Published: September 24th, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
304 pages
Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.Based on the cover alone, I expected heart-pounding action and maybe some terrifying elements to be present throughout it. Unfortunately, I didn't get that creepy factor. I'm not sure if it was the writing (as far as how the scenes were described) or if it wasn't intended to feel that way.
But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.
Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .
Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.
I want to say that I liked the characters but I really didn't care for them at all. Our main character, Colette, does develop quite a bit but I feel like I've read her story before. Obviously not the "the ghost of Marie Antoinette is after me" element of the story but more of the "every day girl molding herself to be like her popular friends so she can stay in their circle" story arc that we are all familiar with. She's really passive and suppresses every aspect of her personality. I found her friend Hannah to be extremely annoying and shallow. She's also your typical rich mean girl, which I didn't particularly cared for. The only characters I actually liked are Jules and Audrey but I don't feel like I know much about either of them.
The supernatural aspect of the story was good. I found the reason behind the murders to be really clever and interesting. I do feel like the ending was rushed, though. I wanted a little more from the final confrontation. I might be a little biased (I absolutely adore anything and everything set in France) about this but I love that this novel is set in Paris. The settings were beautiful and worked really well with the tone of the novel.
If you're looking for a fun and light read then Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer is for you. At 304 pages, it is a very quick read so this will be perfect if you're behind on your reading challenge.
Note: A copy of this title was provided to me for free via NetGalley.
