It's been a while since I've read anything young adult so I decided to give this one a chance. Bad Like Us follows a group of seniors who take a spring break trip to a secluded beach. What begins as a fun vacation quickly turns into a murder investigation. And everyone is a suspect.

So in theory this book has everything I love. It has beaches, secrets, and murder. But what it has in its aesthetics, it lacks in its execution. This is the first book by Gabriella Lepore I've read and while I enjoyed her writing, I just don't think the story was for me.

I found it quite hard to feel close to the characters because there was just. so. many. While there are five teenagers on the cover, there are another four that are in the story. There's so much information being thrown at you between nine different people that it's hard to keep track of who's who and what their motives and personalities are. It's fast-paced for the first half but then quickly becomes repetitive and slow and everyone just starts pointing fingers at each other. The twist wasn't too surprising and by the reveal, I was just ready for it to be over.

Even though I didn't like it, I think the target audience will definitely enjoy it! It has a Pretty Little Liars and Thirteen Reasons Why vibe that I think a lot of teens will find entertaining. I'd like to give another book by the author a try at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and the author for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review! :)

3.5⭐️


It was supposed to be a relaxing spring break trip for their senior year; time spent surfing and hanging out by the water. True, they weren’t an expected group to go on a trip together, but romantic relationships between the two friend groups brought them all together.

But as the trip went on, emotions are high and jealousy and conflicting personalities have lead to arguments. Then on the day they were all supposed to leave, they woke to the police pulling up outside and one of their group being murdered. Everyone is a suspect and some have more motive than others.

I’m the first to admit that I love trashy teen dramas a’la Riverdale and Teen Wolf. And this started out as a good comparison to those. Each of the characters tilt the archetype of a teen drama and the events that lead to the group going on this trip together was interesting.

I feel like if we had different POV’s this might have worked better for me. Eva and Colton were interesting enough but still left a lot to be desired. And while part of the big reveal made sense to me, the other parts motive was just bored rich kids which I hate.

Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for providing this ARC to me!

5 ⭐
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, any book that starts with a death is going to be a pretty good book. I liked the mystery of BAD LIKE US and the use of flashbacks(like what did Miles see on the computer that he wasn't supposed to see?) and messages to add to the story (especially the "did you know." from piper...."I'm sorry about what I said" from Colton..."He's made a mistake and is paying the price" from Eva's mom... like what? Know what? Sorry for saying what? What mistake? Who did what?  Oh my gosh, the suspense. So many questions.  So many shocks. Once I finally sat down and read this, I couldn't stop. Yeah, it's your typical YA mystery(friends, secrets, murder) but there's something about a YA mystery that keeps you guessing, and BAD LIKE US kept me guessing.  I was so intrigued, and I couldn't wait to find out who was murdered and who did the murdering. I was utterly shocked to find out who was responsible and why. This was such a gripping novel. Nail-biting even, especially  in the last few chapters.

What I Liked About It:
*the mystery
*the huge twist
*that ending

"Bad Like Us" by Gabriella Lepore gets a solid four stars from me! This book was a real rollercoaster. While there were moments where I got a bit lost, overall, it was a thrilling and fun read. Spring break starts off as a wild adventure for Eva and her pals, but then a murder shakes things up. The drama of their love triangle kept me glued to the pages, and the suspense never let up. The author does a great job of keeping you guessing until the very end when the real killer is revealed. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers like "I Know What You Did Last Summer," you'll definitely enjoy this book. Despite some confusion at parts, "Bad Like Us" offers an exciting and suspenseful ride.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book is a YA suspense/thriller. At first, it reminded me a little of a good girls guide to murder. It was a quick read with fairly short chapters. But the characters felt quite shallow to me so I had a hard time rooting them on through out the story. There were definitely some suspenseful parts that I found engaging but the pace didn’t feel consistent which is something I like in a thriller or suspense book.

I’m a sucker for a good locked room (or in this case secluded cabins) and this book delivered on that atmosphere.

The dual POV brought dimension and I enjoyed seeing each characters motivations develop throughout the story. The flashbacks and clues spread throughout the book had me putting on my sleuth hat and trying to piece everything together along with Eva and Colton.

I do wish that the pacing and tension were bumped up a notch or two, but overall the story kept me hooked through to the end.

"Bad Like Us" offers a combination of friend group dynamics, a mysterious murder, and secrets that threaten to unravel everything the characters thought they knew. The promise of a heart-thumping YA thriller in the vein of popular novels like "One of Us Is Lying" and "We Were Liars" creates an intriguing premise.

The tensions and conflicts within the friend groups, along with the backdrop of a spring break getaway, immediately establishes a sense of unease in the story. The exploration of the flailing love triangle and the revelations from an anonymous letter add layers of complexity and keep readers guessing as to who can be trusted.

The mystery surrounding the murder and subsequent secrets provide a compelling narrative drive. As Eva and Colton grow closer, they become determined to uncover the truth and reveal the hidden motivations of their fellow spring breakers. This adds an element of suspense that will undoubtedly keep readers engaged and eager to discover the full extent of the secrets.

However, since this is a synopsis, it is difficult to comment on the execution of the story or the depth of character development. In thrillers, well-rounded and relatable characters are important for readers to become invested in the twists and turns of the narrative. Strong character development can also enhance the impact of the revelations and shocks that are common in this genre.

The concept of friends turning against each other and secrets threatening their relationships creates the potential for a gripping and suspenseful read. The promise of uncovering dark truths and deceptions is likely to attract readers who enjoy youthful mysteries and atmospheric thrillers.

Overall, "Bad Like Us" is an intriguing mix of suspense, mystery, and friend group dynamics. Whether it lives up to its potential will depend on the execution of the plot, the atmospheric setting, and the development of its characters.

A spring break holiday goes horribly wrong when a body shows up on the beach. Two friend groups collide in a battle of pointing fingers and attempting to discover who killed them...and why?

This book is ideal for Teen Readers and brought with it a realization that I am, unfortunately, no longer in that category. I struggled with the characters and the way they spoke to each other. It was a lot of teen drama and today's teen lingo that made me cringe. Looking at the story / mystery, it was okay, but I wasn't engaged. The storyline bounced all over the timeline and we almost spent more time in memories and flashbacks than we did in the mystery.

I had hoped for a fun and easy mystery to binge during the summer, but I spent most of the time cringing at the immaturity and annoyingness of the characters (I hope Piper was supposed to be annoying, because I eventually started skipping her chapters. I physically couldn't read it). It took me much longer to finish this book than it should have.

I don't really know if this book would be better suited in the hands of today's teens, or if they would find the characters just as annoying, so I'll close the review by saying that you should read it if you like big friend groups--unsupervised--navigating the drama of who's dating who and a little murder mystery thrown in.

Content: Typical YA; There is a higher amount of cursing and some mild romance (no spice).

I received this book from the author via NetGalley. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.

I think my students will like this one, nine friends, someone dies, the popular kids, the other kids, possible love interests. I think for them it will be fun read, For myself, I had trouble keeping track of the characters and they weren't really fleshed out in a meaningful way to me. I like more depth and growth in my YA mysteries

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC!


I always enjoy a good YA mystery and Bad Like Us was no exception. In Bad Like Us, a group of teenagers meet up at one of their uncle’s cabins on the beach for senior year spring break. Right before break, there was a huge scandal in the friend group, a break up, a new relationship formed, and all of the tension that comes with those things. At the cabin, the tension bubbles over and one of them ends up dead. As they point fingers and try and find out what happened - they realize there were more secrets in the friend group than they ever knew

Pacing was fast, I liked the characters - I felt the female characters were a little more developed and different from one another than the male characters, and the overall storyline made sense. The writing style was also easy to read - maybe a little too descriptive in the beginning but the (in my opinion) unnecessary floweriness did go away.

Slight spoilers ahead

The author threw me off quite a few times and while I kept feeling like I’d guess the entire ending - I couldn’t which was a nice surprise. I was convinced that one character, who ended up being a non factor, would have been the big twist.

This book lost points for me at the very end. Obviously I’m not looking for the most realistic book but it’s my pet peeve when the protagonist solves a crime and then immediately puts themselves in danger by letting everyone else know! We were talking about solving a murder here - not a small shoplifting scandal.

I’m sad to say that while this book looked really good based on the description and the cover, I couldn’t get into it. It started off weird and abrupt and I think it made me struggle reading it.

‘Bad Like Us’ is a thrilling exploration of trust, friendship, and the unraveling of secrets in the most unexpected places. The story keeps you on your toes with an intriguing plot and well-drawn characters. The tension in the love triangle adds an extra layer of suspense, making it a highly engaging read. A solid 4-star recommendation for fans of mystery and suspense, as it delivers a rollercoaster ride of surprises and revelations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the advanced copy.

Overall, this was just okay. The mystery definitely had some fun twists and good whodunnit moments, but parts of the writing felt a little clunky at times and there were so many characters to try to keep track of without enough time to really get to know some of them at all. The lead up to the discovery of the body felt a little rushed as did the ending and wrap up while the beginning part seemed to drag on a little for my personal taste. Once we finally got to the “good stuff” it was like I blinked and it was over. It’s a good story, but I think it needed a little more to be fully fleshed out.

My Thoughts

Spring break for these 9 teens means heading to a remote beach lodge owned by one of the boys’ Uncle Paul.

The atmosphere there is peaceful as it is far away from city noises but also city amenities, the lack of which also means a lack of easy accessibility for help and even reliable communication once things start going wrong.

What happens during these few days will stick with everyone involved for their entire lives as the worst vacation ever!

Unlike what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas what happens to Alice, Colton, Danny, Eva, Karly, Miles, Noah and most especially Piper must be revealed and the truth told.

This tale is why I am so glad that for spring break I stayed home.
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I can't seem to get 100 characters out to tell you how I DNF'd this book. I didn't care for any if the characters in this book. I didn't care what happened to them. It would have been fine if the author had killed them all off. Maybe she did I just couldn't get that far to care.

A group of friends go for a little getaway, drama unfolds and one ends up dead.. who killed them?
I for sure love a who-dun-it!? Books and this book falls into the basic territory from the get go. There’s one particular character that I’m hoping is the one that gets murdered, if you know you know.
This book for sure had its generic moments where I was rolling my eyes but slowly but surely it sucked me in. It had me guessing and then second guessing again. I was right on 50% of it lol
Overall this book was a quick read, I finished it within a day or so. A little entertaining book that is a treat for those who love the who-done-it genre. I would recommend It. 3.5 stars

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a ARC of this book. My review is honest reflection of my feelings towards this book

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a really fun little mystery about a group of kids on spring break trying to piece together each others lies. When one of them dies suddenly the teens have to try and figure out if it was an accident or if it was murder. And if it was murder, which one of them is responsible?
I read this book really quickly and enjoyed it thoroughly. If you like murder mysteries with without much violence and high school kids behaving badly this is the book for you.

Bad Like Us is a YA murder mystery/thriller. Two friend groups get together for a senior spring break trip at a secluded resort not yet open to the public. There are some messy connections between these friend groups and some secret scandals that are revealed throughout the book. One of the members of the group turns up dead under suspicious circumstances. No one in this group trusts each other, but they know the murderer is among them. This was a fast paced “ who dunnit” mystery that kept my attention.

What I liked: The chapters were short, so it felt very fast paced. The dual timeline gave the reader context on all the messy relationships and situations leading up to the trip. The dual POV gave the reader context to different POV and opinions on who the murder could be. I did not predict the twist at the end.

What I disliked: There were so many characters I had trouble keeping track of the characters that weren’t mentioned as much. I felt like there could’ve been more clues leading up to discovering the murder. The ending felt rushed and I felt like the epilogue should have included how Miles situation resolved, what was the outcome of the trial, etc.

Name of Book: Bad Like Us
Author: Gabriella Lepore
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Genre: Mystery Thriller, YA/Teen
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Pages: 384

Book promo~ Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars
This blurb got my attention as I liked both "One of us is Lying” as well as " We Were Liars"

It is spring break and these Seattle high school teens are doing what most teens do or want to do on spring break and that is go to ‘get together and party!. In this case friends: ~ Colton and his twin brother Danny Demardo, Javier Ramos, Miles Brynner, Noah Lauder, Piper Meyers, Karly Davis, Alice Moloi, and Eva head to a cabin in a private cove off the beaten path in the woods near the ocean.

Now seven friends must try to solve who killed their classmate and friend.

I know I am not the target audience for this story but as a High School Guidance Counselor I love to read YA books as I not only enjoy a good YA story but it pleases me when I can recommend a book to my students.
As I was getting ready to start this I decided to check some reviews and saw many so-so comments,
I then went into this not expecting much and was so delighted that it turned out so much better than expected!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 5, 2024.