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caseyundercovers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It has more debauchery than spice. You have been warned.
It is very graphic and not for the faint of heart or young readers!
Could recommend to horror fans and my fellow weird lit girls.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Blood, Drug abuse, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
Minor: Excrement and Gaslighting
keen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Cannibalism and Suicide
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Have was such an unhinged character but I somehow rooted for her and was utterly devastated by the ending.
There was a humorous yet strange scene that was definitely an ode to Patrick Batemen watching himself having sex.
This was such a captivating story. It was like a train wreck - I just couldn't look away. Every time I put the book down, it was all I could think about.
It had me physically cringing in disgust and shouting out in disturbance and I loved every moment of it.
This is going to stick with me for a very long time.
Graphic: Vomit, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Torture
squids_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Maeve Fly works as a princess at a theme park. She loves her life as it is but when her grandmother gets sick and her best friend gets a big break in her acting career. Now Maeve Fly's life is crumbling around her.
How can a book this disturbing make me want to sob like a little baby? I think that a very specific set of people will really enjoy this book and I think that most people will not. The main character is not a good person, she does things and says things that are fundamentally wrong. But I honestly really enjoyed that. It's gross and it's disgusting but it discusses a lot about codependent relationships, finding your true self, and having someone know you truly. Overall, I thought that the characters were really interesting and the plot was super intriguing.
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Blood, Torture, Misogyny, Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Animal death, Sexism, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, and Rape
kassmin08's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for access to an advanced copy for my honest review.
Thank you CJ Leede for giving readers a strong feminist FMC. You will be an autobuy author for me. I can't wait to see what else you will bring into this genre
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Terminal illness, Body horror, Gore, Kidnapping, Drug use, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
readthesparrow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
After I finished Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede, all I could think was holy fucking shit.
I could talk about the razor sharp prose. I could talk about the horrific mutilation scenes. I could talk about Leede’s willingness to dive head first into pure, unabashed brutality.
(Of note: I do not exaggerate when I talk about the extreme level of brutality. American Psycho is a comp title for many reasons; this is one of them.)
As good as the violence and gore is, as much as they’re deserving of praise, the thing that truly makes Maeve Fly great is the genuine, pure love Maeve has. For the Halloween songs she devotes chapters to, for the very few people in her life she has chosen, for the city around her. In fact, Maeve Fly is in and of itself a love letter to Anaheim, to horror, and to the terror of womanhood.
And, of course, a love letter to American Psycho.
Characters not only directly reference the novel (“She asks what I do for a living. ‘Murders and executions,’ I say.), but Maeve Fly shares several structural similarities (Maeve often discusses her favorite music, à la Bateman’s song reviews).
Leede, however, puts her own spin on her inspirations, bringing a level of delight and excellent character work to Maeve’s world that makes it (in my opinion) a more enjoyable read than American Psycho.
(The tidy page count also helps; Maeve Fly is a tidy 288 pages, whereas American Psycho is over 300.)
While it’s not necessarily to read American Psycho to understand and enjoy Maeve Fly, I found great delight in noticing the parallels and references. I would strongly suggest it.
I would also strongly suggest keeping the Maeve Fly Spotify playlist on hand to listen to the songs Maeve discusses, especially if you’re not familiar with them. Leede—and Maeve—have excellent music taste.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This debut will be hard to beat, but I cannot wait to see what Leede writes next.
Maeve Fly has easily joined the ranks of horror books I champion endlessly to anyone who will listen (which I plan to make a list of this year, so stay tuned for literary proselytization). Until then, just know: I WANT YOU TO READ MAEVE FLY!
Thank you to Tor for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley, and thank you to C.J. Leede for such a fantastic novel. If you are interested in Maeve Fly, it releases June 6, 2023. Find more information from the publishers or consider supporting indie bookshops by purchasing the novel at Bookshop.org or from your local B&M!
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Minor: Cannibalism and Terminal illness
autumnleafgirl's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Genre: Extreme Horror
Themes: Quarter life crisis, killer women, extreme gore, slasher, the entertainment biz
The titular Maeve Fly is a 27-year-old on the brink of her quarter-life crisis: Her coworker and best friend is on the edge of stardom, her kindred-spirit grandmother is dying, and someone is leaving strange dolls at Maeve's favorite haunts in Hollywood. In the days leading up to Halloween night, we watch as Maeve slowly - and then all at once - loses the tight grip that holds her life together and gives into the extreme violence that sleeps fitfully within her.
Here's the thing, though: Maeve might be depressed, disgusting, and deranged but she's also somehow, some way, kind of likeable. Her morbid investment in every little thing in her quickly collapsing world, from the wellbeing of her grandmother's cat to the theme park princess job she unironically loves, is tenderized by her snide humor and endless supply of Halloween music trivia. She's not detached or unemotional - if anything, her big feelings about everything seem to be the thing she hates about herself the most. And frankly, all of that just makes what she does to express those feelings even more squirm- inducing to read about.
While only around 250 pages, this novel still manages to pack a very greasy, gorey punch with Maeve's explicitly visceral descent into madness. Gross from beginning to end with a significant portion of the book essentially a montage of graphic violence, this book isn't for the faint of heart, the faint of stomach, or the early horror reader. Instead, it's perfect for readers who thought Mona Awad's "Bunny" or Ottessa Moshfegh's "Eileen" didn't go far enough and should have been set in the glam and grime of LA. Think long and hard, then wait two hours after eating before dipping your toe in this pool.
The verdict: As nauseated as I still am an hour after finishing up this book, there's an excellent chance that Maeve Fly will top my horror list at the end of the year. I know exactly the horror fiend friends I'll recommend it to, and for those looking to fill a hypersexual murderess-shaped hole in their shelf, Maeve Fly will honestly soar.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Cancer, Medical content, Cannibalism, Gore, Abandonment, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Murder, Stalking, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Blood, Violence, Vomit, and Cursing
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Classism, Stalking, Body shaming, and Suicide