Bibliographic Information:
Title: Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch
Author: Codie Crowley
ISBN: 9781368103480
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, Los Angeles
Copyright Date: 2024
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller
Format: Print Book/eBook
Awards/Honors: None as of publication of this post.
Reading Level/Interest Level: Ages 14+
Plot Summary:
17 year old Annie Lane woke up in a river, and couldn’t stop vomiting up river muck and pine needles for hours. The problem is, she has no idea how she got there, and she definitely doesn’t realize that she’s dead. After joining a ragtag team of other murder victims in the abandoned mansion known as Chappel House she sets off with her new ghostly skills to try to remember what happened that fateful night - and to find out where her best friend Maura went as well. The list of suspects seems never ending for Annie, but at the top of that list is her ex-boyfriend Gun, who is shocked to see her alive in gym class. Her new ghostly boyfriend Sam isn’t much better - he was put to death by electric chair in the 60’s for being accused of murdering 5 innocent girls - Annie just can’t catch a break with boys. As her quest for vengeance goes on the pieces of the puzzle finally start to fit together - and recreate a picture Annie was never expecting.
Author Background:
Codie Crowley is new to the novel scene, in fact Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch is her debut novel. Although this is her first published novel Crowley has been writing scary stories since she was a teen and has a YouTube Channel sharing her spooky stories and vibes year round. A resident of Salem, Massachusetts Crowley wants to use her writing skills to tell the story of young women who may have bad reputations but even worse hungers for revenge (About - codie crowley).
Critical Evaluation:
Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch is a surprisingly entertaining mystery thriller that adds just enough romance and paranormal elements to keep the reader engrossed in the story. While it is not the best book ever crafted, it references some of the most fun parts of being a teenager, and includes some dated references as well for those of use “older” young adults. There were definitely some parts that felt a little slow or confusing, but at the same time it put the readers in the same perspective as the main protagonist who was also trying to piece together what happened that dark night that led to the river.
This novel, unlike some of the other’s read for this blog, did not have a huge emotional impact on me personally - but I did enjoy the nod to older vampire movies, past decades, and even the Ghost Adventures series. If anything, Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch is a great casual read that won’t cause someone to become overly emotionally invested - it is just enough to keep you reading until the story finishes with no strings attached (like how Gun wanted his relationship with Annie to be).
Creative Use for a Library Program:
That’s it, I want to do it - themed murder mystery night. Everyone dresses up from a different era and one person is “murdered” to join the rest of the ghosts. Now it’s time to find out who killed them with clues found around the library - was it someone from their life, or their death? Come on, they look so fun in all of the movies!
Watch the trailer for Clue (1985), my favorite murder mystery movie!
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Waking up in a river the day after blacking out at your boyfriend's awful metal show is not how Annie Lane thought her weekend would go. Being welcomed into the haunted mansion known as Chappel House by other teens who dress from different eras and use slang that hasn’t been spoken in decades was definitely not on her to-do list either. Unfortunately for Annie, her list is only going to get longer as she realizes she is the only one who can find out who murdered her and dumped her in the river. From shock to anger, Annie realizes vengeance is the only thing that will taste as sweet as the weird purple alcohol her new ghostly friends make.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Alright let’s get this out of the way - yes, there is a curse word on the cover. Yes, the book does deal with difficult topics like murder, death, drug and alcohol usage among teens, and yes, Annie Lane is definitely a girl who no one believes is innocent just because normally she is never innocent. There are a lot of reasons for people to challenge this novel and its inclusion in a collection, but we need to remember having stories that show all kinds of perspectives and outlooks is important. Curse words are only curse words because we attribute those meanings to them, and pretending that teens do not interact with substances is just wishful thinking.
Reason for Inclusion:
In an effort to expand the genre list of this blog, this novel was chosen. Typically I am not a mystery reader, in fact, mysteries usually feel boring to me because the foreshadowing clues typically give away the ending. Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch does not do that, and I was definitely surprised when reading to see who did murder Annie Lane. Debut novels are not always great, but this one definitely deserves the popularity it is enjoying right now - and therefore it has a home on my shelf.
References:
About — codie crowley. (2024, August 29). Codie Crowley.
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