Nora is feeling lost, people are going missing, and things aren't making sense. This light horror/fantasy is a supernatural missing persons mystery centered on high schoolers in a creepy town. Great audio narration. Melissa Albert's books are always "nicely creepy", meaning they don't interfere with my ability to sleep at night.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think the concept was really interesting. My biggest issue with this book is that it felt like it was trying to do too much in too little space (i.e. the end of the book). I wish that we'd had more time post reveal to understand/enjoy the revelation or that the middle of the book was not quite so slow and dragged out.

This is a great YA mystery novel that centers around the disappearance of four people, including the FMC's estranged best friend, Becca, on a winter night. The story explores themes of friendship, childhood games, and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural. I was particularly drawn to the suspenseful elements, dark magic, and nostalgic childhood memories that drove the story forward. The well-developed characters, especially the FMC's evolution and complex relationship with Becca
Honestly, the book was a little eerie and atmospheric. I really enjoyed it. Thank you Melissa Albert and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Over the course of one cold winter night, 4 people disappear. Nora's best friend, Becca, is one of the missing. But it seems that Becca has left clues for Nora to follow to help her figure out what has happened. One of these clues include a childhood game that tests trust. Nora must delve deep into Becca's clues to figure out what has happened to her friend and the other missing people.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

The Bad Ones-a standalone

By- Melissa Albert

Publication date 2-20-24 , read 2-20-24

🗣️Narrator: Emma Galvin-1 voice -our heroine Nora. Galvin's voice transformed as Nora told her version of things. From the sinister, the paranormal, and the true crime elements, Galvin was great at making me feel everything Nora experienced. The reading style did bring the story to life especially in parts I found a bit boring. The pacing could have been better because it was very hard to get through the world building. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly. It didn't flow as easily as I would have liked, but it picked up in the last 30% or so.

🏃🏾‍♀️Run time: 11:26

.Quick Summary: Nora Powell is investigating her estranged best friend Becca's disappearance along with three others on the same wintery night. Becca sent Nora a text and clues to find her. Nora discovers the town's darkness, black magic, and the supernatural. Is Becca really missing or is she playing a dangerous game?

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:

⭐YA fantasy
⭐️ horror
⭐️ mystery/thriller
⭐️ supernatural
⭐️gothic


🤔 My Thoughts: Honestly I had a hard time understanding what was going on. Nora told quite a few stories that
I couldn't follow. I didn't believe much of what Nora said as the sole narrator of the story. It was very slow paced and hard to get through until the end. It was well written and very descriptive but missed the mark for me. My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly

Rating: 3/5⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC 💛! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

**4.5-stars**

The Bad Ones is the latest from beloved YA-author, Melissa Albert. I was immediately drawn to this stunning cover. It screams 'beautiful darkness' and that's definitely the mood that this story delivers. The dark atmosphere was a hit for me, as well as the moody, yet fluid and engaging prose.

In this story we mainly follow Nora, whose estranged best friend, Becca, goes missing at the very start of our tale. We also learn of some other residents of their town who all go missing on that same night. While many adults in her life feel like Becca, who has had a tumultuous life, has most likely run away, Nora knows that isn't the case.

It's not just the cryptic message Becca left her on the night she disappeared, Nora can just feel in her heart that something sinister is afoot.

The Reader follows along with Nora as she steadfastly searches for the truth. As Nora begins her investigation, she receives what she believes are coded messages from Becca. These lead her to examine a local legend, known as <i>the goddess</i>, whose forgotten origins, even played a roll in Nora and Becca's own childhood games.

I really enjoyed this. I found the premise so interesting and enjoyed learning about the local lore that helped to build out the heart of this story. I feel like Readers are going to be hit or miss on Nora's narrative voice, but for me, I really enjoyed her. She's blunt and a bit morose, but personally, I felt like that helped develop the overall tone of the story.

I did have the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and I feel like the narrator, Emma Galvin, did an incredible job bringing Nora to life. I truly felt like I was listening to this character relay her story. It was so well done.

Nora does end up making a new friend, James, who aids her in her search for truth. I enjoyed their relationship. Nora is the type of character who pretty much keeps to herself, but James was able to help break down some of her walls. At first I wasn't sure if I trusted him. He seemed too cool for school, but I liked the way his character was able to draw Nora out of her shell. Regardless of the ultimate outcome of their relationship, I feel like he played his part by giving Nora the confidence boost she needed in her search.

There were a couple of small things, in the reveal of the truth, that structurally, I may have preferred formatted differently, but who am I to judge how this author chooses to tell this story? I might not have written it this way, but then again, I'm not a writer, so what do I know?

I'll be honest, not a lot, but I do know that I really enjoyed the reading experience. It delivered me the dark, supernatural vibes and 'small town full of secrets' atmosphere that I was hoping for. It kept me engaged and guessing throughout and it made me even more excited to read future works from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Melissa Albert continues to impress me with her captivating concepts, interesting characters and beautiful writing.

One night, four people go missing in a small town. Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of them, but before her disappearance, Becca left some clues. And Nora is determined to figure out what is going on.

Melissa Albert is adept at creating creepy and haunting atmospheres, and we see that here. A children’s Double Dutch rhyme and sleepover game that originated in the town seem to be connected to the disappearances in the present day as well as to ones from the town’s past. Is the goddess real or is this innocent child’s play?

With an element of the supernatural, dark secrets, and broken friendships, The Bad Ones sinks its teeth into readers and captures their attention until its end.

I listened to the audiobook version of the story, and Emma Galvin’s narration captures the young voices of the main characters in the novel.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Albert always impresses me with her ability to keep a horror novel in the YA genre while still delivering on some serious spine tingling moments!!

The Bad One's offers readers more of the authors telltale gritty and straight forward writing. The store is propulsive and moreish, the characters flawed and engaging and the world is evocative and familiar.

Fans of the author will surely want to add The Bad One's to their 2024 TBR!

I read this book via audio and found the narration to be okay. I do feel the narrator represented the age group well but the tone felt grating at times.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Flat Iron Books, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies and the chance to review it honestly.

In a single night, four people vanish without a trace. Becca, Nora’s estranged best friend is one of the missing. While trying to find answers, Nora discovers a darkness in her town’s past.

The Bad Ones is a slow burn that take me a bit of time to pick up its pace. It’s mysterious and creepy. It’s the childhood game that gave me the most uneasiness. I really wouldn’t say it’s scary but I did find it to be enjoyable and the right amount of eerie. I had trouble eating it initially because there were parts I really loved but the pacing really impacted my reading experience. Overall, it’s entertaining and the paranormal aspects were fun, just don’t go into this one with too many expectations… especially if you need concrete answers for things. The Bad Ones is out now!

Happy reading

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, all opinions are my own.

This was an interesting YA thriller. It has a bit of an occult vibe as best friends Nora and Becca utilize the myth of the local goddess myth in their childhood games as a way to deal with Becca's grief after losing one of her parents. The girls use this goddess in their make believe games as elementary school girls typically do, but as they grow into high schoolers, the goddess takes on a different role in Becca's life. The goddess game has been a staple for the kids in the town with a more innocent version for the younger group, and a more dangerous version for the older kids. Becca, a talented and aspiring photographer may have uncovered the origins of the game and may have gotten herself entangled in something in something she never anticipated.

When Becca as well as four other people disappear on the same night, Nora is left to discover what happened to her best friend though the breadcrumbs Becca left for her before her disappearance. Nora begins experiences strange dreams and losses of time. She can't figure out how Becca is tied to the others and she can't explain what is going on. As she follows the clues Becca left she keeps coming back to the goddess game they played as kids and knows that they are some how connected. Nora and her friends begin to look into the history of the town and the game they have all played and slowly put together the puzzle they have been left with.

The plot was a bit slow paced for me and what I like to see in a horroresque type thriller. I didn't find this super suspenseful but it is atmospheric and strange. The lore of the goddess worked well to tell the story, but when we get to the reveal there wasn't much explanation on how that all worked. The lack of details works find in a YA book, but I would have liked a bit of explanation on how that all worked. The ending and reveal were a bit rushed in my opinion. Albert does develop the toxic friendship between Nora and Becca very well.

I loved Our Crooked Hearts but this was missing something for me. This has the same dark atmosphere and mystery elements, but I didn't find it quite as engaging. I think this will be a great read for readers especially younger readers who are looking for a lighter horror or thriller. This doesn't have any gore and is very light on romance.

Wow, Melissa Albert knows how to write a good, dark, twisty YA horror.

I’m always sucker for a local legend and a classic ominous rhyme. This delivers on both fronts, when our MC Nora finds that overnight several of her classmates (including her estranged best friend) have mysteriously gone missing.

Nora has to figure out what has happened to her friend while also trying to figure out what strange things happening to herself.

It’s a book about dangerous games, brutal obsession and a town full of secrets. Although a little slow through the middle, the conclusion makes up for it!

This is a great book for readers who like spooky scary books and especially those who have enjoyed Albert's previous titles. It was a little too scary for me so I did not finish the book, but I anticipate it doing well at the library.

This one sucked me in and didn't let me go, I finished it in about 12 hours of listening time. I loved the Goddess Game angle. The story was haunting, yet beautiful.





I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was not at all expecting that ending! OMG! Love it.
The narration was perfect. I love the whole "girls doing rituals" angle.
Lovely and super creepy.

The Bad Ones was a fun audiobook with a spooky vibe and brimming with mystery.

After a night of disappearances, including her estranged best friend, Nora is determined to figure out what happened. With the help of the new kid in town, Nora is quickly entrenched in mystery, foreboding forces, and a childhood game called the Goddess Game.

Overall this was an enjoyable listen. I really enjoyed the narrator, but I did find myself losing interest in a few parts that seemed to drag on a bit.

FREAKKKKYYY. There was something about this one that was hard to put down while being unsettling. I'm so interested in YA horror and where its going.

Melissa Albert’s stories feel like gathering around the campfire with your best friends swapping ghost stories. I’ll admit The Bad Ones wasn’t my favorite of her novels. I firmly believe I’d have liked it more as a physical book than an audiobook. I had trouble getting invested into the overall storyline, mostly due to the pacing throughout. That led me rewinding frequently and asking myself, “wait, what?” The characters themselves were lovable and believable but the plot itself held plenty of holes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Melissa’s team for an advanced audiobook!

This book was… fine. The tension was okay, the characters were fine… the plot was just interesting enough to keep me invested enough to want to finish it,

My favorite book so far by Melissa Albert. It was a good amount of suffocating friendship,and a spooky mystery. Only part I did not enjoy is the love story,was unneeded.

I did Not Know what was going on During this Book My theories consisted of

💡A sixth sense twist - that the Mc was really Dead
💡People were getting Murdered by a girl Ghost
💡The woods had a monster that lived in there
💡The Main characters Love interest was the ghost of one of the Murdered boys years ago
💡The Mum knew a dark secret about the Murdered school Kids
💡Becca's Stepmom killed Becca

Put it this way so many theories running through my mind (maybe one of them is true maybe not it could be something else entirely i never guessed so i wont sp0il it for you) and changing throughout the book, the reader really has no clue as to what is happening... and the ending still had me a bit baffled....

The Narrator did the voice of the teenagers Brilliantly and the writing was fabulouse i diddnt want to miss a word.....

Spooky - Creepy - Suspenseful-