A review by renettereads
Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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? No

4.0

We meet Mina as she first arrives from England to visit her sister Libby in New Orleans. Working a Haunted Mansion type job, Libby gets Mina a gig there too and it’s on her first night that she uncovers something that sets off a whole string of unfortunate events. 

I adored this book for the nostalgic hit it gave me. Even though I only came into my teens in the late 90s, growing up with an older brother who was into Nirvana and No Doubt gave me plenty of memories to relate to this book in such a wonderful way. I loved the pop culture references throughout, especially when it came to The Lost Boys and Buffy. 

I also enjoyed that the book actually felt like a 90s/early 2000s slasher movie where you could hardly take a breath before the next terrible thing befell this group of friends. There were plenty of twists and turns (some that I saw coming, others that I definitely didn’t) and I liked the pacing of it. However, towards the end of the book, things did seem a little rushed and left-field and I think it could’ve been a little more thoughtful. 

In saying that, I would still really recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed R.L. Stein (I feel like this is a more grown-up version of a Goosebumps book) and definitely to everyone who wants a fun time and a huge hit of nostalgia. 
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