Take a photo of a barcode or cover
pasta_pardner 's review for:
The Best Bad Things
by Katrina Carrasco
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this!! Almost couldn't put it down-- I read it in three sittings over the course of two days.
The plot is complicated, but in a fun way. It felt like I was working through one of those crazy conspiracy rooms where the walls are collaged in evidence and everything is interconnected by red strings. EXCELLENT plot twists!!! All the unexpected turns make this story a thrilling ride from start to finish. (Though, based on what I've seen in other reviews, "The Best Bad Things" probably benefits from quicker reads. People who went through this book at slower paces were more likely to get confused / frustrated by the plot than people who read it in larger chunks.)
I enjoyed almost every aspect of this book. The setting is clearly well-researched and described with incredibly vivid prose. The world is textured, with gritty vibes all around. The drama made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. The characters are all deliciously messy, horrible people, and I was deeply intrigued by their complexities. MC's genderfuckery and "chameleon accent" were a treat to read about. Etc, etc.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but the smut sometimes seemed juvenille. This soured my rating. There were several scenes with well-established sexual tension that, I felt, were then ruined by redundant paragraphs of tell-don't-show. The actual sex scenes were fine, but the long-winded tangents about how the MC is soooo horny got grating.
All in all, it's a great book. Not everyone's cup of tea, but wonderful if you like what it offers. There's a complicated plot, a cast of rotten scoundrels, and gratuitous smut; exactly what it says on the tin. If you're interested in that sort of stuff, I highly recommend this!!
The plot is complicated, but in a fun way. It felt like I was working through one of those crazy conspiracy rooms where the walls are collaged in evidence and everything is interconnected by red strings. EXCELLENT plot twists!!! All the unexpected turns make this story a thrilling ride from start to finish. (Though, based on what I've seen in other reviews, "The Best Bad Things" probably benefits from quicker reads. People who went through this book at slower paces were more likely to get confused / frustrated by the plot than people who read it in larger chunks.)
I enjoyed almost every aspect of this book. The setting is clearly well-researched and described with incredibly vivid prose. The world is textured, with gritty vibes all around. The drama made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. The characters are all deliciously messy, horrible people, and I was deeply intrigued by their complexities. MC's genderfuckery and "chameleon accent" were a treat to read about. Etc, etc.
I wanted to give this book five stars, but the smut sometimes seemed juvenille. This soured my rating. There were several scenes with well-established sexual tension that, I felt, were then ruined by redundant paragraphs of tell-don't-show. The actual sex scenes were fine, but the long-winded tangents about how the MC is soooo horny got grating.
All in all, it's a great book. Not everyone's cup of tea, but wonderful if you like what it offers. There's a complicated plot, a cast of rotten scoundrels, and gratuitous smut; exactly what it says on the tin. If you're interested in that sort of stuff, I highly recommend this!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Outing, Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Excrement, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol