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sidneyellwood's review against another edition
3.0
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The Tudors are my favourite English dynasty to read about. Everything from the outbreak of the War of the Roses through James I dynasty is just Juicy Gossip. It's just fun, and Henry VIII is the most fun. The Dead Queens Club turns all the drama surrounding Henry VIII and the English Reformation into, essentially, a high school AU. It works surprisingly well.
You may have heard the words "divorced, beheaded, and died; divorced, beheaded, and survived" when it comes to Henry VIII's six wives. For a recap, or a soundtrack to this book, I highly recommend listening to "Ex-Wives" from Six: The Musical. The Dead Queens Club is narrated by Number Four, Anne of Cleves. Here, she's Annie Marck, nicknamed "Cleves," Henry's best friend and Girlfriend Number Four. I honestly found her such a delightful narrator: she's sarcastic and genuinely funny. I may or may not have been reading this in an Early Modern English history class and having to smother laughter.
It was fun spotting all the easter eggs to history, and so much of it has to do with the huge cast of characters. There are the girlfriends: Catherine of Aragon becomes Catalina, or Lina, Henry's first long-term girlfriend. Anne (Anna) Boleyn and her family shows up, including George and Mary, the story of whom Philippa Gregory fans may know from The Other Boleyn Girl. Jane Seymour doesn't get a name change, but she's presented as the most boring of the six, which I feel is kind of unfair? Fifth is Katie Howard, it-girl and cheerleader. Lastly, we have Cat Parr, a stuck-up newspaper editor. There's also Parker Rochfort and several Thomases (which was a common gripe when I was first learning about the English Reformation.)
One thing that frustrated me throughout most of the book, though, was the sheer amount of girl hate there was, despite Cleves constantly trying to point characters away from arbitrary girl hate. I felt like she didn't follow her own principles; I feel like the only girlfriends she didn't hate was Katie and maybe Lina. Yes, the wives of Henry VIII constantly undermined each other, but reading a contemporary version it all felt very unnecessary about how much hate there was between all the girls. I also feel like this book, despite trying to subvert it, takes the story of Anne Boleyn as a seductress at face value, and definitely puts her up on a pedestal, which is fairly common in narratives about her but still frustrating. We're all fascinated by Anne, yes, but I'm tired of all the focus always being on her.
If you know the story of Henry VIII and his six wives, the plot is fairly predictable and goes more or less as it did in history, or as much as it can when the main players are teenagers in high school. There were times when I couldn't figure out what kind of book this wanted to be: a comedic retelling or a dramatic retelling? It mostly feels like the former because of Cleves' sense of humor, which can definitely be a bit immature at times, but the overwhelming comedy makes the real dramatic moments seem too dramatic.
I also wish that this book wasn't so overwhelmingly white--just because it's based off of English royal history doesn't mean it needs to star only white people. I do believe Cleves is Chinese, or at least the book briefly mentions she was adopted from China, but it's honestly such a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, and nothing else in the story indicates it, which makes the representation feel half-hearted.
The Dead Queens Club is definitely a fun retelling of the Henry VIII story, but the lack of real character depth made a lot of the book feel shallower than I wanted it to be. It is a quick and fun read, and for English history enthusiasts there are a lot of fun easter eggs. If you're interested in the concept of The Dead Queens Club, definitely check out Six: The Musical, a modern-day pop concert retelling.
content warnings |
representation | chinese adopted main character
The Tudors are my favourite English dynasty to read about. Everything from the outbreak of the War of the Roses through James I dynasty is just Juicy Gossip. It's just fun, and Henry VIII is the most fun. The Dead Queens Club turns all the drama surrounding Henry VIII and the English Reformation into, essentially, a high school AU. It works surprisingly well.
You may have heard the words "divorced, beheaded, and died; divorced, beheaded, and survived" when it comes to Henry VIII's six wives. For a recap, or a soundtrack to this book, I highly recommend listening to "Ex-Wives" from Six: The Musical. The Dead Queens Club is narrated by Number Four, Anne of Cleves. Here, she's Annie Marck, nicknamed "Cleves," Henry's best friend and Girlfriend Number Four. I honestly found her such a delightful narrator: she's sarcastic and genuinely funny. I may or may not have been reading this in an Early Modern English history class and having to smother laughter.
It was fun spotting all the easter eggs to history, and so much of it has to do with the huge cast of characters. There are the girlfriends: Catherine of Aragon becomes Catalina, or Lina, Henry's first long-term girlfriend. Anne (Anna) Boleyn and her family shows up, including George and Mary, the story of whom Philippa Gregory fans may know from The Other Boleyn Girl. Jane Seymour doesn't get a name change, but she's presented as the most boring of the six, which I feel is kind of unfair? Fifth is Katie Howard, it-girl and cheerleader. Lastly, we have Cat Parr, a stuck-up newspaper editor. There's also Parker Rochfort and several Thomases (which was a common gripe when I was first learning about the English Reformation.)
One thing that frustrated me throughout most of the book, though, was the sheer amount of girl hate there was, despite Cleves constantly trying to point characters away from arbitrary girl hate. I felt like she didn't follow her own principles; I feel like the only girlfriends she didn't hate was Katie and maybe Lina. Yes, the wives of Henry VIII constantly undermined each other, but reading a contemporary version it all felt very unnecessary about how much hate there was between all the girls. I also feel like this book, despite trying to subvert it, takes the story of Anne Boleyn as a seductress at face value, and definitely puts her up on a pedestal, which is fairly common in narratives about her but still frustrating. We're all fascinated by Anne, yes, but I'm tired of all the focus always being on her.
If you know the story of Henry VIII and his six wives, the plot is fairly predictable and goes more or less as it did in history, or as much as it can when the main players are teenagers in high school. There were times when I couldn't figure out what kind of book this wanted to be: a comedic retelling or a dramatic retelling? It mostly feels like the former because of Cleves' sense of humor, which can definitely be a bit immature at times, but the overwhelming comedy makes the real dramatic moments seem too dramatic.
I also wish that this book wasn't so overwhelmingly white--just because it's based off of English royal history doesn't mean it needs to star only white people. I do believe Cleves is Chinese, or at least the book briefly mentions she was adopted from China, but it's honestly such a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, and nothing else in the story indicates it, which makes the representation feel half-hearted.
The Dead Queens Club is definitely a fun retelling of the Henry VIII story, but the lack of real character depth made a lot of the book feel shallower than I wanted it to be. It is a quick and fun read, and for English history enthusiasts there are a lot of fun easter eggs. If you're interested in the concept of The Dead Queens Club, definitely check out Six: The Musical, a modern-day pop concert retelling.
content warnings |
Spoiler
character death, domestic emotional abuserepresentation | chinese adopted main character
courtneyps's review against another edition
I sort of expected this premise to feel a little clunky. Henry VIII in high school, executions and all? But it TOTALLY WORKED. The author included a lot of easter eggy details and 1-1 correlations to history, which were fun to recognize but didn’t stick out within the story of you didn’t spot them. The mystery felt a little convoluted—a lot of info through gossip—but then isn’t that just like Hampton Court? And Cleves’s voice was SO fun. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was hilarious.
nglofile's review against another edition
5.0
Inventive, energetic, and wholly entertaining. Reimagined narratives may be my personal reading candy, but so few actually realize an intellectually stimulating contemporary take that my endorsements are few. This was brilliant. The choice of narrator - smart, snarky, self-aware, flawed, and surprisingly endearing Cleves - was inspired, and the mapping of historical detail while still preserving a fascinatingly dark comic tale on its own merits is a true accomplishment. This is the Capin I fell for in Foul Is Fair, and I can only hope she continues to own this rare magic.
audiobook note: Vilinsky realized every beat, every nuance, and it was a treasure.
audiobook note: Vilinsky realized every beat, every nuance, and it was a treasure.
amradio's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Book drags could've wrapped it earlier lots back forth on theories what happened
Not much character development very one note for most characters
Was interesting at first, historical references good potential but dropped ball so bad skipped to see what ending was before skimming rest of book
Not much character development very one note for most characters
Was interesting at first, historical references good potential but dropped ball so bad skipped to see what ending was before skimming rest of book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content and Gun violence
literarilyjess's review against another edition
5.0
I had the honor of reading an early copy of this and let me just say it’s fantastic. More RTC closer to publication.
thenatureofpages's review against another edition
4.0
This review is posted on my blog:
https://thenatureofpages.wordpress.com
as well as on my Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thenatureofpages/?hl=en
I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!
The narrator of this book, Cleves, had one of the best and well-formed personalities I've ever read for first person POV! The author Hannah Capin clearly remembers what it was like to be in high school because these characters definitely acted like it! It was refreshing to have a high school setting with regular teenagers actually acting like...well, regular teenagers (besides the murder).
Wow.
I read this book for two reasons: one, because I am a huge British history nerd (thank youuu, junior year Brit Lit teacher) and two, NetGalley said I could read The Dead Queen's Club and what kind of book nerd would I be if I turned down this book??
I was expecting a cute story - I'm not sure why I expected "cute" when it's a Henry VIII retelling but nonetheless - about royalty at a school and popular drama.
Imagine my (delighted) surprise when the plot takes a sharp turn at the first murder. Don't worry kiddos, this isn't a spoiler. It's history (and it's in the author's synopsis)! The exposition of the book took a bit to get into but the plot soon became mesmerizing. A few chapters in, boom, it's off to the races! I couldn't put down this book once the action ramped up - I HAD to know what happened.
The characters were well thought out and loveable. Even a character I thought I wouldn't like ended up becoming a favorite. Each of them had, well, CHARACTER, and I love them for it. The different personalities all play off each other and you finish the book with a sense of pride in these teenagers you have grown to hold dear.
If this book doesn't hit the bestseller list as soon as it releases, I for one am going to be very upset. It deserves a standing ovation from all history nerds everywhere.
https://thenatureofpages.wordpress.com
as well as on my Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thenatureofpages/?hl=en
I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!
The narrator of this book, Cleves, had one of the best and well-formed personalities I've ever read for first person POV! The author Hannah Capin clearly remembers what it was like to be in high school because these characters definitely acted like it! It was refreshing to have a high school setting with regular teenagers actually acting like...well, regular teenagers (besides the murder).
Wow.
I read this book for two reasons: one, because I am a huge British history nerd (thank youuu, junior year Brit Lit teacher) and two, NetGalley said I could read The Dead Queen's Club and what kind of book nerd would I be if I turned down this book??
I was expecting a cute story - I'm not sure why I expected "cute" when it's a Henry VIII retelling but nonetheless - about royalty at a school and popular drama.
Imagine my (delighted) surprise when the plot takes a sharp turn at the first murder. Don't worry kiddos, this isn't a spoiler. It's history (and it's in the author's synopsis)! The exposition of the book took a bit to get into but the plot soon became mesmerizing. A few chapters in, boom, it's off to the races! I couldn't put down this book once the action ramped up - I HAD to know what happened.
The characters were well thought out and loveable. Even a character I thought I wouldn't like ended up becoming a favorite. Each of them had, well, CHARACTER, and I love them for it. The different personalities all play off each other and you finish the book with a sense of pride in these teenagers you have grown to hold dear.
If this book doesn't hit the bestseller list as soon as it releases, I for one am going to be very upset. It deserves a standing ovation from all history nerds everywhere.
why_wont_my_curls_cooperate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
shannonsnextchapter's review against another edition
4.0
The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin is a retelling like no other, repositioning the story of King Henry VIII (best known for his six catastrophic marriages) within a contemporary high school context. If you haven't read this one yet, add it to your TBR now.