Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Slow burn at the start but definitely picks up towards the end! I found myself drawn in completely by the main character and loved the supernatural aspects. The narrator did a great job.

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert follows Nora as she investigates the disappearance of her estranged best friend Becca and three others on a winter's night, uncovering a dark history in their town and cryptic messages left by Becca. As Nora deciphers the clues, she delves into local folklore involving a mysterious goddess from their childhood, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy in a haunting tale of friendship and occult secrets. With elements of horror and dark magic, the novel explores the complex dynamics of friendship, the power of childhood imagination, and the blurred boundaries between reality and myth.

In her newest novel, Melissa Albert presents a perfect blend of eerie atmosphere, creepy tension, and captivating mystery, appealing to adult readers who typically steer clear of YA fiction. Albert masterfully explores the intricate dynamics of childhood friendships and their toxic manifestations in this dark tale rich with urban legend elements. From the outset, readers are drawn into the gripping narrative of Becca's disappearance and the mysterious events that unfold, with chapters alternating between Nora's perspective and chilling flashbacks that gradually unveil the sinister truth. As the story unfolds, Albert skillfully reveals the origins of the haunting goddess game and Becca's chilling connection to it, culminating in a satisfying conclusion that ties together all loose ends, leaving readers spellbound until the very end.

"The Bad Ones" is a supernatural horror novel that delves into the mysterious disappearances of four individuals in a town steeped in eerie folklore. Nora, grappling with the vanishing of her estranged best friend, Becca, uncovers a sinister past and cryptic messages left by Becca. As she delves deeper, Nora confronts the dark magic lurking in her town's history, intertwined with childhood games and artistic creation. While the premise is intriguing, and the blending of horror and fantasy elements is captivating, the execution occasionally falters, leaving some plot aspects underdeveloped. Despite this, "The Bad Ones" offers a chilling exploration of friendship, childhood innocence, and the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination.

This slowburn YA horror novel did an amazing job of building the tension as we learn about Nora and Becca's friendship and all the people who have been disappearing in their town over the years. I enjoyed that it was told in multiple POV on different timeliness, which kept me guessing as to what was going on and who was responsible for all the disappearances.

This book does a great job of showcasing the sometimes complicated friendships of adolescence and how those bonds don't always grow with the individuals. Despite that, I enjoyed seeing how Nora continually fights to find Becca and figure out what happened to her when the adults in her life brush off her concerns.

I liked seeing all of Nora's research and how all the storylines and local lore came together at the end to show what had actually been happening over the decades. This book is out now, and I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a horror novel with great tension that isn't heavy on the scares.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC for review.

The Bad Ones, Narrated by Emma Galvin, follows Nora, a high school teen who has recently had a falling out with her troubled BFF Becca, who is now missing along with two other students at their school.

But no one seems to think Beccas disappearance is connected to the other two and everybody assumes she just ran away out of spite and will return in a day or two.

But Nora keeps hearing Beccas voice throughout the day and signs showing up in forms of objects left in her locker or notes left with messages only Becca would know about. Is she trying to tell her something? What really happened to her?

First off the cover art is absolutely exceptional, I love the vibrant colours and creepy imagery, I went into this blind and wouldn’t have guessed based off the cover that this was going to be a YA novel. However I found the plot to be interesting and enjoyable, and although set primarily around high school students it didn’t read in a juvenile manor as it covered heavy topics of death of a parent, grief and loss, alcoholism etc.

There was definitely a spooky almost paranormal aspect present throughout which I felt added an extra kick to the plot. I will say that I loved the mystery of the book, felt a connection with the FMC and enjoyed her budding relationship with her male counterpart, I was left a little underwhelmed by the ending of the book, it seemed a little far fetched however I am glad for the characters ending.

Thank you to Melissa Albert, Macmillion audio and NetGalley for this ALC!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I've been really into thrillers/horror stories recently and this one was so good! I really enjoyed Nora and Becca and how complicated their friendship had become. The love these two girls showed for each other in the book though was everything. It really encompasses I think how tightly knit friendships can be, that you would do anything for this person who is your platonic soulmate. It reminds me of the friendship between Claudia and Monday in the story "Monday's Not Coming". The similarities end there though.

The idea of this goddess was really fun too. It made me wonder if it was an actual goddess, or a demon who had been locked away. Part of me thinks it might be an actual goddess who used to have people praying/sacrificing to her and that Rita invoked it because of all her praying and vengeful acts against the Principal.

I honestly don't fault young Rita for what she did and how she fed this goddess inside of her. (I support women's rights but also women's wrongs lol). I almost thought that Nora might agree with Rita and decide to continue the work of the goddess. If Becca hadn't been taken and trapped away by her then I think the two girls would have been up for something like that. (Though maybe not since Nora was really shaken by what happened when they prayed to the goddess of vengeance).

Either way this was a really good novel and I throughly enjoyed it.

I don’t read much YA; this is in the better half. Maybe 50 pages too long. Solid mystery gothic horror (with supernatural elements) that kept me fairly intrigued throughout. Major Stranger Things season 4 with a Kate Bush theme song vibes.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Melissa Albert, and Emma Galvin for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Over the course of one winter night, four people vanish without a trace from Nora's small town -- and one of them is her estranged best friend, Becca. As Nora searches for the truth about Becca's disappearance, she discovers a dark secret in her town's past -- as well as a mysterious connection to a game Nora and Becca played as children that involved a vengeful goddess. As the lines between make-believe and reality blur, Nora must attempt to unravel the town's secrets before Becca is lost to her forever.

The Bad Ones is one of those books that is all vibes, with a dark, moody atmosphere and elements of sinister magical realism. Melissa Albert immerses you in the world of the book with lush, vibrant prose and ethereal imagery. Nora is a believable teenage character whose actions and responses feel authentic for someone of her age and circumstances, without seeming completely overwrought or annoying. Her complicated relationship with Becca is well-written and allows Albert to explore some interesting themes surrounding toxic female friendship, the mysterious power of make-believe, and the magic and invincibility of childhood -- and the agony of leaving it behind.

I wanted much, more more from the mythological and supernatural elements, though. The conclusion didn't fully satisfy me because there is no explanation for how any of it actually works, or how the myth truly originated. I'm not one of those readers who needs everything spelled out for me, but the end of this did leave me scratching my head and wishing for more, especially since the pace of the book is quite slow so I'd been hoping it was building up to an earth-shattering ending. I also listened to this as an audiobook, and I didn't care for Emma Galvin's narration. She had an odd cadence to her reading that came across as unnatural. Others are loving this book and Emma's narration a lot more than I did, so if The Bad Ones sounds up your alley, I'd definitely encourage you to give it a try.

When Nora's (estranged) best friend, Becca, goes missing, Nora is convinced Becca hasn't just run away. She knows that her disappearance is somehow linked to The Goddess Game, a game they used to play as children. As Nora delves deeper into the mystery of Nora's death, what she finds surprises even her.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. Its cool cover immediately drew me, and the premise sounded so interesting. However, I had a couple of issues with this book. First of all, the prologue is very horror-esque, but that quickly vanishes, and this book becomes a mystery. It seems all elements of the horror were unfortunately left in the prologue. Then, as I was reading, something was really grating on me, and I couldn't put my finger on it at first. Maybe I just didn't like the narrator? I quickly figured out what was bugging me. Our 17-year-old narrator, Nora, doesn't sound like a kid. In fact, she sounds like an unnecessarily verbose English teacher. Here are some things that Nora says that didn't sell me on the fact that she's a teen:

"looking chagrined"
"churlish"
"in the grip of a benevolent sleep paralysis"
"a child's sense of irony"
"burned the last of my torpor away"

I am an English teacher and not only do I not talk like that, I also spend all week with kids, and I've never heard them say anything remotely similar. And yes, I know there are intelligent kids, but none of them talk like that either. So needless to say, I had a VERY hard time believing Nora was a teenager. Then there was the "romance." I wasn't sold on it nor did I care about it at all. It was just so uninteresting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Emma Galvin was not my favorite narrator, and in the end this book was not for me.

I'm not often a horror reader but sometimes a good YA horror can be so good. This is everything I could have asked for in a YA horror! I'm spooked but I'll still be able to sleep tonight

Oooh what a nice spooky YA book.
I really enjoyed the whole not knowing what was going on and what was happening throughout the book. The only thing I knew for certain was that our protagonist wasn't letting the mystery of her nest friends disappearance go away quietly. Left to the unknown.
A paid start into a slower beginning until things really start happening.
The slow burn romance was a cute addition.
A nice spooky YA book mixing supernatural elements into it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this audiobook.

Had it not been for the audiobook, I would have abandoned this book. I think I have finally learned my lesson and will no longer be picking up books from Melissa Albert. The problem I have is that her concepts and her openings are so good. Then, her books become incredibly lackluster.

The Bad Ones is an apt title, because it is not that good. The book opens strongly. Then, around the midpoint, the plot becomes mundane and plodding. It seemed Mellisa Albert had a good start and knew how to end it, but didn’t know how to connect the two

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is a slow burn YA horror surrounding random disappearances of towns people and a vengeful goddess. The main character is Nora and the writing of her character is so believable. The reason for the 3 stars is that this felt slow for me and I could not get invested in the book. It is twisty and spooky. The writing is good and the story is palatable. If you enjoy YA horror, I would recommend the Bad Ones by Melissa Albert.

The Bad Ones is delightfully strange and eerie! Following Nora, a slightly disturbed girl after her estranged best friend vanished into thin air- along with a few others, this book tackles complex female friendships and isolation.
Melissa Albert’s writing shines in this novel, and although it is strange it never left me feeling completely lost like some other books in this realm have. If you aren’t into speculative/supernatural books, you may not like the wackiness of this novel. But for me it was enjoyable.
3.5-4 stars

Thank you MacMillan for a copy of The Bad Ones... this is a great slow burn gothic vibes, Albert to me is a chance of pace read for me and she always has a way of unsettling me with her worlds and stories. I saw a few reviews use words such as "uncanny" and that is the nail on the head, this is an author unafraid to go dark, murky, and to capture the more nuanced vibes of the unnatural. It works for me.
This is a sinister theme book, the cover art to the plot to the pacing... all well executed and excellent on audiobook in particular. this took me out of an audiobook slump and sucked me into the uncertainty of a toxic friendship and fantasy (such a perfect blend and so much the more with this author)

"The Bad Ones" by Melissa Albert, narrated by Emma Galvin, is a YA horror mystery that begins with a slow pace but gradually intensifies as you delve further into the story. As Nora investigates the mysterious disappearances that occurred one winter night, her intricate friendship with Becca becomes revealed to the reader. This story has captivating twists, injecting tension into the mysterious disappearance of multiple people in their small town. While the book lacks clear explanations for its supernatural elements, it explores mature themes of grief and loss. Emma Galvin did a wonderful job narrating, skillfully capturing the essence of a teenager while conveying adequate emotion and confusion for someone in Nora's position. The exceptional cover art provides a glimpse into the vibrant and eerie world within.

Despite the slow start, Melissa Albert provides an enjoyable writing style, making this a gripping read while offering a spooky paranormal dimension that elevates it beyond typical YA novels.

Thank you to Macmillion audio and NetGalley for this ALC.

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

100% honest, I was pretty confused throughout this book. the last 20% of it was good though! It's a YA supernatural mystery!

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.
Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local lore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games. . . .
An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book!

The Bad Ones
By: Melissa Albert
Narrated by: Emma Galvin
Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
Release date: 02-20-24
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

#TheBadOnes:⁣
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Thank you so much @flatiron_books @macmillan.audio partner for my gifted copies.⁣
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“you don’t have to take the world as it’s presented to you. You can be the dissenting vote. You can be judge, jury, and hangman, so long as you’re ready to run”⁣
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This book was worth the wait y’all. I impatiently waited in line at Y’allfest for an ARC of The Bad Ones, and my husband got the last one. I read about half the book and just knew this would be amazing on audio. It did not disappoint and was worth the wait. ⁣
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This creepy atmospheric vibe with a toxic codependent friendship, this book gave me a nightmare or two. I really liked the “past” chapters, as they really gave some fantastic insight on the characters. I can’t give away too much, but it was written so perfectly.⁣
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Audio was great Emma Galvin really turns up the heat on the dark/sinister lurking in the background. I was so engrossed with the audio, I felt it was amazing.⁣
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If you watched School Spirits on TV, I definitely think this will be something you’ll enjoy. The Bad Ones just released yesterday!⁣
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Predict: The Bad Ones… ⁣
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The bad ones are coming out of the box!

So witchy. So supernatural. And so much better than Our Crooked Hearts. Now, don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed Our Crooked Hearts, but it felt a tad boring. But this one? Boring WHO! So much craziness happened, and in the end, there's one big lesson. Don't try to silence the girls that stand out, the girls that push back against unfair rules. They might just become a murderous Goddess.

I DNF-ed it. I listened to about 30% of it and just couldn’t get into it. The story was all over the place, and I couldn’t stand the main character.