another amazing book by Darcy Coates. 😍 “gallows hill” and “from below” are 2 books that creeped me out so bad by this author and this one was great too! I love how she always created the perfect spooky atmosphere and has perfectly timed twists.

Darcy does it again!! When I tell you that I love every single Darcy book I am not lying! They are all so dang good! This one had me hooked from the get go and I had a sneaking suspicion how it was all gonna unravel. This book is a 20 star for me, maybe more.

This is my new favorite Darcy Coates book!
It was the perfect mix of thriller and horror.
A secluded island, a social media influencer, games, secrets and a cult? This book drew me in from the very beginning and I devoured it. So exciting and incredibly disturbing.

Thank you to Darcy Coates and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC of How Bad Things Can Get. I’m grateful for the opportunity to dive into the horrors of Prosperity Island.

I’m awarding it three stars. While the premise—a remote tropical paradise that devolves into blood-soaked madness, cult legacies resurfacing, and influencer-fueled spectacle—was undeniably compelling, I admit I’m growing a bit weary of the “destination-paradise-turned-deadly” trope this year. That said, Coates still delivers enough creepiness and suspense to hold my attention through Ruth’s paranoid dread and the escalating horror.

Overall, How Bad Things Can Get is a solid thriller—more effective on atmosphere than groundbreaking on plotting—but the island shock setting felt a touch familiar for me, given my current genre fatigue. I look forward to returning to Coates’s work in the future, perhaps when this trope isn’t playing on repeat in my mind.

Thank you NetGalley, Darcy Coates, and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC. This one gave me total Hunger Games meets influencer-culture vibes with a chilling cult twist. Fast-paced and action-packed, there’s a lot to unpack here—definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in!

ARC Review of How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates
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Friends. I’ve done it. I’ve found a horror book that actually scared me. This book actually made it harder for me to fall asleep and genuinely freaked me out.

As someone who can’t see anything in their head when they read, I never thought it would happen. Although, for some unknown reason - this is my first Darcy Coates novel.

We follow a few points of view onto Prosperity Island - an influencer (think Mr. Beast vibes) takes over a deserted island for what should be an unforgettable vacation with challenges and money to win for 600 guests. Ruth and Logan happen to be two of those guests. Ruth’s past life in a cult and Logan’s investigative skills collide. Meanwhile, Petra - planner extraordinaire, is put to the test when we find out just how bad things can in fact get.

While this trope has vaguely been done before - deserted island, reality TV, influencer vibes and of course tons of cult horror books, Darcy’s version is so fresh and had me white knuckling my Kindle.

This book is out now! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this FANTASTIC ARC.

Another wonderful book from Darcy Coats. I loved the premise of this from the start. While reading it very much gave me Beast Games meets Halloween horror nights. It also gave The people’s temple meets Heavens gate…

It was a bit slow to start but got going about 40% in. I will say there are a lot of characters and points of view in this book so if that’s not something you’re interested in you might want to skip this one.

Overall great read. Lots of action and twists. I do wish we had a little more action and less build up since some parts of the ending felt rushed. There was also one storyline that I felt didn’t need to be included . It was talked about once then slightly mentioned at the end.

Recommend for those who love a good action packed suspense with a dash of cults.

**ARC Review: *How Bad Things Can Get* by Darcy Coates**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

I’ve seen Darcy Coates’ name pop up *constantly* on the Psychological Thrillers Facebook group I follow, but this was my first time reading one of her books—and holy cow, what a ride. *How Bad Things Can Get* has easily become one of my favorite books of the year.

The plot was so original and gripping, and the atmosphere? Absolutely chilling. Coates’ use of detail and description is flawless—every scene was vivid, tense, and emotionally charged.

Ruth’s character felt heartbreakingly real. Her emotional journey, especially as she grappled with Zach’s betrayal, was raw and powerful. Their relationship added such a complex layer of pain and vulnerability to the story. I couldn’t put it down.

This isn’t just a psychological thriller—it’s an emotional roller-coaster that hits you in all the best (and worst) ways. I finished the last page and just sat there, spiraling.

Huge thanks to **Poisoned Pen Press** for the ARC. This book absolutely blew me away.

Thank you NetGalley and Darcy Coates for this ARC..

What a great read and just in time for the upcoming spooky season. This was a first for me from this author and I will definitely look at more titles in my future reads.

I enjoyed that there was similar elements to other types of books I read like this one.

This is one of the most gruesome and terrifying books I have ever read. If you are squeamish, be warned before picking this one up. Make sure you check the trigger warnings. I did not enjoy this book because I am not a fan of gore and horror stories. I found myself skipping sentences and paragraphs, which made it hard to follow the story.
However, if you enjoy these types of books, you should definitely give this one a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

How Bad Things Can Get
By: Darcy Coates
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Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an opportunity to review an ARC of "How Bad Things Can Get"

I was immediately hooked from the beginning of this book and it kept me engaged until the very end!
I love a "stuck on an island with no way off and bad things happen" story- they feel like large-scale locked room horror and How Bad Things Can Get delivers in a big way!

I've already bought my hard copy for my favourites shelf!

Author Darcy Coates can write scaryyyy (those first creepy scenes 😬🤌), and I wish we had gotten a little more from the main character and her relationships that would have made the inevitable climax feel like more than a gorefest! And was Ruth actually a... hm

Confession: I don’t DNF books—books DNF me. This one made the choice for me by the halfway mark.

I usually light up when Darcy Coates drops a new book, but this one just didn’t land. The whole party of the century → survival game → spooky jungle island hosted by an obnoxious influencer setup grated on me. It didn’t feel like a week in paradise, more like a week of hell and I am not talking about the horror element.

What Lit my Mood
Ruth’s past and the island’s hidden history. Those darker threads pulled me in, and I wanted to sink into that haunting backstory.

Why my mood flickered and the story lost me:
Eton. His over-the-top influencer shtick was so stereotyped it broke the tension instead of building it. I listened to it as well as read it and while the audiobook narrator Hillary Huber was strong overall, every time she slipped into Eton’s voice, I wanted to rip out my earbuds. I don’t blame her, it was the dialogue.

There were sparks I enjoyed, but the spell just didn’t hold. Each new chapter felt like a chore, and nott “just one more” I love.

Witchy Mood Rating: Moody Mismatch — this moody witch couldn’t stay enchanted.

Verdict: Toss this one in the cauldron and reach for one of Coates’s earlier chilling tales instead. But if you’re a diehard fan, summon it only when you’re in the mood for games, gimmicks, and mayhem.

Darcy Coates’ writing always pulls me in, but this one felt extra special. Her style is so vivid and immersive that I could almost feel the shadows closing in as I read. This book is beautifully eerie, deeply emotional, and terrifying in all the right ways. I couldn’t put it down, and I’m still thinking about it long after the last page.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley, and Darcy Coates for the ARC!

WOW I have never read a more horrifyingly disgusting book but I loved it!! Well done Darcy Coates, this hit all the thrillers and horror marks for me!
It did have a slightly slower start compared to how fast the rest of the book read, but I liked all the foreshadowing and flashbacks all throughout.
The characters were all great with some surprising twists of who everyone was. I wouldn’t have guessed it.

5/5 stars for me. It was fast pace and kept me on the edge of my seat. The twisted games plus isolation and not knowing who was who, kept me wanting more. Check your triggers warnings. But this is a great mixture of summer and horror 🖤

Thanks you NetGalley for the advanced copy

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates and I loved this book, it was fast paced throughout with excellent twists and turns that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. A very enjoyable read especially as some of it was very creepy and dark in places - which I love this in a book!. But, I wouldn't advise reading this at night! 😂 Well, I was one of those who started reading How Bad Things Can Get in the early evening and ended up reading until I had finished! Superb book.

I highly recommend How Bad Things Can Get another 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read.

It was supposed to be a fun weekend of games and adventure. Five days on a remote island with an influencer playing games to win big prizes. Ruth who is the only survivor of a cult suicide has hidden her identity since she was a child she is worried she could be exposed. Soon people start disappearing and strange things are happening and being exposed as the petition child is not Ruth's biggest worry.

As always Darcy Coates does it again with another brilliant read. I did find this a little slow in the very beginning but it soon got going and once it did it didn't stop ! Would highly recommend as always if Darcy Coates has written it then read it !

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Darcy Coates for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so gross and gory and so engrossing. The cult aspects were so freaky and the events on the island were insane. If you like gore in horror, this is for you. Darcy Coates is so good at creating a tense, dark atmosphere with here horrors and can induce a lot of dread. Definitely recommend but might traumatize you a bit. Probably don’t read at night.

Thank you NetGalley! This book was a messed up and I could not get enough of it. It started out intense right away and soon twisted and turned into an amazing read