Man, I really wanted to love this one. The concept was incredible, and while being YA, it included many themes that can stretch across varieties of audiences.

Before I get into it, I want to highlight the narration. Emma Galvin was a great narrator who really brought this book to life. I really enjoyed her voice in general, and appreciated her storytelling - clear speech and good pacing.

THE BAD ONES was sooooo drawn out. At first, I was unsure what was going on -- pretty typical of the beginning of a mystery/thriller. Once I caught on, I was really hooked and excited for where we were headed. I wanted my questions answered, but that's where we fell flat. After getting us engaged and excited for the story, I feel that Albert kept us hanging by a thread for too long. On the journey we were given small bits of answers and a lot of other stuff that didn't seem to matter.

While reading, I didn't realize this was the case. I was (mostly) invested and really ready to have my questions answered, but once we got to the end I felt like the cost did not match the reward. The ending felt super rushed and just "told" to us.

This one could be great if it was trimmed down a bit and had some more meat go into the last 50 pages.

I will continue to read from Melissa Albert, and look forward to finding more books narrated by Emma Galvin!

This book had an interesting concept but was waaaay too comp2This book had an interesting concept but was waaaay too complicated and drawn out. There was too much exposition and very little pay off.licated and drawn out. There was too much exposition and very little pay off.

This was a good one. I've enjoyed all of her books that I've tried so far, so definitely going to continue the back log

Simultaneously loved this and wanted more out of it. I enjoyed the story well enough, but thought that the synopsis gave a lot away and the 'big reveal' wasn't as exciting as I wanted it to be. However, Melissa Albert is a wonderful writer that any reader can appreciate.

Thank you Flatiron and NetGalley for this ALC!

At first, I was unsure where this novel was going. But, I was happily surprised at the turn of events that takes place in the last quarter of the book. Spoiler - there really is a "goddess"! I must say that this novel really kept me in suspense, and took a sharp right turn. I did not see the twist coming, but there were very subtle clues throughout. This is the type of mystery that is engaging and keeps readers engrossed.

As an ALC, the narrator did an excellent job of using her voice to "act" this novel out. I think she really made a difference in the reception of this novel.

Finally, despite it being a mystery/thriller, this YA novel explores themes are are extremely important, like belonging, loyalty, LGBTQA+ relationships, trauma and grooming. It does an excellent job of NOT glossing over these themes, but really tackling them through the main characters in the novel.

This is a novel that young adults will love as it adeptly represents the reality of high school, while integrating magic realism, mystery, and friendship.

I really loved the inventive local folklore in this story. The mystery and exploration of friendship set in a regular suburban high school turned sinister by an occult goddess made for a very engaging read. I will definitely recommend this one to teen horror-fantasy readers.

I have really enjoyed all of Melissa Albert's books that I have read or listened to. This one was no exception. The vibes on this one felt a little like a Fear Street novel and the Netflix Fear Street movies. I thought it was a really good mix of exploring friendships, local folklore, and mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the narrator did a fantastic job conveying them. The emotion was great in both the text and the audio. I will definitely be looking for more Melissa Albert books in the future and will be recommending this one.

I am a Melissa Albert stan and I was so thrilled to have a new creepy world to explore. And wow, this one was a lot of fun. The dark underbelly of a regular suburban high school comes up against an occult goddess who has ruled over the town for decades. Unsettling folk horror in the best possible way. This is a stand out.

Goddess, goddess, count to five
In the morning, who’s alive?

If Melissa Albert writes it or Emma Galvin narrates it, I’m in 🙏 Books about female friendships always get me and I especially loved how Melissa Albert wrote Becca and Nora. From their quick friendship to immersion into dark fairytales, it felt incredibly relatable.

It was also perfectly creepy. It would have been nice for it to fully dive into horror but I enjoyed what we got. The beginning felt like the intro to a 2000s horror movie and it only got better as we dove into the goddess game and lore behind it.

Honestly, there wasn’t anything I disliked about this book. It was intriguing throughout, depicting the rollercoaster ride that’s the best friend relationship. I feel like so many of us have been where Nora and Becca find themselves in their friendship. We constantly see Nora working through her love for Becca while trying to come with terms with everything that’s transpired.

The writing, atmosphere, and cinematic nature of the book was just 🤌 I wish I had this when I was 17 or 18 but better late than never.

Now the question is when will I read The Hazel Wood? After reading Our Crooked Hearts (which is as equally as good) I’ve wanted to dive into her backlist. Maybe this will be the year.

This is totally like one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” kinda bad date.

IMHO, this book was too long. I feel like the author hashed out a great novel, and the publisher was like, “uhhh, we were really hoping for 400, not 300 pages”, so the author streeeeetched that puppy out.

I loved the foundation, and trimmed up this would be a banger.

But a bonus, Emma Galvin was awesome. She was one of those narrators that gets ya scrolling the Google to find other books she’s done while listening to her. She stole the show.

Thank you so much for this audio! Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I usually love these kinds of books, but it just wasn't connecting for me.

I was listening to an advanced copy of the audiobook and got 64% of the way complete before it disappeared on me. I hadn’t quite figured out exactly what was happening yet, but had enjoyed the story this far.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓪𝓭 𝓞𝓷𝓮𝓼
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Recommended: Yes!

I was lucky to receive an ALC (advanced listener’s copy) of this book! It was such an engaging story and I actually didn't figure out the twist at the end. To me, that’s what makes a thriller/mystery a strong story because I want to be shocked while reading it! Overall, I highly recommend checking this book out, and look forward to reading more by this author!

Horror, Magic,and fantasy - what more can you ask for when you read a creepy young adult book. My students are going to grab this one right off the shelf.

The Bad Ones sucked me right into the story with intrigue and mystery. Who was murdering the supposed innocent people? As the storyline develops, the reader learns the truth about the people and how they are not innocent, but The Bad Ones. I found the two main characters, Nora and Becca, interesting and I was drawn to learn about their relationship and secrets. In fact, I was quite surprised as to what really happened and who was the true murderer. Overall this is a well developed story that kept my interest where I couldn’t stop reading on my quest to find the truth.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. Also, the audio version was well done and the narrator read clearly with emotion.

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert is a gripping and atmospheric read that combines elements of horror, fantasy, and mystery. The story follows Nora as she investigates the disappearance of her estranged best friend, Becca. The small town setting adds to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the book, with secrets and legends lurking around every corner.

I was immediately drawn in by the premise of the story and the dark and twisted themes explored throughout. The writing is engaging and evocative, with vivid descriptions that bring the town and its secrets to life. The unraveling of the coded messages left by Becca adds an intriguing puzzle element to the plot, keeping me guessing and on the edge of my seat.

I appreciated the exploration of friendship, childhood games, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. The characters are complex and well-developed, adding depth to the storyline and making it a more immersive and thought-provoking read.

Overall, The Bad Ones is a haunting and captivating novel that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and atmospheric thrillers. While I found some parts of the story to be slightly predictable, the overall experience was thoroughly enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a chilling and mysterious read.

Two friends have a fight and Becca disappears along with 3 other people. Nora is frantic trying to figure out why and where her best friend would have went. Nora follows the clues that Becca leaves her and recovers that her school has a creepy past. And it all started with her teacher.

The books keep me guessing on what was going to happen next. I was intrigued when dark magic/ spirits were involved.and it was morphed into a child’s game for the kids growing up in the town not knowing the real dark meaning behind the goddess game.

I really enjoyed this one. I love the author and read everything they write and wasn't disappointed at all, which is sometimes the case with an autoread author. But they keep up with their own hype. I also love the cover! So gorgeous!

I loved reading this book! I love The Hazel Wood series, and this book was just a bit strange as well, but not quite so much, with a urban legend of a goddess and the Goddess Game, and two best friends, and the frantic time after one of them disappears amongst other disappearances the same night, and the trail she left behind.

The way that we start the book off was really great, of these three different people, who we don't know why this is happening to them, or really what is, but something was. Something did. And then we follow Nora in the aftermath-and her friend Becca, is also missing. It was such a compelling story!

While we were following alongside Nora in the present, we were also following along with Becca for key moments of the past, that lead to everything happening, which gave us more and more answers as the book went along.

This book really stirred up feelings of indignation. Because of the actions of one person, and who they killed, lead to all of this. I mean, they were the bad ones that, after that, were dying, but the root cause? But that just made the book more complicated and I loved it.

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Melissa Albert!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Flatiron Books, Melissa Albert, and Emma Galvin (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to The Bad Ones in exchange for an honest review.

Shout out to the audiobook narrator, Emma Galvin, who has dome other audiobooks of Melissa Albert's including Our Crooked Hearts. Her narration is thoroughly enjoyable!

The Bad Ones is a stand-alone novel that follows Nora as she seeks to solve the disappearance of her best friend, Becca. Or maybe former best friend, as they may have had a disagreement prior to her disappearance that certainly doesn't look good on Nora's part. Though Becca isn't the only one who goes missing. Three other people disappear all in the same night. It's a small town, so it can't be a coincidence. Something must be going down.

As Nora looks for answers, she finds the town has a darker history than expected, and it sparks childhood memories, especially of a double-Dutch rhyme about the "Goddess." Not only is the rhyme reminiscent of childhood days on the playground, but as Nora reflects on her experiences with Becca, she determines there might be more to the Goddess than just jump rope. The game becomes more real, and as Becca takes her childhood fantasies a bit too far, Nora considers the possibility of a real Goddess' powers at work.

This novel is a fun mystery thriller for a young adult audience. It explores the border in childhood where people begin to really determine what they belief in and how a child's actions often tie in to what they believe to be real, as opposed to what actually is. Somewhat speculative and even bordering on paranormal, this novel is an excellent stand-alone for teen readers who seek a divine mystery.

I listened to this story on audio and loved it! The characters were so real and flawed. The story opened interesting and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I found the ending to be a surprise and looked forward to listening when I was busy doing other things. It read like an adult novel with just enough rounded corners to make it young adult. I actually did not realize it was YA until deep into the story. A very fun ride that I will recommend. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, author Melissa Albert, NetGalley for the advanced readers audio, and Flatiron Books. This book was published February 20, 2024.