A review by annamariahz
Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

When the newly orphaned Cecelia Ellis moves in with her estranged grandmother, she realizes that her new town is obsessed with the death of a homecoming queen in the 1970s. Her grandmother even started a successful career as an author by writing a mystery based on the girl's tragic murder. Now another homecoming queen is dead, and the murder is almost identical to the first, and Cecelia is determined to find out what happened. But the list of suspects is long, and she begins to worry that what she finds may not be the perfect fictional mystery reveal that her grandmother writes. I love YA Mysteries, and this one is incredible! I couldn't put it down and had no idea what would happen next. Some of my suspicions were correct, but I could have never guessed the ending. I loved that there was an extra bookish element to the story, with Cecelia's grandmother's stories having a significant role in the plot. I also loved the main cast of characters and the teens gathering together to solve their friend's murder. 

Thank you to Netgalley, Crown Books for Young Readers, and Alexa Donne for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is a new favorite read, and I can't wait to read more by Alexa Donne!
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