Rest in Peaches

by Alex Brown

Quinn Marcelo wouldn't necessarily win the award for Most Popular Person at her school, but unbeknownst to her peers, Quinn entertains them at every football, basketball, and baseball game―as Peaches the Parrot, her high school's God-like mascot.

When someone sabotages the legendary Peaches costume at the Homecoming Game, Quinn's left unmasked and humiliated. After all, Peaches' identity was a closely guarded secret and a point of pride for nearly everyone at Olivia Newton-John High. As if that wasn't enough, Little Peaches, a new, real parrot that the PTA got to enhance the Peaches Experience, is kidnapped right after Quinn's unmasking.

Determined to uncover the culprit, Quinn publicly unravels the lives of everyone in her path―including Tessa Banks, the most popular girl in school―in a no-holds-barred conspiracy-fueled investigation. But when a killer starts going after the people implicated in Quinn's mascot disaster, she must race to uncover the truth behind her feathery faux-pas―before the truth kills her, too.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Thriller, LGBT, Mystery, Queer, Contemporary

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2024

About the author

Alex Brown (she/her) is a Locus nominated queer biracial Filipino American writer who loves to root for the final girl--especially if she's a monster. Alex's YA Comedy-Horror debut, DAMNED IF YOU DO was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and was also selected for Taysha's Reading List.

Alex's YA Horror anthology, THE HOUSE WHERE DEATH LIVES, will be out on August 2024 and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Alex's sophmore YA Horror-Comedy, REST IN PEACHES, will be out October 2024.

Alex co-edited the YA Horror anthology NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS. Alex has a short story in the instant Indie Besteller, THE GATHERING DARK.

Alex is also the co-creator of The Bridge, a sci-fi/horror narrative fiction podcast that's had over 1,000,000 downloads to date!

Alex lives in the San Francisco with her partner and three extremely chaotic cats.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published October 15, 2024.

Enjoyed this cute, tongue-in-cheek, murdery YA dedicated to the Hokie Bird who is, indeed, the greatest college mascot (I am not entirely sure who…is it Gritty? Is that right? Anyway, the mascot Quinn keeps referencing throughout the book. I don’t know who that is!)

Peaches the parrot is Olivia Newton-John High School’s beloved mascot, secretly portrayed by self-professed nobody Quinn Marcelo who is mercilessly unmasked in front of the entire school (and college scouts, including one from Virginia Tech, I assume?). Quinn is determined to find out who shattered her dreams and who bird-napped Peaches, Jr., a real parrot Quinn trained to perform with her. Then the murders start.

Could it be Justice Hope, a podcaster whose show revolved around trying to find out Peaches’ identity? Tyler Bruno, former protege turned enemy? Tessa Banks, school princess with the perfect mom and childhood BFF of Quinn? Emerson Whaley, Tessa’s boyfriend and BMOC. The book has great chapter titles and short (mostly unaired…are we sure Justice has a show?) interviews from podcasts. It’s light, but still has YA thrills, LGBTQ representation and a surprising ending. Nice effort.

[Mai H.]

Halloween TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street YA

[senna · Rating 4 out of 5]

literally so fun

[Bethany Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn Marcelo, secretly entertaining her school as Peaches the Parrot, faces humiliation when her costume is sabotaged, revealing her identity. As she investigates the culprit and uncovers secrets, she must race against time to stop a killer targeting those involved in her mascot misfortune.

This book was just such a good, fun, slasher. I enjoyed the dual POV very much, getting to see how both Tessa and Quinn were reacting to what happened around them. The podcast interviews and mentions from the killer were a nice touch too! Killer Peaches was a great name for a killer and the death scenes were gruesome and wild. Loved.

I felt like there were so many suspects that it was hard to pin down just one, so the ending felt earned and I liked knowing who did it! (No spoilers)

Such a great read for Halloween season and I really enjoyed it!

[A.J. Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of Grady Hendrix and David Sodergren. This book was a romp in a lot of ways and I was honestly so here for it. The story really kept me guessing until the very end, and the end reveal was very "Scream" in its' execution. I love the blend of humor and horror, but wished they fleshed the characters out a bit more. Overall, a solid story that would make a fun movie!

[Sahana Ramnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the utmost fun reading this book, it's a perfect combination of cozy and sassy narration!

💫 Murder mystery set in a high school
💫 Mascot MC x student body president (??) MC
💫 Sapphic romance! Sort of estranged friends to lovers
💫 Bi and pan rep in the MCs!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and @coloredpagesbt
for this advanced copy!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teenagers be crazy, man.

All joking aside, this was a fun and quick YA mystery/slasher read. Alex Brown is a must-read for this genre, between this and her debut novel. She does a fantastic job blending seriousness with just enough tongue-in-cheekness and witty banter to keep it light. Definite Buffy vibes, in a good way.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Rest in Peaches” by Alex Brown is a fun, campy YA slasher with a mix of mystery, humor, and romance. The book centers around Quinn Marcelo, a high school nobody whose alter ego, Peaches the Parrot—her school’s beloved mascot—gives her the chance to shine. But when her secret identity is sabotaged and revealed at homecoming, Quinn’s life takes a dramatic turn. The chaos escalates as people start turning up dead, and the killer is dressed as Peaches. With her future and reputation on the line, Quinn teams up with her crush and ex-best friend, Tessa, to unravel the mystery before they both end up as the killer's next victims.

One of the book’s standout qualities is its unapologetic embrace of slasher tropes. With its over-the-top premise, the book leans into the absurdity of a high school obsessed with its mascot to the point where Peaches is an actual celebrity and fans are so rabid for Peaches that they will literally cry when they see Peaches. Brown plays with these cliches in a self-aware and comedic way, delivering a story that feels like a mash-up of “Scream” and “Scary Movie.” The humor is sharp and the setting adds to the campy, ridiculous tone of the book. I will say that this humor will not work for everyone. I, unfortunately, could not really get into this story because of the humor. I think some readers will really love the humor, especially with the podcast episodes that are interspersed between the chapters that actually had some good jokes in them.

Told from the dual perspectives of Quinn and Tessa, the book explores their complex relationship. Once best friends, the girls have drifted apart, and Quinn’s crush on Tessa only complicates matters. Their rekindled friendship slowly blossoms into something more, making the romance subplot sweet and engaging amid the chaos of a murder mystery. There was some good LGBTQ representation in this book as Quinn is openly bisexual and Tessa is openly pansexual.

The diverse side characters, snappy dialogue, and multimedia elements—like podcast snippets interspersed throughout—give the book a lively, modern feel. I did find the podcaster character can come off as annoying, though she serves an important role in piecing together the mystery.

Though labeled as horror, “Rest in Peaches” leans more toward the comedic end of the genre, with a masked killer on the loose in a small-town high school. The body count isn’t overwhelming, but there’s enough danger to keep the tension alive. The pacing lags a bit, especially as the first major death doesn’t occur until a third of the way through the book. Still, the plot remains fast-paced and unpredictable, even if a few elements of the mystery are easy to guess.

What makes “Rest in Peaches” truly shine is how it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It revels in its goofiness and cliches, delivering a story that is equal parts thrilling and laugh-out-loud funny. Quinn and Tessa’s romance, combined with a killer on the loose in a parrot suit, creates an unforgettable and wildly entertaining read. With its LGBTQ+ representation and fun, diverse characters, Alex Brown has crafted a unique slasher that stands out in the YA horror genre.

[Fanni's So Many Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rest in Peaches by Alex Brow has the vibes of a classic slasher scary movie, but it's also slightly ridiculous and queer. When I got the opportunity to read and review Rest in Peaches, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I just knew I wanted to branch out towards horror a bit more.
And with this story, I did.

Quinn is one of our heroines. She's Peaches the Parrot, Olivia Newton-John High's beloved mascot. But her promising career as the third best Peaches in history comes to a crashing halt when her performance is sabotaged and she's unmasked in front of everyone. And to top it all off, Little Peaches, her pet parrot, gets birdnapped. After all this, she launches an investigation to figure it all out, but the secrets are deeper than you think. The mistery is mistier than usual, and soon, the murders start.

This is a slasher movie made into a book. It's bloody, it's a tad ridiculous, it doesn't really make sense, and the twists just keep coming. Killer Peaches, the serial killer dressed up as the mascot creeps me out. Killer Peaches is obsessed with Tessa, ONJHS's star pupil and Quinn's long-time crush.
We also get Tessa's POV while she reconnects with Quinn to help her find Little Peasches and later try to figure out who's out for them.

The storytelling is propelled by segments of a fellow student's true crime podcast following the happenings of the past and the present, and also notes from the killer.
The uncovered clues point in several directions, and among all the characters who become suspects, it's not easy to figure out who the culprit is. And, of course, the twist and turns make it even more unpredictable.

I could criticise the storytelling and the unpredictability of the story by telling you about all the inconsistencies in the timeline, but that would be pointless. Becasue I truly believe it doesn't matter. The book reached its goal by being a predictable yet unpredictable slasher with little to no sense to the story. It is very enjoyable if you like this stuff and that's all there is to it.

I appreciated the queer cast and the sapphic romance, too.
However, I did not like the main characters that much. They were both deeply flawed, but especially Tessa made me want to shake her a little. I think it was intentional on the author's part to make them imperfect and do things that hurt others, but it was still a bit annoying. Refreshing, but annoying.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it took me a little bit to warm up to it, but by the end, I couldn't put it down.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

Honestly I feel like this would have been better as a movie. I just didn’t get connected to any of the characters or the storyline. Most of the people except for Coach Robb I didn’t care if they died.

I was hoping for more of a funny campy book but I didn’t get that.

There was no real build up of Quinn and Tessa’s relationship. I guess there doesn’t need to be a lot. It can be as simple as they both like each other and find each other attractive, but I wanted more. There was no real reason as to why they wanted to date. It just seemed like the relationship was forced. It was told more than shown that they were childhood friends and really liked each other.

Neither of their point of views was very different from one another. A lot of times I had to think whose POV I was in because they were so similar and didn’t stand out.

Also it seemed very unrealistic. First of all, I’m glad her parents believed Quinn that she didn’t murder anyone, but they grounded her and barely paid attention to her after that, letting her sneak out all the time. The first time I can excuse but her being able to sneak out another time is wild. Especially when she’s a suspect of two murders. I don’t know much about law, but wouldn’t the police be tracking her more and not just letting her go to school acting like everything is normal? You would think school would be shut down for a while or they would bring her in for questioning or SOMETHING. The police wasn’t involved at all, it was only Quinn and Tessa looking into the murders which made no sense.

Honestly my favorite part of this book was the “A Message From Your Friendly Neighborhood Killer.” Those parts were vaguely interesting and funny, as short as they were.

The killer was so obvious though. I figured it out right away in the beginning of the book. I don’t mind some foreshadowing, but it was way too obvious who it was. I like a bit of mystery.

All in all sadly this book was just not for me.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Page Street and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I love me a good mystery/slasher! Quinn has one goal with her future, to be a pro mascot! She currently preforms as her high schools mascot, Peaches the Parrot. And where most high schools go all in for the sports teams, Quinn’s goes all in for Peaches. While Quinn herself feels like a nobody, being Peaches allows her to be somebody. And no one will know she is Peaches until the big reveal at graduation. Tessa is the student body president, her mom leads the PTA. Tessa is good at getting people to do what she wants and she’s popular but she’ll never live up to her mom, who was once Peaches as well. Quinn also happens to have a huge crush on Tessa, only problem is Tessa has a boyfriend. Then at homecoming, where Quinn gets to outshine all the Peaches before her by introducing Little Peaches the real life parrot, disaster strikes and she’s revealed as the mascot. Her world is turned upside down, everyone hates her. Also Little Peaches is missing. Quinn his determined for find the parrot and Tessa is the only one willing to help. But can she trust Tessa? As they search people begin dying, and the murderer? The murderer dresses like Peaches. Can Quinn and Tessa figure out whose behind it all? Can they save Little Peaches? Does the current murder spree connect to the murderers that happened a year prior? As a slasher fan this one is approved! A comedic take on slashers with tons of thrill, a side of romance, and a whole lot of drama! And you can’t forget the mystery aspects as well!! Plus there’s two murder plots that unravel as you read! A read that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and flipping the pages!!

[piper monarchsandmyths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Page Street YA for providing me with an ARC!

If a book is compared to Scream, then I’m going to read it, so here I am. I am a new, albeit very enthusiastic slasher fan, and so a horror comedy about a killer mascot was definitely something I was interested in (especially with the added dash of sapphic romance). This book is fun, and definitely reads like a book written by someone familiar with Scream (and not just the first movie). There are some elements of the horror slasher that don’t always translate onto the page exactly as they do to the screen, but I think this book holds pretty true, and is worth the read if that’s your kind of thing.

At Olivia Newton John High, everyone loves the mascot, a parrot named Peaches. And as the resident, anonymous Peaches, Quinn loves her job. But when someone sabotages her suit, and then people connected to Peaches start getting murdered, it’s not the happy ending she was hoping for. Add in Tessa, the childhood friend she’s had a crush on the whole time, and it’s a very messy situation. In many ways, this book is predictable if you’re not normal about slashers like I am. But, I think it still works in a way that can be delightful and unexpected, or you can just turn your brain off to be surprised when the killer(s) are revealed. I will say I was more invested in the horror aspects than the romance or even personal aspects, but I do think that a murderous school mascot is certainly something I would watch on the big screen as well.

[Iris Acosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rest In Peaches by Alex Brown is a YA horror slasher novel. The story centers on Quinn Marcelo who is the high school nobody, but also the beloved school mascot Peaches. The identity of Peaches is one of the best kept secrets at Olivia Newton-John Highschool until homecoming night, when Peaches is sabotaged and unmasked in front of the entire school. Soon Quinn has to kiss the future she envisioned for herself goodbye, and she embarks on a journey to discover who the saboteur is.

As the story progresses things take a turn for the worst when killings begin to happen and Quinn becomes a prime suspect. It's up to her and her crush Tessa to find out who's behind the killings before one of them becomes the next victim. I normally don't read much YA but am happy I gave this one a chance, a comedic take on slashers with tons of thrills, some romance, and lots of drama.

The book is told mainly from 2 POV's, Tessa and Quinn who are ex best friends that become more. Both characters were likeable enough, and I enjoyed reading the progression of their relationship. The book is made up of a diverse set of side characters, who all add to the plot. This book felt like if someone took the movie scream and wrote a book, but instead of ghostface, the killer is dressed as the Hokie bird. This book was ridiculous and cheesy in all the right ways and I highly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more by this author, thank you Alex Brown and Goodreads for my ARC.

[andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to netgalley and page street publishing for the advanced digital copy!

--

not usually a fan of young adult books at this point in my life, but this was a super-fun, campy teen horror romp about what happens when quinn is outed as olivia newton john high school's mascot peaches, a bird you may recognize that's lovingly dedicated hokie bird. when someone puts itching powder in queen's peaches suit, she ends up shredding it apart in front of a giant crowd and suddenly everyone hates her for ruining the mystery and for killing peaches. but soon, someone starts wearing the remains of the peaches suit and undead peaches wants a bloodbath.

i think the scream comparisons for this book are pretty obvious, but i'd also like to say that the humor and absurdity injected into this book also brought the movie bottoms to mind. this is especially true when quinn enlists childhood crush and student body president tessa to help her hunt down the killer. a fun aspect of this one for me was that the narrative was interspersed with chapters from a student-run podcast in the vein of serial or other true crime shows. it made this book compulsively readable. i did find myself looking for a deeper meaning when reading and i was a bit let down, but i think if you go into this with the understanding that what you're going to receive is pure horror camp you're going to have a great time.

[Alise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been the PERFECT October read for me. If I love anything when it comes to horror it is my favorite horror franchise, Scream. When I saw this cover from from an author is fast climbing my favorites list, I could not resist! I was not disappointed.

This fun teen slasher definitely takes some inspiration from Scream but it’s a unique story all its own. If you’re looking for a slasher, a mystery, and a town that has a really unhealthy obsession with the high school mascot, Peaches — LOOK NO FURTHER!

We have a sapphic and Filipino representation, ode to multiple horror films, and campy horror with a touch of social commentary. The reveal of the mystery is classic slasher with a bit of mind games, blackmail and framing.

The only piece that didn't land 100% for me was the inclusion of the podcast element. I thought it was fun on its own but it seemed a bit of a waste of a POV, and I don't think it really added anything to the experience for me that I wasn't already getting from the POVs of the other characters. I don't think it was bad at all, just not the most effective use of the podcast element.

Disclosure: I received an ARC from the publisher. No review was required and all opinions are my own.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was goofy, hilarious, cheesy, and ridiculous in the best ways. I kind of loved it. From the beginning, we get a great sense of Alex’s humor. The extremity of Peaches’s popularity was incredible. I can just imagine a person in a giant parrot costume blessing your baby with a peck of its beak. I was cackling.

We get a dual POV between Quinn & Tessa, 2 ex friends who have more than friendly feelings for each other. Both girls are Filipina, so it was interesting to see how that affected their experiences growing up. There is also a lot of strong background characters. The body count is impressive for the type of horror book this is as well. Horror is also a very strong word. This is a masked villain slasher, but think more Scary Movie. I love a good story that knows that it’s cliche and is able to make jokes about it. The ones that are too serious can be so boring. I had so much fun reading this and as always look forward to this author and more books like this!

[Sherley's Reading Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not wait to read this book. The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I absolutely loved it and found it very intriguing. It drew me in, making me want to read the book and find out more. I am so glad I did because this one dd not disappoint!

Rest in Peaches is a fun, lighthearted, YA read filled with mystery and thrill. The characters were such fun and I enjoyed that this was written using dual, 1ST-person, POV, giving us a better understanding of the story. I also loved the LGBTQ representation and my goodness, the thrill of trying to figure out who the culprit was, made this story so much fun! I was not expecting what happened at the end!

I really enjoyed this book and found it quite engaging and entertaining. I am looking forward to reading more from this author's catalogue.

I recommend this book for all YA readers and even if you are new to this genre, I think you will enjoy this book all the same.

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn loves being Peaches - her high school's mascot - and no one else (besides the adults who coordinate) know she is peaches. What is supposed to be an exciting unveiling of the new costume turns horrible. Quinn becomes determined to find out who ruined her big moment. However, things turn deadly when murder victims start showing up. Quinn pairs with her crush Tessa to try to find who is responsible for they are the next victims.

I really enjoyed this one! It was really well-paced for a mystery, and I loved the way the characters' voices were written. I appreciate too that the romance between Quinn and Tessa was there but not the main focus. I kind of predicted the whodunit but there was a good twist I definitely did not see coming! Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good YA mystery - or even just a good mystery in general!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Rest in Peaches by Alex Brown ✨

What a ride!! I don’t know how to explain it and I know this is oddly specific, but Rest In Peaches feels like a combination of the Cheerleading episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Witch, S1 E 3) and the 1996 cinematic masterpiece Scream. It’s equal parts campy mystery and tongue in cheek thriller with a heaping scoop of high school nostalgia.

🔪 High School
✨ Mascot Secrets
🔪 Sabotage
✨ Ode to Slasher Films
🔪 Nostalgia
✨ Camp
🔪 Horror Comedy
✨ Buffy & Scream Vibes

I knew I was going to love Rest in Peaches the minute I read the blurb. Damned if You Do was one of my favorite YA reads of 2023 and Rest in Peaches totally shines just as bright! I can’t wait to see what Alex Brown writes next!

Thank you so much Colored Pages Book Tours & Page Street YA for sending a copy my way!

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Rest in Peaches is a thrilling investigative story about ambition and revenge. While it's easy to get sucked into the mystery and action, what I appreciated is the exploration of the theme of masks. For Quinn, she's made being Peaches her entire personality. She identifies with Peaches and the persona it gives her. When she's Peaches, she feels a sense of being larger than herself and so when she's exposed, it's incredibly traumatic for her. Who is she without Peaches? And this theme continues to be discussed in Rest in Peaches. Who are all the faces behind the masks and what motivations do we have to don a mask?

[Abigail Singrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wild romp of a thriller! Quinn's determined to be the best Peaches ever - the beloved mascot of her high school. It's her chance to make a name for herself and maybe be a professional mascot someday. But when somebody sabotages the mascot, forcing the reveal of her identity before her planned big moment, it kicks off mayhem of the murderous type. As the bodies stack up, Quinn just happens to be at the scene, every time. She has to figure out who has it in her - and Peaches - before it's too late.

This was wickedly funny, bloody and a real page turner. Perfect for fans of slasher movies and teen horror.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Franki Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

Thank you Page Street YA and Colored Pages Book Tour for the gifted ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own!
This book was honestly EXACTLY what I needed for this Spoopy Season. This book has humor, romance, horror, thrills, and boy does it keep you on your toes! Not only am I screaming over the high school name (named after the amazing Olivia Newton-John), but the dedication to old school and new school horror references, the unearthly amount of times Gritty is mentioned, the campy horror vibes. I really think this book can be for everyone (keep in mind the content warnings of course). I can't wait to read the authors other works and see what else the author comes up with!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very campy and a lot of fun. It’s very reminiscent of Scream and even acknowledges that throughout the book. I did guess who one of the killers was from the beginning and some of the side story mystery but it was still a fun ride. It had a good amount of heart and character development throughout. I did like the cheeky line Quinn made about teenagers playing detectives in horror movies. Again, very Scream like with all of the meta commentary. Only thing that kept it from being a 5 star review was that I wanted a bit more closure at the end. If you’re going to mention the trials we should also get the results of them.

[Yuva Harish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slasher novel featuring high school mascots, sign me up!

Seriously, though, REST IN PEACHES is funny and brutal and endearing, and such a delightful romp from beginning to end. Tessa and Quinn are great characters — loved seeing this from both their points of view, and the story keeps you guessing right until the big reveal. In particular, I really enjoyed the podcast interviews scattered throughout the story, which really gave a cool, grounded touch to the entire story.

Can't wait for Alex's next book!

[Justine Winans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisty, suspenseful, campy, hilarious Peach-perfect romp of a slasher that will keep the pages turning and the excitement high. The dynamic cast of characters lead by two brilliant sapphic Filipino Final Girls will have readers at the edge of their seats, cackling and ma-cawing, until the satisfying, action-packed end. A fantastic addition to the horror comedy genre. Not to mention the absolute new horror icon of Peaches the Parrot. (Peaches, I love you!!)

[Alyssa Beeching · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the Author for the ARC!

This book was such a delight to read. It is over the top and campy in a way that only queer horror can pull off.

It is everything you want in a teenage slasher. It expertly plays into the typical slasher character tropes and flips them on their head, leaving you with an amazing modern take that still feels like a classic.

Also, is it just me, or is Quinn's therapist being named Dr. Bloom totally a Hannibal easter egg?

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rest in Peaches was a humorous and entertaining YA horror/thriller. I had a lot of fun reading this book. When the villain is a school mascot called “Peaches the Parrot,” you know you’re in for a good time. I loved the Scream vibes and the dark humor. The story was a little predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read.

This is the second book that I’ve read by this author and I really like her writing. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

3.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley for review.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deceptive (enough red herrings to rebait a string of lobster traps), gory, and impossible to put down. This is what I'd tell anyone thinking about reading this. All the teens have faults, but most are forgivable because of their backstories. Tessa's growing discomfort with Emerson gives cisgender readers an understanding of how queasy it can get inside when trying to be who you aren't inside. Altogether a fun, fine read.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a random library pick and possibly one of the wackiest books I’ve read. The villain (mascot?) is sure to end up in the Hall of Fame with other iconic players like Pennywise and Jason Voorhees. While normally I hate campy, cliché horror novels, this was every classic idea with the twist of two queer filipino final girls and a lot of sports mascots. It was funny and chaotic, full of blood, twists, and suspense.
Ridiculous and highly enjoyable.
4.7/5