What promises to be the party of the century, ends in total massacre. 600 guests are invited to an uninhabited island promising 5 days of games and competitions with thousands of dollars up for prizes.

Ruth, along with her boyfriend Zach and another couple are excited to be invited to take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity. After the two day cruise to reach the island, they are all ready for 5 promised days of fun. But when people are found dead and some missing, Ruth is faced with unwanted memories of her past coming out to haunt her as well as copycat events from the cult she survived and so badly wanted to forget.

This book had me sucked in right from the get go. This author has the ability to bring you right in and feel like a part of the story. There were some very subtle twists that made it even more gripping. Even my goosebumps had goosebumps. Another remarkable read by Darcy Coates.

Thank you to NetGallery and Poisoned Pen Press for the
ARC.

I went into "How Bad Things Can Get" blind - this is not abnormal for me, but I sort of wished on this one, I knew what I was getting myself into.

I enjoyed the book, the premise was interesting, although I'm not a huge fan of the cult trope. The first half was a slow burn, but once it picked up at about 50% I found myself enjoying it more. Coates did an excellent job setting the stage and causing quite a bit of unease as the book progressed. The one thing that I feel was lacking was character development - which honestly came as a shock to me since in her ghost stories, the characters are so well-written.

Overall the book was okay, not my favorite of Darcy Coates but she is still an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I took a chance on this one, the synopsis sounded great! The book started off enticing and I was excited to see how it would go. Slowly it lost my interest for some reason and although I finished it, it was not one I loved. Overall not a bad book, just not my thing I guess.

Wow now that’s how you write a horror book.
This was full of gore and cults, and kept me guessing as to wtf was happening.

Ruth is forever haunted by her past in a cult, when her husband and two friends won tickets to a remote island for some fun and games with influencer Elton.
What they thought would be a relaxing, fun, partying 5 day getaway turned out be worse then what nightmares are made of.

Read from multiple POVs, gore that I couldn’t even imagine, and a story line that just keeps pulling you in.
And of course cults. The most crazy cult story I’ve read.

Okay, so this one was kinda like if Fyre Fest and a slasher movie had a weird, slightly unhinged baby. I wanted to be obsessed — I mean, influencers, creepy islands, dark cult secrets? Yes, please. And while it didn’t totally slay, it still scratched a certain horror itch.

The vibe starts out suuuper slow, like horror lite, with lots of setup and influencer drama (which honestly felt a little too real sometimes). I kept waiting for the big cult reveal to hit harder, but it sort of tiptoes around it, which was a bummer because that backstory had so much potential! It’s like ordering extra guac and getting… one sad spoonful.

BUT — once the chaos kicked in, it really committed. Gruesome deaths, paranoia, bonfire whispers… very B-movie energy, and I’m not mad about it. If you’re here for nuanced characters, maybe don’t. But if you’re cool with disposable party kids and blood-soaked mayhem? You’ll vibe. Not my fave by this author, but I still had fun, and sometimes that’s enough.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you so much to Darcy Coates and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read this advanced copy. I loved this original story. It had cult vibes, horror, twists, turns, surprises. Everything I like in a book!! I will say this is one of the first books that I actually had to skip over some of the descriptions of the brutality throughout, but I'm a wuss about gore so that was a me thing, not a story issue. I am definitely intrigued enough to go read more and more of what this author has written!! Thank you so much and if you can handle it, I suggest reading this one. :)

POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD

Hunger games meets The blair witch project..This book started with a bang and throughout the first half, the building suspense had me questioning, Whats Next? At certain points though, I did find it hard to figure out exactly who was involved and who was being hoodwinked. Im not surprised the main protagonist managed to get mixed up with someone who happens to know their darkest secret and wanted in on exposing it. For Fans of Coates, Did anyone else find a particular element of this read, that feels like it was pulled from "Dead Of Winter"? Solid Read.

This one was a doooozy!
I received an arc of this book for my honest review
For staters it was a mix of fyre fest mixed with Jonestown with lots of blood and gore! As a person who loved the disaster of fyre fest and true crime documentaries this was right up my alley! If you love these kinda things this one is definitely for you! Not for the squeemish with the descriptions of death and murder; the leader also gives off major Mr beast vibes!

I've typically read Darcy Coates' ghost stories, and I've always enjoyed those-- so I was excited to give "How Bad Things Can Get."

Overall, I kind of couldn't tell what it was going for. For a while, I thought "oh this is going to be like The Hunger Games or Battle Royale but it does have a cult backstory to it that sets it apart. Overall, it was enjoyable, but sometimes I had a hard time remembering who was who.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of "How Bad Things Can Get." I think it will do well when it releases in late August, and I'd definitely recommend it to readers that don't mind a little violent tension. It's just very different from Darcy's normal books.

This was such a twisted and terrifying book. Set on a Prosperity Island, it was supposed to be a peaceful week in heaven but it became the unforgettable week of everyone’s life. Only one person survives and makes it out alive from the island. All the other guests were either went missing or found dead. No one truly knows how the game that was supposed to be fun became deadly and took everyone’s lives. The truth is much darker, terrifying and twisted. The island has a history and what happens with guests and attendees was a twist of fate. The book shook me. This book constantly kept me on the edge. I am sure you will think that you have read books with such kind of plot but this was different and it has cultish vibe so you won’t want to miss out on this one.

Thanks to the Publisher

This was my first novel by Darcy Coates and boy, did it not disappoint!! I devoured this book! Darcy Coates writes so fluidly, making sure every minuscule detail is divulged. Cannot wait to read the rest of her books!

How Bad Things Can Get is exactly the kind of sun-drenched nightmare I love sinking into. The setup is perfect: a wild influencer party on a remote island, and then the slow, creeping realization that something is very wrong. Ruth is a great lead—quiet, haunted, and just trying to stay out of the spotlight—but of course her past won’t let her. The tension builds fast, the atmosphere is eerie in all the right ways, and once things start to unravel, it doesn’t let up. It’s unsettling in the best way, with that perfect mix of cult trauma and tropical horror.

Cults, social media influencers and an isolated island location, what can go wrong? This was an amazing horror/thriller! If you liked Hunted by Darcy Coates, I think you will like this novel as well.
Content warning for body horror.

Thank You to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for the advanced copy!

An influencer arranges a 5 day trip for his loyal fans on an island. It is meant to be a fun-filled tropical trip filled with games, drinking, and meeting new people. One of the guests is Ruth, the lone survivor of an infamous and bloody cult. As things start to turn deadly, Ruth begins to question if the cult has resurfaced...

Based on the reviews that are in so far, I am in the minority with my rating. I am a really fast reader, so it is a big sign when a book takes me this long to finish! I was not motivated to read this one and kept getting distracted with other things while reading (ie going on my phone). The first half to two-thirds of the book were a STRUGGLE to get through. The pacing was super slow and I found it super boring. I came close to calling it quits so many times.

It was a messy read - both the plot and the writing style. I also found character development to be really poor. We do not get closure for many of the characters which was super frustrating.

Overall, this was a super disappointing read. I was bored out of my mind for most of it and did not enjoy the writing style or characters. Do not recommend.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth has been invited to join her boyfriend & his friends to be part of a couple of days of fun & sun on Prosperity Island. The trip is being organised by a major influencer & has invited hundreds of other influencers & devoted fans for the chance to play games & win prizes while boosting his reputation.

But before they even get to the island Ruth is unsure of her decision to attend. Things are not as fun as she hoped. The island itself is shrouded in horror reminiscent of her past and seems her past may not be as buried as she thought.

Darcy Coates is an auto-buy author for me. Love the loveable characters you're excited to root for, while slowing build the dread. There was something about this one that didn't quiet hit for me like her previous books. I struggled through the first half. I did like we did get POV from other characters other than the main character Ruth, but I wish there had been a bit more of that. Those small moments helped to see what else was going on on the island & would have stressed / rooted more for these characters if we had spent more time with them.

Think the first half just went a lil too slow for me while setting the scene & characters, but the last half when this start to really unravel it had me gripped & couldn't put it down.

The cult element added an interesting element mixed in with influences in an isolated setting. But I wish this could have been utilised more with current day influences & some of the cultish behaviour from them & their followers.

The slow build was a little too slow for me compared to other books by Darcy, but once the blood starts following it doesn't let up.
I enjoyed the isolated setting off an island that is not easy to get to & not fully developed out, giving the trip a more rugged frightful experience.

While this isn't one of my top reads from Darcy Coates, still loved being in the world she created & her take on a cult.

Thank you to Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read / review this title.

I know this is suppose to be like The Blair Witch Project meets Fyre Fest but I felt like it was more like Wrong Turn for all the gory parts ,Beast Games with more sinister type games while also putting cults into the mix and I loved it! I couldn’t put this book down, the story is told from many different POVs with the scenery being a creepy isolated island. This was my first book by Darcy Coats and it won’t be my last!

The story follows Ruth, a survivor of an infamous cult, who seeks anonymity on Prosperity Island, a location known for its dark legend. She's invited to an extravagant party hosted by an online influencer, where she and several hundred others are lured into a series of elaborate games and festivities. As Ruth tries to blend in, she discovers a chilling connection between the island's history and her own past, prompting a descent into a terrifying reality where things escalate rapidly.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: August 26, 2025

This book is a dark, twisty thriller that takes place on what people believe will be a dream vacation. An online influencer brings hundreds of fans and influencers onto a private island known as Prosperity. It’s supposed to be a time for fun, games, and cash prizes. However, things take a turn pretty quickly. Guests begin to go missing and there is a bit of a bloody history about the island. In fact, the history may have something to do with one of the guests attending, a woman named Ruth who grew up and survived in a cult.

I requested this book off of NetGalley because one of my friends is a big fan of Darcy Coates and I have always been curious. When I read the description, I was intrigued and decided to apply to get it as an ARC and I ended up being lucky enough to receive it. I’ll be honest and admit that it was a little hard to get into at first. The switching perspectives and the amount of characters was a bit overwhelming and it did throw me off. However, while the first half of the book felt pretty slow, it really picked up in the second half. It became fast paced, intense, and quite gruesome. I couldn’t stop turning the pages of my kindle. With there being so many characters, I didn’t get much backstory on each of them (minus Ruth) and I do wish that I learned more about Petra and Logan because they were the ones I found the most interesting. I still have a few questions about how it ended and wish the epilogues were a little more fulfilling, but overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.

I’ve read several books lately about wealthy social media stars creating exclusive, high-stakes games, so I thought How Bad Things Can Get would follow a similar formula. But it quickly set itself apart. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but it definitely wasn’t what I got. The story is exceptionally well written and fast paced, though far more graphic than I anticipated—so much so that I found some parts difficult to get through. That said, the vivid, unsettling detail is a real testament to Darcy Coates’ skill as a writer. I also really enjoyed the blend of an old cult storyline with the modern world of influencers and social media—it made for a unique and compelling twist.

If you're not a fan of blood and gore, How Bad Things Can Get might not be for you. But if you're into intense, graphic horror, this book is a must-read—anyone who enjoys that kind of story will definitely be hooked.

The best way to describe this book would be——
If Survivor the TV Show, Charles Manson and Jake Paul had a baby it would be this book 😂

Thank you so much NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to review this book in advanced! I absolutely adore Darcy Coates writing and find it an utter privilege to get this opportunity!

Ruth the FMC has survived A LOT within her short life span; your wildest imagine couldn’t fathom what she has been through. Ruth, her boyfriend and two of his friends embark on a cruise/ festival to a secluded island where things spiral out of control.

How Bad Things Can Get is an understatement for what transpires in this book; the events just keep getting worse and worse! I couldn’t put this book down, after one shocking event you are instantly hit with something even more wild! Absolutely creepy, and if you are into cult themed fiction this book is for you!

This book just solidifies my love for Darcy Coates novels!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

This was just straight wild! Ruth goes to a private island owned by the rich and famous Eton who runs social media games and gives away millions of dollars in prizes. But things don’t go as planned on the island. People start to get hurt and some disappear. Ruth starts to worry that the people around her know who she really is. Then things turn sinister on the last night and all Ruth’s fears come true.

This was an intense and graphic read. If you like cultish books, then this one is definitely for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.