Thanks to NetGalley and Blood Bound Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.

“Sex. Yoga. Blood.” Interesting, right? I thought so.

In “Bad vibrations”, we ride with Valerie to a rural Pennsylvania town for a weekend retreat at a new wellness community that sprouted after the COVID-19 pandemic, where residents are committed to clean living and energy nurturing… and the newly discovered miraculous properties of blood drinking.

This satire makes fun of the current wellness craze aided and abetted by social media; of the mental hoops people jump through to believe in conspiracy theories and justify horrendous acts in the name of the greater (selfish) good; of the willingness of people to follow someone who tells them what to do; of gentrification.

It was a fast-paced, entertaining read and, as a very short book, you can’t expect much depth, but it read like a crack premise that wasn’t taken very seriously. All the characters seemed stereotypical cartoonish - the cult members: mostly rich, white Millennials with no identifiable jobs except for the protagonist; the cops: ignorant rednecks; all of them talked like they were in a parody. And I suppose they were! But I felt dumber by reading it, like when you watch Scary Movie.

I almost DNF’d near the beginning when the protagonist and the first cult buddies she meet are confronted by two of the townspeople and she thinks they’re “surrounded by enemies, like the Israelis”. I was confused for a sec - did the author mean the cult members were like the Palestinians surrounded by enemy Israelis? But of course she didn’t. Given that the protagonist, while slightly smarter than the rest, was still a brainwashed idiot with rotten opinions, I decided to let it go, but it still left a bad taste tbh.

All in all, this was an ok read; I didn’t hate it but I don’t think this type of satire works for me because it didn’t feel particularly clever.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read and had me gripped. I loved the main character and the satirical tone of the series. It reminded me a lot of “youthjuice” between the cult and the blood. I do wish it had been LONGER because I enjoyed it a lot and I’m sad to be finished!!

Uhm I read this for the cult stuff, but it wasn't good.

There's a blood drinking wellness cult in town and it's angering the local rednecks.

That's it that's the book.

In Bad Vibrations, Val desperately wants to make some gains with her powerlifting. Through the isolation and general strange times of COVID lockdown, she has stumbled into the health regime of an instagram page provided by a man called The Doctor. This isn't some keto diet or all carnivore type of lifestyle but one where you drink blood to get energy, among other things. The book starts with Val taking the plunge to come move in on the Doctors farm and fully commit to this lifestyle.
I would have so loved for this to be longer so I'd have more meat to chew on. I didn't know much about Val and there for was pretty indifferent to what happened to her. Since it was so short, all the action happened faster than I'd hope for. I love a good cult, and I would have loved for us to have gotten to spend more time with them all before the rednecks showed up. The action at the second half of the book was well done. This book was great at showing how people on the extreme ends of any opinions are nuts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blood Bound Books for providing me a copy for an honest review.

I was really intrigued with the first half of this book. It is a quick and easy read, very well written. I would say it’s slightly repetitive or at least really tries to drive its point home, which can feel a bit over the top. I felt myself saying “ok, I get it. Let’s move on” a few times.
The second half turns a different direction which the reader may love or hate. I didn’t realize it was going a “slasher” route. I thought I’d be getting more back story on the blood drinking or see a little twist to it. So I’d have to say that it wasn’t my style. However, if you like some political satire, with slasher, I think you’d really enjoy this one!

I recently was diagnosed with Hashimotos and had to start seeing a functional medicine doctor. In many ways the things my doctor has recommended like going gluten and dairy free, but other things feel too out there. This book captured my attention hook, line, and sinker being about seeking optimal wellness.

I don't like to give any spoilers. I will say this book had me laughing in parts, cringing from the gore in other parts, and overall just enjoying the world I had been sucked into. I think this book is a lot of fun. It is also on point with how influencers are taking over day to day life. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrill ride. Thank you to Lucy Leitner, Blood Bound Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Sooo much fun! I love a cult-y thriller and this was super interesting. The writing was only okay, but the storyline pulled me through - I'd still recommend it!

This book follows a riveting clash between social media influencer health enthusiasts and small-town individuals, delving into the pervasive impact of social media on society. With a blend of dark humor, this captivating piece offers a thought-provoking commentary on the dangers of social media. For those seeking a fast-paced and intriguing read, I highly recommend this exceptional work.

I always read other people's reviews first, and I think it's funny that other readers felt as though they needed to know more about the main character, Valerie. I don't want to know more! At least not for this round (I would be happy to read another of her adventures).
Valerie joins a cult located on a farm close to a redneck town. The cult promises rejuvenation via blood drinking and the cult members get new cult names. Unfortunately for them, the locals come to put a stop to it.
Valerie, on one hand, is just desperately trying to stay alive; on the other hand, she is having revelations about the nature of the cult. It's a wild, violent, bloody ride, and I got to a point where I couldn't put it down.
This isn't the first book I've read by Lucy Leitner, and I also loved The Girl with the Lollipop Eyes. This book put her on my must-read list and I will be recommending it to everyone in my groups . Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Blood, sex, yoga and cults… oh my!

I really love a good cult, it just fascinates me so much. I’m sad I waited so long to read this one, the setting would have been perfect to read around release time!

I enjoyed the storyline a lot; the pacing I thought was a bit off, for a short page count it didn’t really start to pick up until about 50 pages in. Maybe I’m just a bit needy but I was starting to get antsy for some action. Luckily, once it came it was non-stop brutal fun.

Definitely give this one a shot, thanks so much to Blood Bound Books and NetGalley for the review opportunity. I happily leave a voluntary review.

Valerie has joined a wellness group, so she thought, but it's really a cult. She goes to this retreat to meet the other members and start her journey, but some things start happening within the community where the cult takes place. This book was actually relatable and some parts were gross and horrifying. it was a great novella. It was a fast paced read.

Action packed and somewhat claustrophobic tale of self discovery offered and received, the lure of belonging, of strength, of found family mixed with brainwashing and maybe a bit of what is that word? Could be a cult? Well, as long as no one gets hurt ... ooops! No spoilers, a fast action-packed read.

“It’s not a cult, it’s a movement.” A fun, culty novella of brainwashed wannabes vs the locals. I enjoyed the cringeyness of the cult followers and seeing how far they were willing to go for this "Doctor". With the themes it had me thinking, who do I know that would easily fall into a cult without knowing it in this modern time of social media and FOMO? And like these participants, from their end it's a "movement" and not the deep end.

I expected a more thriller/horror plotline, but still enjoyed the journey. Excited to read more of Lucy's work!

Very interesting and strong concept. I wish it got more involved and gripping.
Good overall, but I did read places where I wanted more.

This book's plot was so interesting; I absolutely had to read it. Unfortunately, the premise was lost among overly long and repetitive monologue and unnatural and immature dialogue. I wasn't able to get into the story or to care for any of the characters.

If you like a seamless blend of carnage and cults, this one's for you! 💉🩸
Influencers can have a cult-like following, this time literally!
Lucy Leitner astutely parallels the fitness influencer industry with a cult in her novel "Bad Vibrations." It's a spot-on comparison, capturing the obsessive devotion and often cult-like mentality pervasive within this realm.
I liked the books exaggerations and humor, as the "cult" that sees almost everything of our everyday life as toxic. The Doctor, the "cult leader" wintends to free its adherents from "toxins" by e.g. making people to engage in bloody rituals... (no spoilers here...) I am content because of the ending but intend not to make any spoilers :)
However, some descriptions were slightly disgustign and I did not like the fact that the author used fatphobia, literally at the beginning of the novella. But I understand that it partially has to do with the narrator's brainwashed state of mind, it still bothered me as I do not tolerate it.

Overall, the novella highlights how easily individuals can be swayed or deceived by carefully curated personas and images, emphasizing the importance of skepticism and critical thinking in the digital age

This premise intrigued me to say the least! A cult? Who drinks blood and has sex to “get energy”? Count me in.

Sadly, the premise is where it ended for me. The dialogue was juvenile. I also thought that there could have been so much more of a thriller/mysterious vibe to the book. I really couldn’t get into this story. I had to skip parts to get through the constant self depreciating inner thoughts of Valerie. The characters were all super annoying.

This just wasn’t the book for me.

This was....interesting...to read. I thought the plot was going in a different direction than it did. I didn't really have any understanding for Valerie's beliefs as the book doesn't dive into any sort of back story so I felt there was something I was missing as I was reading. However, the cult aspect was a bit sad (albeit funny at parts).

This book wasn't really for me. Since we didn't get to know Valerie before she started following "the Doctor" there wasn't much reasoning behind her belief system. I couldn't gather why she would be joining this cult to begin with. There were also a lot of characters, many of which change names halfway through, and it's hard to remember everyone's story and motivations. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you, Lucy Leitner and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

Did I think this was about vampires? Yes, I did. Am I sad I was wrong? Maybe a little. Even so, this was truly an eye-opener. You have no idea about the things going on out there in the world. What's going to be the next big cult fad and cause such a big event. This book, in my opinion, isn't really horror it's reality. This could happen, and that's scarier than anything. Cult leaders can so easily manipulate people to do things with the simplest actions and gestures it's unreal, and reading this book makes you realize just how much that is true.

Drinking blood, doing yoga, having sex and just living g off good vibrations? What is this? It's the life our main character has chosen to take to better her life and better herself. Loosing friends, family, and those she loves. She's left everything to join this group to be the best she can be... bur is that really what's happening? Is that the real goal here, or are there evil intentions? Read to find out.

Reading this book, it's sad to realize this is happening and has happened so many times throughout history. Cults manipulate innocent lives and destroy them. In the end, no one is safe. Lives are destroyed, and it takes a long time to fix the damages done. If you're into things like I've said above, we'll this is certainly a book for you.