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A review by justinkhchen
Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede
5.0
5 stars
American Psycho meets Mulholland Drive in this fever dream about making it in Los Angeles, Maeve Fly works because it goes full throttle with its concept: emotions are big, violence is outrageously explicit, and the characters are so crazed and larger-than-life, they somehow circle back to be immediately relatable and sympathetic. If you enjoyed a simmering descend into unhinged chaos, this one is not to be missed.
One aspect I greatly appreciate in Maeve Fly is its specificity; it is as much a story about Los Angeles as it is a character study; the meaningful incorporation of landmarks (Chateau Marmont, Le Brea tar pits, and a particular theme park not to be named!) really grounds the narrative into this city for dreamers: sparkling facade disguising layers of scheming, trauma and loneliness. The ultra-violence is one of the book's selling points, and it definitely doesn't shy away from putting things on display—I was even taken aback a couple times by some its creative 'presentations' (quite a few of them sexually oriented), each time an impactful release of confined female rage.
Maeve Fly is a fascinating individual to read from, her child-like love for Halloween is a stark contrast to some of her more devious behaviors, servicing to protect a more fragile inner-self. I also enjoy the snarky humor that is sprinkled throughout. There were moments when I was slightly concerned her character arc would be too similar to Patrick Bateman's in American Psycho, but the last few chapters really took a turn and arrived at a place quite profound, and emotionally not anticipated.
The audiobook is narrated by Sosie Bacon (daughter of Kevin Bacon), whose performance is spot-on as the titular character. However, the overall production (at least in the ARC version) comes across as slightly under-produced: I can hear paper shuffling, as well as some broken reading that sounded like an unrehearsed first take. Hopefully these minor imperfections are resolved in the published version.
Maeve Fly is an immersive experience that manages to pay homage to its inspiration (one can argue this is a West Coast version of American Psycho), as well as carving out its own identity. Other novels coming to mind offering a similar reading experience: Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth, Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage, and In the Miso Soup. by Ryū Murakami.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
American Psycho meets Mulholland Drive in this fever dream about making it in Los Angeles, Maeve Fly works because it goes full throttle with its concept: emotions are big, violence is outrageously explicit, and the characters are so crazed and larger-than-life, they somehow circle back to be immediately relatable and sympathetic. If you enjoyed a simmering descend into unhinged chaos, this one is not to be missed.
One aspect I greatly appreciate in Maeve Fly is its specificity; it is as much a story about Los Angeles as it is a character study; the meaningful incorporation of landmarks (Chateau Marmont, Le Brea tar pits, and a particular theme park not to be named!) really grounds the narrative into this city for dreamers: sparkling facade disguising layers of scheming, trauma and loneliness. The ultra-violence is one of the book's selling points, and it definitely doesn't shy away from putting things on display—I was even taken aback a couple times by some its creative 'presentations' (quite a few of them sexually oriented), each time an impactful release of confined female rage.
Maeve Fly is a fascinating individual to read from, her child-like love for Halloween is a stark contrast to some of her more devious behaviors, servicing to protect a more fragile inner-self. I also enjoy the snarky humor that is sprinkled throughout. There were moments when I was slightly concerned her character arc would be too similar to Patrick Bateman's in American Psycho, but the last few chapters really took a turn and arrived at a place quite profound, and emotionally not anticipated.
The audiobook is narrated by Sosie Bacon (daughter of Kevin Bacon), whose performance is spot-on as the titular character. However, the overall production (at least in the ARC version) comes across as slightly under-produced: I can hear paper shuffling, as well as some broken reading that sounded like an unrehearsed first take. Hopefully these minor imperfections are resolved in the published version.
Maeve Fly is an immersive experience that manages to pay homage to its inspiration (one can argue this is a West Coast version of American Psycho), as well as carving out its own identity. Other novels coming to mind offering a similar reading experience: Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth, Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage, and In the Miso Soup. by Ryū Murakami.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**