I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great mystery set on a stormy beach and I loved how that left the characters stranded and in danger. I was highly irritated by part of it at one point, but that's a good thing. The characters got to me in the way their supposed to get to you during that chapter. I'd recommend this book, especially for an alternate beach read.

Overall the pacing was set up well. I enjoyed that we got multiple POVs, as well as flashbacks, social media hints , and police interviews, I was definitely all over the place in who I thought may have done it. Overall solid book. I can say I didn’t connect with most of the characters.

Bad Like Us is a very good book. I give it 5/5 stars. It’s a mystery, told in mostly 2 separate POVs , sometimes 3, which I don’t mind at all. I love to see multiple perspectives. This book definitely gave off “Pretty Little Liars” vibes. Two friend groups intertwine when they all go to an off grid cabin. One of the teenagers ends up dead and so that leaves us to believe that the killer must be someone in the group. A lot of the chapters end with a cliff hanger to entice you to continue reading. It wasn’t drawn out and was an enjoyable easy read that keeps you on your toes. I was in a reading slump and was craving a good little mystery and this book is exactly what I was looking for. Some of the chapters cut off randomly but in the next chapter it is picked back up in a Different POV which I thought was very unique. This is a good mystery without being too scary! I highly recommend.

YA thrillers are one of my favorite genres, so I was so excited to read Bad Like Us. However, I couldn't connect with any of the characters, all of whom seemed one-dimensional. And while the plot kicks off with a huge event, there wasn't enough suspense to keep the story going for me. It just felt like a list of things happening, rather than a narrative unfolding.

Plotwise, this story was set up very well. I was consumed with trying to discover who killed Piper and why, because it seemed like everyone on the trip had a grudge against her.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't match up to the beginning. The plot itself was very confusing between Miles' scandal, Piper and Danny's weird and unexplaned friendship, and the focus on the relationships: the love triangle between Danny, Piper, and Javier (which I suppose could serve to the murder plot) and Colton and Eva which seemed a little out of place. Additionally, Piper's Vlog chapters seemed unnecessary. They added a little bit of context, but I feel the story could've went without them. The resolution at the end also seemed a little rushed.

In the end, I enjoyed the premise (who doesn't enjoy a teen murder mystery plot?) and I liked Lepore's ingenuity in trying something new with the vlog chapters, so I rated this book 3.75 stars!

Thank you, Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC!

My thriller quota has been filled by this book along. This book was filled with such twist and turns and the plot was beyond chefs kiss.

A thriller with enough twist and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. From the very first page the author builds the suspense and makes you think you have the story figured out until the true killer is revealed in the end. If you like the movie I know what you did last summer, you’ll love this book.

I really loved this. Typically I get confused with *too* many characters but each character was so uniquely themselves, it was easy to follow along.

I’m pumped with how many YA thrillers are hitting shelves. Students will love this whodunnit style story and also will be able to relate to the catty and competitiveness of high school.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for sending me this eARC. These are my own opinions.

I was intrigued by the plot from reading the synopsis of the book. Two friend groups collide during a spring break trip. Where everything seems to be all fun and games until someone dies.
I loved the multiple POVs. I wish that there had been more POVs of the other characters. I felt that some of the chapters dropped off abruptly like a cliffhanger only to be picked back up in the same spot in the next chapter. This did make me want to keep reading to see what happened next. There was definitely A LOT of red herrings throughout the story that made me second guess who was responsible for the death. The flashbacks, I felt, were perfectly placed to add context to the story and made me second guess who I thought was responsible. I definitely did not see the ending coming. It made me want to know what happened to them all after the story was done. I wanted more. This was a great summer read. I am for sure going to be looking at more of Gabriella Lepore's books.

Look for "Bad Like Us" coming March 2024

Bad Like Us takes you for a ride as a complicated group of high-school seniors enjoy some of their spring break at a beachside cabin in Oregon— that is, until one of them turns up dead. Told through multiple POVs, flashbacks, Instagram stories, and police interviews, we follow Eva as she attempts to unravel the death of her classmate, even if one of her friends is the killer. I really enjoyed this book, and I can honestly say I didn't see the reveal coming! The writing does a great job of setting the scene and evoking an ominous, paranoid feeling. I would definitely reread this book, and I'm excited for its official release!

A really solid thriller! I know it’s in the YA category, but as an adult, I enjoyed this book. I was invested in the characters, the plot was interesting and I didn’t see that ending coming. I look forward to more books from this author.

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.

A solid thriller. Not the greatest but solid.

* thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

Bad Like Us was an interesting book. Set at a remote beach cabin in the woods, seven friends must battle each other to figure out who killed their friend. There was a lot going on this story, and admittedly, while it wasn’t incredibly unique, I did not guess the ending! I was pretty invested through out the story, and everyone had just enough secrets to keep it interesting until the end. I’d recommend this for anyone who’s a fan of books like One Of Us Is Lying.

10/10

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes. Would definitely recommend it. Loved the characters.

Thank you Inkyard Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I’m a fan of Gabriella Lepore and I think this is my favorite so far! Eva, Colton, and Piper, along with their friends go to a remote lodge for Spring Break. A friends uncle owns it but it’s not open yet. There’s nine of them but their really two separate friend groups with some cross over. Off the bat things are awkward as Piper and Danny (Colton’s twin) broke up and now she’s dating Javier, but are things really over? Also Miles recently got into some trouble and they are steering clear of that, but does someone know more about the situation then they let on? Things are going great until the morning of their last day and they wake up to the cops. Also someone’s missing and clearly one of the remaining eight knows something. Can they figure it out before they all go down? Full of twists, turns, and secrets that it kept me guessing! Likeable characters that you can’t help but like even if they are untrustworthy! You do have a wait a bit for this one to come out but highly suggest checking out Gabriella’s other books!

Jam-packed with high stakes, a fast-moving plot, and a mystery that leaves you second guessing yourself, Lepore's Bad Like Us is the perfect read for fans of Karen McManus. The isolated cabin setting paints an incredible backdrop for non-stop twists with nowhere to run and the overall sense that no one can truly be trusted—even your friends. Even the people you desperately love.

Lepore did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. Her prose is perfect for thrillers—clear and consice to create steady pacing while unique enough to keep me interested in Eva's story. Will definitely read more from her in the future!

Easy read and very entertaining story of two groups of teenagers whose worlds collide. Good character development and exploration of the differences between the kids. Good young adult story.

[3 stars]

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a person who enjoys a classic murder mystery like this, so the premise intrigued me. Since the book only takes place over a handful of days while at an off-the-grid beach house on spring break, I expected it to be character-driven as the teens grapple with the before-and-after drama they are thrust into.

Two friend groups merge into one when two members of separate quartets start dating. Not all of them like each other, though, and a dramatic breakup a few months prior has things tense even before the characters arrive at their spring break destination: an off-the-grid beach house where they're the only people for miles.

I found this to be an entertaining, quick read that can be done in one sitting. The plot moves quickly, the chapters are short, and enough things happen that there's no boring lull.

I wish the characters were more fleshed out. To me, they felt one-dimensional at best, and for some of them, I couldn't even tell you a single thing about their personalities. I liked Eva the most, as we spend the most time in her POV, but I wish I knew more about what drives her, what her motivations are in life, and just more about her in general. Is the fiercely loyal? Clever? Witty?

As for Colton and Eva's dynamic, I just couldn't feel the chemistry between them. We are told that they feel a connection, but I certainly couldn't. I wonder if this is partially due to how flat the characters are in general— I couldn't tell what things they had in common aside from surfing. More background info would also have been nice— have the friend groups just not talked since middle school? Or do certain members cross over, just not that often? Knowing these things would have made Eva and Colton's instantaneous click seem more understandable.

And then the location. The off-the-grid beach house is a cool setting, especially since they have crappy cell service... or do they? There are several group chat conversations that seem to go on without a hitch. This could have added to the suspense in the story, but it didn't really amount to anything.

I don't understand why nobody was told about the body until the police showed up and had the sheet over it. The fact that the characters weren't immediately woken up and alerted by the character who found the body was odd. Due to the setting being so remote, it would have taken a WHILE for the police to arrive, so there was plenty of time to tell the others.

Some of the chapters were unnecessarily short with random endings that cut off in places that are supposed to add suspense, but only do so superficially, like someone knocking at a door. The next chapter would then pick up exactly where the previous one left off, in the same POV, so I was confused about why the other one ended.

I also felt that there could have been more tension between the characters for turning on each other. Eva was adamant that Miles didn't do it, but Colton proposed the idea that he did, and Eva was fine with that??? More mistrust would have raised the stakes.

I am underwhelmed by this book. I expected it to be different. It was predictable and cringey at times. I liked the writing style but it wasn’t anything special. If you’re a fan of YA books that read for a younger audience or Truly Devious, try giving this book a chance.