked. I acknowledge this type of horror is not for everyone, but, people, listen to me, CJ Leede is a writer to watch.

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook.

The narrator does a fantastic job being the voice of Maeve. The narrator was easy to listen to and had a very soothing voice that immersed me into the story.

The author, CJ Leede has created quite an interesting character with Maeve Fly. I love the book being from her point of view. We get a deep look into the mind of Maeve. We get to read how she sees other people in her life, how she sees other people that she meets, her intrusive thoughts, her rage, her feelings that she buries and refuses to acknowledge, how she views herself and how she feels no one will ever truly see her for who she really is. Maeve is disturbed and does many horrendous things to others. We follow her in her rage and it is incredible!

If you love a disturbed killer full of rage than Maeve Fly is the book for you. I loved the book and some of the imagery will definitely stick with me for a long time.

I didn't really enjoy this. I definitely thought there were interesting moments, but it felt like so much of this book explored this weird....sort of Disney adult mentality, within a character that thinks they're somehow better than everyone around them and does things without any sort of consequence. I almost felt like this book was a satirical commentary but...I'm not sure if it is, because I never got a very definitive feeling one way or the other.
I was just not a fan of the sexual content or the many types of violence, though I thought the commentary and exploration of feminine rage was really interesting. This book was sort of a car crash that I couldn't look away from. Did I read this quickly? Yes. Was I pretty engaged throughout even though I wasn't a fan of the content? Yes. Did I like the book? No...? I don't know. I wanted to know what happened next/finish the story, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it.
For the audiobook specifically: I enjoyed the narrator a lot, I think she was a good voice for this story. I honestly enjoyed the audiobook even more than the standard reading experience because of the depth and life that the story had when someone was narrating rather than when I was reading the page myself going "???" at some of the things occurring. I gave the text book 3-stars but honestly I would give the audiobook 4-stars because I just enjoyed it that much more.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede in exchange for an honest review. This was a very interesting and unique novel. Maeve is at the age where she is still finding her place in the world and can change like a chameleon.

First, I have to note that Maeve Fly is *extreme* horror, and it should be marked as such. (Most extreme horror has a warning of some sort in the synopsis or on the cover - if this had, I would not rate it poorly, because it would be my fault for picking up a book I knew was too much for me).

I don't have issues with gore or violence - I am a horror reader, and I've read some pretty intense books. But I don't enjoy 1) gore and violence that serve no purpose other than to shock, 2) extremely disturbing and depraved descriptions of sexual assault, especially with no warning, 3) "pick me" girl main characters that are created in the name of feminism when they actual perpetuate woman-on-woman hate and female-on-female rape.

Needless to say, I did not like this book at all and I would not recommend it to anyone I know unless they are fans of extreme horror and graphic descriptions of violent rape. I'm frustrated that it was not tagged as such.

This book is a wild ride! I should’ve known it from the cover, but I walked in having read only the blurb and being fascinated by the cover. It was such a different read from what I normally read which was fun for me!

This book is one I highly recommend buddy reading with someone because all I wanted was to talk about it. The main character is so deeply disturbed. I should warn you the book is extremely graphic. Headphones are a must with this one all around. It’s got a lot of sex and violence. However, it fits the genre and is truly a memorable book.

The ending felt rushed to me and it probably could’ve used a few extra chapters to give it a more impactful ending.

This book was insane and full hilarious instances (i can never hear let it go again). I enjoyed the satirical and spooky ride that cj strapped us into. I free fell into the world of maeve fly and i wish i could personally ask CJ WTF HAHA 🫶🏼

Thank you netgalley and tor nightfire for the ALC and ARC —BIG SHOUT OUT TO Sosie Bacon whose amazing voice reminded me of another beloved audiobook narrator Naya Rivera

This title was on my radar, since I regularly look for upcoming horror titles. I was pleasantly surprised to be approved (thank you Net galley & Macmillan Audio) to read and listen to the book fans review. The book focuses on the main character Maeve, and grabs your attention off the bat, but then seems to slow down a bit, and you start to wonder where this is all going. But let me tell you, there is definitely horror in these pages. A few startling scenes, but overall reminiscent of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. There was a surprising little bit of romance, but I think it helps set up the ending sequences. After the lull at 20-35% the story quickly picks up again and gets wild, up till the end. The narrator is great with my only gripe being the mispronunciation of Muskegon, Michigan. Can’t help it, I’m Michigan born & raised lol. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this creepy ride.

Did I just listen my favourite audiobook book of the year?! I would give this book a kajillion stars if I could. I loved every thing about the story rawness, the fakeness, the level of derangement! The writing is jarring and witty and the characters are beyond fleshed out. I’ve already ordered my own copy and one for a friend.

Link to posts incoming.

Set in a modern LA wasteland, 20-something year old Maeve Fly loses everything she loves- her best friend, her Disneyland job, and her dear grandmother. The more Maeve loses, the more detached from reality she becomes, and the closer to madness she creeps. Maeve is horrifying and beautiful, vindicated and remorseless, and completely fucking unhinged. Maeve Fly juxtaposes the beauty and class of old Hollywood glamour with the horror of girl-inflicted gore. Maeve gives millennial anti-heroine vigilante energy and I’m here for it.

Maeve Fly is one of my favorite books so far this year and definitely and all-time favorite! This is a story of love and loss sprinkled with pure insanity. The storyline’s a trip, details are gruesome and gross, yet easy to read. In fact, I was enthralled. The characters are all pretty interesting in their own respects and I either hated or loved them all. I’ve seen this described as “extreme horror”, but I wouldn’t go that far. I think the level of violence and gore is appropriate for a horror novel. I love the combo of LA/Hollywood/Halloween/slasher themes mixed with modern Disney princess references. The music references are cool too. I think this would more specifically suit people familiar with modern pop-culture, specifically dark pop-culture. If you like Halloween and Bikini Kill, you’ll love this book.

This book was crazy! I had no clue what I was getting into but I think that made listening to it even better. It was so different and unique from what I normally read and I definitely agree about the comparison to Psycho.

I enjoyed the narrator and can’t wait for the author’s next book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Maeve Fly
CJ Leede
Macmillan Audiobooks
Publish Date: 6 June 2023
288 Pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire

Maeve Fly follows Maeve, an unhinged twenty something, working as a character actress in a Disney like park, who is caring for her ailing grandmother and cat as she gradually descends into madness. It’s a compelling premise that will undoubtably sell a lot of books and has already set booktube and social media abuzz.
So does the book deliver on the hype?
Sort of. It’s a fairly short book coming in at 288 pages (roughly 8 hours in audiobook form) that is filled with thrills and action. Some violent, gory descriptions in the book felt unnecessarily peppered into solely for the sake to shock and awe; and the book did seem disjointed at times, though I thought the ending was intriguing and it kept my attention throughout. The book has been compared to Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, though I don’t really see the comparison there, other than gore and violence. A more fitting comparison is the “You” series by Caroline Kepnes.
For those interested in the horror genre, I would recommend this book as long as you don’t mind the gore and violence. It didn’t quite meet my expectations, admittedly my expectations were sky high going into this book, though I still feel it’s a solid debut. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job portraying Maeve. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and Tor Nightfire for access to the audio form of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5

First off, damn that ending!!! 😭

I'm not super happy with the description for this book. Gideon gets the credit as the catalyst in the description, which is irksome and contrary to the heart of the book. It's her grandmother, her grandmother's <i>legacy</i>, her grandmother's approaching death, and the approaching death of her relationship with her best friend that awakens something within Maeve. Does Gideon have an impact on Maeve? Absolutely. Does he trigger IT? NOPE. She was already heading there and would arrive with or without him.

This is horror of the very dark and disturbing variety, so if you don't like that, RUN. If you do, you'll love this!

Sick and twisted and such a crazy ride! I first heard about this book on instagram from baker_reads and I was intrigued. The cover is absolutely insane and I am obsessed with it! This book is definitely not for everyone but I've been getting into horror lately and loving it. The setting of this book and the fact that it was horror was so interesting to me and why I wanted to check it out. Maeve is a Disney princess, obsessed with Halloween, and takes care of her sick grandma. Underneath that is a girl who has spent her whole life trying to hide her true self, but everything is about to change.

The fact that this is a debut novel is insane! It is so beautifully written. I can't wait to see more from her in the future! Sosie Bacon was phenomenal on the audiobook. She really brought Maeve to life. Overall great read and perfect for horror lovers!

I genuinely went into this book blind (how I prefer) and didn't know what quite to expect. This book had a strong reference to Disney as the main character Maeve works as a princess actor, but the princess she is NOT. Twisted and intertwined with her need to kill, Mauve is inconveniently burdened with her ill gran, the famous Talulah Fly despite her warped days and the events that follow.

It's always a pleasant surprise when the marketing buzz actually fits the novel. In this case, I can confirm that this book gave me American Psycho vibes.

I normally dislike novels set in Los Angeles but this one worked because it was intentionally highlighting the horrible side of Hollywood culture. I liked the unlikeable main character because she had such a strong, intentional personality. The plot is bit uneven and I wished the ending had a bit more punch. Yet overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend this one to readers looking for a literary horror story.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I was not expecting to like Maeve Fly this much.  I picked it up because I was so curious based on other reviews, and that batshit crazy cover.  But I'd seen it referred to as extreme horror, and I’m not an extreme horror reader — I usually like my horror fairly quiet, so I was a bit nervous.

CJ Leede’s writing completely impressed me.  Although this book is very, very dark, the writing is beautiful and Maeve as a heroine is terrifyingly relatable.  I cared about her and was fascinated by her voice. There is torture and gore, but it didn't overwhelm the story for me. This was very much a character-driven novel and it was gorgeously written.

I listened to the audiobook version and Sosie Bacon’s narration is spectacular. It’s humorous and dark, emotionless or emotional in all the right places.

I’m so glad I gave Maeve Fly a read, and I’m loving the breadth of Tor Nightfire’s publishing choices these days.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy of this audiobook.

This was a lot more extreme and violent, sexually, than I was expecting.

This was definitely not for me. Thank you!!

“A provocative debut that is both a blood-soaked love letter to Los Angeles and a gleeful send-up to iconic horror villains, Maeve Fly will thrill fans of My Heart is a Chainsaw and Caroline Kepnes’ You series.”


This book has everything: eggs, Halloween music, Johnny Depp (90% sure), certain princesses from a franchise I can’t afford to mention, hanging eyeballs


Apparently, my favorite thing is to make mortal enemies out of fictional book characters, and Maeve Fly is no exception. Just like American Psycho is a satire of men in corporate life, I'm sure Maeve Fly is a satire of something. How manic-pixie-dream-girl of her to sit at “hole in the wall” bars on the LA strip and read her book, and how out of touch trust fund kid of her to have a job at a theme park for fun and criticize everyone like they are beneath her. And she loves Halloween! Wow! How unique of her to base her entire personality off of the second most popular holiday in the United States. It's a wonder how someone so critical of everyone could fall in love with a dude who has the personality of a donut. All it took was a few soft-boiled eggs and a fog machine for her to become the biggest pick-me for Gideon. With that being said, I love a “down for my people” psychopath who will do anything for their loved ones. And the revenge spree? Chef’s kiss!


I really enjoy the last third of the book, when the madness truly started. The sexual violence was a bit much for me, but the rest of her rampage was done in true 80s slasher film fashion.I like how Maeve’s delusions slowly unraveled toward the end, and it wasn’t the predictable HEA I was expecting.


If you love extreme horror, you’ll love this! (It’s especially suiting for people who are also into dark romance AND horror)


I’m eager to see what C.J. Leede will come up with next!


Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the digital ARC & ALC. A special thanks to C.J. Leede! All opinions are my own.