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bookbitch111's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
IT WAS SO GOOD!! The Mary Shelley Club is one of my ultimate favorites, would definitely recommend. The book got me into horror, and I will never forget it :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Drug use
Minor: Hate crime, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
sidbookreviews's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, this book was so good! I seriously read about 90% of this in one day (and stayed up late to finish it, admittedly not the best idea for a horror book), I could not put it down! The Mary Shelley Club is an addictive blend of thriller, horror and high school drama all rolled into one irresistible package. There is something distinctly enthralling about the pacing and content of this book that makes it compulsively readable and impossible to put down! I loved the NYC private school setting, and of course, I can't resist anything with a secret society! I also LOVE psychological and slasher horror, so the prominent featuring of both in this book, both as topics of conversation for the Mary Shelley Club members and as elements of the plot, was absolutely perfect for me. This book was an excellent read, I'd highly recommend it!
Full review to come on my blog!
Full review to come on my blog!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Stalking
ukalaylee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Drug use
danah_kmt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I binged this in 7h, and honestly it gave me so much anxiety and stress.
If the author's goal was to get me on edge that I was scared by every little sound I heard, and to give me chills then she succeeded.
I didn't think this book would be so psychologically engaging (I mean its a mystery ya, how bad can it be), but I was so on edge especially the latter half of this book, that I jumped every time my dog moved, so...
I predicted things, then changed my predictions, then went back, then changed them continuously trying to figure out the mystery; it's predictable but makes you doubt its predictability.
I'm also still in denial of the end of chapter 39, just refusing that reality...
I just kind of hated Rachel, so minus points there.
If the author's goal was to get me on edge that I was scared by every little sound I heard, and to give me chills then she succeeded.
I didn't think this book would be so psychologically engaging (I mean its a mystery ya, how bad can it be), but I was so on edge especially the latter half of this book, that I jumped every time my dog moved, so...
I predicted things, then changed my predictions, then went back, then changed them continuously trying to figure out the mystery; it's predictable but makes you doubt its predictability.
I'm also still in denial of the end of chapter 39, just refusing that reality...
I just kind of hated Rachel, so minus points there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders
Home invasion, fear triggersuhhlexiconic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An interesting book about a girl who finds solace in a club that takes their horror obsession too far that is mildly dragged down by some of the drawbacks of the genre. Rachel's life before the club is thinly drawn, but her life in the club is much more rich. Even at its worst, its pretty clear to see what the club's allure is for Rachel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, and Toxic friendship
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A twisty YA thriller that will have you on the edge of your seats! Though the twists were a bit predictable for me, the characters were great and I loved the way the author pulled in horror movie tropes and references. More to come in a full review next week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
sunshinestark's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect for fans of horror, The Mary Shelley Club starts off strong and ends with just the right hook to grab you, making you want a sequel immediately. Filled with references to old, new, well known, and more obscure horror movies, we have a group of students obsessed with horror who play a twisted game with one goal: make their target scream. When Rachel moves from Long Island after a traumatic home invasion, she never expects to be initiated into the Mary Shelley Club. The club plans elaborate pranks meant to terrify others, and it's all a game - the person who creates the best scenario wins. But as the game progresses, it's clear someone is sabotaging them. With danger closing in, Rachel isn't sure who she can trust. All she knows is she has to survive, and she won't go down without a fight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence
justagirlwithabook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Seventeen-year-old Rachel and her mom are new to the Manchester area after moving from Long Island because of a traumatic home invasion that took place a year earlier. Masked men broke into their house when Rachel was alone and attacked her, but she defended herself and lived to see another day, though the experience left its mark; she suffers from nightmares, anxiety and anxiety, has trouble making new friends at her new school, and just can't seem to shake the past. But then, things begin to look up as she meets and joins in with the Mary Shelley Club, a small, eclectic group of fellow students and horror fans who take their love of fear to the next level, staging their own "Fear Tests" as part of a game. Come up with a plan, scare the victim until they scream, and the person with best Fear Test when it's all said and done wins. But things start taking a dark turn the more Rachel gets caught up in the group and their game, and it seems like her past, and a masked intruder, isn't as far away as she once hoped.
This one got off to a sort of slow start, but by maybe a fourth of the way in, things started picking up and the storyline turned a bit more macabre, which I ate up, in one 4 and a half hour sitting! I really appreciated all the references to the cult classics of the horror genre, both film and text (as a former English teacher and current librarian, all the asides related to horror literature were a hit for me!). The storyline really focuses most on this traumatic incident that occurs at the very beginning, and then everything builds from there. We don't ever find out much about Rachel and her mom's story really; we only know them through the lens of this bad moment a year ago. While this might not work for some, I think it worked fine here, especially as a Young Adult novel that really carries itself well as a "slasher" type of story (it'd make a great older teen horror movie!). I didn't fully see the twist at the end when all was revealed, so it wasn't super predictable, which was great as well.
What I loved: the (mostly) fast pace, all the references to classic horror novels, authors, and films, the build up to the somewhat surprising ending, the 'slasher film' feeling of the story overall (5-stars for entertainment value!)
What I didn't love: the end-end of the ending (it felt like it ended quite abruptly rather than smoothly tapering off and letting us go - there were some loose ends that would've been nice to have wrapped up), not a lot of love for the main character (she was a bit abrasive, but then if this had been a horror film, we wouldn't need to have lovable characters to still get caught up in the scary of it all), the more mature content (in regards to language, casual underage drinking, drug use, and sexual commentary ... as a junior high librarian I was hoping this would be a great addition to my library shelves but it's much to 'new' young adult rather than just middle grade-YA).
I would definitely recommend this to older young adults who enjoy a good horror/thriller with a plot twist (as well as adults who can appreciate a pretty decent YA slasher novel when they see one). As a librarian, I would recommend this to general public libraries where young adult horror has a readership.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (Henry Holt and Co.) for the Early Review copy in exchanged for honest feedback.
This one got off to a sort of slow start, but by maybe a fourth of the way in, things started picking up and the storyline turned a bit more macabre, which I ate up, in one 4 and a half hour sitting! I really appreciated all the references to the cult classics of the horror genre, both film and text (as a former English teacher and current librarian, all the asides related to horror literature were a hit for me!). The storyline really focuses most on this traumatic incident that occurs at the very beginning, and then everything builds from there. We don't ever find out much about Rachel and her mom's story really; we only know them through the lens of this bad moment a year ago. While this might not work for some, I think it worked fine here, especially as a Young Adult novel that really carries itself well as a "slasher" type of story (it'd make a great older teen horror movie!). I didn't fully see the twist at the end when all was revealed, so it wasn't super predictable, which was great as well.
What I loved: the (mostly) fast pace, all the references to classic horror novels, authors, and films, the build up to the somewhat surprising ending, the 'slasher film' feeling of the story overall (5-stars for entertainment value!)
What I didn't love: the end-end of the ending (it felt like it ended quite abruptly rather than smoothly tapering off and letting us go - there were some loose ends that would've been nice to have wrapped up), not a lot of love for the main character (she was a bit abrasive, but then if this had been a horror film, we wouldn't need to have lovable characters to still get caught up in the scary of it all), the more mature content (in regards to language, casual underage drinking, drug use, and sexual commentary ... as a junior high librarian I was hoping this would be a great addition to my library shelves but it's much to 'new' young adult rather than just middle grade-YA).
I would definitely recommend this to older young adults who enjoy a good horror/thriller with a plot twist (as well as adults who can appreciate a pretty decent YA slasher novel when they see one). As a librarian, I would recommend this to general public libraries where young adult horror has a readership.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (Henry Holt and Co.) for the Early Review copy in exchanged for honest feedback.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism and Drug use
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