Book Review: The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor Teen (August 26, 2025)

Length: 304 pages

If you were a 90s kid like me, The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard is going to feel like a throwback in the best and sometimes the most frustrating ways. Blending urban legends, smalltown horror, and high school shenanigans, this book serves up equal parts nostalgia and intrigue. Although it does take some time to find its stride, I think readers will find plenty here to get hooked on.

The story follows Freddie Gellar, an awkward but exuberant teenage girl who never expected a single impulsive phone call to change her life. After all, she just thought she was doing her civic duty by phoning in a noise report to the cops. Instead, her tip winds up breaking up a rival school’s party in the woods, putting half their football team out of commission when they all get busted for underage drinking. Consequently, her actions also cause an escalation in the long-standing prank war between Berm High and Allard Fortin Prep. Overnight, Freddie is transformed from the unassuming outsider to prank queen, earning the admiration of the popular kids at school and even the attention of her longtime crush. For a while, it feels as though all her dreams have come true…until it doesn’t.

What began as a series of harmless tricks suddenly turns sinister with the discovery of a dead body. Soon after, another gruesome scene is found, making it clear something far more dangerous than high school drama is at play. Determined to uncover the truth, Freddie dives into her own investigation, aided by a cocky Fortin Prep boy named Theo Porter, who should be her enemy but isn’t quite acting like one. Clues unearth an old tale in the historical archives about the Executioners Three, a dark piece of local lore that might not be just a legend as everyone thought. As more unsettling events pile up, Freddie realizes more people she knows and cares about will die if she doesn’t put a stop to the lurking menace.

The best thing about the book is its tone. Freddie’s voice is fun and lively, even irreverent and sassy on occasion. But what can’t be ignored is the persistent undercurrent of darkness. Dennard balances small-town quirks and the frenzy of high school life against genuinely creeptastic moments, especially when we witness unsettling sights in the woods or when Freddie and her friends are confronting the horrifying legacy of the Executioners Three. Our protagonist’s frenetic personality might be something of an acquired taste, but she’s actually quite easy to root for once you get used to her. Smart, determined, and more than a little weird, Freddie’s wit adds charm to the narrative, especially when she and Theo are playing their banter off each other.

But for all its strengths, the book also had a few hiccups. To start, I felt the story took too long to get off the ground. The first act devotes a lot of time to high school dramatics and the silliness of prank wars, which, while useful for setting up the stage, starts to drag before the meat of the mystery finally kicks in. To be fair, the book becomes much stronger once things shift gears, but the slow buildup was definitely trying my patience.

The 90s references were another mixed bag. Nostalgia is fun, and I even had a smile for all the mentions of boy bands, X-Files, and ICQ here and there. But as they continued, it sometimes feels overdone to the point of gimmicky. Moments like where the constant name dropping bordered on parody, like the story was winking at us a little too hard. And finally, the central plot, while engaging, didn’t feel as impactful as I’d hoped, overshadowed by the barage of distractions created by feuding teenagers, high school relationship woes, and 90s overkill. There were times when the mystery actually felt like an afterthought, not nearly fleshed out enough to answer all my questions, and way too simple as to be easily predictable.

Final thoughts? The Executioners Three is a solid read that delivers small-town horror with urban legend vibes set to the great backdrop of the 1990s. But the balance between these elements isn’t always perfect. Still, if you’re a fan of Susan Dennard and YA thrillers—or even a retro addict on the hunt for your next Fear Street–style chiller—I’d definitely recommend giving this one a look.