Scott Reads It!

Check out Scott Reads It! for reviews, giveaways, & more! Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer is a book that I was looking forward to ever since I first heard of it. I absolutely loved the cover and I was convinced that MA,SK was going to become one of my favorite books of 2013. Once I start MA,SK I realized this is not the book I was looking forward to at all, this book was nothing like I imagined. I expected a mix of historical fiction and mystery, but instead I read a mediocre contemporary romance set in Paris. I believe if I had picked this one up on a whim, instead of longing for it for months; I probably would have enjoyed it more. Katie Alender never really takes advantage of everything Paris has to offer. Paris is a beautiful, magical city filled with so many hidden secrets and mysteries. Based on the description, I felt that I would get a sample of what Paris has to offer. I never read about the intrigue of Paris that the description seems to describe and I desperately felt like the story was missing out on it. I never really felt like I was reading about Paris, I felt like reading a Sparknotes about Paris because MA,SK was missing the essence and spirit of the city. Sure, Alender described beignets, stores, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower, but it never really felt like Paris at all. The plot of MA, SK is weak and lacks any tension that a murder mystery should possess. People are being murdered and the author decides to have the protagonists to go on a date.Why does it seem like no one is concerned with the murders? The police aren't mentioned regarding the murders and it seems as if the murders are accepted by everyone. Colette and her classmates never seem to be perturbed by the fact that innocent people are being murdered. "Who cares there's a hot guy who is obsessed with me" was Collete's attitude throughout the entire book. It wasn't really until the murders started to concern her, then Colette start doing some sleuthing. Anyway it takes Colette way too long to figure out MA is behind all of the murders because all of the clues would lead even the most oblivious person to the correct conclusion. Also, for god's sakes it's in the title, I personally don't like reading a mystery when I already know the murderer from the get-go. There are exceptions to that rule, but MA, SK is definitely not one of them. I love historical fiction, but the backstory on Marie Antoinette was feeble at best and poorly thought out. It felt extremely transparent and fake to me, as if the author rushed through this segment of the book. The historical fiction aspects of this book were subpar at best and lacked proper execution. The characters in MA,SK are merely cardboard reincarnations of stereotypical YA characters. Colette is extremely naïve and is extremely selfish and obnoxious. Her mother isn't in the best financial conditions and had to work hard for her to go to Paris. Colette never really seems to appreciate her mother and irked me so much. The woman is busting her back so you can go to Paris and you don't even have the decency to appreciate it. Instead Colette practically ignores her mother at the airport; this girl really needs to learn some manners and the value of $. Another thing that annoyed me immensely was Colette's supposed "transformation". MA,SK is one of those morality tales where the heroine becomes a better person because of her adventure. The transformation is almost instantaneously done near the end of the book and I really wanted to see Colette developed more throughout the book. The only noteworthy segment of the book is the first couple of scenes done where Marie Antoinette is murdering people. These scenes were something to look forward to at first, but eventually I got tired of reading the same story slightly altered. I really think the author should have mixed up these scenes by introducing some different elements. MA, SK is one of the biggest let-downs this year because this book had so much potential. I really wanted something much more than Alender delivered. I can't really fathom recommending this book because of how bitterly disappointed I am. I really wanted to love Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer, and it breaks my heart to say that I loathed it.