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A review by veereads
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I've realized that I'm slowly moving away from YA novels these days and leaning more towards adult fiction. That being said, I actually enjoyed this book more than I was expecting.
It starts off as a bit of a slow-burn but after the first 1/3, it picks up pace and kept my attention.
The story itself is on the more mature side of YA fiction, tackling difficult topics like grief and loss, alcoholism, and the individual growth that takes you away from that magical time of childhood and into adulthood. These themes really brought depth to the story and I liked the way the author presented them to readers.
The characters were also well developed with nuanced personalities and the ability to communicate effectively - for once, we have a story that doesn't rely heavily on the misunderstanding trope!
The descriptions were vibrant and eerie, really ramping things up for the readers.
But after all the buildup, the ending left me wanting more. There was simply not enough development of the supernatural elements that had been hinted at throughout the story. The explanations were also not as satisfying as I had hoped and I wish the myth and legend had been given as much depth as the rest of the story. While I was glad for a more positive resolution of the events at the end, I did feel slightly cheated by how conveniently things were wrapped up.
At the end of the day, I did enjoy the story so I'm giving it 3 stats for that reason.
It starts off as a bit of a slow-burn but after the first 1/3, it picks up pace and kept my attention.
The story itself is on the more mature side of YA fiction, tackling difficult topics like grief and loss, alcoholism, and the individual growth that takes you away from that magical time of childhood and into adulthood. These themes really brought depth to the story and I liked the way the author presented them to readers.
The characters were also well developed with nuanced personalities and the ability to communicate effectively - for once, we have a story that doesn't rely heavily on the misunderstanding trope!
The descriptions were vibrant and eerie, really ramping things up for the readers.
But after all the buildup, the ending left me wanting more. There was simply not enough development of the supernatural elements that had been hinted at throughout the story. The explanations were also not as satisfying as I had hoped and I wish the myth and legend had been given as much depth as the rest of the story. While I was glad for a more positive resolution of the events at the end, I did feel slightly cheated by how conveniently things were wrapped up.
At the end of the day, I did enjoy the story so I'm giving it 3 stats for that reason.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Mass/school shootings