This little novella caught my eye because of the blood splashed over the cutesy pink cover. That doesn't reflect what lies within the pages, lol.
Alexa Valentine might not be her real name, but it's the one that's going to make her a star. She went to LA to become an actress, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure everyone sees her...
Yikes. What an unhinged story that turned to be! It's like MaXXXine meets Dexter with a heavy dose of feminine fury.
I read this book in one sitting because it's not long. Besides, it's fast-paced, the chapters are snappy, and the narrative takes some outrageous twist and turns as Alexa barrels through every expectation the reader might expect at the beginning.
Her rise to fame is full of violence, gore, and chaos. Until you're left wondering if Alexa's evil influence comes from an internal or external force.
While I enjoyed it, I did have a few issues: I can't get past the phone scrolling in 2005, and the fact that the epilogue is actually referred to as a prologue. I think this tale could've used another round of edits/proofreading.
3.5 stars really. This is a short, quick horror novella that kept me hooked all the way through, even though it’s not without its issues.
There’s something very enthralling about an unhinged woman who would do anything for fame, and some of the things this FMC does are shocking.
I personally couldn’t relate any less. I don’t get the unhealthy ambition for a life that seems super empty. Celebrity is overrated, and I think 80% of them are absolutely miserable, even if they have all the fame and money in the world. But I digress.
The thing that didn’t quite hit for me is that you have to suspend your disbelief a little to buy into this girl being a serial killer and getting away with it for so long, but overall, this was fuuun. What I learned from this author is that she can do sick and twisted, and I’m very interested in exploring her full-length books!
This is exactly what I want from a horror novella. Tight, unsettling, and completely locked in on its tone. The protagonist is deeply flawed in a way that makes you not want to root for them, but you can’t look away either. They’re magnetic, unpredictable, and every page feels like a gamble.