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A review by magicalreads
The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
4.0
4.25 stars
read on my blog
The Dead Queens Club really snuck up and me; I truly did not expect to like it as much as I did. This book has just the right amount of drama and outrageousness. Hannah Capin wrote the drama of Henry VIII and his six wives so seamlessly into a modern high school setting, you won't even be able to recognize all the references.
What I loved the most about this book was the writing. Cleves's snarkiness is the best and entirely my sense of humor. Also, Capin writes the characters so incredibly well. You'll find yourself falling in love (just a little) with Henry, and being manipulated by him, just like Cleves. I was genuinely so caught up in the drama that I was almost convinced by his lies; it was great feeling this way. I mean, not being manipulated by an angry liar, but really feeling what the main character is going through is such a good marker of excellent writing.
And you'd think that in a book with so much drama between girls, there would be a lot of slut-shaming and double standards. There's not. Cleves calls out pretty much double standard, things said by Henry and the other girls. She talks often about not liking Anna, but when people act like she was just an overreacting bitch, she rebuts with remarks of not reducing girls to a two-dimensional standard. When people only bring up Katie to talk about her sex life, she shuts them down. This book is definitely a great example of girls supporting girls.
I'd like to think that I know a decent amount about this whole debacle because we covered it pretty heavily in school (what with the whole, let's break off from Catholicism! thing). However, there are still so many gaps in my knowledge. Only after I went on Wikipedia after finishing the book did I realize some of the references because some of them are so subtle.
I do think what this book lacked was representation. Cleves and her sister are both adopted (from China and Malawi, respectively), so there's that, but it's brought up twice so it's easy to forget. This book is based on England and set in the Midwest, but we're already reimagining so much of it, so I do think it could have done better in the representation factor.
Overall, this book was such a fun read; it was dramatic without being overbearing and scornful without crossing into slut-shaming. I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Trouble is a Friend of Mine or Sarah Rees Brennan's books. The drama was such a trip, the plot so enticing, and the characters great to follow. If you're looking for a hilarious, fun ride of a novel, I totally suggest you pick The Dead Queens Club up, but be warned, you won't be able to put it down.
original review:
oooooh I really liked this!!
read on my blog
"What even is his type? Genius lacrosse queen. Ambitious business bitch. Boring hospital chick. Indie best friend. Sweetheart party girl. And now the party-crashing newspaper boss."
"Can't even profile him."
The Dead Queens Club really snuck up and me; I truly did not expect to like it as much as I did. This book has just the right amount of drama and outrageousness. Hannah Capin wrote the drama of Henry VIII and his six wives so seamlessly into a modern high school setting, you won't even be able to recognize all the references.
What I loved the most about this book was the writing. Cleves's snarkiness is the best and entirely my sense of humor. Also, Capin writes the characters so incredibly well. You'll find yourself falling in love (just a little) with Henry, and being manipulated by him, just like Cleves. I was genuinely so caught up in the drama that I was almost convinced by his lies; it was great feeling this way. I mean, not being manipulated by an angry liar, but really feeling what the main character is going through is such a good marker of excellent writing.
And you'd think that in a book with so much drama between girls, there would be a lot of slut-shaming and double standards. There's not. Cleves calls out pretty much double standard, things said by Henry and the other girls. She talks often about not liking Anna, but when people act like she was just an overreacting bitch, she rebuts with remarks of not reducing girls to a two-dimensional standard. When people only bring up Katie to talk about her sex life, she shuts them down. This book is definitely a great example of girls supporting girls.
"Everybody thinks I'm this backstabbing bitch," says Parker. "But it's bullshit, just like everything everybody said about Anna. She was so smart and ambitious, and all anybody remembers is that she stole somebody's boyfriend."
"What people said about Katie wasn't fair, either," I tell them. "She's dead and all they want to talk about is who she slept with instead of how she was the sweetest person ever, and the least selfish, and the most fun."
I'd like to think that I know a decent amount about this whole debacle because we covered it pretty heavily in school (what with the whole, let's break off from Catholicism! thing). However, there are still so many gaps in my knowledge. Only after I went on Wikipedia after finishing the book did I realize some of the references because some of them are so subtle.
I do think what this book lacked was representation. Cleves and her sister are both adopted (from China and Malawi, respectively), so there's that, but it's brought up twice so it's easy to forget. This book is based on England and set in the Midwest, but we're already reimagining so much of it, so I do think it could have done better in the representation factor.
Because we're the best secret club ever. We're the queens club. And we've got this.
Overall, this book was such a fun read; it was dramatic without being overbearing and scornful without crossing into slut-shaming. I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Trouble is a Friend of Mine or Sarah Rees Brennan's books. The drama was such a trip, the plot so enticing, and the characters great to follow. If you're looking for a hilarious, fun ride of a novel, I totally suggest you pick The Dead Queens Club up, but be warned, you won't be able to put it down.
original review:
oooooh I really liked this!!