How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates: REVIEW

Synopsis

The NetGalley blurb describes this book as “The Blair Witch Project meets Fyre Fest,” and that’s a fairly accurate comparison. A social media influencer throws a lavish party on a remote island for his fans and fellow content creators. Among the attendees is Ruth, a suicide-cult survivor whose identity is supposed to be a secret. But someone on the island seems to know who she is, and her past is coming back to haunt her.

My Review

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if the Fyre Fest catastrophe hadn’t been about poor organization but about partygoers mysteriously disappearing and/or dying bloody? If your answer is “Yes” or “No, but that would be a great premise for a horror novel!” then this is the book for you.

My answer was the latter. I enjoyed the crap out of this book.

Okay, yes, it has its problems. The plot relies pretty significantly on a few coincidences, and once in a while the pacing seemed a little off. But the writing is solid, the creep factor is high, and overall it’s a really good slasher, so this was a 5-star reading experience for me. I don’t really have much else to say! It’s a good, gory time, and apparently that’s exactly what I was in the mood for.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this ARC for review consideration.

Publication date was August 26, so How Bad Things Can Get is available to buy now on Bookshop.org*, or look for it wherever you get books.
*As an affiliate, I’ll get a small commission from any purchase made through this link. Thanks for your support!