Scan barcode
A review by utopiastateofmind
Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: anxiety
I was instantly fascinated by Bad Things Happen Here. The mystery propels the story. We are rooting for Luca to figure out what happened to her sister. Already reeling from the grief of losing her best friend, this latest loss is just too much. The first chapter - especially as it chats about grief - is haunting. How people around you feel like they've moved on, won't talk about the thing that you can't stop remembering in old bruises and paper cuts. But as Luca tries to find out what happened, she realizes there's more that she doesn't know about Whitney than she thought.
So Bad Things Happen Here becomes impossible to put down as Luca becomes her own detective. There's also this subtle line of unreliability, especially as lies and secrets are revealed. As these pieces of chipped off paint fall down from the ceiling. The danger behind the decadence. Unraveling a rats nest of lies and deceptions, truths we can't bear to say aloud. All the secrets that come out when a person dies. Don't even get me started on how clever it was how Barrow keeps bringing up the book's title.
TW: anxiety
I was instantly fascinated by Bad Things Happen Here. The mystery propels the story. We are rooting for Luca to figure out what happened to her sister. Already reeling from the grief of losing her best friend, this latest loss is just too much. The first chapter - especially as it chats about grief - is haunting. How people around you feel like they've moved on, won't talk about the thing that you can't stop remembering in old bruises and paper cuts. But as Luca tries to find out what happened, she realizes there's more that she doesn't know about Whitney than she thought.
So Bad Things Happen Here becomes impossible to put down as Luca becomes her own detective. There's also this subtle line of unreliability, especially as lies and secrets are revealed. As these pieces of chipped off paint fall down from the ceiling. The danger behind the decadence. Unraveling a rats nest of lies and deceptions, truths we can't bear to say aloud. All the secrets that come out when a person dies. Don't even get me started on how clever it was how Barrow keeps bringing up the book's title.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Grief, and Racism