The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
Grade: DNF
Release date: January 29, 2019
An e-galley was provided by Inkyard Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain, and the vice president of the debate club have in common? It sounds like the ridiculously long lead-up to an astoundingly absurd punchline, right? Except it’s not. Well, unless my life is the joke, which is kind of starting to look like a possibility given how beyond soap opera it’s been since I moved to Lancaster. But anyway, here’s your answer: we’ve all had the questionable privilege of going out with Lancaster High School’s de facto king. Otherwise known as my best friend. Otherwise known as the reason I’ve already helped steal a car, a jet ski, and one hundred spray-painted water bottles when it’s not even Christmas break yet. Otherwise known as Henry. Jersey number 8.
Meet Cleves. Girlfriend number four and the narrator of The Dead Queens Club, a young adult retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives. Cleves is the only girlfriend to come out of her relationship with Henry unscathed—but most breakups are messy, right? And sometimes tragic accidents happen…twice…
When did I stop reading?: 23% into my e-galley.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Well that was disappointing. The main problem with The Dead Queens Club stems from the fact that the narrative hops around constantly, going back in time and going forward with no real signals. Plus, there are a heck ton of characters to keep straight and no one's personality felt fully-formed. Also I felt like the author tried to make Henry likable? And there's no way anyone who's based on Henry VIII could be likable. I appreciated that Anne of Cleves was the narrator, but she just added nothing. I also didn't understand how anything worked at their high school, and I'm wondering if I'm too far removed from high school now?? (Dear God, I hope not.)
The Verdict: Maybe there's an audience for this book, but it's not me.
Will I be adding this book to my library?: No.
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