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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am SO glad that I was gifted an ARC of this through NetGalley. A YA paranormal mystery that starts out as a rival high school prank war and turns into a small town murder mystery with an underlying town curse and a *tiny* dash of rivals to lovers.
Freddie is our resident “Nancy Drew” that has what is described as an “answer finder” gut and a will to live up to her late father’s town sheriff legacy. Her newfound high school friends name her the “prank wizard” after she is dragged into an ongoing prank war with the rival high school that unravels a sinister plot within the town that includes a curse, a begrudged blacksmith and a creepy poem going by the title “The Executioners Three”.
I had a great time with this book - the 90’s throwback nostalgia helped draw me out of modern day life and reminisce when life really was Backstreet Boys V Nsync, Nokia phones and snake addictions. Freddie is relatable as just a teenage girl with her hobbies, family dynamics and all the raging hormones of a first crush.
This book will make an excellent addition to anyone’s spooky season reading with the Autumn setting and paranormal vibes. The causal 90’s throwbacks are a gentle reprieve from the main storyline and help to immerse yourself within the story. All in all it was a very good book and I had a lot of fun reading this.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I would describe this book as a crossover between an X Files episode, Scooby Doo and a Fear Street movie. I had issues with this book here and there, but overall I haven’t had this much fun reading in a while. It played out like a film in my head.
Freddie was written like a realistic teenager, in my opinion. I really enjoyed her character. She was quirky, funny and kept fighting for what and who she believed in. I loved the banter between her and her best friend, Divya, and the rivals-to-lovers romance between her and Theo. I also loved the pranking and the school rivalry.
I always love mysteries, thrillers and horrors that follow a group of teenagers who try to solve what’s going on and handle it (mostly) by themselves. The shenanigans are so entertaining.
The 90s and autumnal vibes were strong, too, and I liked that it was consistently referenced throughout - for example, the war between whether Backstreet Boys and NSYNC are better, snake, the X Files, Goosebumps, The Munsters, etc. I was brought up in the early 2000s, and a lot of these references felt nostalgic, some of them didn’t, but they all helped transport me to a different time.
The issues I had is that I didn’t like how some of the characters were described, like comparing the therapist as a lookalike to Ross from Friends. I don’t like it when authors rely on this to visually describe their characters.
I also didn’t like the amount of involvement from their local police department. I think this would have been better if that’s another thing the kids had to fight against (it kind of was, but they - especially Freddie - still had absolute trust that the police would be there for them to help them out of their situation/s).
Another thing I would have liked to have seen explored more is the theme around wealth and power. This was touched on a little more in the third part, but I think it would have been great to have this sprinkled throughout more frequently to make the message stronger.
Overall, I loved this. I didn’t love The Luminaries but this is making me think I should give that book a reread. It was so hard to put down while, at the same time, I didn’t want it to end. I really hope Susan Dennard writes more like this in future!
3.5 ☆.
This book is a YA horror mystery that gives nostalgic 90s vibe. It was like you were “watching” Scooby doo. My childhood
This book is a YA horror mystery that gives nostalgic 90s vibe. It was like you were “watching” Scooby doo. My childhood
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dennard is a deft hand at mixing suspense and swoon, and The Executioners Three was a delightful book to kick off Spooky Season.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Car accident
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The PERFECT Fall book. Even more perfect if you were a 90s kid.
I know that Susan Dennard didn't expect much from this story, but I loved it so entirely. It was romantic, funny, and suspenseful, indeed. And it killed me how Freddy and Divya were obsessed with Lance Bass of all people. The Executioners Three was the perfect fall book. Equal parts swoony, stirring, and emotional. Dennard writes romance like no other. She's incredibly gifted and clearly works hard and it doesn't go unnoticed. Dennard rewards readers with so much romantic payoff. And while the will-they-won't-they of Freddy and Theo was captivating, the story focus and plot were just as enchanting. I loved Freddy's relationship with her parents. I liked Theo's grandma and aunt. I loved how Freddy spoke to the local police. I loved the prank war, and the way the 'cool' group was actually genuinely chill, fun, and friendly. And of course, I was obsessed with Freddy and Theo. Their chemistry was off the charts. The scene at the photo lab ahead of the climax? SWOON! Absolutely loved this book and everything Dennard writes. She hasn't yet let me down!
I know that Susan Dennard didn't expect much from this story, but I loved it so entirely. It was romantic, funny, and suspenseful, indeed. And it killed me how Freddy and Divya were obsessed with Lance Bass of all people. The Executioners Three was the perfect fall book. Equal parts swoony, stirring, and emotional. Dennard writes romance like no other. She's incredibly gifted and clearly works hard and it doesn't go unnoticed. Dennard rewards readers with so much romantic payoff. And while the will-they-won't-they of Freddy and Theo was captivating, the story focus and plot were just as enchanting. I loved Freddy's relationship with her parents. I liked Theo's grandma and aunt. I loved how Freddy spoke to the local police. I loved the prank war, and the way the 'cool' group was actually genuinely chill, fun, and friendly. And of course, I was obsessed with Freddy and Theo. Their chemistry was off the charts. The scene at the photo lab ahead of the climax? SWOON! Absolutely loved this book and everything Dennard writes. She hasn't yet let me down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME HIS NAME ON ONE PAGE?!?!?!