A review by writervid
The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin

3.0

I finished this book in a solid twenty-four hours, which is to say, I couldn't quite put it down. I found Cleves' voice addictive; it was solidly witty, with its own self-awareness. She felt like a real high schooler, which, coming from one, says something. Also, despite my bone to pick with the portrayal of high school cliques (no one views high school as a place to rule anymore, guys), I found the way Lancaster High School was portrayed to be honest and realistic. People from the same group do tend to group together. Friendships aren't just political alliances. And there are some people in school that everyone just knows, for one reason or another. I definitely enjoyed my time reading this book.

However, there are good things and there are bad. As much as I loved the narration and some of the *epic moments* (Imagine us in full armor had me living), and I found the series of events convoluted towards the end, and wanted more emotion and an arc from Cleves. She's intensely cerebral, and while I can relate, I know no one goes straight to acceptance after hearing their friend is dead and skips over grief, anger, bargaining, etc. Cleves felt motivation-less for much of the story. She didn't have an arc or a motivation, just humor and connections to the rest of the characters. That's not enough for a compelling story, especially within a retelling.

I enjoyed reading this. Future reread? Probably not.