NetGalley: Mayhem: by Estelle Laure

I received this book to give an honest review.

Title: Mayhem

Author: Estelle Laure

 Published: July 14, 2020

Publisher: St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books

Pages: 304

Genre: Teens/YA

Review: ARC by NetGalley 

It's 1987 and unfortunately it's not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy's constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem's own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren't like everyone else. But when May's stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem's questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good. But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.

This book started off slow for me. I was almost ready to set it down as there was hardly no action. I am glad I didn't as it was enjoyable but it really didn't wow me like I expected. Now the way the Brayburn's take care of the town reminded almost of something I watched on TV. I can't think of it exactly but in some ways it was similar. Roxy and Mayhem which by the way I love the name! Do not have it easy, and when Roxy returns to her hometown which she swore she never would things unravel. Mayhem is more open as a teenager and we even see Roxy kind of open up to become a whole new person. It seems their hometown is one of magic for the Brayburns sadly though it is not without heartache. Mayhem and her new family have a job to do and one that the town truly appreciates.  I have seen some reviews that mention certain characters remind them of The Lost Boys and since I have never seen that movie I am going to have watch it.
I think the author did good with the characters and the way they acted like normal teenagers, it just really truly lacked that wow factor in the plot. I wanted more of the magic sense, I wanted to experience the withdrawals that certain characters would have being off of the magical water. I wanted more examples of the Brayburns protecting their town. We don't truly get any other stories except a mention of vampires (which we never see) and then the Serial Killer.

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.