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authorheatherw's review against another edition
4.0
The May Queen Murders was a very okay book for me. I actually expected to like it a whole lot more than I did. The setup was fantastic and the setting eerie. Despite all the makings of a perfect creepy YA novel, I found myself putting it down more often than I anticipated.
The setting felt much like a retelling of The Village to me. The community where Ivy resides is isolated and has a superstitious way of life. The beginning chapter drew me in as I felt eager to find out who was behind the murders occurring in the settlement.
Ivy is a very naïve character, but she still felt believable. Instead of thinking of her as too stupid to live, I actually could understand why she acted so sheltered. The second characters were interesting too, especially her cousin Heather.
The writing was the strongest aspect of the novel. Beautiful. Atmospheric. I’d love to read more from the author.
The pacing was probably the biggest issue I had. After the excitement of the beginning, everything slowed down dramatically and then sped up again at the end. There seemed to be no middle ground. Also, I love a few twists, but the consistent reveals were a little over the top.
Final thoughts: Good book from an author with lots of potential!
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
The setting felt much like a retelling of The Village to me. The community where Ivy resides is isolated and has a superstitious way of life. The beginning chapter drew me in as I felt eager to find out who was behind the murders occurring in the settlement.
Ivy is a very naïve character, but she still felt believable. Instead of thinking of her as too stupid to live, I actually could understand why she acted so sheltered. The second characters were interesting too, especially her cousin Heather.
The writing was the strongest aspect of the novel. Beautiful. Atmospheric. I’d love to read more from the author.
The pacing was probably the biggest issue I had. After the excitement of the beginning, everything slowed down dramatically and then sped up again at the end. There seemed to be no middle ground. Also, I love a few twists, but the consistent reveals were a little over the top.
Final thoughts: Good book from an author with lots of potential!
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
baoluong's review against another edition
1.0
This was an absolute dumpster fire. I don't know what I detested more: Ivy or the entire message of the book. Let me provide a backdrop to this landfill.
Rowan Glen is a small town with a close knit community. Everyone is practically fucking each other's second cousins but that's not what bothers me. Instead, there's this peculiar cult mentality that no one can leave without negative repercussions or judgement.
Why would anyone want to abandon their home, but that's my main issue. There are beliefs that others hold which I can respect, but the Glen is on another level of ridiculousness. All these spells, charms, and superstitions don't mean shit because a murderer is on the loose. Ivy takes these myths seriously and threatens her friend Heather for not having complete faith. Here are a few examples ranging from harmless to plain impossible. Teas to calm nerves, three hoots from owls that signify death, and acorn necklaces/thread dipped in essential oils to protect you from all danger. No, it wasn't the folk jewelry that protected Ivy but sheer plot armor. Congratulations on being the main protagonist because everyone else is either dead or maimed. I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be magical realism or just poor writing. More than half of the superstitions held zero impact to the plot mainly because they're nonsensical and meant to be lore not fact. To give credit where it's due, this was integral to the world building.
As I mentioned before, dead animals start surfacing and people suspect Birch Markle. A mystical boogyman who people feel no qualms blaming all of their problems on. Oh, your TV remote isn't working. Yeah, that was Birch. You get the feeling that your husband is having an affair. That's because he's in the woods getting it on with Birch.
So while this is going on, the story focuses on Ivy's drifting relationship with Heather. It begins when Ivy sneakily (like the snake she is) follows Heather into the middle of the night to a secret rendezvous. She spots a pair of leather boots and this sets her off because this obviously means that Heather is encroaching on her man Rook. It's the golden rule that when you call dibs on someone, your friend is supposed to avoid them. It's not as if the person you have a crush on has their own feelings and can decide for themselves who they want to love. However, in typical Ivy fashion, she's just jumping to conclusions from flimsy evidence. Ivy has a panic attack and throws a tantrum. She confronts Heather, but for good reason Heather refuses to divulge the mystery person's true identity. Ivy feels betrayed for some petty reason and cuts ties with Heather. She then attempts to talk to Rook but the scene plays out like trying to placid a illogical child who doesn't understand adult interactions. Maybe I'm being harsh and Ivy does have a stunted mental capacity because this doesn't sound like a 17 year old.
For hetero purposes and plot conveniences, Rook returns Ivy's feelings automatically. This leads up to a nasty fight where Ivy doesn't apologize to Heather for wrongly accusing her of being a slut (her words, not mine). No, Ivy has to warn Heather that she saw a ghost projection from the near future where it's clear that Heather is about to be murdered. Like anyone, Heather is properly freaking out and thinks that this is a way for Ivy to beg for attention and I'm on her side. Ivy is a thirsty bitch. She then proceeds to fire back by saying,
Yeah. Ivy is a piece of shit who belongs in first drafts and shouldn't have been cleared for final draft material. She's jealous that Heather is more beautiful, fun, and overall not her. The only way Ivy can even be happy is to bask in Heather's afterglow like having the special privileges of being a 'best friend' affords you. Not for nothing, the best part of the book is when Heather gives a deafening slap to Ivy's hypocritical face. Just to put it into context, Ivy is in a heteronormative romance and even has sex with Rook later on. Of course, Ivy isn't a slut because this is true love with someone in network like the worst health insurance ever.
Instead of being supportive and understanding of Heather's choices to leave the Glen, she guilts Heather for abandoning her. Personally, I hate clingy people who are too dependent and constantly blame you for their unhappiness. People like Ivy are toxic and would rather drag you down to their level than admit that they don't know how to live their lives. Why would Heather reveal that she's in a gay relationship with someone outside of the Glen when Ivy criticizes anything outside of her perfect little bubble.
Unsurprisingly, Heather is murdered. In between, there's numerous stupid red herrings that don't even fool you. In the end, it's a clusterfuck of three murderers who happen to be active as if something in the water is turning the townsfolk homicidal.Also, the twist involves a cover up from local law enforcement and a conspiracy years in the making. As it turns out, Marsh (Heather's step-father) killed Terra, the first victim. Except, Rook's father who's also the sheriff covers up the crime and frames Birch Markle who actually is mentally ill and probably has no idea that someone is dragging him? All of this is not only tragic but utter nonsense. The worse part is Ivy blames Heather for 'getting herself killed'. She honestly thinks that and I wish I was joking. Violet is another victim who was killed by her boyfriend August after she felt remorse for the both of them poisoning Heather because Violet wanted to be better friends with Ivy? Do you see why I'm frustrated and high key think that it's completely justified for everyone to regard the Glen as backwards.
Anyways, the moral is that if you're gay, be prepared to die in every YA. Sorry, but authors still use this tired trope because gay characters only exist in fiction for the sake of transforming the straight protag. Fuck this book.
Cover Review:
Surprisingly competent with an eerie photography that cleverly calls back to the Glen's lore. The faded treatment gives the black a certain coldness that I like. The hand lettered title is appropriate for the tone but I prefer the fuchsia pink rather than a gradient. I just can't believe how much the cover deceived me because the content is a shit show.
B L O G 🐕
Rowan Glen is a small town with a close knit community. Everyone is practically fucking each other's second cousins but that's not what bothers me. Instead, there's this peculiar cult mentality that no one can leave without negative repercussions or judgement.
Why would anyone want to abandon their home, but that's my main issue. There are beliefs that others hold which I can respect, but the Glen is on another level of ridiculousness. All these spells, charms, and superstitions don't mean shit because a murderer is on the loose. Ivy takes these myths seriously and threatens her friend Heather for not having complete faith. Here are a few examples ranging from harmless to plain impossible. Teas to calm nerves, three hoots from owls that signify death, and acorn necklaces/thread dipped in essential oils to protect you from all danger. No, it wasn't the folk jewelry that protected Ivy but sheer plot armor. Congratulations on being the main protagonist because everyone else is either dead or maimed. I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be magical realism or just poor writing. More than half of the superstitions held zero impact to the plot mainly because they're nonsensical and meant to be lore not fact. To give credit where it's due, this was integral to the world building.
As I mentioned before, dead animals start surfacing and people suspect Birch Markle. A mystical boogyman who people feel no qualms blaming all of their problems on. Oh, your TV remote isn't working. Yeah, that was Birch. You get the feeling that your husband is having an affair. That's because he's in the woods getting it on with Birch.
So while this is going on, the story focuses on Ivy's drifting relationship with Heather. It begins when Ivy sneakily (like the snake she is) follows Heather into the middle of the night to a secret rendezvous. She spots a pair of leather boots and this sets her off because this obviously means that Heather is encroaching on her man Rook. It's the golden rule that when you call dibs on someone, your friend is supposed to avoid them. It's not as if the person you have a crush on has their own feelings and can decide for themselves who they want to love. However, in typical Ivy fashion, she's just jumping to conclusions from flimsy evidence. Ivy has a panic attack and throws a tantrum. She confronts Heather, but for good reason Heather refuses to divulge the mystery person's true identity. Ivy feels betrayed for some petty reason and cuts ties with Heather. She then attempts to talk to Rook but the scene plays out like trying to placid a illogical child who doesn't understand adult interactions. Maybe I'm being harsh and Ivy does have a stunted mental capacity because this doesn't sound like a 17 year old.
For hetero purposes and plot conveniences, Rook returns Ivy's feelings automatically. This leads up to a nasty fight where Ivy doesn't apologize to Heather for wrongly accusing her of being a slut (her words, not mine). No, Ivy has to warn Heather that she saw a ghost projection from the near future where it's clear that Heather is about to be murdered. Like anyone, Heather is properly freaking out and thinks that this is a way for Ivy to beg for attention and I'm on her side. Ivy is a thirsty bitch. She then proceeds to fire back by saying,
"Runnin' around the st-stable with someone at night, slutting off to the trailer...".
Yeah. Ivy is a piece of shit who belongs in first drafts and shouldn't have been cleared for final draft material. She's jealous that Heather is more beautiful, fun, and overall not her. The only way Ivy can even be happy is to bask in Heather's afterglow like having the special privileges of being a 'best friend' affords you. Not for nothing, the best part of the book is when Heather gives a deafening slap to Ivy's hypocritical face. Just to put it into context, Ivy is in a heteronormative romance and even has sex with Rook later on. Of course, Ivy isn't a slut because this is true love with someone in network like the worst health insurance ever.
Instead of being supportive and understanding of Heather's choices to leave the Glen, she guilts Heather for abandoning her. Personally, I hate clingy people who are too dependent and constantly blame you for their unhappiness. People like Ivy are toxic and would rather drag you down to their level than admit that they don't know how to live their lives. Why would Heather reveal that she's in a gay relationship with someone outside of the Glen when Ivy criticizes anything outside of her perfect little bubble.
Unsurprisingly, Heather is murdered. In between, there's numerous stupid red herrings that don't even fool you. In the end, it's a clusterfuck of three murderers who happen to be active as if something in the water is turning the townsfolk homicidal.
Anyways, the moral is that if you're gay, be prepared to die in every YA. Sorry, but authors still use this tired trope because gay characters only exist in fiction for the sake of transforming the straight protag. Fuck this book.
Cover Review:
Surprisingly competent with an eerie photography that cleverly calls back to the Glen's lore. The faded treatment gives the black a certain coldness that I like. The hand lettered title is appropriate for the tone but I prefer the fuchsia pink rather than a gradient. I just can't believe how much the cover deceived me because the content is a shit show.
B L O G 🐕
joshuamcjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
This book kept me on my toes. I pride myself in figuring out mysteries before the end, but Sarah was always one step ahead of me, just shaking her head.
msrebeccaharris's review against another edition
Book version of "The Village" but not as good. Well-written for the most part. Ending was really messy and all over the place. Way too many twists crammed into the last quarter of the book.
cheekybat's review against another edition
4.0
This book came through the drop and just as I went to check it in the cover caught me off guard. I decided I'd read the jacket and see if it seemed interesting enough to check out for myself and sure enough the cover and synopsis pulled me in.
I typically don't read this type of book, where it's dark but not at all fantasy based. The reviews are true to the back, the atmosphere is very well written in my opinion and I could imagine being in the Glen myself right there with the characters.
The end was really dramatic all at once and it led to a really interesting turn of events I never thought would happen, but I liked that a lot.
I'd recommend this one! If the idea of a community that's hillfolk who don't take too kind to much of today's technology and also highly respect passing down stories and keeping their long standing superstitions alive interests you, this is one hell of a story!
I typically don't read this type of book, where it's dark but not at all fantasy based. The reviews are true to the back, the atmosphere is very well written in my opinion and I could imagine being in the Glen myself right there with the characters.
The end was really dramatic all at once and it led to a really interesting turn of events I never thought would happen, but I liked that a lot.
I'd recommend this one! If the idea of a community that's hillfolk who don't take too kind to much of today's technology and also highly respect passing down stories and keeping their long standing superstitions alive interests you, this is one hell of a story!
thebookishaustin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
claytoan's review against another edition
2.0
This book had so much potential. I love the southern gothic atmosphere and the characters are amazing, for the most part. The ending felt rushed and not remotely plausible. Additionally, I picked this up because it was a highly rated LGBT book but it ended up being just another “bury your gays” story. Super disappointing.
lifeofaliterarynerd's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars
I don't know if it was Ivy's superstitious nature or the wafting environment of the Glen, but this story never felt grounded to me. I never felt the heavy weight of terror Ivy did, or felt the town's sense of urgency to find the urban legend Markle.
I personally felt that we didn't spend enough time with the adults of the town to be invest in their history (The May Queen, Tarra's murder, and Markle), which was the entire setup for what happened in the present.
I don't know if it was Ivy's superstitious nature or the wafting environment of the Glen, but this story never felt grounded to me. I never felt the heavy weight of terror Ivy did, or felt the town's sense of urgency to find the urban legend Markle.
I personally felt that we didn't spend enough time with the adults of the town to be invest in their history (The May Queen, Tarra's murder, and Markle), which was the entire setup for what happened in the present.
ktloureads's review against another edition
4.0
The May Queen Murders is worth reading simply for multiple shocking plot twists that in fold in the last 30 pages. It left me completely shocked and pacing around saying what did I just read. This thriller is a quick read and perfect for the Halloween season. 3.5 stars
sheramelton's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea why everyone seems to have such an issue with this book. It was great! Even in the parts where nothing scary was happening at the moment, there was a sense of dread and fear built up that kept you edgy. Maybe being from a small rural southern town I can just relate a lot more than most people. But things in the book were done in the way they actually happen. Teens hide their sexuality for fear of being persecuted for it. People lie, and even kill, to protect their friends and families pasts and cover things up. That is just how it is. The ending was great. At first I thought she was going in the direction I didn't want her to go. The easy predictable way out. Then there was surpise after surprise after surprise.