Maeve Fly has an intriguing premise that feels tailor-made for fans of dark, boundary-pushing fiction: a female serial killer obsessed with Halloween who works as a Disney Princess by day. Unfortunately, the book didn’t entirely deliver for me.

One of its biggest missteps was the blurb’s mention of Patrick Bateman, which spoiled what could have been a jaw-dropping plot twist. This early revelation dulled the impact of Maeve’s descent into sinister behavior, robbing the story of a key element of surprise.

Maeve herself is a deeply disturbing protagonist, though her twisted antics did occasionally make me laugh—an unsettling reaction that speaks to the book’s dark humor. However, as the story progresses and she interacts with Kate’s brother Gideon, Maeve’s actions move from eerie to outright sinister.

While the book has its moments, it sometimes feels chaotic, with a narrative that struggles to fully come together. The message is clear, but the execution feels uneven. This isn’t a book for everyone, and though the concept had immense potential, it ultimately left me wanting more.