I won’t lie, at the beginning of this book I was very confused. But as the story progressed, it wound itself into three distinct plot lines, and each one was equally addicting. It was absolutely fascinating to see how each of these storylines progressed and how they interlaced with each other until they intersected. I was absolutely hooked. I could not stop reading because I truly needed to know what happened next and how it all fit together. The twists and turn were sharp and undetectable until you were on them. And the suspense, dread, unease was so palpable. It settled into your stomach as if you were there, partaking in the events. Coates’ prose was just that good. The gore in this book was visceral, well written, and gut churning in the best way. The ending for this book was honestly perfect and I felt satisfied at the end. This was just the perfect book for summer and a great beach binge read.

Influencers, a private island, a death cult. How Bad Things Can Get is described as Jonestown meets Fyre Festival, and I m happy to say that it's an extremely accurate description. Don't let the thriller cover fool you—this book is horror, and gruesome horror at that.
As with most of Coates's books, I was hooked from the beginning, and couldn't put it down until I finished. Multiple POVs and short chapters kept the story fast-paced, and tons of twists keep you from guessing what'll happen next. But this is one of those books where you'll enjoy it even if you guess the many secrets, because it's such a wild ride. I had a blast reading it.

How bad things can get? Apparently pretty darn bad on Prosperity Island. Eton, a millionaire/billionaire, has just bought the island and has invited VIP guests along with a couple hundred more lucky people who won a ticket via a form of a lottery. It is to be a fun five days filled with entertainment, games and prizes. To start off the festivities, the island‘s sordid past is revealed via a brief documentary style show to give a little atmosphere to the party. Then the games begin.

Our MC is Ruth, who 20 years earlier escaped from a cult. She was known back then to have prophetic visions and is currently experiencing very vivid nightmares on the island. She’s very reluctant to be on the trip and is hesitant to play the games. Needless to say she’s having a very bad experience at the festival. And then the games begin and her experience becomes even worse.

I feel like this would make a very excellent slasher movie, but in the written form it just didn’t work for me. The whole island was a bit of chaos and I had that same sort of feeling as I was reading it. I didn’t care about a single character and I had a hard time keeping tabs with who everyone was. I’m not sure if I took the book too seriously and just needed to have more fun with it? If that were the case that I could see how it could be enjoyable. Although I still don’t think I would’ve enjoyed the hide and seek game. As a matter of fact, I know I wouldn’t have!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I may give another book a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

4.25 stars

I love pretty much anything Darcy Coates writes. How Bad Can Things Get is a mix of Fyre Festival and the Jonestown massacre. This was such a wild ride and extremely fast-paced. Once the games begin, they don't let up until the very end.

This book is a mix of plot-driven and character-driven. The main character, Ruth, is the lone survivor of a suicide cult she was forced into as a child, and this story takes place 20 years later as she and her boyfriend, along with his friends, take the trip of a lifetime to Prosperity Island. A Mr. Beast-like host promises fun, games, and prizes, but almost immediately after arriving on the island, people start to go missing.

The violence and gore in this book was a lot. This is truly a horror thriller so be warned. I loved that the plot never let up. There were POVs from other characters mixed in, and I think that made the story feel more fleshed out. Being inside Ruth's head was a little too much at times. I understood her trauma, but she was kind of a bummer at first. I liked her much more by the 30% mark.

Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who loves thrillers with a large dash of horror mixed in.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for sharing an ARC in exchange for my review.

I've read quite a few Darcy Coates books now, and while not an auto buy/read author for me, I do search her books out from time to time. I especially enjoy her haunted house books. This one was a bit different, as a focus on a survivor of a cult massacre, and then attending a party from a social media influencer. In one review I saw for this book, someone mentioned wondering if social media influencers were the new version of a cult, and honestly, that has me wondering!

With Coates' books, I often find the first portion of the book to be a slow burn, slow start, giving background and establishing the coming story, and I do enjoy that. This book was more horror - more gore, chaos, slasher/splatter, similar to the horror movies of the 1980's.

Horror readers would probably really enjoy this one. But if you are squeamish at all, you might want to skip this one. I would be interested in going back to listen to this one as an audio, if an audio version is released.

3.5 stars rounded up

3⭐️

My first Darcy Coates book! And what a fun one.

I think this book would be so good and entertaining as a movie. As I was reading, I was fully visualizing it. That’s what GREAT writing does.

My best way to describe this book: Mr.Beast lost the plot / Midsommar realness / Until Dawn core / Giving a little bit of The Walking Dead kinda(?

Honestly, a very fun time overall.

✨ARC Review✨
📖 How Bad Things Can Get
✍️ Darcy Coates
📅 Publication: August 25, 2025

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
It was meant to be the ultimate escape, with pristine white sand beaches, lush tropical wilderness, and five days of non-stop fun, hosted by a popular online influencer and his most devoted followers.
For Ruth, the island getaway seemed like a perfect opportunity to blend into the crowd and disappear for a while. The last surviving member of a notorious cult, she’s spent her life burying the horrors of her past and guarding her identity from the world.
But paradise has a dark side.
As the group settles in for sun-drenched games and parties, unsettling truths about the island begin to surface, truths tied directly to Ruth’s buried past. When guests begin to vanish and the festivities take a deadly turn, Ruth is forced to confront a terrifying question: was this trip ever meant to be a vacation… or was it a trap all along?
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This one really got under my skin, in the best way. Dark, intense, and honestly kind of haunting. How Bad Things Can Get doesn’t even begin to cover it... Things go downhill fast, and once I started, I couldn’t look away.
It’s a shift from Darcy’s usual vibe as this one leans hard into cult territory and is way bloodier than her other books. Some moments truly caught me off guard, and I loved that.
If you're into thrillers that are twisted, unsettling, and full of psychological tension, this one’s for you.

What happens when the internet's biggest influencer hosts a festival on a private island with a dark past? The guest list is filled with internet personalities and hundreds of guests who won their tickets, all excited to drink and party in the sun and sand. Their devotion to their host could almost be compared to a cult, at least that's what Ruth sees and with her history she's the one who would know. Their host promises a spectacle and that's what he delivers, but it's gory and blood soaked and what happened on the island before pales in comparison. I happily lost myself in this fast-paced wild ride of a book.

How Bad Can Things Get by Darcy Coates is an adrenaline-pumping horror that delivers suspense, secrets, and enough scares to keep you glued to the pages. What was meant to be a fun-filled, idyllic getaway turns into a deadly game of survival when the past and present collide in terrifying ways. Ruth’s story is at the heart of this chilling tale—a woman haunted by a cult-related past she desperately wants to keep buried. Coates expertly crafts an atmosphere of lurking danger, where every shadow and whisper could hide a threat more bloodthirsty than the last. As guests go missing and the games spiral into chaos, the sense of dread intensifies, making each chapter a nerve-wracking rollercoaster. The pacing is relentless, with enough twists and surprises to keep you guessing who’s going to make it out—and what secrets the island itself still hides beneath its paradise veneer. Ruth’s resilience and haunted past add emotional depth, making her journey both terrifying and compelling. This is a dark, gritty read perfect for anyone craving a haunted island nightmare packed with twists, bloodshed, and a desperate fight for safety. How Bad Can Things Get is a wild, intense ride—thrilling and terrifying in all the right ways. Four stars for a story that will keep you turning pages late into the night, questioning what lurks just beyond the edge of the bonfire’s glow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

How Bad Things Can Get is a razor-sharp story that kept me on the edge of my seat. It blends island festival vibes, social-media influencers, deadly games, cult horror, and slasher level gore into a story that is extremely unique, fast paced and full of tension. Throughout the story, I kept imagining this book as movie, as it also extremely visual, and explores multiple POV’s.

Honestly, I have never read a story like this before, and it is a departure from what I would expect from a Coates book, but in a refreshing sort of way.
Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of cult, survival, or slasher type horror, or psychological thrillers with a bit of gore.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Ruth with a group of her friends Zach, Carson and Hayleigh have found themselves on an island - sponsored by Eton who has organised this five day game event for his fans. However Ruth has a secret. Is she who she says she is? Is she the only one with secrets? The island seems like paradise until it turns into a nightmare.

+ horror
+ intensely chilling

The opening jumps straight into action which I totally love in books! The chapters are told through many perspectives, as there are hundreds of participants on the island, mainly through the characters of Ruth, Logan and Petra. I believed it to be a thriller but as I moved from chapter to chapter, the scenes and terrors described actually indicate the genre of horror. This didn't put me off, on the contrary, it drew me in and I couldn't put the book down. It was gruesome, spine-chilling and petrifying. At times I felt it was too descriptive especially the violent scenes. I liked Ruth, the author hinted from the beginning that she had been through hell and somehow she's still fighting to stay alive. I enjoyed the plot greatly, so much planning had to go into it, for the characters experiences to be this precise and to come together by the end of the book into an amazing ending!

An island full of beaches and influencers sounds like an amazing time for networking, socializing, and partying, right? WRONG.
What ensues is a frightful time full of murder, twists, and the trip from hell, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This one genuinely creeped me out, and I had to turn my lamp on a few times because I'm a bit of a scaredy cat, to be honest. Some of the characters were truly unlikable, but I mean, of course, that's going to be the case with an island full of high-level influencers. But I truly felt so bad for some of the others including our FMC (homegirl had already been through so much). This was my first Darcy book but it will not be my last.

Gripping, shocking, thrilling, disturbing and horrific! Darcy Coates has mingled a scavenger hunt with "survivor' with a Jonestown type cult in How Bad Things Can Get. This book was equal parts entertaining, gruesome, and dark. I always get excited when Darcy Coates has a new book coming out and she delivered the thrills and chills with How Bad Things Can Get! Being on a beautiful island, working on your tan and having fun sounds like a dream! But in Darcy Coates hands it becomes a nightmare!


An online influencer has invited hundreds of his fans to Prosperity Island. There his guests will party, have fun in the sun, and take part in a slew of games in hopes of winning the BIG prize! He takes pleasure in telling them the dark history of the island where a cult once lived until they well...

Ruth is one of the many guests on the island and just so happens to be the only survivor of a cult! She doesn't want anyone to know about her childhood and the horror that she survived....

I love books that have a trapped feeling. Being on an island fits that bill perfectly. The island is beautiful and full of people looking for a good time and a challenge. They get more than they bargained in for in this atmospheric and danger filled book. I enjoyed how things went

from fun in the sun to things not being quite so right. As things went from bad to worse, you can almost feel the characters 'this is not what I signed up for' thoughts/sentiments in the book. I enjoyed the tension and dread almost as much as I enjoyed being a silent observer as some characters showed their true colors. This is horror so there will be some violent and bloody good scenes.

Overall, another killer of a book by Darcy Coates!

If you're looking for Fear Street x Until Dawn vibes, THIS IS THE PERFECT CHOICE!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author, Darcy Coates, for providing me with this WONDERFUL ARC. I'm really thrilled and honored by the opportunity—I could cry 😭

I've heard a lot of great things about Darcy Coates, but this is the first book I've read by her. And guess what? It exceeded all of my expectations!

At first, it was a bit slow for me, but as the story escalated, I found it hard to read because it REALLY freaked me out. Goosebumps everywhere! And since the only time I can read is at night… let’s just say it was an experience. 😅

Fun fact: I'm not easily scared by what I read, but this book did the trick 🤭

Without spoiling anything further, I rated this book 6 stars ⭐ That’s how great it is! It wasn’t just about the thrill and the scares—I really appreciated how the emotions were written. I felt so much sympathy for the characters, especially Ruth. It felt like I was walking alongside them as I read.

This is the first thriller-horror book I’ve ever rated 6⭐, and I hope others enjoy it just as much as I did.

Holy was the book ever brutal and I loved it. 10/10 (or in this case, 5/5 I guess). I started out feeling pretty meh about the book, mostly because the start gave similar vibes to a few other locked room, game show-esque mystery novels that I didn't love, but quickly escalated into a level of horror I wasn't expecting at all.

The basic premise is that a popular influencer is inviting a group of hundreds of other influencers, youtubers, podcasters, etc, to an isolated island for games and festivities. One of the invitees, Ruth, an ex-cult member who escaped as a child, is in things start to feel really weird, really quick.

If I had to sum it up, it's giving... 'Fyre Fest' x 'Mr Beast' x 'wrong turn'

I love Darcy Coates so I may be a bit biased but I enjoyed this one just as much as I enjoyed all her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Darcy Coates and Poisoned Pen Press for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

I've read a few of Darcy Coates books and enjoyed them. Coates can set the scene of some pretty creepy vibes. However, this one felt disjointed and hard to follow. It was almost as if there were 2 separate storylines, except one left me wanting to know so much more. I know many will enjoy this thriller, but it was hard for me to get fully invested.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and author Darcy Coates for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing I appreciated about this book was how easy to read it was. I sat down to read a chapter or two and was suddenly completely immersed in the story.

There’s body horror and a sense of unease throughout the book, and I found myself both cringing and eager for the next chapter.

Discussing temporary fame in the forms of the cult of social media and actual cult life, How Bad Things Can Get tells a twisting story of overreach in the name of fame laced with the taste of honey.

Hundreds of influencers and guests are looking forward to a fun retreat, including Ruth, her boyfriend, and two friends. But when the horrific history of the remote island they are staying on is revealed and the games turn deadly, Ruth must confront her past to survive the vacation. A disturbing, violent, and intensifying read for horror fans.

For lovers of cult fiction—this one’s for you.
How Bad Things Can Get proves that yes, things can get really, really bad. This one leans way more horror than thriller, so if you're squeamish about gore, consider yourself warned.

I’ve read a few Darcy Coates books, but this one truly shocked me—more than I expected. It’s brutal, relentless, and dark, with all the slasher energy and just enough twists to keep you guessing until the end.

If you’re into intense, graphic horror and cult storylines, this is a wild, grisly ride you won’t want to miss.