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drakaina16's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
I'm going to preface this review by saying I would never have picked His Scream Queen up if it wasn't for the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. Any kind of forefront romance is a huge turn-off for me and the words "make love" make me want to 🤮. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, though. It's a cheesy homage to the 80s and teen movies. Cheesy, but self-aware and clever. I'll never be a romance fan, but I did have a lot of fun with the book. 3.5 stars
I'm going to preface this review by saying I would never have picked His Scream Queen up if it wasn't for the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. Any kind of forefront romance is a huge turn-off for me and the words "make love" make me want to 🤮. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, though. It's a cheesy homage to the 80s and teen movies. Cheesy, but self-aware and clever. I'll never be a romance fan, but I did have a lot of fun with the book. 3.5 stars
lindielou's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was such a fun 80s horror romance! Had a bit of all the things I love about 80s horror, and I absolutely loved Jamie and Lucio. It's part of a series but with just some nods to the other stories, which I had to get about 50% into this one. Can't wait to read the others!
bergamotandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 STARS
When Lucio Argento is dumped by Amteep High’s most popular girl, he plots revenge in a way he's certain will crush her. He convinces Jamie Blair - the target of his ex’s bullying - into doing a makeover that will garner enough votes for her to be Prom Queen.
What he doesn't expect is to fall for Jamie, or to become her willing accomplice in uncovering who is behind the spate of deaths of animals in their community. When their classmates begin to die in the most horrific ways, Lucio and Jamie discover dark supernatural forces are at work, and unless they can conjure a miracle, everyone will die at Prom.
.
.
.
Brooklyn Ann states plainly at the beginning of the book that she intended HIS SCREAM QUEEN to be an homage to SK's book CARRIE. Now, not having read it (although it is definitely up next!) I can't comment on the similarities. However, it did remind me of the late 90's movie "She's All That" . . . . just with more blood, murders and demons.
What I loved about this book was the plot. It gets a full 5 stars from me - it was basically a cheesy teenage horror film in the making. I would 100% watch a film adaption of HIS SCREAM QUEEN, ketchup blood and all. What I didn't like? The writing. It was straight up awful. I also feel like the author couldn't decide on her target audience. The subject matter was very adult (and even steamy at times!) but it felt like it was written for a younger YA audience, which kind of weirded me out.
Overall, recommended for anyone looking for a teen romance (heavy on the cheese) with a side of drama and demon summoning. Even though I couldn't in good conscious rate HIS SCREAM QUEEN any higher than a 3 stars I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. This book is available now!
When Lucio Argento is dumped by Amteep High’s most popular girl, he plots revenge in a way he's certain will crush her. He convinces Jamie Blair - the target of his ex’s bullying - into doing a makeover that will garner enough votes for her to be Prom Queen.
What he doesn't expect is to fall for Jamie, or to become her willing accomplice in uncovering who is behind the spate of deaths of animals in their community. When their classmates begin to die in the most horrific ways, Lucio and Jamie discover dark supernatural forces are at work, and unless they can conjure a miracle, everyone will die at Prom.
.
.
.
Brooklyn Ann states plainly at the beginning of the book that she intended HIS SCREAM QUEEN to be an homage to SK's book CARRIE. Now, not having read it (although it is definitely up next!) I can't comment on the similarities. However, it did remind me of the late 90's movie "She's All That" . . . . just with more blood, murders and demons.
What I loved about this book was the plot. It gets a full 5 stars from me - it was basically a cheesy teenage horror film in the making. I would 100% watch a film adaption of HIS SCREAM QUEEN, ketchup blood and all. What I didn't like? The writing. It was straight up awful. I also feel like the author couldn't decide on her target audience. The subject matter was very adult (and even steamy at times!) but it felt like it was written for a younger YA audience, which kind of weirded me out.
Overall, recommended for anyone looking for a teen romance (heavy on the cheese) with a side of drama and demon summoning. Even though I couldn't in good conscious rate HIS SCREAM QUEEN any higher than a 3 stars I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC. This book is available now!
dnemec's review against another edition
4.0
Lucio Argento (what a great name, horror movie fans!) is dumped on Christmas eve by the beautiful-yet-evil Brittany because he's not prom king material. In an effort to antagonize her, Lucio decides to find a girl to beat her at prom queen, choosing the beautiful but poor Jamie. Unfortunately for the two of them - and everyone that pisses her off - Brittany has been dabbling with a demon for several years, giving him bigger and bigger sacrifices in exchange for her father's promotion, thicker hair, clearer skin, and a more expensive wardrobe. It began with small animals, but the sacrifices have been getting larger and the demon demands more. And why not get rid of your rivals while simultaneously feeding your pet demon?! Except the demon is starting to take over and Brittany can no longer control him. And all hell is going to break loose if Brittany isn't crowned...
The author's note calls this book: "a mishmash of American '80s high school angst, giallo-style kills, and a hefty dose of my own usual weirdness." I'd say it's a pretty good description. References to trapper keepers, Prime Time Video, and Mad Dog 2020 will leave every '80s kid feeling nostalgic. It's like Carrie meets Night of the Demons meets Pretty in Pink, with a little Suspiria thrown in for good measure. A sweet, tender love story with a spattering of sacrifices and a demon, wherein the awkward outcast gets to have a good time at the prom. Or does she...?
A wonderful tribute to our youth.
The author's note calls this book: "a mishmash of American '80s high school angst, giallo-style kills, and a hefty dose of my own usual weirdness." I'd say it's a pretty good description. References to trapper keepers, Prime Time Video, and Mad Dog 2020 will leave every '80s kid feeling nostalgic. It's like Carrie meets Night of the Demons meets Pretty in Pink, with a little Suspiria thrown in for good measure. A sweet, tender love story with a spattering of sacrifices and a demon, wherein the awkward outcast gets to have a good time at the prom. Or does she...?
A wonderful tribute to our youth.
bdzimmerman15's review against another edition
5.0
From beginning to end, this book drew me in. Following the story of Lucio, who was dumped by Britney (the most popular girl in school), he teams up with Jamie to get revenge on her by taking her prom queen title from her. But, so many strange things keep happening. Animals go missing, students start dying and no one knows why but assume it’s satanic cult related. But, is it? The way Lucio and Jamie’s relationship developed was well thought out and went on a pretty linear timeline for high school. I loved the skepticism from Jamie that turned to admiration. The dynamics between all the characters involved weaved together really well. I thought the plot was good, very engaging and maintained the same goal throughout the book. This was really well done. It gave me major Carrie vibes and i thoroughly enjoyed it! I did receive this as an advanced copy for free, but all thoughts are my own!
dani8inad's review against another edition
4.0
A great high school story about someone who gets dumped and then wanting revenge. He teams up with someone else who also wants revenge on the same person. It is a great story with great characters and if you are a fan of slasher books you will love this!
This was the exact book I was looking to read at the moment, so thank you very much!
This was the exact book I was looking to read at the moment, so thank you very much!
elles_shelves's review against another edition
5.0
His Scream Queen by Brooklyn Ann is part Pygmalion, part Carrie, part Prom Night, and 100% fun! I enjoyed the campy horror novel so much I devoured it in one sitting. Brittney Shaw is the most popular girl in school. She's rich and is the head cheerleader, but she's also smart and knows how to get exactly what she wants in life. . . no matter what she has to do to get it. Right now she wants nothing more than to be elected her school's Prom Queen. She begins working towards this goal by dumping her boyfriend, Lucio Argento, because he doesn't hav the right social status to be her Prom King. Lucio decides to get some revenge by making sure that another girl is chosen as Prom Queen. After Lucio witnesses Brittney bully Jamie Blair, he decides he will help transform Jamie from a girl Brittney sees as unpopular :trailer trash" into a Prom Queen. I don't want to spoil the bool, but what ensues is just pure fun. It felt very much like an 80's era horror film full of blood and gore! As a child of the 80's, the cultural references were spot on and while reading this book I could picture the fashion, makeup, and hair in my head. . . not to mention hear the songs in my head. Was it a little cheesy, yes! But it was intentional cheese and just a fun-filled read! I was unaware that this was the third in the B Mine book series and I am not ashamed to admit that I've already ordered Books 1 and 2 and can hardly wait to read them. I'll also be checking out more from Brooklyn Ann.
bookishends's review against another edition
5.0
This book was everything. It was a romance meets killings and blood and sacrifice. I don't usually read horror books, so I was surprised at how easy this book was to get into, and I found myself shocked at different parts in the story with the way classmates died. It also almost felt like a mystery at points as the main characters Lucio and Jamie had to discover what was really happening in their town so they could find a way to stop the evil.
The book starts off weird and creepy and the tone stays that way throughout which I really liked. There were sweet and steamy romantic moments in this book, but there was just enough of a sinister undertone to keep you on the edge as you waited for the hammer to drop. The characters, even the evil ones, were all interesting, and I liked how class differences played a role in how the characters interacted. The book seemed like a precautionary tale to what happens when you get greedy and also a warning to not play around with magic when you don't know what you're doing. There was nothing I really disliked about the book as I thought it was a quick and enjoyable read. I've never seen Carrie before but now I'm interested in prom horror plots, so it's on my list to watch now. I also definitely want to read more of the author's books now.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book starts off weird and creepy and the tone stays that way throughout which I really liked. There were sweet and steamy romantic moments in this book, but there was just enough of a sinister undertone to keep you on the edge as you waited for the hammer to drop. The characters, even the evil ones, were all interesting, and I liked how class differences played a role in how the characters interacted. The book seemed like a precautionary tale to what happens when you get greedy and also a warning to not play around with magic when you don't know what you're doing. There was nothing I really disliked about the book as I thought it was a quick and enjoyable read. I've never seen Carrie before but now I'm interested in prom horror plots, so it's on my list to watch now. I also definitely want to read more of the author's books now.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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