Valerie has joined a wellness group, so she thought, but it's really a cult. She goes to this retreat to meet the other members and start her journey, but some things start happening within the community where the cult takes place. This book was actually relatable and some parts were gross and horrifying. it was a great novella. It was a fast paced read.

Action packed and somewhat claustrophobic tale of self discovery offered and received, the lure of belonging, of strength, of found family mixed with brainwashing and maybe a bit of what is that word? Could be a cult? Well, as long as no one gets hurt ... ooops! No spoilers, a fast action-packed read.

“It’s not a cult, it’s a movement.” A fun, culty novella of brainwashed wannabes vs the locals. I enjoyed the cringeyness of the cult followers and seeing how far they were willing to go for this "Doctor". With the themes it had me thinking, who do I know that would easily fall into a cult without knowing it in this modern time of social media and FOMO? And like these participants, from their end it's a "movement" and not the deep end.

I expected a more thriller/horror plotline, but still enjoyed the journey. Excited to read more of Lucy's work!

Very interesting and strong concept. I wish it got more involved and gripping.
Good overall, but I did read places where I wanted more.

This book's plot was so interesting; I absolutely had to read it. Unfortunately, the premise was lost among overly long and repetitive monologue and unnatural and immature dialogue. I wasn't able to get into the story or to care for any of the characters.

If you like a seamless blend of carnage and cults, this one's for you! 💉🩸
Influencers can have a cult-like following, this time literally!
Lucy Leitner astutely parallels the fitness influencer industry with a cult in her novel "Bad Vibrations." It's a spot-on comparison, capturing the obsessive devotion and often cult-like mentality pervasive within this realm.
I liked the books exaggerations and humor, as the "cult" that sees almost everything of our everyday life as toxic. The Doctor, the "cult leader" wintends to free its adherents from "toxins" by e.g. making people to engage in bloody rituals... (no spoilers here...) I am content because of the ending but intend not to make any spoilers :)
However, some descriptions were slightly disgustign and I did not like the fact that the author used fatphobia, literally at the beginning of the novella. But I understand that it partially has to do with the narrator's brainwashed state of mind, it still bothered me as I do not tolerate it.

Overall, the novella highlights how easily individuals can be swayed or deceived by carefully curated personas and images, emphasizing the importance of skepticism and critical thinking in the digital age

This premise intrigued me to say the least! A cult? Who drinks blood and has sex to “get energy”? Count me in.

Sadly, the premise is where it ended for me. The dialogue was juvenile. I also thought that there could have been so much more of a thriller/mysterious vibe to the book. I really couldn’t get into this story. I had to skip parts to get through the constant self depreciating inner thoughts of Valerie. The characters were all super annoying.

This just wasn’t the book for me.

This was....interesting...to read. I thought the plot was going in a different direction than it did. I didn't really have any understanding for Valerie's beliefs as the book doesn't dive into any sort of back story so I felt there was something I was missing as I was reading. However, the cult aspect was a bit sad (albeit funny at parts).

Bad Vibrations is a satirical story about a health cult. They drink blood, do yoga, and have “energy transfers”. The main character, Valerie, is already knee-deep in the cult and travels to rural Pennsylvania to join the other members in the Doctor’s wellness retreat. Except the locals aren’t too thrilled that the “vampires” have arrived.

It was an interesting story, it was short, fast-paced, and funny. Valerie was a great unreliable narrator, and I loved learning about the cult and all of the weirdness behind it. It was fascinating to watch all of the cult members just absolutely eat up everything the Doctor was saying.

However, I did find there were too many characters to keep track of, and because most of them are all like-minded, it was confusing at times to figure out who’s who.

I definitely recommend checking this one out if you’re looking fun horror story on wellness cults.

This book wasn't really for me. Since we didn't get to know Valerie before she started following "the Doctor" there wasn't much reasoning behind her belief system. I couldn't gather why she would be joining this cult to begin with. There were also a lot of characters, many of which change names halfway through, and it's hard to remember everyone's story and motivations. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you, Lucy Leitner and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

Did I think this was about vampires? Yes, I did. Am I sad I was wrong? Maybe a little. Even so, this was truly an eye-opener. You have no idea about the things going on out there in the world. What's going to be the next big cult fad and cause such a big event. This book, in my opinion, isn't really horror it's reality. This could happen, and that's scarier than anything. Cult leaders can so easily manipulate people to do things with the simplest actions and gestures it's unreal, and reading this book makes you realize just how much that is true.

Drinking blood, doing yoga, having sex and just living g off good vibrations? What is this? It's the life our main character has chosen to take to better her life and better herself. Loosing friends, family, and those she loves. She's left everything to join this group to be the best she can be... bur is that really what's happening? Is that the real goal here, or are there evil intentions? Read to find out.

Reading this book, it's sad to realize this is happening and has happened so many times throughout history. Cults manipulate innocent lives and destroy them. In the end, no one is safe. Lives are destroyed, and it takes a long time to fix the damages done. If you're into things like I've said above, we'll this is certainly a book for you.