3 stars--I liked the book.

If you enjoy:

* Horror novels about cults
* Bloodbath endings
* Festival-goers and influencers getting massacred

...then this book might be for you! Fast-paced and violent, this was a fun read.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates follows Ruth, the sole survivor of a childhood cult, who finds herself trapped on Prosperity Island during an influencer's elaborate five-day party for hundreds of his fans. When the island's dark history connects to Ruth's past and the games turn deadly, guests start disappearing in increasingly violent ways. I usually love Coates' work, but this one felt pretty absurd to me - the over-the-top influencer premise, the characters making the most ridiculous decisions, the elaborate scenarios that somehow everyone just goes along with. The cult backstory had potential but got overshadowed by all the island chaos, and while the blood and violence ramp up considerably in the second half, I couldn't shake the feeling that this would work so much better as a movie. I'd absolutely watch the hell out of this on the big screen with a tub of overpriced popcorn, but on the page it just didn't quite work for me the way her other books do.

How bad things can get was a fun ride. It had some great elements that I really enjoyed but it was also a bit over the top for me. I loved the idea of the book but in the end it was too long, too many characters/points of view and I just wanted the story to have a faster pace. I loved the gore and the fact that it was hard to guess who was behind and in on the whole ordeal. The book kept me guessing. But I also didn’t care much about the characters. There were too many to be able to form a real connection and I wish that the author had put some more effort into character stories rather than filling the story with characters. This is minor: but I was also confused by heather and heyleigh - their names were too similar so I had to give it a second thought whenever I read their names in a new chapter. Maybe that’s because English isn’t my native language but, it was slightly annoying anyhow.

All in all I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t interesting enough for me to love it.

This was the second book I read from this author and since I was a fan of the first book I read (Dead Of Winter) I was looking forward to reading it.

The story immediately pulled me in with the flashback from the cult. I did find the beginning of the present day story a little slow, but the story progressed well and was never boring.

The final act of the book was non stop action that made it impossible to stop reading. I read the last third of the book in one day as I needed to know what happened next. I also liked the way the ending was told in multiple POVs and thought that they intertwined in an interesting way.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I do wish it had a few more flashbacks to the cult but I understand why the author didn’t want to give the cult more attention and wanted to focus on the characters in the present. The Characters were well written, especially the main character Ruth. I give the book a rating of 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the wonderful opportunity to read and review, How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates. The FMC is a survivor of an infamous cult and finds herself on a private island surrounded by online influencers and competing for $10,000. The competition is not what it seems and the FMC discovers that the island may have a connection to her past. If you like plots that have a lot of thrills, chills, and twists, then this is the book for you!

Another excellent novel by Darcy Coates. I will forever and always read everything she puts out. How Bad Things Can Get has a slower start, but when the action picks up, it picks up. This book stressed me out and gave me whiplash & I enjoyed it so much. Some of the descriptions of the gore were so horrific that I had a nightmare. The cast of characters is fantastic & I rooted for (most of) them. Ruth deserves the world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
After narrowly escaping a cult as a child, Ruth has been laying low ever since. When her boyfriend wins an invitation to an exclusive island event hosted by an online influencer, Ruth is determined to remain inconspicuous. It shouldn’t be hard among 600 guests all participating in networking, drinking, and playing a series of intricate games, but this paradise is about to turn into a nightmare. The island has a dark history connected to Ruth’s past. Soon, guests are in danger and everyone is trapped. This sand was already saturated with secrets, but it’s about to become bathed in blood.

Review:
When I saw Darcy Coates was coming out with a new book, I was BEYOND excited being that I’m a huge fan of her work. “How Bad Things Can Get” had my full attention immediately and I could not read fast enough. The setting was immaculate and the plot was riveting, resulting in page-turning frenzy. The story is shocking to the point where I audibly gasped multiple times. I urge you to read this if you like stories about cults, fast-paced mysteries, or if you’re a fan of Darcy’s work.

“How Bad Things Can Get” is out on August 26, 2025!

❗️Content warnings: violence, gore, body horror

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this new Darcy Coates title! I really enjoyed How Bad Things Can Get. It was an incredibly vivid and visceral read. It was tense and unpredictable, and I enjoyed the character development. Darcey is very talented at painting a picture of the setting and surroundings for the reader and this book crawled under my skin. It might stay there for a while!

Stranded. Cult. Survival!

Ruth and a few of her friends venture out to Prosperity Island to take part in an event put on by Eton - think "Mr Beast" - social media millionaire who hosts events/games/giveaways in a big way.

Early on in the trip, Ruth starts to have "visions" or what may be "flashbacks" of a time she barely escaped from a cult 20 years ago. Bits and pieces of this cult - Petition - are revealed throughout the book.

The introduction and pace were well done - I felt wrapped into the storyline rather quickly and knew it was going to be a good book by the first few chapters. As Eton's games begin, horror soon follows - lies, deceit, and the past all come back to haunt Ruth and the other guests. The scene was well set and characters were relatable and well built on. It had a huge Jonestown feel - the cult vibes, the traumatic massacre.

I wish there had been more building on the Petition details - maybe more flashbacks, more explanation of how it began and its history. The ending did put some details in there but by that point it almost felt rushed. It read sort of YA in my opinion but I didn't mind that.

Overall great read, recommend for fans of Cult, Stranded island vibes, Survival books.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC and chance to give my honest opinion!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the start, How Bad Things Can Get grabs you with its fast pace, creepy tone, and effortlessly readable style. It’s a thriller with horror leanings that makes for a fun, breezy read.

The setup is especially compelling: a mysterious island competition run by a mega-popular, billionaire social media influencer. It cleverly mirrors real-life media spectacle (think “MrBeast meets Squid Game with a horror twist”) and taps into that eerie space where digital fame and ethics collide. Coates builds tension masterfully early on, creating an atmosphere that’s both thrilling and unsettling. The book is pure entertainment in its first half—an easy, edge-of-your-seat kind of read that doesn’t feel like a chore to keep up with.

However, as the reveals start to unfold, the story shifts from genuinely creepy to slightly cheesy. Some horror elements feel more like a light thriller, and the stakes never quite escalate to anything truly terrifying or jaw-dropping. That said, it still delivers a good payoff.

One of the standout elements is the main character’s backstory. Her past is deeply woven into the plot and revealed through flashbacks that are emotional, engaging, and beautifully executed. That part of the story arguably outshines the island competition itself. In fact, the book might have been even stronger if it had leaned further into her history and let that be more central to the narrative.

Ultimately, How Bad Things Can Get is a solid, fun read—especially for fans of fast-paced thrillers with a pop culture edge. While it doesn’t quite deliver on all its horror promises, it’s still entertaining, accessible, and worth the time.

Final Verdict: Creepy, quick, and fun with some dips in intensity and believability.

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