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.

This definitely more horror than mystery. The first half was slow . The games I was hoping would be more exciting. It made you feel like you were in a movie .
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Darcy Coates’s books; Gallows Hill and Dead of Winter are two of my favourites of hers. Like most of her books, this one is a slow burn, but in the best way possible. In this one, we are taken away to the mysterious Prosperity Island with an influencer and a lot of their fans. What is supposed to be a five-day dream party turns into a nightmare when it is revealed that the island was once home to a cult. One of the fans, Ruth, has a connection to this island, and all hell breaks loose.

Once again, Coates delivers a tense thriller. She is amazing at blending atmospheric tales with a plot that will have your head spinning. The island setting is creepy and unsettling, and Coates’s suspenseful writing had me on the edge of my seat. Because there are a lot of twists, it can start to feel a bit over-the-top, but I took it for what it was—a great popcorn thriller. It is gripping, pulse-pounding, violent, and bloody. What a rollercoaster ride that had me turning pages into the middle of the night. In this book, the characters found out exactly how bad things can get.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

I’m a big fan of Darcy’s and I this was highly anticipated read for me. Let me start by saying this is one of the most fast paced books I’ve ever read. You are immediately pulled into what is going on this island and you have no choice but to keep reading.

I really liked how Coates wrote this story and how you find out more about the characters the more you read throughout. I thought the plot points she used were very clever and let me also say this book has some brutal moments!

I did not love this one, though the premise had me really excited. The setup is strong and the idea of mixing influencer culture with cult folklore on a remote island is a fantastic hook. Unfortunately, I found it hard to connect with some of the characters, especially Ruth. Since we’re supposed to root for her as the lead, her attitude and choices often felt more grating than sympathetic, which made it difficult to become fully invested in her survival.

The pacing also threw me off. A lot of time is spent in the buildup. Introducing the setting, the guests, and the eerie backdrop, but it dragged for me. I wanted more urgency and survival elements throughout, not just packed into the final third of the book. By the time the action really escalated, it felt rushed, like we didn’t get enough time to truly sit in the chaos and fear that the setup had been teasing.

That being said, I loved the concept and could clearly picture how well this would work on screen. The influencer extravaganza turning sinister, the cult connections resurfacing, and the isolation of the island would all translate beautifully into a TV series or film. Visually and atmospherically, it could be incredible. On the page, though, I felt the execution fell a little flat.

The Blair Witch Project meets Fyre Fest is the perfect pitch for this story, and while it didn’t quite live up to its full potential in novel form, the idea itself is original and intriguing enough that I’m glad I gave it a try.

So much body gore but it is so good. Darcy Coates never disappoints and always hits with the fast-paced thriller horror dynamics!!

Darcy Coates is a favorite horror author. She did not disappoint with this story. A story with an evil cult lurking in the background and people stranded on a island for a festival. So so good!

Darcy Coates never misses when it comes to atmosphere, and How Bad Things Can Get might be her most haunting, addictive work yet.

From the moment Prosperity Island is introduced, you know paradise is too good to be true. White sand beaches, jungle trails, endless parties, it feels like the perfect escape. But Coates is the queen of dread, and she wastes no time unraveling the glossy façade to expose the rot underneath. I could feel the tension tightening with every page, that creeping sense of “oh no, something is very wrong here.”

And then there’s Ruth. What a phenomenal main character. Her past as the lone survivor of a cult adds a whole new layer of unease, and the way her secrets intertwine with the island’s dark history made my heart race. She’s vulnerable yet fierce, and I was rooting for her survival even as I questioned whether survival was possible.

This story is claustrophobic, eerie, and unflinching. The disappearances, the sinister games, the unraveling truth of what Prosperity Island really is, it all builds into a nightmare you can’t look away from.

Darcy Coates has crafted a perfect storm of horror and suspense here, and by the time I turned the final page, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to sleep with the lights on… or never sleep again.

Five spine-chilling, atmospheric, and utterly unputdownable.

I love this story!!!

It had a mix of everything - mysterious vibes, tragic past, and a woman's journey to live peacefully.

The story follows Ruth, the sole survivor of a suicide cult, "Petition". She joins her boyfriend and his friends on an island for a fun festival. Only to realise that her nightmares are about to begin and this time, she might not even survive!

I liked how the story didn't reveal Ruth's history all together. It was in pieces. But even then I was able to feel the agony that she faced in Petition.

The story shows Ruth trying to adjust to her new life. When everyone is curious on Petition but no one knows Ruth is the only one left behind. Her worries, her sightings, and her desire to be unaffected formed the premise of the story. Along with the gruesome events that started in the island.

I absolutely enjoyed this story. It was fast paced and adrenaline packed. I couldn't even put down the story once I started. Also I had many theories as to what might be happening in the story and thankfully all of them were wrong. It was able to maintain the suspense until the very end!

Those who aren't triggered by gory details will surely love this book!!!

This is described as "Fyre Festival meets The Blair Witch Project" and it fully delivers on that, plus so much more.

The first 20% was a little slow, but once the games started on the island, the multiple POV's, the cult flashbacks, and ensuing chaos made it so fast paced that I just flew through it. What a trip of a book, and absolute gore fest like holy cow. I'm obsessed.

Oh, and all the men SUCKED.

I had high hopes for this one but it fell a bit short. I felt like I couldn’t connect with and didn’t care for any of the characters. The story itself was good, and bad things can definitely get bad on this island, but it wasn’t for me. I have a few of her other books and will give them a shot!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy Coates yet again has a banger published that keeps you turning the pages needing to know what happens next! A story set on an island with a heinous reputation, games, the occult, and more! This is definitely I feel one of her more gruesome stories as some of the descriptions of what was happening were quite gorey (though of course nothing like splatter punk if you're not looking for that kind of thing). If you haven't tried Coates' work yet, this would be a great place to start. If like me, you have read many of her books, you might find this to be a new fave!

My first advanced reader copy! Very exciting! Thank you, Net Galley.

I don’t have high hopes for Coates’s novels. They’re entertaining, but generic. Fun, but shallow. This one almost broke that preconception for me. The plot was original, the characters had some depth and history, and the setting was fun. Unfortunately the last third of the book became repetitive and the plot didn’t tie together as well as I’d hoped. Darcy introduces many side characters who were hard to keep track of and were killed off quickly, making them irrelevant. I didn’t understand the beliefs of the cult and it was confusing having a second cult history on the island. The explanation for Zach’s motivations were nonsensical. I don’t understand why he was so invested. Even the gore became excessive and repetitive by the end.

Despite all this, I will continue to read Darcy’s novels because they’re easy comfort reads. I just won’t get my hopes up for any substance next time.

The description says “Blair Witch meets Frye Fest” and to that I say - FALSE! I’ll paint a more accurate picture for you -

Imagine Mr. Beast pissing even more money away by inviting a bunch of his fans to one of his private islands and coordinating Survivor type challenges… but it all goes wrong with a murderfest.

This book is gory! People chewing off faces, tearing out eyeballs, machetes, severing tongues, meat hooks, liquids oozing, intestine pulling, allllll the good stuff. Darcy Coates doesn’t skimp on the horror and even though it took more than 30% of the book to get messy, the last 30% is an absolute blood bath.
I didn’t love any of the characters (maybe Logan) which meant I didn’t really have anyone to root for.
“Kill them all!”, chants Liz.
But once the story and setting was built, the mysteries unfolded and the pace was pretty quick. Some twists I didn’t see coming which is always appreciated and the you tube star creating content with fans felt very “current”. This was very cult-core which isn’t my thing, but if creepy cults are your vibe I highly recommend.

Given the rushed, anticlimactic ending I’m docking a star but this was another good one by Coates and I’m ready for more!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The newest book by Darcy Coates is a fun horror novel full of thrills and mystery.

Read if you like:
🌊 Cults & curses
🌊 A haunting traumatic past
🌊 Some Squid Games vibes
🌊 An isolated private island with dark history
🌊 Influencers doing questionable things

I really enjoyed this one. Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the early read. It was missing a little spark that I find in books I absolutely love, but the concept, overall writing, and kills were good. If you want something spooky that will transition you perfectly from summer to fall reads, this is it!

The only survivor of a cult, Ruth has worked hard to put her childhood behind her and live a normal life. When she agrees to spend a week on a secluded island as part of an influencer’s contest, will it be just the break she needs…or something more sinister? 😈

I’ve only read one other book by this author (Dead of Winter), which I really liked, so I was excited for this one. Unfortunately, because Dead of Winter was more of a mystery/thriller with a touch of gore, I expected something similar and misjudged how different this book would be. This one felt more like what I imagine true horror to be, and it just wasn’t for me. I’ll leave it at that since I clearly wasn’t the right reader for this story, but if you’re a horror fan, this one might be right up your alley!

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 8/26/2025.

This story definitely had a sense of doom and anticipation all throughout. While it wasn’t my favorite read this year, I can still say I was glad I read it. I would recommend to other that love Darcy Coates

This book was Fantastic! The sense of dread and suspense was there from page 1! The story never dragged and the characters were relatable and had depth. I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends! Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC for me to review!

An influencer invites hundreds of fans to a remote tropical paradise for five days of games, drinking, and fun. But beneath the sand beaches and lush jungle lies something dark. Something that tied directly to Ruth.

Ruth has spent decades hiding her identity and escaping the trauma of her childhood. She arrives on the island hoping to stay under the radar. But as the party unfolds, guests begin to disappear, and the games turn deadly. Ruth is forced to confront her past while trying to survive.

This is a horror book with TW so be sure to checkout them out before you go into it.

It wasn’t my favorite but an ok read.

Thank you for this Arc NetGalley.

Darcy Coates has never let me down. and How Bad Things Can Get did not disappoint. This hooked me from the start and took me on one heck of a ride.