Jesus Christ there was a lot of gore! It took a while for shit to truly hit the fan but when it did, boy oh boy.
I would have probably liked a bit more focus on the cult aspects of the plotline, but overall, I had a good time reading this. It was decent paced and held my attention as even early on, weird shit kept happening. The author's descriptions of physical violence (and mauling people) had my skin crawling. The atmosphere and vibes were well set up, and I felt uneasy throughout most of the book.
I do think that the way the book jumped POVs was a bit hectic. It took me out of the story sometimes (though yes, I know it's for cliffhangers and suspense) and I always felt a little whiplash and a bit confused as we jumped around randomly and pretty often. The characters themselves were kind of forgettable- I don't spend enough time with them to really care or root for any one specific person, which is a shame because quite a few of them had potential. The ending was decent (though I think one detail was a bit unnecessary and underexplained).
In essence, I would definitely recommend this book if you like slashers and cult drama (though that is a bit lacking).

When an wealthy celebrity influencer hosts the party of the century, people are dying to attend (sorry for the pun). This was a fun campy and very gory horror book. Filled with horrific deaths and some very bloody games, this is does not disappoint. Multiple POVs come together for a very shocking ending, I look forward to more from Ms Coates.

Thank you Poison Pen Press for the ARC.

Darcy Coates is the master of the spooky/scary novel. She is amazing and I have loved every book I have read by her. This book was amazing! It was a thrill ride and had a quick pace. Not going to lie that I was a little scared. You will not be disappointed and I highly recommend that you grab this book quick!

Thank you to Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book gave me major anxiety! I was actually freaked out big time! So if you’re looking for an actually scary story to end your summer off right… grab this one ASAP!

It doesn’t disappoint- you’ll get people trapped on an island, a legend of a cannibal witch, a main character who has survived a horrific past, and so much more!

This was one of the best books I’ve read all year!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy!

3.5 Stars rounded up.

A rich online influencer and 600 "fans" land on Prosperity Island for 5 days of island/jungle fun filled with relaxation and games. Main character Ruth is a surviving member of a cult from twenty years ago. She tries to stay under the radar and keep this a secret, but her past catches up with her on the island.

The idea behind this story was great. Cults, islands, mysterious rich people dying. It already fell downhill for me when the rich online influencer who bounces around on stage was named Eton. Seriously? It was a carbon copy of Elon. Otherwise, the novel was okay. Ruth's background was the most interesting part, and it really hit speed about halfway or so into the book. It is a quick read, and had some gore placed in that made it more "realistic." It was not a real original idea, but it was executed well without one of those thrown together endings. Ruth was not a great main character, she was pretty naive, but I guess given her background it makes sense. I was very Squid Games meets the Lottery to me. The side characters were pretty flat and uneventful.

Honestly, not a part of the review, but a personal desire: I wish Coates stuck to spooky house stories. Her recent work really just reads more YA and always has some sort of tacky romance thrown in that just ruins it for me.

Darcy Coates has written everything from Haunted house horror to SciFi Horror and now we are getting cult horror.

This might be her Goriest book that she has wrote and I loved every single minute of this book.

The storyline is fast paced and I could not put this book down. It had my heart almost beating out of my chest. Even with the horror aspect Darcy Coates still there in some thriller twist all the way until the very end.

Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 386
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

4 stars
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When online influencer Eton throws a week-long party on an isolated island, what is meant to be a fun-filled party with games quickly turns into each invitee's worst nightmare - a fight for survival. Most are thrilled to be there and to have even gotten an invite, but for one party goer (Ruth), can't help but wonder if this is somehow tied to her past. As the sole survivor of the Petition cult, Ruth has done it all to leave her past behind, no one knows who she is, execpt her boyfriend Zach. It's hard for her to let go when she believes that Eton has invited her to the island for all of the wrong reasons. And to make matters worse, he isn't too concerned for their safety either.

Once again, Darcy does an amazing job with her eerie atmospheric descriptions of the island. I enjoyed the slower pacing, but can see how some may not be a fan of it, as a reader I loved having things dragged out so you could really wonder where the plot was going to go. I think the plot starts to unfold early in the book so you're not really having to guess what's going to happen, but instead, who will survive.

The chapters flip between multiple POV's and adds for another layer of tension during the last 20% of the book. While you're desperately wanting to find out what happens to one character, we jump to another character who's in just as much trouble as the last. This is a dark read so please take caution before jumping in, the book go into detail of some gruesome stuff, but I found it perfect for the vibe of the book.
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I would like to thank Poisoned Pen Press, Darcy Coates, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of How Bad Things Can Get in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. How Bad Things Can Get is set to publish on August 26th, 2025. You can pre-order your copy today.

Creepy, atmospheric, and full of that slow-burn tension Coates does best. How Bad Things Can Get pulled me in right away and kept me hooked with its eerie setting and unsettling vibes. Some twists were a bit predictable, but overall it delivered a chilling, satisfying read that horror fans will love.

If you’re a fan of haunted, suspense-driven horror with an emphasis on atmosphere over gore, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

When an affluent internet sensation hosts a party on a private island, his guests show up anticipating a relaxing week of tropical drinks and fun in the sun. But creepy Elon, I mean ETON, has a different sort of "fun" in mind.

He wants them all to play a game.

Watching those in need of cash compete against each other for the amusement of the wealthy is nothing new, and usually provides some good fodder for a suspenseful drama - and that's certainly true in this case. However . . . it gets better. Someone on the island has a hidden agenda, and bodies (and body parts) are piling up higher than a politician's pile o' bull. The paperboard characters (cardboard is just too dimensional to describe these people) don't stop this from being loads of fun.

Coates' latest thriller is a real page-turner with a massive body count.

The plot is wild at times, but it works because the horror is strong and the atmosphere carries much of the tension. It leans more towards splatterpunk than I expected, and it reminded me of Richard Laymon in both plot and execution, though Coates seems less gleeful about the gore than Laymon likely would have been.

The protagonist was strong, and while some characters felt one-dimensional, they were serviceable in the roles they played. Their development often leaned towards YA in tone, but it didn’t break the story. It allowed the pace to accelerate, especially at a pivotal turning point, and I think the author consciously sacrificed character development for pace and suspense.

A few of the build-up events felt implausible, yet I was willing to grant the author license to stretch things for the sake of pacing and shock. One oddity I found was the scale of the island never felt consistent. It sometimes felt vast, other times oddly small. Not sure if other readers feel the same.

I think Coates was also weaving in a critique of influencer culture. If so, it gave the horror an extra edge, as if she had something she needed to unpack about modern spectacle and exploitation. I started to wonder if she had somebody in mind when writing this book. Not a bad way to seek revenge if it is the case.

In the end, I welcomed the embrace of horror and atmosphere above all else. It made for a gripping and engaging read and made me dislike the idea of roughing it on a beach even more.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review.

DNF at about 40% but what I did read was extremely well paced and propulsive. I just am a wimp and couldn’t continue. Honestly it was stressing me out lol

I’ve heard so much about Darcy Coates and know she’s a big name in horror. This book lived up to the hype—I absolutely loved it. It’s fast-paced, super thrilling, and definitely on the more horrifying side. What impressed me most was how creepy the quiet moments felt. Even in simple, seemingly calm scenes, Coates manages to twist the atmosphere into something chilling—especially when she isolates the victims.

The festival games and the island’s dark history were both sinister and deeply intriguing. The way the plotline and secrets were sewn together kept me hooked the entire time. This is hands down the best horror I’ve read this year. I had such a great time with it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Darcey Coates’ latest nightmare-fuel: How Bad Things Can Get. Spoiler alert! The answer is very. As a longtime fan of Coates’ atmospheric horror, I went in with high expectations, and she exceeded every one. This novel is a masterclass in dread!

This book is grotesque, gory, and gloriously unhinged. Think: a remote island, a magnetic millionaire, a cursed festival, and cults that make Midsommar look like a garden party. It’s a descent into madness that’s as cinematic as it is claustrophobic.

Set on a remote island with a charismatic millionaire and a festival that quickly devolves into nightmare, the story blends cult horror with survival suspense in a way that felt tailor-made for my tastes. I was hooked from the first chapter, and the sense of isolation Coates creates is so immersive, I found myself physically tense while reading.

Her pacing is razor-sharp, and the emotional stakes are high. This isn’t just horror for shock value, it’s horror that lingers. If you enjoy stories that make you question who to trust, what’s real, and how far you’d go to survive, this one belongs on your shelf.

The lone survivor of an infamous cult, Ruth wants to live a normal life doing normal things. For the first time in her life, she has a group of friends! When her friends win tickets to a festival on Prosperity Island, they're ready for 5 days of food, drinks, beaches, and opportunities to win a ton of money. But when the island's past and Ruth's past collide in a bloody, deadly mess, will anyone live to tell their story?

I'll be honest. I read the blurb for this book and was instantly hooked BUT I'm a big wimp when it comes to horror/slasher/gore... so I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it through the book. It was incredibly gory but it was so well written and so gripping that I pushed through the gore and finished the book. I get major FOMO and in this case, that totally helped.

This book grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. I had about 5 "one last chapters" last night because they kept ending on a cliffhanger and I had to know what was going to happen. The plot was very original (although it gave vibes of Mr. Beast meets Fyre Festival). The chapters flew by and the writing made for an easy, mindless read. My only complaints are that I wanted to know more about Petition and that "the how/why" required a huge suspension of disbelief. This one's a Read It... but maybe don't eat while reading... you've been warned!

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Thank you to #netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the e-arc of How Bad Things Can Get!

Imagine winning a ticket to a private island hosted by one of your favorite influencers… but you’re also the only survivor of a cult. You step off the boat and something just feels off. People are getting hurt. People are vanishing. The staff seem sketchy, and you’re wondering who you can trust—if anyone. That’s exactly the ride How Bad Things Can Get takes you on. I was obsessed with the creepy festival scenes, the ties back to the cult, and the killings! And just when I thought I had it figured out? That twist about her boyfriend 😡

This was my first book by Darcy Coates and it def won’t be my last. I already have Ghost Camera on my shelf!

This book is very dark, fast paced and gruesome. I really enjoyed the original storyline and the cult aspect of the story but at times it was a bit much. I enjoyed some of the characters such as Ruth and Petra and found other characters aggravating which I think was the point. Overall, it was an intense read but enjoyable.

𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
📖- How Bad Things Can Get
✍🏼- Darcy Coates
📆- 08/26/25
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
⚠️Cannibalism, gore and body horror ⚠️
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Eton, a famous vlogger, is hosting a 5 day series of games on the infamous Prosperity Island. The prizes are considered of substantial cash prizes. Tickets were selected at random, however, one of the guests so happens to be the sole survivor of a cult. While everyone is thrilled to win these cash prizes, things start going downhill. Guests start disappearing, some guest witness murders that can’t be proven. No one believes any of this since Eton is known to throw curveballs in his games. But especially since Eton had told the backstory of the island and to make it more believable he had actors play out the chilling parts. Will there be a repeat of Prosperity Island’s history?

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭
This book excelled my expectations, if you’re a horror loving junkie this book is for you! It had all the gory details as well as the unseen presence and the unsettling atmosphere. I felt like I was in the story watching it all play out. It’s a book I’d pick up this spooky season 🖤

I was able to get this ARC through NetGalley.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Darcy Coates and was thrilled to get this opportunity.

Ruth has a secret past that she likes keeping VERY private. So secret that only one person knows, her boyfriend Zach. When given the opportunity of a lifetime to join fellow influencers for a weeklong party on an infamous island Ruth is hesitant.

As the party gets underway with games, food and plenty of drinks Ruth’s secret past starts to be exposed. Guests start to go missing, many get hurt as the games start to go wrong. Is everything really just a game? Can Ruth and her friends survive the terrifying events of the island?

This book is full of twists and turns with plenty of gore thrown in. I loved how each of the main characters had plenty of backstory to them which shows the time spent developing the entire narrative/story. I would HIGHLY recommend this to any and every fan of a good gory horror/thriller.

Happy Pub Day!

This one is set on a mysterious island where a billionaire influencer is running the ultimate competition. What’s supposed to be a good time with sun & sand & friends is anything but.

Trigger warning: 🩸 There are some surprisingly gruesome body horror moments, so keep that in mind before reading this one.

What made this book stand out for me was Ruth, twenty years after surviving a mass cult suicide as a child, she’s been carrying around shadows she can’t shake. When Ruth and her friends land on Prosperity Island for what’s supposed to be the party of the century, you can just feel her trauma creeping in around the edges.

What I Loved
* 🌊 The atmosphere was unsettling in the best way. Creepy forests, strange noises, the constant sense of being watched, very Blair Witch meets Survivor.
* 💔 Ruth’s backstory was the emotional core of the book. The flashbacks were beautifully written and gave her so much depth. Honestly, those parts almost outshone the island competition.

Where It Fell Short (for me)
* Some of the “big reveals” leaned a little cheesy.

This is a great choice if you love:
* 🎥 Horror that feels like a social media spectacle
* 🏝 Stranded island settings with Survivor/LOST vibes
* 📚 Fast-paced, easy-to-read thrillers with a dark edge

For me, this landed at a solid 4.5 stars.

Thanks so much @netgalley & @poisonedpenpress & @darcybooks for my eARC!

Ruth is just trying to forget about all the trauma she experienced as a child. However, when she’s invited to spend a week in the place where so many horrible things happened and her connection to it brings unwanted attention. She becomes confused by what is real and what is not? Can she truly get a second chance at life away from all this?

A book filled with suspense! Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the widget.