Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up **
🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇🖤🦇
Shortly after arriving in New Orleans, 17-year old, Mina, can already tell it will be a summer she’ll never forget.
She’s there to visit her estranged sister, Libby, who moved from their hometown, Whitby, in England, to New Orleans the prior year.
After their mother abandoned them, Mina and Libby went to live with their uninterested Aunt. When Libby left as well, Mina felt completely alone.
Mina is hoping that this summer with give the two of them a chance to talk about everything that’s happened and repair their relationship. After all, sisters are for life.
Their first stop is the Horror Mansion at which Libby works. The good news is, Libby has gotten Mina a chance to audition for a job there as well.
Fairly quickly after that, Mina is introduced to all of the people in her sister’s new life. Her girlfriend, Della, roommates, Jared and Lucas and her boss, Thandie.
At the conclusion of her audition for a position in the interactive walking tour of the Horror Mansion, Mina tries to find the girl she is supposed to hand her costume off to.
Mina discovers the girl’s very dead and mutilated body in the attic of the Mansion. She screams, chaos ensues.
When Libby becomes a suspect for that murder and others, Mina teams up with her new crush, Jared, to try to clear her sister’s name.
The two discover a dark underworld around them that ties to some of New Orleans oldest and scariest legends.
This was such a fun, nostalgic treat for my horror-loving heart! The vibe is campy, teenage horror, like Buffy, or The Lost Boys.
I live for that kind of story, as it takes me back to a time when life was simple, hair was big and vampires were real.
This story is full of classic horror tropes and 90s-pop culture. If you are looking for a light, easy, nostalgic read, I definitely recommend picking this one up.
While it’s not a perfect story, I think if you are in the right head space, it can be a hell of a good time. It certainly was for me!!
So, grab your butterfly clips, your VHS tapes, your wooden stakes and pick up a copy today.
I am really excited to see what Amy McCaw comes up with next! This is a super solid debut!!