Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2025

Pageant winner and horror fanatic Corie Nielson dreams of putting the "QUEEN" in "SCREAM QUEEN"

Born into a family of beauty queens, seventeen-year-old Corie Nielson has the looks and charm befitting of Miss Teen Indiana. Her sights are set on the Miss Teen America crown next--and the college scholarship that comes with it--in hopes that she can finally break into her secret dream career: horror movie scream queen.

With pageant appearances, caring for her great-grandma, school, and shifts at the family boutique . . . there's more than enough for one person to juggle, let alone Corie with her undiagnosed ADHD. But when the local horror show announces a monster costume contest that promises to make all her dreams come true, Corie can't help but think: What's one more thing? Surely, she can manage her family's high expectations while also using her pageant skills to launch her into horror stardom. All she has to do is convince grumpy special effects makeup artist Everett Robbins to partner up and turn her into a pageant-worthy monster.

But old habits die hard; when the contest and a budding relationship with Everett distract her from her obligations even more, Corie must decide if a shot at her wildest dreams is worth risking the family bonds and pageant traditions that have brought her this far.