Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
Series: N/A
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: September 24, 2013

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.

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 dreamed of small, curving streets paved with rough stones; and the perfume of flowers and sweet pastries in the air; and of beautiful buildings rising up on every side of me; and of a feeling of magic and history beneath my feet. And my dreams felt as real as a memory.

Before you read this review, I want you to read the synopsis. Breathe it in, think about the awesome premise and the possibilities of Marie Antoinette as a ghostly killer. Then imagine all of those hopes dashed. These are the feelings that I had coming out of Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer.

Colette didn't really have any personality to speak of. She upset me with her constant snobbiness, and her apparent lack of kindness. Shallow doesn't even begin to describe her. At one point in the book, she becomes "friends" with someone, only to tell them that they aren't good enough for her unless she needs something. What a friendship that was - but I can understand where she gets it from. Because her best friends, Hannah and Pilar? They irk me. They're terrible friends too.

I have to say, as much as I disliked her for most of the book, she does grow a bit towards the end. She becomes a better friend, and she does show some bravery; but it doesn't make up for the fact that she annoyed me through most of Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer.

The only truly bright part in this novel was Jules and his family. They brought light and happiness into this novel, which is why I don't get Jules. As a character, I truly liked him. He's not around very much, but when he is, he seems like a nice guy. So...why is he falling for Colette?

But lets move on to what you've all been waiting for. Marie Antoinette and the murders! Writing wise, I feel like the murders were done fairly well, if a little weak. But the ghost of Marie just didn't impress me; I felt like her character was shone too briefly, and that she just wasn't menacing enough. The mystery behind "why" she was murdering them was easily solved, and it was just lacking in the drama department.

So, if you're looking for a chilling book about Marie Antoinette, this isn't for you. If you're looking for a story about a girl in Paris trying to solve a mystery, though, this might be for you. It just depends on what you're looking for.