I love Darcy Coates books but this one isn't in my top 10. I would have loved to learn more about the cult and feel that would understabd more about Ruth with a more descriptive backstory. Don't get me wrong, this is a good story and well worth the read. Like all Darcy Coates books, the characters are interesting and her descriptions of the settings make you feel you may know a place just like that. (My mind kept going to a certain movie that takes place on an island with a sinister past because of the description. It made it a scarier place to me.) I can't wait for the next book and hope that it has a ghost or two in it.

"How Bad Things Can Get” by Darcy Coates is a suspenseful 4-star mystery thriller with a touch of horror! Ruth and three of her friends win tickets to a five-day retreat on Prosperity Island, joining hundreds of other guests. Eton, a wealthy and successful influencer, purchased the island to continue his trend of rewarding followers with games and prizes. Both Ruth and Prosperity Island carry troubling pasts that threaten to ruin all the fun that was planned.

The story is well written and moves at a brisk pace (for the most part). The second half takes a darker turn with graphic depictions of blood and gore. I had no problem with these elements, but they may not be for every mystery or thriller fan. This story includes true crime podcasts and social media influencers, which are becoming commonplace, but was done in a way that I enjoyed, even though I usually do not.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Darcy Coates, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

This was not my favorite by Darcy. But it was just okay over all. The last 25 percent what the only fast part. The first part was way too slow for me

Another chilling win from Darcy Coates. This is the third book of hers I’ve devoured, and once again she proves her talent for pulling readers so deep into the story that turning the page becomes compulsive.

This tale of buried secrets, moral failings, and cultist activity reads as though it could have been plucked out of the true crime headlines. Think of if Mr. Beast bought a cursed island and everything went horrifically haywire.

We follow Ruth as she joins the event of the year—an exclusive party thrown by a mega internet star on Prosperity Island. For five days, influencers and content creators are promised sun-soaked games, white sand, lush foliage, and an unforgettable escape. But the island has its own sinister agenda, and soon the event becomes one to die for… literally.

At its core, this is a story about how secrets never stay hidden, how history has a way of repeating itself when lessons go unlearned, and how resilience can rise in the unlikeliest of moments.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates is pure chaotic, bloody fun. The story throws you straight into a nightmare version of a luxury island getaway, and it doesn’t hold back on the gore. It’s messy, unpredictable, and at times a little all over the place, but that’s also part of the thrill! It reminds me kinda of the hunger games, but it is way better in my opinion. She did it again! Made a fantastic book! She will always be my favorite author

I NEED A MOVIE DEAL STAT!! I swear this book was a wild ride from start to finish and the consistent thought in my head was "this would make an epic horror movie"

This is an isolation horror set on a remote island - hundreds of guests arrive for a festival of what is promised to be fun and games, all hosted by a rich internet personality with a serious avoidance of anything regarding safety precautions (what could go wrong?). Ruth, our main character, is the sole survivor of a cult from many years ago, and now her memories from her childhood are coming back in full force during this festival. And when guests start getting hurt or disappearing, Ruth begins to wonder if her past is catching up to her and what it means for the rest of the festivalgoers.

This is packed full of action and gory horror around every corner. Every single chapter served suspense on a silver platter, once again proving just how incredible Darcy Coates is at building the perfectly haunting and eerie environment. Every character was a little bit messy and a little bit crazy, which just served to build an undeniable excitement around what would come next.

Do yourself a favor and join the party in paradise but beware... (not a spoiler)... things can get pretty bad.

How Bad Things Can Get is another chilling gem from Darcy Coates. She blends slasher tension with cult horror so seamlessly that you can’t look away. Every reveal feels like a small puzzle piece snapping into place until the whole thing erupts into total chaos at the end. I was hooked from page one, constantly blown away by how perfectly Coates builds suspense. The story is told through multiple protagonists, each adding their own unique layer, and those little moments stack into something unforgettable. More than once I caught myself shouting “what?!” and honestly, that’s the ultimate sign of a horror novel I know I’ll be thinking about for weeks.

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates is pure chaotic, bloody fun. The story throws you straight into a nightmare version of a luxury island getaway, and it doesn’t hold back on the gore. It’s messy, unpredictable, and at times a little all over the place, but that’s also part of the thrill!

Coates once again proves herself a master of tension. She has a way of weaving eerie, unsettling settings with twisting plots that keep you second-guessing at every turn. Violent, shocking, and absolutely addictive, it’s the kind of story that feels like a rollercoaster ride you don’t want to get off.

In short, this is another strong, chilling entry from Coates. In this tale, the characters learn firsthand just how bad things can truly get.

Darcy Coates does it again!! In this riveting thriller/horror you’ll be on the edge of your seat while also shutting the book with how creepy everything is. The twist and turns mixed with horror is some of the best I’ve seen!

It follows Ruth whose boyfriend gets tickets to go to this new island for a 5 day festival of the grand opening. Influencers are also invited to attend this festival to post and get the word out about this cool new place. While they are there creepy things start happening and they become isolated on this island trying to outrun death with no way to contact the outside world. It’ll leave you on the edge of your seat wanting to turn the page to see what happens next whilst also wanting to close the book and take a break.


‼️ trigger warnings ‼️
Death, Cults, Cannibalism, Gore, and other reader discretion advised.

How Bad Things Can Get is another brilliant horror novel from Darcy Coates, mixing slasher thrills with cult horror to create a shocking story that is impossible to put down. The story unfolds masterfully, each reveal a tiny piece of an intricate puzzle that bursts into absolute chaos as you near the shocking conclusion. I was hooked from the start and continually amazed at how well Coates can build suspense. It’s a story told in little moments with multiple protagonists, all of who bring something different to the story. I found myself constantly shouting “what!” which for me is the ultimate sign of a horror novel I’ll be thinking about for weeks to come.


The Best Bits

Ruth, the Main Character - love her progression
The Island Lore - you never know what’s actually real
The Slow Deliberate pacing - exactly what the story needed

A Few of My Favorite Things

Multiple Narrators Makes a Solid Slasher
This was an incredibly effective way to tell the story. The main protagonist, Ruth, is a cult survivor whose past is very clouded over at the start. It’s unclear how she could be connected to everything in the story and that keeps you second guessing everything that happens. Is it all due to her? Is that a red herring? All is not revealed until things truly fall apart. Logan supports the story as an investigative journalist podcaster who hangs about the outskirts of the festival, looking for something to go wrong and finding plenty of those moments. Most unexpected is Petra, assistant to the bumbling mogul who thought it would be a great idea to throw a festival on a remote island where people run drunk through the jungle to win his money. Together, the three of them show all sides of the story. Throw in the short scenes as people start getting picked off, and it’s the perfect slasher.

The Underlying Mystery of the Island
The island lore was a very effective red herring at the start. I was convinced there was some cannibal cult hiding on the island, coming out at night to terrorize the festival goers. It’s undoubtedly a spooky island history, but having finished the book, I’m now questioning how much of it was actually true. Was there actually a cannibal cult on the island? Did a bunch of people really die as they tried to make it into a resort? Much like the misinformation around the cult and eventually around the events of the book, all of it could just be made up to write a good story. In the moment, I was so convinced this was going to be a haunted island story, and I was very wrong. Props to the author for creating such a compelling rabbit hole.

Is it a Game or is it Real?
This was the question constantly being asked by the festival goers and the reader, and it made up most of the suspense early on in the book. You’re never sure what’s really going on until the truth comes to light, and those hazy moments are surrounded by the very real games being played by the festival goers. It’s the perfect way to create a slasher setting where nobody runs away because they think everything is staged, or they’re excited to get something for their podcast or channel. Everything is fair game, making the reveals all the more terrifying.

Darcy Coates is one of the authors who really got me into horror. Her novel From Below is, in my mind, still the gold standard for modern underwater horror. Her latest entry, How Bad Things Can Get, is another very solid entry in the modern horror genre.

As a child, Ruth was the only survivor of a brutal suicide cult. Her identity was hidden and she’s gone through therapy, and has emerged on the other side. Now her boyfriend’s favorite online influencer is holding a festival, and her boyfriend has scored all expenses paid tickets to the festival held on an isolated tropical island paradise. But something isn’t quite right--everyone else has secrets of their own, and the island has a troubled history that may be emerging. So, how bad CAN things get.

This novel is really freaky, and it made me squirm and squint at the pages (in a good way). Coates nails the influencer characters and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I recommend this book for fans of Glass Onion (but wished it had more horror), and Survivor (but with life or death stakes).

I received an advance copy in exchange for this honest review.
Will come back and add links closer to pub date.

A woman and her boyfriend receive invites to an island festival run by a well-known influencer. The festival was supposed to focus on fun competitions and cash prizes, but something doesn't seem quite right, and things spiral into chaos as guests start to dissappear.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

WOW. This book was WILD. I actually started my read without re-reading the synopsis, which I think made it even more fun and shocking as everything unfolded, so I am going to do my best not to give too much away with my review. The setting was definitely giving Summerween vibes on a tropical island with a dark history, which I absolutely loved. Don't go in expecting cozy Summerween, though! This story read more like a slasher. If you've read her other works, this was kind of similar to "Hunted" as opposed to her "Gravekeeper" series (which leans more cozy). Darcy Coates really knows how to write a sense of dread into a story, and her horror writing really is top knotch (some of the scenes gave me literal goosebumps). thrilling and clever, this book was hard to put down. TW for violence and gore, if you're a horror/slasher fan, you'll love this one!

Let's be honest, if you're in a horror book, and you agree to go off with a group of people to a deserted island with no way to reach help, you really deserve what's coming to you.
 *
I really liked this! It builds tension really well, and had just the right amount of gore (for me at least! - plenty of blood, but didn't feel unnecessary). I liked the challenge games and the cult elements-- especially the point she makes about how a cult leader is just a guy, and living in a cult is not all that exciting most of the time. 
*
This did require some suspension of disbelief, and by the end there were some things that just didn't quite make sense... and also the sightings never really seemed like a necessary plot point, but overall it was a fun, fast horror novel!

Set on a secluded island, Eton, a popular influencer invites nearly 600 of his most loyal fans and other influencers to week long getaway for fun, partying and high stakes events. As the truth of the islands haunted past comes to light, people begin to go missing and strange sightings occur. People begin to wonder if they are getting a weekend of fun or something much darker.

My thoughts:
As a child, I watched Blair Witch Project and still feel traumatized to this day. This book brought me right back to that thrilling, heart dropping, what’s going to happen next fright!

This book had me hooked from the beginning! Zero no dull moments, right from the start I was invested!

Perfect if you like:
Horror, gore, cult vibes, paranormal history, thriller/mystery

I felt the gore was perfect for this book. Trust me, it was descriptive but not excessive or exorbitant. Some books feel like they are pushing for a shock value, not here. Enough to make you wince but not roll your eyes.

The multiple person POV was done really well! I didn’t feel confused jumping from each character. I loved the secondary story and background of the main character.

In full Hannah transparency, any time a scene started to get intense I kept thinking of that scene from Scary Movie, “Run, b*tch, ruuuunnnnnnn!”

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcy Coates for the ARC and opportunity to enjoy this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disturbing, atmospheric, and full of suspense—How Bad Things Can Get pulled me in once it hit its stride. Set on a remote island getaway gone horribly wrong, the story blends mystery, horror, and thriller vibes with chilling cult undertones that reminded me of The Blair Witch Project. I loved the diverse cast, vivid imagery, and the constant question of who to trust. Dark, fast-paced, and unsettling in the best way—I’ll definitely be picking up more Darcy Coates.

When an online influencer buys a private island to throw one massive party for his most loyal followers, surely nothing can go wrong. At least that is what Ruth wants as an only survivor of an infamous cult. As long as she keeps her head down and has a good time no one will know. As the party goes on though the islands past is revealed and it’s strange connection to Ruth’s past. Soon the party goes from fun to fear as everyone tries to survive.

This is my third book by Darcy Coates this year and each one I read I just become more of a massive fan. This book is like the infamous Fyre Festival but instead of cheese sandwiches and tents you are given fear and death. That last bomb drop at the end *chef’s kiss*! Another 5⭐️ summer read!

I really liked this book. It was a slow start but the ending was really good.
I feel like we as the reader didn't get hints of what was happening til 250 page mark and I think that's why it was only a 3 star book for me.

This is the second book from Darcy Coates that I have read and after reading this book, I realised that her writing is good but not amazing.
I think Darcy's books are a good introduction into horror, but for people who love reading horror, you feel like there was something missing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read early!

Wow wow wow, this was incredible. A weird mixture of Squid Game, Lord of the Flies and real life cults set on a remote tropical island.

The ultimate summer slasher, mark my words. I found this to be absolutely addictive and clever.
If you’re into fast-paced horror stories with a survival twist and games turned into something far more sinister this is perfect for you!

-0.25⭐️ because I didn’t really like the epilogues, I see the vision but a bit more information would’ve been nice.
Other than that I really enjoyed it!

really fun and really action packed thriller. the tension ratchets up at warp speed and when the deaths happen they go, go, go. honestly, at points it's a hair exhaustingly fast? but i like it. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.