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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was pretty depressing I'll be honest, but at least with a semi-hopeful ending. I didn't see the murder coming. It was a good book overall. Just very dark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Death, Murder, Medical content, Alcohol, and Self harm
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction and Vomit
snowwhitehatesapples's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Review can also be found at Snow White Hates Apples.
Bad Things Happen Here is set in Parris, an island where the people living on it are well off and everything appears idyllic and perfect. However, the island is also ‘cursed’ as now and then, young women would die and the truth of their deaths never discovered. We follow Luca who is trying her best to heal from the mysterious death of her best friend, Polly, only for the ‘curse’ to suddenly claim her sister. Unwilling to let the police mark another beloved’s death as unsolved, Luca takes things into her own hands and does her best to solve her sister’s murder.
The main thing I liked about this book is the great representation. Luca is BIPOC, plus-sized and queer while Naomi, her love interest, is Asian. I also really liked the way some stereotypes were subverted. It made the characters more compelling and gave them depth that was crucial in making them more than just archetypes.
Unfortunately, despite the solid characters and the good twists, the final quarter of the book was a major let down. Though I liked that the story came to a full-circle at the end, the parts leading up to the ending lacked common sense to me. Sure, I get that Luca needed to get away from the place and that it would be pointless trying to reveal the truths, but to just up and leave without telling her parents? Her parents—both whom not long ago just buried their eldest child who was murdered, and then, witnessed the aftermath of their other child surviving another murder, only for said kid to vanish? That’s disgusting, unnecessary, selfish behavior that causes endless worry and panic to others.
But then again, it’s pretty on-brand for Luca because she is selfish. Despite her self-awareness regarding how privileged she is and the discrimination she has faced, Luca remains the same as her fellow privileged peers. Meaning: what she wants, she gets. If she wants to be bitchy, she can. Do your feelings matter to her? No, not really most of the time, because she comes first for herself. On one hand, I love that part of her. I like that she knows herself well and that she stands firmly with her own beliefs, opinions, etc. On the other hand, when it comes to situations like the one with her parents, that ‘putting herself first’ aspect just dives right into selfish category. It put a shine on Luca’s immaturity, which I guess, fits her character.
Anyway, everything considered, Bad Things Happen Here is an alright book that could’ve been better had it not been for the way it ended. If you’re a fan of We Were Liarsby E. Lockhart or The Great Goddenby Meg Rosoff, you might love this one too.
Bad Things Happen Here is set in Parris, an island where the people living on it are well off and everything appears idyllic and perfect. However, the island is also ‘cursed’ as now and then, young women would die and the truth of their deaths never discovered. We follow Luca who is trying her best to heal from the mysterious death of her best friend, Polly, only for the ‘curse’ to suddenly claim her sister. Unwilling to let the police mark another beloved’s death as unsolved, Luca takes things into her own hands and does her best to solve her sister’s murder.
The main thing I liked about this book is the great representation. Luca is BIPOC, plus-sized and queer while Naomi, her love interest, is Asian. I also really liked the way some stereotypes were subverted. It made the characters more compelling and gave them depth that was crucial in making them more than just archetypes.
Unfortunately, despite the solid characters and the good twists, the final quarter of the book was a major let down. Though I liked that the story came to a full-circle at the end, the parts leading up to the ending lacked common sense to me. Sure, I get that Luca needed to get away from the place and that it would be pointless trying to reveal the truths, but to just up and leave without telling her parents? Her parents—both whom not long ago just buried their eldest child who was murdered, and then, witnessed the aftermath of their other child surviving another murder, only for said kid to vanish? That’s disgusting, unnecessary, selfish behavior that causes endless worry and panic to others.
But then again, it’s pretty on-brand for Luca because she is selfish. Despite her self-awareness regarding how privileged she is and the discrimination she has faced, Luca remains the same as her fellow privileged peers. Meaning: what she wants, she gets. If she wants to be bitchy, she can. Do your feelings matter to her? No, not really most of the time, because she comes first for herself. On one hand, I love that part of her. I like that she knows herself well and that she stands firmly with her own beliefs, opinions, etc. On the other hand, when it comes to situations like the one with her parents, that ‘putting herself first’ aspect just dives right into selfish category. It put a shine on Luca’s immaturity, which I guess, fits her character.
Anyway, everything considered, Bad Things Happen Here is an alright book that could’ve been better had it not been for the way it ended. If you’re a fan of We Were Liarsby E. Lockhart or The Great Goddenby Meg Rosoff, you might love this one too.
Thank you so much Pansing for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow will be available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
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