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sophia_pearl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, and Stalking
sonygaystation's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was kinda messy but in way I enjoyed! The time jumps were a little jarring with the perspective changes but once I got the handle of it (I listened rather than read the book) I could go with the flow better. I think there could’ve been more room for character development with the side characters because I enjoyed them and would’ve liked to see them more. I think James literally just served as a love interest (which I don’t dislike because lorde knows so many writers dump women in their novels as side characters just to serve as the MC’s LI) and I wish his role in things was a little more prevalent. I did really enjoy Nora’s extracurricular scenes because I really liked Ruth! With Becca, there was one line Nora’s sister said where it was made pretty clear Becca isn’t seen as good for Nora and (alongside a convo with Nora’s mom) implied that Becca’s too overprotective of Nora to the point that keeps Nora from making other friends. That felt like a big theme to have but it didn’t really go anywhere? Like all we see of their relationship is from Nora’s perspective but she spends 80% of the book only referring to their falling out and we only hear about the good parts really as they were when they were kids so that felt off. But! I had a good time and I’d read it again for sure!! I’m also happy it ended the way it did because Nora deserved some good things coming her way 🫶
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Alcohol
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
When 3 students and a teacher go missing one night, one of their best friends, Nora, and the mysterious boy James, get pulled into an old town myth, the Goddess Game.
Well, I found the book partly predictable. I figured out what was up with the connection to the old game, or who was now in the story was connected to it pretty easily.
There were some good parts, like the interesting twist as to why these particular people disappeared, and what exactly was going on with Becca being a bit harder to guess.
I didn't like the "evil Goddess" thing. It's an anti-Pagan trope that rubs me the wrong way, even though I do not identify as Pagan.
Overall, the book wasn't terrible, it was just a bit too anti-Pagan and predictable for me. Though at least it wasn't preachy it was more overall anti-religion.
Narrator Rating: 4 stars
The narrator was excellent but not spectacular. Her voice can also be a bit annoying at certain points; it just depends on her tone.
Elemental Levels: Heartfelt-3/5 Mystery-3/5 Predictability-3.5/5 Suspense-1/5 Tear- 2.5/5 Thrill-1/5
Well, I found the book partly predictable. I figured out what was up with the connection to the old game, or who was now in the story was connected to it pretty easily.
There were some good parts, like the interesting twist as to why these particular people disappeared, and what exactly was going on with Becca being a bit harder to guess.
I didn't like the "evil Goddess" thing. It's an anti-Pagan trope that rubs me the wrong way, even though I do not identify as Pagan.
Overall, the book wasn't terrible, it was just a bit too anti-Pagan and predictable for me. Though at least it wasn't preachy it was more overall anti-religion.
Narrator Rating: 4 stars
The narrator was excellent but not spectacular. Her voice can also be a bit annoying at certain points; it just depends on her tone.
Elemental Levels: Heartfelt-3/5 Mystery-3/5 Predictability-3.5/5 Suspense-1/5 Tear- 2.5/5 Thrill-1/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Mass/school shootings
justinekorson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
goodwitchs's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings: death, murder, death of a parent, toxic friendship, blood, drowning, violence, brief descriptions of sexual violence, grooming
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!
Love and devotion, while similar, are not exactly the same. Their definitions run alongside one another, sometimes overlapping, their edges bleeding together. In that dark, blurry space where they meet lives Melissa Albert’s The Bad Ones.
Over the course of a single winter night, four people within the same city vanish into thin air. One of the missing is Nora’s best friend, a talented photographer named Becca. Becca and Nora haven’t spoken in three months, until the night that Becca texts Nora “I love you” out of nowhere.
By the time Nora arrives at Becca’s house to talk, her friend is nowhere to be found.
This is a story that starts out creepy and gets a whole lot creepier. The sense of dread was wonderful; it was impossible to look away. The more I learned about the missing people and the city’s dark past, the more questions I had. All I wanted was to stay up all night and finish the book in one sitting.
I enjoyed the characters a lot more than I usually do with YA books. As a narrator, Nora was a character I could empathize with, and who I couldn’t help but root for. She was believable and likable, which is not always the case with teenage protagonists. The glimpses of Becca were even more interesting to me; I would love to read a version from her point of view. And all the side characters — James, Ruth, Sloane, Cat — stood out in their own ways.
The magical aspect is deliciously done. This is not sparkly, Disney-fairy magic. This is dark and primeval and quite possibly not of this earth. It is magic with a taste, a texture. It is feral little girl magic, amplified a thousand times over.
If any of this sounds up your alley, make sure to check out The Bad Ones. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!
Love and devotion, while similar, are not exactly the same. Their definitions run alongside one another, sometimes overlapping, their edges bleeding together. In that dark, blurry space where they meet lives Melissa Albert’s The Bad Ones.
Over the course of a single winter night, four people within the same city vanish into thin air. One of the missing is Nora’s best friend, a talented photographer named Becca. Becca and Nora haven’t spoken in three months, until the night that Becca texts Nora “I love you” out of nowhere.
By the time Nora arrives at Becca’s house to talk, her friend is nowhere to be found.
This is a story that starts out creepy and gets a whole lot creepier. The sense of dread was wonderful; it was impossible to look away. The more I learned about the missing people and the city’s dark past, the more questions I had. All I wanted was to stay up all night and finish the book in one sitting.
I enjoyed the characters a lot more than I usually do with YA books. As a narrator, Nora was a character I could empathize with, and who I couldn’t help but root for. She was believable and likable, which is not always the case with teenage protagonists. The glimpses of Becca were even more interesting to me; I would love to read a version from her point of view. And all the side characters — James, Ruth, Sloane, Cat — stood out in their own ways.
The magical aspect is deliciously done. This is not sparkly, Disney-fairy magic. This is dark and primeval and quite possibly not of this earth. It is magic with a taste, a texture. It is feral little girl magic, amplified a thousand times over.
If any of this sounds up your alley, make sure to check out The Bad Ones. You won’t regret it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, and Car accident