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paragraphsandpages's review
2.0
The premise of this one was quite interesting, but it just didn't quite work for me.
This book deals with a lot, and weaves in a bit of magic to do so. Mayhem comes from an abusive step-father, and the story starts right after they've escaped back to her mother's hometown. However, this hometown has secrets, and the women in her family inherit a certain type of magic that they use to protect the town. Mayhem is wrapped into this magic, and learns how to use this magic alongside hearing rumors of a serial killer in the town.
One of my friends said that this book could have benefitted from being longer, and I have to agree. There were a lot of interesting parts of the story that simply didn't get enough time to grow, especially regarding the magic. The magic of this family is wrapped in so much history, and it feels like we're given a crash course in it, rather than really seeing the depth of this history and the hold it has on this family. I feel like the ending also didn't interrogate the role of this magic and family in the town as much as it could have, and leaves the morality of vigilante justice sort of up in the air, even though this discussion is started at a few separate points. Overall, if more time had been spent here, I could've found myself really enjoying this book.
Another issue that is common with magical realism is that it often can feel sudden and jarring, rather than blending seamlessly with the story. While there were some aspects of the magic that felt like it blended well with the rest of the story, the switch to having a story with magic was very sudden, and it took me a second to catch on to what was going on. It wasn't clear at first if there was actually some sort of magic involved or if these kids were just, insanely high on drugs.
Overall, this wasn't my thing, though I do wish I had enjoyed it because the concept itself was quite interesting.
This book deals with a lot, and weaves in a bit of magic to do so. Mayhem comes from an abusive step-father, and the story starts right after they've escaped back to her mother's hometown. However, this hometown has secrets, and the women in her family inherit a certain type of magic that they use to protect the town. Mayhem is wrapped into this magic, and learns how to use this magic alongside hearing rumors of a serial killer in the town.
One of my friends said that this book could have benefitted from being longer, and I have to agree. There were a lot of interesting parts of the story that simply didn't get enough time to grow, especially regarding the magic. The magic of this family is wrapped in so much history, and it feels like we're given a crash course in it, rather than really seeing the depth of this history and the hold it has on this family. I feel like the ending also didn't interrogate the role of this magic and family in the town as much as it could have, and leaves the morality of vigilante justice sort of up in the air, even though this discussion is started at a few separate points. Overall, if more time had been spent here, I could've found myself really enjoying this book.
Another issue that is common with magical realism is that it often can feel sudden and jarring, rather than blending seamlessly with the story. While there were some aspects of the magic that felt like it blended well with the rest of the story, the switch to having a story with magic was very sudden, and it took me a second to catch on to what was going on. It wasn't clear at first if there was actually some sort of magic involved or if these kids were just, insanely high on drugs.
Overall, this wasn't my thing, though I do wish I had enjoyed it because the concept itself was quite interesting.
starzyrose's review against another edition
3.0
It's the 80s, and we follow Mayhem and her mother who have just moved back to the mother's family home after escaping an abusive relationship. Mayhem soon comes to realise that there's more to their family than she ever would have thought. This book promises 80s vibes, mystery and magic and has heavy nods to the 80s cult classic 'The Lost Boys'.
Let me start off by saying that 'The Lost Boys' is my favourite movie.
I was clearly excited by this book when I received an email offering me access to an ARC... but overall I was left with mixed feelings.
I enjoyed the writing, general vibes of the book, and some aspects of the story. The book also felt very nostalgic which does make me question who this book is for as it is a YA but how many current teens will feel nostalgic about the 80s? I personally didn't live through the 80s but I felt that nostalgia having grown up on 80s movies and having had such a love for 'The Lost Boys' since I was fourteen.
Then the last page of this book happened which completely lost me. There is so much present within this book which was ripped directly from the film to an extent it was uncomfortable. The last page of this book featured a quote directly from 'The Lost Boys' which really had NOTHING to do with this book and was given to a different character (but still one from the movie) which added insult to injury.
Honestly removing the quote and the presence of the brothers within this book (or leaving them at one brief cameo) probably would have left me with much more positive feelings overall but I've had a hard time getting past it to enjoy everything else this book had to offer.
I think for now I'm settling on a rating of 2.5.
Let me start off by saying that 'The Lost Boys' is my favourite movie.
I was clearly excited by this book when I received an email offering me access to an ARC... but overall I was left with mixed feelings.
I enjoyed the writing, general vibes of the book, and some aspects of the story. The book also felt very nostalgic which does make me question who this book is for as it is a YA but how many current teens will feel nostalgic about the 80s? I personally didn't live through the 80s but I felt that nostalgia having grown up on 80s movies and having had such a love for 'The Lost Boys' since I was fourteen.
Then the last page of this book happened which completely lost me. There is so much present within this book which was ripped directly from the film to an extent it was uncomfortable. The last page of this book featured a quote directly from 'The Lost Boys' which really had NOTHING to do with this book and was given to a different character (but still one from the movie) which added insult to injury.
Honestly removing the quote and the presence of the brothers within this book (or leaving them at one brief cameo) probably would have left me with much more positive feelings overall but I've had a hard time getting past it to enjoy everything else this book had to offer.
I think for now I'm settling on a rating of 2.5.
starzy's review against another edition
3.0
It's the 80s, and we follow Mayhem and her mother who have just moved back to the mother's family home after escaping an abusive relationship. Mayhem soon comes to realise that there's more to their family than she ever would have thought. This book promises 80s vibes, mystery and magic and has heavy nods to the 80s cult classic 'The Lost Boys'.
Let me start off by saying that 'The Lost Boys' is my favourite movie.
I was clearly excited by this book when I received an email offering me access to an ARC... but overall I was left with mixed feelings.
I enjoyed the writing, general vibes of the book, and some aspects of the story. The book also felt very nostalgic which does make me question who this book is for as it is a YA but how many current teens will feel nostalgic about the 80s? I personally didn't live through the 80s but I felt that nostalgia having grown up on 80s movies and having had such a love for 'The Lost Boys' since I was fourteen.
Then the last page of this book happened which completely lost me. There is so much present within this book which was ripped directly from the film to an extent it was uncomfortable. The last page of this book featured a quote directly from 'The Lost Boys' which really had NOTHING to do with this book and was given to a different character (but still one from the movie) which added insult to injury.
Honestly removing the quote and the presence of the brothers within this book (or leaving them at one brief cameo) probably would have left me with much more positive feelings overall but I've had a hard time getting past it to enjoy everything else this book had to offer.
I think for now I'm settling on a rating of 2.5.
Let me start off by saying that 'The Lost Boys' is my favourite movie.
I was clearly excited by this book when I received an email offering me access to an ARC... but overall I was left with mixed feelings.
I enjoyed the writing, general vibes of the book, and some aspects of the story. The book also felt very nostalgic which does make me question who this book is for as it is a YA but how many current teens will feel nostalgic about the 80s? I personally didn't live through the 80s but I felt that nostalgia having grown up on 80s movies and having had such a love for 'The Lost Boys' since I was fourteen.
Then the last page of this book happened which completely lost me. There is so much present within this book which was ripped directly from the film to an extent it was uncomfortable. The last page of this book featured a quote directly from 'The Lost Boys' which really had NOTHING to do with this book and was given to a different character (but still one from the movie) which added insult to injury.
Honestly removing the quote and the presence of the brothers within this book (or leaving them at one brief cameo) probably would have left me with much more positive feelings overall but I've had a hard time getting past it to enjoy everything else this book had to offer.
I think for now I'm settling on a rating of 2.5.
maeghin's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book a lot more. The Lost Boys references were too exact to enjoy, the Frog brothers, the sax player on the beach, the hideout. Every time there was a reference it took me right out of the story…it was distracting.
Brayburns, she would say. In my town, we were the legends.
I wanted to know more history about the Brayburns, more fleshed out. This book would have been more enjoyable and unique without mentioning The Lost Boys so directly.
Brayburns, she would say. In my town, we were the legends.
I wanted to know more history about the Brayburns, more fleshed out. This book would have been more enjoyable and unique without mentioning The Lost Boys so directly.
kathy_reads's review against another edition
4.0
~ Book Tour ~
•
The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.
•
Trigger warning for the book:
- rape
- abuse
- suicide (mentioned, but not shown on page)
•
Mayhem and her mother Roxy move back to her mother's place of birth, where her sister lives with her kids. It doesn't take long for Mayhem to sense that something is very wrong and that her new family isn't telling her everything. The people from the town bring offerings to their house, there's a crazy amount of crows sitting all over the farm, and there's a kidnapper that snatches young girls away on the beach.
•
If that intrigues you, you should totally pick up the book when it comes out on the 14th this month!
•
My review:
The beginning of the book confused me very much, so much that I actually made a mind map to figure out who is who. I think what threw me off the most was that Mayhem, our main character doesn't say "mom" to her mother, but is calling her by her first name. But once that was finally settled I could start to enjoy the book.
I love that every character is really different and not all of them had the same attributes. But, Neve really got on my nerves. You knew pretty much from the beginning that something was off and that the family was hiding something, but Neve was the one always teasing with some information or was saying stuff along the lines of "Can we finally tell her now?", and every time someone would intervene and Mayhem didn't get the information she wanted. That happened several times and started to drive me nuts.
I love the whole beach setting and the scenery in general was very nice!
The plot and pace were pretty nice as well.
The trigger warnings I listed already have been playing a pretty big role in the book, especially the rape and abuse part, so if you don't want to read about those things, because you get to experience them with the character in the book, then please stay away from this book, it was very hard for me to read it, so if any of those affect you, please stay away from this book.
•
I still enjoyed this book a lot, even though I was annoyed a good chunk of the book because of Neve.
4/5 stars
•
The Lost Boys meets Wilder Girls in this supernatural feminist YA novel.
•
Trigger warning for the book:
- rape
- abuse
- suicide (mentioned, but not shown on page)
•
Mayhem and her mother Roxy move back to her mother's place of birth, where her sister lives with her kids. It doesn't take long for Mayhem to sense that something is very wrong and that her new family isn't telling her everything. The people from the town bring offerings to their house, there's a crazy amount of crows sitting all over the farm, and there's a kidnapper that snatches young girls away on the beach.
•
If that intrigues you, you should totally pick up the book when it comes out on the 14th this month!
•
My review:
The beginning of the book confused me very much, so much that I actually made a mind map to figure out who is who. I think what threw me off the most was that Mayhem, our main character doesn't say "mom" to her mother, but is calling her by her first name. But once that was finally settled I could start to enjoy the book.
I love that every character is really different and not all of them had the same attributes. But, Neve really got on my nerves. You knew pretty much from the beginning that something was off and that the family was hiding something, but Neve was the one always teasing with some information or was saying stuff along the lines of "Can we finally tell her now?", and every time someone would intervene and Mayhem didn't get the information she wanted. That happened several times and started to drive me nuts.
I love the whole beach setting and the scenery in general was very nice!
The plot and pace were pretty nice as well.
The trigger warnings I listed already have been playing a pretty big role in the book, especially the rape and abuse part, so if you don't want to read about those things, because you get to experience them with the character in the book, then please stay away from this book, it was very hard for me to read it, so if any of those affect you, please stay away from this book.
•
I still enjoyed this book a lot, even though I was annoyed a good chunk of the book because of Neve.
4/5 stars
act4life25's review
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital copy.
I was not a fan of this book. The writing was difficult to follow and the story was incredibly boring. It seems as if absolutely nothing happens in the first 100 pages of the book. None of the characters seemed interesting whatsoever. Also, Some aspects of this book are really similar to The Lost Boys. I know it says it's suppose to be a retelling but there didn't seem to be any original material brought into the story.
I was not a fan of this book. The writing was difficult to follow and the story was incredibly boring. It seems as if absolutely nothing happens in the first 100 pages of the book. None of the characters seemed interesting whatsoever. Also, Some aspects of this book are really similar to The Lost Boys. I know it says it's suppose to be a retelling but there didn't seem to be any original material brought into the story.
sternenstaub's review
4.0
I'd give this title 3.5 stars, rounded up because I was not as turned off by the movie comparisons as some other readers.
The book jacket bills this as a mash-up of The Lost Boys and The Craft, but I think readers will enjoy it more if they don't compare it to either. It's not really anything like The Craft and it is maybe a little too much like The Lost Boys, but mostly in ways that I didn't think mattered. It's been at least a decade since I watched the movie, so a lot of what the author plunked down into the book went beyond my notice. Except the Frog brothers - their cameo had absolutely no purpose in the story and came across as cringey and out of place.
The central story is about Mayhem Brayburn and her mother Roxy who have recently run away from her abusive stepfather and back to Roxy's family home in california which she has avoided for the 13 years since the death of Mayhem's father. Mayhem learns very quickly, and in spite of her mother's wishes, that the Brayburn women have magic - a magic that has been a bit of a blessing and a curse to them over the generations. And she gets the opportunity to choose this magic for herself right at a time when she wants and needs to feel powerful, safe, and in control of her life. But there's always a cost, and she has to accept that her desire for family and teenage normalcy may not be compatible with the Brayburn legacy.
I liked Mayhem as a character and the atmosphere of the story, which was a tad creepy, mysterious, wistful and beachy, buy quite a long shot from horror in my opinion. You may recoil in certain moments, but this story won't keep you up at night. This book also deals with a lot of violence - domestic violence, rape, murder, suicide - and the struggle to deal with the anger, sadness, and powerlessness that follows without being consumed and destroyed by it.
A digital ARC of this title was provided by Netgalley.
The book jacket bills this as a mash-up of The Lost Boys and The Craft, but I think readers will enjoy it more if they don't compare it to either. It's not really anything like The Craft and it is maybe a little too much like The Lost Boys, but mostly in ways that I didn't think mattered. It's been at least a decade since I watched the movie, so a lot of what the author plunked down into the book went beyond my notice. Except the Frog brothers - their cameo had absolutely no purpose in the story and came across as cringey and out of place.
The central story is about Mayhem Brayburn and her mother Roxy who have recently run away from her abusive stepfather and back to Roxy's family home in california which she has avoided for the 13 years since the death of Mayhem's father. Mayhem learns very quickly, and in spite of her mother's wishes, that the Brayburn women have magic - a magic that has been a bit of a blessing and a curse to them over the generations. And she gets the opportunity to choose this magic for herself right at a time when she wants and needs to feel powerful, safe, and in control of her life. But there's always a cost, and she has to accept that her desire for family and teenage normalcy may not be compatible with the Brayburn legacy.
I liked Mayhem as a character and the atmosphere of the story, which was a tad creepy, mysterious, wistful and beachy, buy quite a long shot from horror in my opinion. You may recoil in certain moments, but this story won't keep you up at night. This book also deals with a lot of violence - domestic violence, rape, murder, suicide - and the struggle to deal with the anger, sadness, and powerlessness that follows without being consumed and destroyed by it.
A digital ARC of this title was provided by Netgalley.
questsandcrimes's review
4.0
Mayhem Brayburn and her mom, Roxy, have finally moved home to California to escape Roxy’s abusive husband. In Santa Maria, they move in with Elle, Roxy’s sister and the three orphans she has adopted. Mayhem learns that her mother has been running from her past and the gift and curse of the Brayburn family. There’s a darkness in Santa Maria and it’s the task of the Brayburn’s to keep it at bay. Can Mayhem love you to the Brayburn legacy?
Mayhem is bitched as The Craft meets Lost Boys. I didn’t really get a lot of The Craft, but I definitely got Practical Magic vibes. Two sisters, a line of cursed women with magical powers, a house set away from all the others. I loved these aspects. I also loved that it was set in 1987.
Interspersed with Mayhem’s perspective, you get journal entries from past Brayburn women. These chapters provide background on how the Brayburn magic and legacy cane to be. It made everything more relatable.
I’ve never read Lost Boys, and I don’t remember much of the movie, so here’s my word of caution: people have said this is not inspired by Lost Boys, but it is a replica. I love a feminist rewrite. I LOVE IT. However, if it’s too similar it is cause for concern.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my review copy. It is an excellent audiobook. A narrator can make or break a book, and Chloe Cannon does such a fantastic job.
Mayhem is bitched as The Craft meets Lost Boys. I didn’t really get a lot of The Craft, but I definitely got Practical Magic vibes. Two sisters, a line of cursed women with magical powers, a house set away from all the others. I loved these aspects. I also loved that it was set in 1987.
Interspersed with Mayhem’s perspective, you get journal entries from past Brayburn women. These chapters provide background on how the Brayburn magic and legacy cane to be. It made everything more relatable.
I’ve never read Lost Boys, and I don’t remember much of the movie, so here’s my word of caution: people have said this is not inspired by Lost Boys, but it is a replica. I love a feminist rewrite. I LOVE IT. However, if it’s too similar it is cause for concern.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my review copy. It is an excellent audiobook. A narrator can make or break a book, and Chloe Cannon does such a fantastic job.
onepageatatime's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick read that kept you engaged from page one until the very end.
Mayhem is one of those books that doesn't just have one genre but kind of encompasses them all. There's a coming of age contemporary story, mystery, and just a little bit of magic sprinkled in. Its a story about discovering who you are, going back to your roots, and fighting to move forward instead of being stuck in the past.
Its 1987 and Mayhem and Roxy are returning to her aunt Elle's house in Santa Maria, CA after fleeing Mayhems abusive stepfather. Mayhem soon discovers that her family name holds a lot of weight in the town of Santa Maria and there is more to her family that meets the eye.
Her aunt has three children living with her that she is in the process of adopting, Neve. Kidd and Jason. Together they embark on a investigation to see who is snatching girls from the beach and Mayhem learns the truth about her family history. Estelle Laure takes you on a journey through the ages by including diary entries from Mayhems ancestors that teach and reflect the struggles that Mayhem faces in the book.
This book is unique and wonderfully written and handles abuse, drug use, murder, and suicide without overshadowing the coming of age story but instead shows how these things largely impact your life and you can choose to push past these things and grow or drown yourself in the past.
Mayhem is one of those books that doesn't just have one genre but kind of encompasses them all. There's a coming of age contemporary story, mystery, and just a little bit of magic sprinkled in. Its a story about discovering who you are, going back to your roots, and fighting to move forward instead of being stuck in the past.
Its 1987 and Mayhem and Roxy are returning to her aunt Elle's house in Santa Maria, CA after fleeing Mayhems abusive stepfather. Mayhem soon discovers that her family name holds a lot of weight in the town of Santa Maria and there is more to her family that meets the eye.
Her aunt has three children living with her that she is in the process of adopting, Neve. Kidd and Jason. Together they embark on a investigation to see who is snatching girls from the beach and Mayhem learns the truth about her family history. Estelle Laure takes you on a journey through the ages by including diary entries from Mayhems ancestors that teach and reflect the struggles that Mayhem faces in the book.
This book is unique and wonderfully written and handles abuse, drug use, murder, and suicide without overshadowing the coming of age story but instead shows how these things largely impact your life and you can choose to push past these things and grow or drown yourself in the past.
angschw's review
4.0
I have heard many people comparing this book to the movie Lost Boys. As a child of the 80’s I can say that there were a few similarities but not enough for you to guess the plot of this book.
I found this book to be quite engaging, a quick read and the world a bit eerie at times. The character growth that both Mayhem and her mother experience in this book was beautiful to me. If you are a fan of magical realism, I would suggest picking this one up. And that is all I will say so I don’t spoil any more of the story!
Trigger Warnings for rape, abuse, and drug use.
Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and E-ARC of this book!
I found this book to be quite engaging, a quick read and the world a bit eerie at times. The character growth that both Mayhem and her mother experience in this book was beautiful to me. If you are a fan of magical realism, I would suggest picking this one up. And that is all I will say so I don’t spoil any more of the story!
Trigger Warnings for rape, abuse, and drug use.
Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and E-ARC of this book!