The next book on my 2020 most anticipated list has a lot of 80s inspiration and is a mix of some of my favourite movies with some true crime thrown in. It's pitch is that it is a mix of The Craft and The Lost Boys with some Manson family thrown in and is set in the 80s.
I already feel like I am going to love this book. It hits so many of my specific interest points that is basically made to appeal directly to me.
I am excited to feature Mayhem by Estelle Laure as part of the books I am looking foward to in 2020.
The Goodreads synopsis for this novel is pretty much tailor made to make you want to read this novel. It offers enough teases while still making you desperate to pick up the novel to find out more.
Mayhem Brayburn and her mother are on the run, not away from home, but back to it: Santa Maria, California, a beach town that looks like paradise, like carnival rides and street food and bikinis under the hot sun.
It’s where Mayhem has always wanted to be. It’s where generations of Brayburns have lived and thrived, and she has never understood what made her mother leave Santa Maria in favor of the arms of her abusive stepfather.
But when she befriends her aunt’s foster kids and they take her to their hideout, decades of secrets unravel, and Mayhem is thrust into a world of chaotic magic, a serial killer’s mind, and finally, even the answers to her own past.
Set in 1987, MAYHEM is a mashup of The Lost Boys and The Craft with a bit of the Manson family thrown in for good measure. It’s original, compelling, and a little bit rock-’n’-roll, and reading it will leave you feeling deliciously wicked.
The boardwalk vibe screams The Lost Boys to me and I am really looking forward to the California setting.
Estelle graciously took some time to answer my questions about her book, and made me want to rewatch both The Craft and The Lost Boys before the book comes out.
1. What gif do you feel represents Mayhem?
2. If someone were to make a signature cocktail in honour of your book, what might be included?
Jalapeños, vodka, lime, on the rocks, with smoke.
3. Your book is described as having a lot of 80s influence. Why do you think 80s nostalgia is so popular right now?
The world was slower then, sillier in many ways (the fashion the fashion), filled with cliques, and it was all sort of goofy with this undercurrent of the truly threatening. I’m nostalgic for the stories that were told then, like The Lost Boys and Stand by Me, but not for the actual time. Serial killers ran amok, misogyny and racism were so rampant they were accepted, not to mention homophobia, but it was still fun to go back because….FASHION!
4. Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel (if you didn't listen to music let me know and I can quickly send another question)
You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish. That was one I listened to before writing just to get me in the head space.
5. If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
I would definitely go ahead ten years to see if we make it that far. I would never want to go back. Things have been bad for women, always. And I would definitely not want to be in any time period before plumbing, electricity, heating and medicine.
6. What 2019 release are you most anticipating?
I LOVED Wilder Girls by Rory Power. Died. It was so good. I’m about to start The Wicked King by Holly Black. I’m obsessed with her. And with fairies. But mostly her.
7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Mayhem.
All I ever do anymore is swim. I like how the world is muffled underwater. I float.
Estelle graciously took some time to answer my questions about her book, and made me want to rewatch both The Craft and The Lost Boys before the book comes out.
1. What gif do you feel represents Mayhem?
2. If someone were to make a signature cocktail in honour of your book, what might be included?
Jalapeños, vodka, lime, on the rocks, with smoke.
3. Your book is described as having a lot of 80s influence. Why do you think 80s nostalgia is so popular right now?
The world was slower then, sillier in many ways (the fashion the fashion), filled with cliques, and it was all sort of goofy with this undercurrent of the truly threatening. I’m nostalgic for the stories that were told then, like The Lost Boys and Stand by Me, but not for the actual time. Serial killers ran amok, misogyny and racism were so rampant they were accepted, not to mention homophobia, but it was still fun to go back because….FASHION!
4. Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel (if you didn't listen to music let me know and I can quickly send another question)
You Should See Me in a Crown by Billie Eilish. That was one I listened to before writing just to get me in the head space.
5. If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
I would definitely go ahead ten years to see if we make it that far. I would never want to go back. Things have been bad for women, always. And I would definitely not want to be in any time period before plumbing, electricity, heating and medicine.
6. What 2019 release are you most anticipating?
I LOVED Wilder Girls by Rory Power. Died. It was so good. I’m about to start The Wicked King by Holly Black. I’m obsessed with her. And with fairies. But mostly her.
7. If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Mayhem.
All I ever do anymore is swim. I like how the world is muffled underwater. I float.
The gif Estelle chose, while from The Craft, also has The Lost Boys vibes. It could be the way the girls walk reminds me of David and the rest of the 'lost boys' slinking around the merry-go-round. It could be the beach, and the secluded areas that are part of both movies. Either way, I am here for that being an indicator of the story and its setting.
Mayhem releases July 14, 2020 but you can pre-order it right now from any retailer so that it arrives to be perfectly timed for your summer reading.
Mayhem releases July 14, 2020 but you can pre-order it right now from any retailer so that it arrives to be perfectly timed for your summer reading.
You can find out more about Estelle by following her on Twitter or by visiting her website. You can also find out more about her books on the publisher website.
Do you enjoy books or other entertainment set in the 80s? Are you as excited about this book as I am? Let me know in the comments.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to for the next book on my 2020 most anticipated list.
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