By day, Maeve Fly works at the happiest place in the world as every child’s favorite ice princess.

By the neon night glow of the Sunset Strip, Maeve haunts the dive bars with a drink in one hand and a book in the other, imitating her misanthropic literary heroes.

But when Gideon Green – her best friend’s brother – moves to town, he awakens something dangerous within her, and the world she knows suddenly shifts beneath her feet.

Untethered, Maeve ditches her discontented act and tries on a new persona. A bolder, bloodier one, inspired by the pages of American Psycho. Step aside Patrick Bateman, it’s Maeve’s turn with the knife.

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

5/5

Spooky Rating

4/5

Quick Take

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede is one of the most powerful debut novels I have ever read. It has extreme horror elements, paired with thoughtful feminist analysis and one hell of a groundbreaking female villain. While not for the faint of heart, this is one book that will leave its mark on you.

Tell Me More

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede made me uncomfortable, and liberated me, all at once. It is brutal, extreme, thoughtful, and heartbreaking in such a way that it implants itself on your soul, whether you would like it to or not. While it is not for the faint of heart, it is one of those rare books that your mind will rethink upon long after you read it. Beware, thoughts of this novel may invade your daily life upon finishing it. Maeve Fly is one of the most powerful and relatable female villains I have read in literature, and can we all not agree that we need more female characters like her?

Pairing the “magic” of Disney with extreme horror was an incredible move by Leede. While there are not explicit references to Disney most likely due to copyright issues, it is clear that Disneyland and all of its inner workings are what Leede is referencing when it comes to Maeve’s career and passions. Having such a dark and disturbed character work as a character actor at Disneyland (Maeve plays Elsa the ice queen at the park) was ingenious. I say this because this gave Maeve depth that you don’t often see. While she is sadistic, that is only one part of her. She is passionate about Disney and her job, giving her character conflicting aspects, which I loved.

However, I do have to mention the extreme horror elements. While they do not dominate the novel and may not make this novel as extreme as some other horror novels I could mention, the level of torture and gore are deeply uncomfortable. These scenes are integral to the story, but they will not be for everybody. Just be advised.

While this book was not perfect, it did win five stars from me because of the deep emotional and mental experience I was awarded. I feel disturbed and changed after reading it, and I surely need a palette cleanser to lighten myself back up. It is not a book that I feel like I have the ability to recommend, because it is so dark and gruesome and will affect each reader differently. However, look at the trigger warnings for yourself and see if this is a book that you might be able to give yourself over to. If you do decide to move forward with it, you are in for one hell of a ride! My best wishes to you.

Trigger warnings: Extreme torture, gore, sexual encounters, and perceived animal abuse