CW: suicide (not depicted), rape, domestic- and child abuse, drugs use, addiction and murder.
Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group for letting me participate in this blog tour! I kindly received an e-ARC (through Netgalley) in exchange for my honest opinion.
It's 1987 and unfortunately it's not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy's constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem's own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren't like everyone else.Â
But when Mayhem's stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem's questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good.Â
But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (3.5) 'Mayhem' was an enjoyable read! It started slow, giving us enough information about the characters. I was happy that this book didn't dump all the information at once. There was a lot to explain, which they did throughout the first half of the book. But I was still left with questions. Questions that would be answered later into the story. I personally liked that, because that way I could try to answer these questions on my own and later find out if I was right! Furthermore, I also loved the magical aspects in this book. Mayhem is very family oriented, which I appreciated! Family often doesn't have a big role in YA books. Elle was a very mysterious character. I really enjoyed reading about her! You don't get a lot of information about her in the beginning, but it didn't stop me from quickly liking her. She was sassy and really priorities her family.
The reason why I couldn't give 'Mayhem' four or five stars is because not a lot seemed to happen in the beginning. Even though I liked the slow start in this book, it also felt like the story really picked up some speed only halfway through the book. That could've happened sooner, in my opinion. The main issue in this book, the problem they were facing, felt resolved too easily. I think it could've had more of a build up to the climax. A big fight, if you will. It didn't make me sit on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book if you like fantasy with a dark vibe, that also talks about real-life issues!
Mayhem comes out tomorrow (july 14th)! You can buy it where books are sold. If you can, consider buying it at your local (Black owned) bookstore! Most of them offer shipping. That way you can support your favorite bookstore during this pandemic.
To find out where you can also buy Mayhem, go to https://wednesdaybooks.com/galaxies-and-kingdom/mayhem/
About the author:
Estelle Laure, the author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back believes in
love, magic, and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and an
MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults,
and she lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her family. Her work is translated widely
around the world.
Follow Estelle Laure:
Twitter: @starlaure
Instagram: @estellelaurebooks
