A review by bibliorama
Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

"Grams really fumbled the bag on this one."
       - My friend Megan when I told her the rundown of the plot XD


Enjoyment - 4
This was a good, easy time. I actually would have liked to spend more time in the setup of the town and seen more of the characters before the major event. The small, coastal town vibe was a good setting choice and I appreciated that the natural environment of the town played a role in the plot.

Start - 3.5
This is the section I could have done with being longer. I wish we spent more time submerged in the new house and town with added details. The premise is a good one though. A murder done in the same fashion as one done decades before sets the stage for a lot of questions.

Characters - 4.5
There were some interesting character tropes being used, and I do like a complicated friend group. I just wish we had gotten more of it before the murder because the status quo was interesting in itself. Also, there were a good amount of questionable people around to make nailing down the culprit less easy.
 
Atmosphere - 3.5
Decent details, I could visualize the town easily. I just wanted more details (and isn't that the theme of this review).

Plot - 4
Kept a good pace and the progression felt natural for the most part. Towards the end it gets quicker and one reveal in particular feels half out of the blue. It was the twist I was hoping for but I wanted more setup for it. There was lots of good drama, but I wanted to sit in some of it more because there's some dark stuff introduced here.

Ending - 4
Loved the second twist, but again wanted more setup for it.

Style - 3
Writing was effective and had a realistic teen voice, I just don't have any standout lines that stick in my brain.

Overall - 3.8
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