The Bad Ones

By Author / Illustrator

Melissa Albert

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Penguin Random House Children's

ISBN

9780241662038

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

22-02-2024

Synopsis

House of Hollow meets A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Bad Ones is a page-turning supernatural thriller about four mysterious disappearances in a town haunted by a sinister magical history - and one girl searching for the truth.

A game gone wrong. A missing friend. A town of buried secrets.
'Goddess, Goddess, count to five. In the morning, who's alive?'
One town. One night. Four people gone.

Nora's best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to piece together the truth, she uncovers dark events in her high school's history and a string of coded messages Becca has left for her. These clues point to another missing girl 30 years previously and a sinister urban legend: a goddess figure, who played an eerie role in Nora and Becca's own childhood games . . .

As Nora struggles to unravel the mystery, it's clear there are dark forces at work in her town - and they're willing to stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried deep.

Praise for Melissa Albert: 'I couldn't put it down' Karen M. McManus. 'Taut, haunting, and potent as a witch's brew' Krystal Sutherland. 'Every line reads like an incantation' V.E. Schwab

Download Extract

Reviews

The Bad Ones is a page-turning thriller woven through with the supernatural. The story follows the mystery of four disappearances. Nora's best friend is included in this tragic game gone wrong; although it turns out she didn't disappear without a trace. As Nora attempts to unbury a town full of secrets and follow the messages Becca has left her, everything points to a sinister goddess figure that played a leading role in the girls' childhood adventures. Dark forces fiercely protect all from being revealed.

This is a deliciously wicked novel that combines magical realism with supernatural flares. A truly captivating read full of unsettling suburbia. I would recommend The Bad Ones to thriller lovers; it's an easy read with exciting plot twists to keep you on your toes!

400 pages / Reviewed by Ophelia McCluskey Gahan