I thought this book was really well-written and the twists and turns had me gripped throughout! I loved Mina as a character and the setting of New Orleans, and the fact that vampires were real in the book made for extra tension and conflict. I really enjoyed this and would love to read more by this author!

This was quite a good read. Mina goes to visit her sister in New Orleans. Libby works in a horror house and strange things start happening in and around the sisters. A serial killer starts murdering people using classic vampire myths and Libby and Mina become wrapped up in the investigation when one of their friends gets murdered.

It was an enjoyable enough story, i didnt buy the romance between her and Jared, she was only 17 and it felt icky to me. I could imagine a sequel but its also good enough as a stand alone.

Was an exciting and spooky horror read. I wanted some more typical vampire lore and I think it took a while to get going but I did enjoy the book.

Can't wait to start this for the Halloween season 🎃 it's gonna be brilliant and definitely spooky, been wanting to read this for a while now.

A fun, easy YA read. I think those who like YA and teens/preteens could enjoy this one. As an adult reader I enjoyed the 90’s nostalgia and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes! An entertaining read!

A fantastic voyage into the 90's when Anne Rice's Interview With A Vampire was at the peak of its popularity.
This book was exceptional, especially for a YA novel.
It dealt with complex themes on interrelationships of estrangement between family members, travelling into the unknown (across continents), growing up and taking responsibility for yourself, abandonment and of course Vampires and whether they could be myth or fact all wrapped up with a neat mystery to solve.
There's a serial killer on the loose in New Orleans.
It appears to be random crimes but could they be the work of a copycat?
Enter Mina, a young woman who has recently arrived to try and repair the bonds with her sister and hopefully stay for university if she can get settled.
Unfortunately the killers' targets happen to be young women like Mina and her sister, so they must either live a life of seclusion and retreat or when the murders start happening literally on their doorstep, turn sleuth, aid the police and try to stop any further murders in the vicinity.
A big task for two young women and their housemates/friends to accomplish or is it?

Very easy to read and a fun plot! I feel it was a little Young Adult for me personally but I can really see teenagers enjoying this story!! I love the sister dynamic!

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw
Published by UCLan Publishing
4/5 stars!

I loved this!!! I absolutely agree with the 90's vampire scene and definitely gives Buffy the vampire slayer vibes!
Mina loves spooky things and going to see her Sister in New Orleans was the perfect place for Mina to get her dose, while visiting Mina gets a job and while exploring she finds a girl's dead body with puncture marks in her neck!!

I could not put this down, it was such an amazing read and I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to Amy, the Publisher and NetGalley for this amazing arc!

*3.5
I did enjoy it as a light read. It really reminded me of The Morganville Vampires series, lots of action, not lots of description. I have bought the three books in the series for my library as I think they will do well.

This book was a fun experience although it seems to be written for a very young audience. The descriptions of New Orleans in the nineties was fun and the pop and film culture were a trip down memory lane. Overall I don’t think I was the ideal readership for this story. Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

I discovered Amy McCaw‘s Mina and the Undead, a captivating gothic young adult novel, because the book’s cover art instantly drew me in.
As a Buffy the Vampire Slayer devotee, the vibes resonated on so many levels – the atmosphere in the drawing, the echoes of the show’s writing style, and even the VHS-inspired stickers, a delightful nod to the 90s.

But the captivating plot truly sealed the deal:
Mina, named after Bram Stoker‘s iconic heroine and raised in Whitby (!), journeys to New Orleans to reconnect with her estranged sister.
Thrust into a vibrant city teeming with unique characters, her world takes a dark turn when a series of murders, seemingly inspired by local legends, unfold.
With her newfound friend Jared, Mina dives headfirst into the mystery, determined to clear her sister’s name and unravel the truth.

What truly resonated with me was the abundance of 90s references, and Mina, with her wild hair and relatable insecurities, felt like a kindred spirit.

The setting of New Orleans was a refreshing change – I’d never encountered a story set there before. McCaw masterfully weaves the city’s rich tapestry – not just the pulsating nightlife and vibrant festivals (FangFest sounds incredible!), but also the iconic landmarks and captivating legends. These last become the bridge between past and present, with the murders drawing inspiration from them and culminating in a satisfyingly unexpected plot twist.

The writing is smooth and engaging, perfectly suited for the young adult audience.

The book’s strength lies in its ability to blend a thrilling mystery with that nostalgic high school vibe of the 90s. It evokes a time of carefree youth and the golden age of televised vampire slayers – a sentiment I’m sure many readers will share.

3 stars for adult readers, 4 stars for YA readers.
This is a page turner. We follow Mina, and get insights into her life, her love for her sister Libby, and their friends. We also follow their stories.
Set in the 90s, the cultural references are interesting,
My favourite aspect was the vampires and the strange happenings.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read, aimed mainly for YA audiences.
Plot 3
Characterisation 3
Style 3
Setting and mood 3,5

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐰
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐘𝐀 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 | 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟓 ⭐️
It’s Summer ‘95, Mina visits her sister in New Orleans for a summer filled with fun and adventure, but they get more than they bargained for.

This book was just filled with 90’s nostalgia for me. I mean I was only 6 when this book was set but I loved all of the references for Buffy and Interview with the vampire. As well as all the other horror films mentioned.

This was a fast paced, fun filled read. I love Mina, she is the epitome of cool and brave and I want to be her friend 😂!

100% recommend if you like
- short chapters
- Horror
- New Orleans
- 90’s era
- Mystery.

Thank you so much to @Netgalley for this read and @yaundermyskin for coming up with Mina and co. Can’t wait to read the others in the series.

#minaandtheundead #yahorror #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #bookstagramuk #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #amymccaw #horror #mystery #bookish #bibliophile #bookworm #booklover

This story was incredible this isn’t my usual genre of book but I throughly enjoyed it and would love to continue the series to the end.

17 year old horror buff Mina is in new Orleans visiting her sister, Libby .
She gets a job in a haunted house and is dating Jared.
Then things go squew wiff when she finds a girl with puncture wounds in her neck.
It all leads on from there and is utterly brilliant.

She finds a dairy about two brothers, one a possible vampire.
I really enjoyed this book a lot.

Loved it, I appreciated the tightly knitted plot, the world building and the fleshed out characters. Gripping and entertaining
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.

I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Easy read, really liked the characters and am looking forward to reading more from this author.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me free access to this book. All opinions on the book are my own.

This is such a good YA horror/mystery book set in the 90s. We meet our main character Mina as she is shipped off to New Orleans for the summer to spend time with her older sister who is studying out there, after their mother’s sudden disappearance. All Mina wants to do is explore the parts of the city known for myths and legends, including vampires and serial killers, when not long after she arrives murders similar to ones that happened years ago start occurring again.

Mina and her sister’s friends end up on a journey to try and track down the perpetrator, who may be more closely linked than they originally think. All they know to be true is about to be flipped upside down on this thrilling (and very gory) adventure.

The 90s pop references were on point, the story was well paced and had little nuggets of tales from famous vampires from New Orleans sprinkled in. Honestly the most perfect old school YA we all know and love to sink your teeth into! 4 stars!

Mina a teenage girl from Whitby arrives in New Orleans in 1995. Ready to explore the hometown of her favourite vampire (Lestat - a massive Anne Rice fan) and hoping to reconnect with the sister she feels abandoned her. Unfortunately this doesn't look like it's going to be a summer of sun, sisters and spookiness. As a sinister forces seemingly hunt the girls and Libby now on the hook for the series of murders. Can Mina get to the bottom of this mystery and save her sister.

I can't take credit for this comparison but I read a review that compared this book to the Buffy the vampire slayer series and it is the perfect comparison. It manages to be spooky without too overwhelming a sense of disaster and ruin. Slightly cliche in places but in the best way and exactly what you would expect from a YA. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I do feel the ending felt a tad rushed and left things quite open. But I noticed there is a series of books. I would definitely read the rest in the series.

For any Buffy fans this is the book for you.

I mean, this is one for the Buffy fangirls. It was dark but laugh out loud funny. Fast paced but with plenty of emotional resonance. An enjoyable trip to the mid 90s with vampires and pop culture references. Nothing not to love here.