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ravencrantz's review
1.0
It's October, I've been in a terrible reading slump, and I needed something really spooky to try and draw me out. Horror in general is a tricky genre, and I've only found a handful of books over the years that have truly spooked me. I was still hopeful about this book, until I went to add it to my shelf and noticed the rating. I try not to take ratings too seriously, but in this case it should have served as a warning.
The blurb pitches us a mystery of a missing girl after a big celebration, but that doesn't even happen until well after 100 pages into the book. Up until then it's nothing but boy trouble and dead animals. It got old fast, and I kept wanting to ditch this book, but I pushed through in hopes the ending would make up for it. I know horror and thrillers can be a slow in the beginning. They have so much to set up, it's going to drag a bit. This was Too Much. There was no real set up for the reveals, they were all thrown together in one big lazy climax. One after another we were told who the Real killer was and each one revealed, no actually it was some other guy. All in all, about five different people were accused of being the killer. That doesn't sound too bad, except all but thee obvious red herring was revealed in the last 60 or so pages.
This book has a clear pacing problem, and in a thriller/horror novel, that's a huge deal breaker. On top of it all, it used a character being gay as a plot twist and on top of that, the character died. So two strikes there. This book left me so frustrated it had so much potential and it fell so flat.
I can't speak on the diversity front. Our main character is mixed race, with a mother from Mexico. I don't know if this was done well or in an offensive way, but I do know that our main character didn't grow much. She's so obsessed with her cousin, it's borderline creepy. Her cousin is the only one to call her out on this, but in the end nothing changes! Sure her cousin isn't around anymore, but she's still obsessing over her life. I'm willing to leave it as grief, but given how no one else was really fleshed out, I think it's simply a characterization problem.
Overall disappointing and a waste of time. Might read something else by the author if I happen upon it at the library, but I'm not going to seek anything out.
The blurb pitches us a mystery of a missing girl after a big celebration, but that doesn't even happen until well after 100 pages into the book. Up until then it's nothing but boy trouble and dead animals. It got old fast, and I kept wanting to ditch this book, but I pushed through in hopes the ending would make up for it. I know horror and thrillers can be a slow in the beginning. They have so much to set up, it's going to drag a bit. This was Too Much. There was no real set up for the reveals, they were all thrown together in one big lazy climax. One after another we were told who the Real killer was and each one revealed, no actually it was some other guy. All in all, about five different people were accused of being the killer. That doesn't sound too bad, except all but thee obvious red herring was revealed in the last 60 or so pages.
This book has a clear pacing problem, and in a thriller/horror novel, that's a huge deal breaker. On top of it all, it used a character being gay as a plot twist and on top of that, the character died. So two strikes there. This book left me so frustrated it had so much potential and it fell so flat.
I can't speak on the diversity front. Our main character is mixed race, with a mother from Mexico. I don't know if this was done well or in an offensive way, but I do know that our main character didn't grow much. She's so obsessed with her cousin, it's borderline creepy. Her cousin is the only one to call her out on this, but in the end nothing changes! Sure her cousin isn't around anymore, but she's still obsessing over her life. I'm willing to leave it as grief, but given how no one else was really fleshed out, I think it's simply a characterization problem.
Overall disappointing and a waste of time. Might read something else by the author if I happen upon it at the library, but I'm not going to seek anything out.
maegsreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
If you like the CW Nancy Drew TV show, you will like this book.
asreadbybrooke's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 Stars. Good, very intriguing and attention-grabbing. However, it was slow at some parts and it was very hard to identify with any of the characters in my opinion. I also had a problem with the sheer amount of plot twists that occurred in this book - it just got so complicated to keep up with people's motives and actual crimes. On the flip side, the setting of the Glen was beautifully written - it sounds like a quaint place to live. A small town with huge secrets. I loved the way it was written and I will definitely be checking out more of Sarah Jude's works upon publication. Would recommend.
bookishcameron's review against another edition
5.0
This starts off like any other thriller, with some predictable twists in the middle, but the ending cements it firmly in a league of its own - easily the best YA thriller I've ever read.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: Japanese Horror Movie
Drinking Buddy: Maaaaaybe....
Testosterone Estrogen Level: Elevated
Talky Talk: Snuggly October Read
Bonus Factor: Whodunit
Bromance Status: Alone Together
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Japanese Horror Movie
Drinking Buddy: Maaaaaybe....
Talky Talk: Snuggly October Read
Bonus Factor: Whodunit
Bromance Status: Alone Together
Read the full book report here.
booksargram's review
3.0
I'm not used to this type of writing so, while it was rich and beautiful, it took me awhile to lose myself in the story. And what a crazy story it was!
arden_onyx's review
3.0
I really loved the plot of this book and all the little twists that I wasn't expecting, but I thought the ending was rushed. I can't quite put my finger on it but it feels like there were loose ends left. I also didn't like the writing style, it felt to me like a thirteen year old who can write well (grammatically correct) and has good story ideas but they're not at the point where they should be a published author yet ( if that makes sense).
kensi's review
3.0
This book was a great quick read to run through on a snowed-in day, which is exactly when I read it. I will say that I had rated it higher initially when I first finished it, but as I thought about it throughout the rest of the day I lowered it down to 3/5 stars for a few reasons.
It's a very interesting premise set in a remote community in the Missouri Ozarks, so superstitions and family traditions run deep and wide throughout the story. Those aspects of the story were certainty my favorite parts; I love hearing about handed down warnings from the people before and what exactly people are wary of even in the modern day. It made what could have been a typical slasher story something a bit more special and more interesting to read.
I liked Ivy and Rook well enough as characters. They were better than others, but I was really interested more in Heather and her respective love interest. I felt like they were more "fun" and a bit more fleshed out. Ivy wasn't a bad character, though, and she was more relatable than I thought she would be seeing as I'm getting older and don't always mesh with YA as much as I used to. The romance between Ivy and Rook was also sweet, and a little heavy as I continued on into the book.
The mystery of the murders and Heather's disappearance is where the book falls flat to me. It got too convoluted, and so much was happening the the last four or five chapters that I had to re-read parts to make sure I was understanding what was going on. I feel like the author should have stuck to one or two ideas, and tossed the others out the window or use them in another novel. Too much going on can make a book confusing and not worth a read. There were also other side plots related to the many other townspeople that kind of got lost in the muck as the story continued.
Even with all that, I did enjoy what I read. It was a rather nice departure from the typical YA horror, and I liked it well enough!
It's a very interesting premise set in a remote community in the Missouri Ozarks, so superstitions and family traditions run deep and wide throughout the story. Those aspects of the story were certainty my favorite parts; I love hearing about handed down warnings from the people before and what exactly people are wary of even in the modern day. It made what could have been a typical slasher story something a bit more special and more interesting to read.
I liked Ivy and Rook well enough as characters. They were better than others, but I was really interested more in Heather and her respective love interest. I felt like they were more "fun" and a bit more fleshed out. Ivy wasn't a bad character, though, and she was more relatable than I thought she would be seeing as I'm getting older and don't always mesh with YA as much as I used to. The romance between Ivy and Rook was also sweet, and a little heavy as I continued on into the book.
The mystery of the murders and Heather's disappearance is where the book falls flat to me. It got too convoluted, and so much was happening the the last four or five chapters that I had to re-read parts to make sure I was understanding what was going on. I feel like the author should have stuck to one or two ideas, and tossed the others out the window or use them in another novel. Too much going on can make a book confusing and not worth a read. There were also other side plots related to the many other townspeople that kind of got lost in the muck as the story continued.
Even with all that, I did enjoy what I read. It was a rather nice departure from the typical YA horror, and I liked it well enough!
beckylej's review
3.0
The history of Rowan's Glen is not a pretty one. Legend has it a murderer stalks its woods, screaming out in the night. Pets have begun to disappear and mutilated remains have been discovered in the fields. Some folks are starting to worry that the long unseen Birch Markle has returned.
Ivy wasn't even born when Birch Markle began his reign of terror. But she's heard all the stories and knows about the death of the Glen's May Queen, their last - until now. And even with the tremor of fear currently running through their community, some believe it's time to bring the tradition back.
There were a lot of things to love about Sarah Jude's debut. The atmosphere, the pacing, the superstition and folklore base...
Ivy and her cousin are part of a small community that lives outside of town. They attend school with the regular kids, but otherwise don't socialize outside of Rowan's Glen. And Ivy is fine with that. She's happy in the Glen. Her cousin, Heather, wants more. And though they share everything, Ivy soon discovers that Heather is keeping secrets after all.
The book begins with a missing animal. Another in a long string of missing animals considering they've been disappearing for some time. Which of course brings to mind the stories of Birch Markle - the Glen's most infamous resident. Ivy's grandmother shared the tales with both Ivy and Heather as they were growing up. But their grandmother doesn't talk these days.
All of these little details (ok, some not so little) give readers a fabulous understanding of Ivy, her home life, and the community she's part of. They also set the tone for an ominous read. It reminded me in part of The Village, obviously. But the superstitions - both Ivy's mother's and her grandmother's - added a great layer of intrigue to the tale.
It was the end where I felt The May Queen Murders faltered a bit. There's some misdirection that, unfortunately, feels a bit like an afterthought. Honestly, up until that stage I was all on board but I did kind of wish that the book had ended without that little extra bit thrown in.
All things considered, I quite enjoyed The May Queen Murders. It's an overall satisfying and chilling read and Sarah Jude is definitely one I'll be looking forward to reading more from.
Ivy wasn't even born when Birch Markle began his reign of terror. But she's heard all the stories and knows about the death of the Glen's May Queen, their last - until now. And even with the tremor of fear currently running through their community, some believe it's time to bring the tradition back.
There were a lot of things to love about Sarah Jude's debut. The atmosphere, the pacing, the superstition and folklore base...
Ivy and her cousin are part of a small community that lives outside of town. They attend school with the regular kids, but otherwise don't socialize outside of Rowan's Glen. And Ivy is fine with that. She's happy in the Glen. Her cousin, Heather, wants more. And though they share everything, Ivy soon discovers that Heather is keeping secrets after all.
The book begins with a missing animal. Another in a long string of missing animals considering they've been disappearing for some time. Which of course brings to mind the stories of Birch Markle - the Glen's most infamous resident. Ivy's grandmother shared the tales with both Ivy and Heather as they were growing up. But their grandmother doesn't talk these days.
All of these little details (ok, some not so little) give readers a fabulous understanding of Ivy, her home life, and the community she's part of. They also set the tone for an ominous read. It reminded me in part of The Village, obviously. But the superstitions - both Ivy's mother's and her grandmother's - added a great layer of intrigue to the tale.
It was the end where I felt The May Queen Murders faltered a bit. There's some misdirection that, unfortunately, feels a bit like an afterthought. Honestly, up until that stage I was all on board but I did kind of wish that the book had ended without that little extra bit thrown in.
All things considered, I quite enjoyed The May Queen Murders. It's an overall satisfying and chilling read and Sarah Jude is definitely one I'll be looking forward to reading more from.