I loved this! Spooky but not too scary, with excellent writing and complex characters. A bit gothic, a bit Ferrante, a bit Ninth House. All things I loved, so I loved this one too. Definitely worth reading for anyone who enjoys toxic friendships, teenage girl weirdness, loner boys, and spooky unexplainable events

I am not a fan of the horror genre but HOLY CRAP this was freaking amazing. This was my first book by Melissa and it certainly won’t be the last!

Thank you to Flat Iron Books for my arc!


I had no idea I needed a fantasy gothic thriller because that is exactly what this is. I loved this, mainly because it was set in winter but also you’re taken on this journey where two best friends have had some type of falling out until one of them goes missing and you follow the main character as they try to figure out what happened. I love Melissa Alberts writing and highly reccomend this

This book had me scared from the very first pages!
It was spooky and kept my attention the entire time.

The Bad Ones is a supernatural horror that begins with four seemingly unrelated individuals going missing over the course of one single night. Nora, a high school student with a reputation for lying, wakes up to discover that her best friend, Becca, is one of the missing. The story follows Nora as she races to find her friend, who has left her some pretty creepy clues, and unwittingly gets wrapped up in some spooky local folklore in the process.

Albert's writing is absolutely addictive. I could not make myself put this one down, and when I did, I found myself immediately drawn back in because I had to know what was going to happen next. 400 pages totally flew by and I know for a fact that I will eat up whatever Albert puts out next with a spoon.

I adored all of the peeks into Nora's friendship with Becca, from the time they were small up to the present. It really worked to explain the desperation we feel from Nora throughout her hunt for Becca. Through this relationship, Albert manages to find a place to explore grief and blinding adoration and the nostalgic feeling for childhood in a horror novel. Bravo for that!

The one piece that felt a little bit out of place for me was the romance element. Maybe I'm just getting too old, but I couldn't imagine thinking about kissing a boy who was a stranger up until one day ago, just a few days after my best friend went missing and while I was in the midst of searching for her. These bits took me out of the story a little bit, and I mostly just wanted to get back to our regularly scheduled, chilling program.

If you're a fan of horror that will make a chill run down your spine, pick up The Bad Ones for sure. Honestly, read this one with your best friend, if you can -- I know I'm going to make mine get into it as soon as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the arc of this book!

As a vengeful goddess slinking through town, she takes the form of a long-haired, somber girl enveloped in a cloud of ominous black mist. She whispers apologies as she approaches her unsuspecting victims – four people who suddenly vanish into thin air. One from a house porch, another from a speeding car, a teenage girl from her sleepover, and a boy from the cemetery.

Nora Powell finds herself standing before the front lawn of her estranged friend Becca's home, trembling after receiving a cryptic text from Becca, someone she hasn't spoken to in months. Becca happens to be one of the four who mysteriously vanished without a trace. Nora knows Becca so well – she's been grappling with the loss of her parents, dealing with a strained relationship with her stepmother. Nora becomes suspicious that Becca may not be just another victim of a predator who has taken these four individuals, but that Becca might be the very cause of their disappearances. You see, Becca is no stranger to using dark magic for revenge. She's ventured into this territory before, somehow linked to the myth of the town's goddess – a figure children chant rhymes about: "Goddess, goddess, count to five, in the morning, who's alive?"

Has Becca delved into something so perilous that the lives of the entire town are at risk? Or could she still be out there, needing Nora's help?

Nora's reality begins to blur, slipping between reality and illusion. She sleepwalks, plagued by nightmares that involve snatching others' bodies and experiencing their memories. Something sinister is happening, something related to her missing friend. Could Nora be in even greater danger? And perhaps her only allies are the friends from the school paper and the enigmatic new transfer student – a charismatic photographer who might have befriended Becca, carrying her secrets. Together, they embark on a journey to find Becca, following the breadcrumbs of clues she's left behind.

Overall, this is an incredibly chilling and captivating supernatural YA horror fiction that I simply couldn't put down. I've already devoured Melissa Albert's previous books, and this one lived up to my high expectations.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for sharing this fantastic book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

"The Bad Ones" by Melissa Albert is a haunting and atmospheric supernatural horror novel that weaves together themes of friendship, dark magic, and the blurred lines between reality and imagination. With its eerie ambiance and intriguing mystery, Albert crafts a tale that lingers in the mind long after the final pages.

The story unfolds in a small town where four individuals suddenly vanish on a winter's night, leaving behind a sense of unease and dread. Nora Powell, estranged from her best friend Becca, finds herself pulled into the mystery when Becca becomes one of the disappeared. As Nora delves deeper into the enigma of Becca's vanishing, she uncovers a disturbing history intertwined with a local goddess and a series of cryptic messages that Becca has left behind for her.

Albert's writing is atmospheric and evocative, creating a palpable sense of unease that permeates every page. The town's history is shrouded in darkness, and the supernatural elements are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, adding a layer of mystery and tension that keeps the reader engaged.

At the heart of the story is the complex friendship between Nora and Becca, which is portrayed with depth and authenticity. Their shared past, secrets, and conflicts contribute to the emotional resonance of the novel. As Nora navigates her feelings of guilt, regret, and longing, she must confront not only the mystery of the disappearances but also the demons of her own past.

The incorporation of childhood games, local lore, and artistic creation adds a unique and compelling dimension to the narrative. The concept of the legendary goddess and the idea of blurring the lines between make-believe and reality further enrich the story's thematic exploration.

"The Bad Ones" is not only a supernatural thriller but also a meditation on the power of memory, friendship, and the darker aspects of human nature. Melissa Albert's prose is both captivating and chilling, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between the mundane and the magical blur. With its blend of horror, mystery, and psychological depth, this novel is a must-read for fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking dark fantasy.

"the bad ones" is a really fun horror novel. it's spooky, it's twisty, and it is addicting.

nora's best friend is missing. in a small suburban illinois town, people are disappearing left and right. becca has not always had the best life, but she would never leave her best friend behind. on her quest to find becca, nora runs into an old childhood game, the goddess game, and must uncover the truth of the story to save her best friend.

possession, the supernatural, and true crime are all aspects of this novel.

i really, really enjoyed this novel! even though YA is usually not my thing, this was a really interesting read and kept me on my toes.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Bad Ones is very much a story about girls, and childhood, and the horrors that are faced even without people knowing it. It’s about loneliness, and possessiveness, and what happens when you become grief. Albert’s story stuck into me, and the hopeful ending was more than I could have hoped for.