4.5 stars, rounded up.

I absolutely devoured this, practically in one sitting. The horror imagery was impeccable, the non-linear story telling really worked for me, and the "good for her" moments were just so delicious. On the surface, this is a folk horror about a girl who is haunted (maybe literally) by her past, but it unravels into a satisfying and bloody tale of learning self acceptance and self worth. It perfectly blended supernatural horrors, psychological horrors, and the horrors of toxic relationships. It was also a giant middle finger to bullies, narcissists, and abusers, and I loved every second of it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for an early review copy of The Mean Ones, all opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.

5 stars This book hit me hard. The Mean Ones is raw and real in a way that’s hard to shake. The writing is sharp, and the emotions feel lived-in. It’s not trying to be pretty—it’s honest, and that’s what makes it powerful.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sometimes timeline jumping can feel clunky but this is definitely not the case here. A dark and gripping read, the multiple horror aspects were alot of fun and kept you immersed.
The ending was perfect, good for her!

Duuuuude! The descriptive imagery in this?? Messed me up real good, in the best way. Goosebumps were bumping, heart was close to thumping.

We follow Sadie/Sabrina as she navigates her present life after leaving her past life behind as a child after watching her friends get gruesomely slaughtered. She's much older now and trying to live a normal life under her new name but she is still plagued by visions since that night and a somewhat delicious voice in her head asking unthinkable things of her.

To cut a long story short this was delightfully gruesome and those descriptions are going to sit with me for a long time. Packed with gory folk horror-escque depictions, it was like I could picture everything completely and I was truly immersed. I was super excited for this after absolutely loving Such Lovely Skin and it did not disappoint on the creepy factor. The plot went a completely different way than I was anticipating and you know what? I'm here for it. This was thoroughly enjoyable.

This book was INCREDIBLE. I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved it. The writing was stunning, and described the feelings of not belonging so well. The author also did an amazing job putting feelings of PTSD and just being "different" into words. I especially loved the ending and the fact that it wasn't what I expected at all. Everyone who enjoys horror, especially supernatural horror, should read this book!!

The flashbacks to when Sabrina was young were the best parts of this story. The murder scene was especially vivid & gripping and that alone is why I gave this two stars. I wish more of the book had focused on that timeline. Adult Sadie was truly insufferable and I couldn’t root for her. Schlote-Bonne clearly writes teens better than she writes adults. You can tell that this is her first go at an adult novel, because it reads like YA with some very unnecessary sexual elements thrown in. I think she should probably stick with YA. This just wasn’t it. The concept was there, but the execution was not.

This was kind of hard to read and I was torn on what to rate it for that reason.

When I say hard to read, I'm not referring to the prose - the writing is actually a very quick read, with Schlotte-Bonne alternating chapters between the past and present pretty skillfully, revealing just bits of the truth here and there. Really well written, honestly. But the content is hard to digest, especially because I had so-called friends like Sabrina's, who weren't really friends at all but snotty mean girls who kept me around as a punching bag. Reading that was difficult for me.

Of course I'm nothing like Sabrina/Sadie, whose traumatic experiences change her for the worse. Most of the book you're left wondering what's real and what's not with the ending reveal being both satisfying and kind of silly, honestly.

So I didn't hate this but I do feel nauseous from having read it. I can see some people absolutely loving this as well. I don't know why it felt different from others that do this concept but it does feel different, and better. The cover is more accurate than you think.

Overall a tightly woven, well written horror story that feels like it ends just as it begins. Solid four stars.

For fans of: psychological horror, Silent Hill, The Ritual, forest settings

A superb horror novel. I loved every minute reading this book. Sadie is having hallucinations associated with a tragic event in her past. But what if they aren’t hallucinations? The characters are well developed and the plot is riveting. There’s a dual timeline but it’s not confusing. Great book, highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

The Mean Ones Review

This book was truly a wild one. And I loved it! It was engaging, it was thrilling, and it was definitely creepy! I had no idea this was by the same author who wrote Such Lovely Skin. When I got to the ending and saw that the author also wrote Such Lovely Skin, it made me want to go grab a copy because now I know, I'm gonna love that just as much I loved The Mean Ones.

We follow a 29 year old woman who calls herself Sadie, but Sadie isn't who she says she is. Her real name is Sabrina, and 17 years ago, her best friends got murdered by a cult at a summer camp when she was a kid. Since then, she has wanted to live a normal life despite having strange, disturbing hallucinations of a contorted other world and hearing a comforting male voice in her head. But when her sweet, considerate boyfriend, Lucas spontaneously agrees to join a couples trip to a cabin in the woods, her fears come back to haunt her. The visions get worse, a strange figure stalks her, and the voice in her head continues to call to her and ask to do things she has never fathomed. Is she overreacting, or is there more to her paranoia?

First of all, the build-up throughout this book is fantastic. We get Sabrina's pov in both the present day as well as when she was a child, which adds this extra dread since you already know what's going to happen in her childhood. But, her pov as a child gives so much more meat to the story, such as how her childhood friends were basically bullies to her and her own mother was a bit toxic. Then we get that reflection in her adulthood because now she's in a relationship with a man who is also toxic. Yet, Sabrina wants so desperately to be normal that she overlooks that trait and instead wants to evolve the relationship. So it's intriguing when Sabrina is having a mind complex where she wants to trust her own instincts, but is constantly battling to be Sadie, the "normal girl" and deciding on what "normal" Sadie would do.

We have all this strange, weird, and crazy stuff happening as well due to Sabrina's visions. They're so vibrant with gore and texture. And not a single scene is the same. Her "imaginary" voice Damon adds to the grotesque feel because she describes his deep voice as being comforting despite the horror happening in front of her. You can't go wrong with creepy forest vibes either. Everybody loves a demented deer demon.

The way this plays out. You already feel like you have an idea of what's going on. But you are rooting for Sabrina to find out the truth. Even in her childhood, you want her to stand up for herself! You want her to succeed in the darkest way possible! And the conclusion was so good! Wish I could tell you more about it but you'll just have to wait till it comes out.

Thank you, NetGalley for another opportunity to read an advanced copy. This book publishes on September 30th 2025.

THE summer slasher!! And that ending?!??!!!

Our protagonist Sadie is a muscle mommy and a people pleaser. Her boyfriend Lucas is also a body builder and has a terrible temper (he will give you the ick). I enjoyed Sadie’s inner monologue and I think a lot of people can relate to her people-pleasing tendencies.
Sadie survived a terrible murder at a summer camp in middle school and has PTSD from it. She experiences visions of talking dead animals, voices in her head, and something called ‘The Other Place’. She keeps it a secret from her boyfriend and uses working out as an escape from her nightmares.

But now, her past is coming back up seventeen years later at this cabin with friends and things get VERY SPOOKY AND CULTY. The chapters go back and forth with dual timelines of the present day and the murders at the camp. The descriptions really made it play out like a movie in my head and the dual timelines kept the story progressing and interesting. I loved every second and hope this book gets the recognition it deserves!

Feminist rage horror >>>>

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

*Book Review: The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne*
Rating: 5/5
"So what if Sadie hears talking dead animals and a strange, comforting male voice in her head?"
Wow. I don't know what i was expecting with this book, but it was nothing like I've read before. I would have read it in one go if I didn't get creeped out at 1am, and carried on once the sun was out 💀🔥
Gave me stranger things vibes, and im 100% here for it. A new favourite author! 5 Stars!

★★ ¼

Marginalized-protagonist horror is absolutely—without a doubt—my favorite genre to read. In a genre that has for so long been completely at the whims of cisgender-heterosexual white men, being able to see the societal prejudices that creep into some of our most loved tales be mangled, mashed, and turned on their head is forever my favorite thing about this genre. Even though The Mean Ones didn't work for me in the way I hoped it would, I deeply appreciate this book for existing and the author for making it so. I will also say outright that I'm not the biggest contemporary thriller/suspense fan (though I keep trying!), and so what I disliked might work much better for another reader; please take this review with as many grains of salt feel appropriate for you and your reading habits.

Firstly, for what I loved: I appreciated the detail put into Sadie's life with PTSD and how it crept into every waking moment of her being throughout the novel—her relationships, her self-image, her fears. I have it too, and I think Schlote-Bonne absolutely nailed how trauma is something that you can never quite fully come clean of, no matter how much you try. The dual timelines (2023, 2006) were also a fun way to superimpose Sadie's trauma at camp with the horrors she experienced after, and I think the ending (which was easily my favorite part of the book and was just the satisfying touch I needed after Sadie's boyfriend made my blood boil for the first 95%) was made just that much more satisfying as everything converged on itself.

However, much of the rest of the book sadly didn't fulfill what I wanted it to. Though I understand that much of the story (and many of the summer camp portions specifically) were necessary to tell the story and get to the ending that Schlote-Bonne intended, I felt... very disconnected for a lot of the text, with the horror feeling more sprinkled through rather than existing as a distinct, creeping environment that fully enveloped the reader. It felt as if THE MEAN ONES attempted to straddle two different genres in a way that didn't quite hit the mark in tying them together.

I also did not enjoy Sadie as a protagonist whatsoever. I understand why the author made the decisions that she did with her narrative voice and inner doubts and the like, but much of the few parts I did feel connected to her—mostly the parts at camp with her as a young girl—made her feel brash and inconsiderate in a place in the story where it just didn't seem to serve a purpose or feel consistent to her character beyond creating a plot point to keep the reader engaged in the middle of a long stretch of buildup.

Finally, I felt like the prose left a lot to be desired. Full disclaimer that I say this as more of a literary fiction kind of guy, and so I recognize that this will be much more towards others' taste than mine, but it made parts of this book much more difficult to get through as very few of the descriptions and bits of atmosphere felt interesting enough to keep my attention. My favorite parts were the descriptions of Sadie's hallucinations and the narration towards the dual climaxes of the novel, but the rest didn't pack as much of a punch.

Overall, an interesting title that suffered from a lot of choices that were not to my taste but may be to yours.

Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid 4.5 stars! This has been my favorite netgalley arc so far. I really liked our female main character. I liked the dual time line, and was actively wanting to read the next chapter to get back to the event i'd been waiting for. Her hallucinations are gnarly, all the imagery was well described and gory. The twists were twisty, and I enjoyed the conclusion. I think its only short a half star because I wanted more. thanks to netgallery for this ARC.

INSANE!! This book was so good. Midsommar meets Hannibal with camp slasher vibes in an instant cult classic! You gotta read it

Sabrina’s childhood friends are brutally murdered at summer camp. And since then, she can see and hear things that she’s not even sure are real. Is she going insane? She just wants to be normal. But that repressed bullied child will get the last laugh

I was feeling rage for her during this. Allie, Blakely (less so), Lucas, her mom! Like this poor girl. This is definitely a story of Good For Her!

Haunting, spooky, perfect!

My rating: 5/5

The Mean Ones takes its time getting under your skin. At first, it feels like a quiet psychological thriller, focused on a woman trying to keep her life together despite a dark, unshakable past. Sadie is a complicated protagonist—soft-spoken, avoidant, and often unsure of her own mind. I’ll admit I was unsure at first, especially with how much time we spend watching her fold herself around her boyfriend’s moods. It seemed almost overdone. But as the book goes on, it becomes clear that this slow pacing and her hesitations are part of a much larger picture.

The dual timeline—shifting between present-day Sadie and her teenage self, Sabrina—keeps the tension simmering and gives the reader just enough pieces to slowly understand the full weight of her trauma. The 2006 setting feels sharply specific in a way that’s nostalgic and unsettling. As someone who was also 12 that year, the references hit just right and made the story feel more grounded and real.

The moments where Sadie slips into "The Other Place" are some of the most eerie in the book. The imagery is rich, disturbing, and impossible to shake. The voice that follows her, the animals that she sees, the figure in the woods—it all builds a creeping, surreal atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and something much darker.

This is very much a "feminine rage" book—quiet at first, then increasingly raw and emotional. There’s a heaviness to it, a sense of dread that builds until the final act crashes over you in the best way. It is one of the few book endings that I have felt truly satisfied with.

I can’t stop thinking about this one. It's strange, intimate, and unsettling in a way I really loved. To me, the novel's vivid, night-marish imagery more than makes up for Sadie’s often frustratingly doormat tendencies. Highly recommend it—especially for those looking for horror that’s character-driven, emotionally messy, and full of unforgettable imagery.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced copy of this title!

I really enjoyed the twist in this one. I thought the book was going on way and then it did a 180. It was also a very conflicting feelings for the main character and her decision. Definitely a fast paced read.

The Mean Ones had me in a chokehold!! I loved this so much, and the cover is so unique and captivating. It is written in dual timelines of the MC’s past as a child (2006) and her present (2023) that intertwine so well. The eerie forest setting really complemented the dark storyline. I enjoyed the immersive writing and the disturbing, gory descriptions of “The Other Place.” I loved the MC’s character growth so much, and I also enjoyed the inclusion of weightlifting as I don’t think I’ve read a book with that included before. I don’t want to say much more to avoid spoilers. But this had me scared to go outside with my dogs at night because of the woods beside my house 😂 iykyk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tatiana Schlote-Bonne for this ARC of The Mean Ones! This book was one of my most anticipated of the year and it did not disappoint.

I loved the Yellowjackets meets Midsommar description of this book and after finishing it, I can actually say it was spot on. The writing moved the story along appropriately, I never got bored, and I was always trying to figure out what happened next. Also, the twist at the end was so killer! We need more badass female friendships that transcend most else. I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone but what I will say is this: READ IT! EVEN BETTER, pre-order it right now from an indie bookstore! I honestly just wish the book was longer.

Bullying a girl relentlessly who is supposed to be your friend? What could possibly go wrong? Everything.

Sadie is running from her past and is creating a new life. She has a boyfriend she loves, lift weights and builds strength, and works as a physical therapist assistant. But she also has vivid hallucinations, and hears someone talking to her who’s not there. But she can handle it. Right? And despite not wanting to head to a cabin a the woods with some friends, she’s going because it will make Lucas happy. And with this, Tatiana fleshes out the start of a descent into a nightmare that Sadie cannot escape from.

The author bounces back and forth between Sadie’s teenage past at a summer camp with her supposed friends, and her present-with Lucas, Heather, and Eli. What Tatiana gives us with Sadie’s past is a horrific glimpse of gaslighting and bullying wrapped in a bow of beloved sisterhood. She is mocked, teased, pranked, but always forgives. It’s incredibly painful to read, and enraging to witness. But of course, there always comes a point when a person snaps, and that’s exactly what happens with Sadie. But she could have never predicted how she would react when she had decided she had enough.

The present also follows Sadie as she navigates seeing shadows of her past, while trying to appease her volatile boyfriend’s behavior-believing she can make him happy if she can just fall in line and be what he wants her to be. But as she slowly starts to see him for what he is, and give into the voice that is purring in her ear, she, once again, will make a choice-and it will change her life in ways he didn’t believe were possible.

Cult vibes and women taking back power-this novel brings that and then some. Two thumbs up. 4.5 stars.

Right off the bat, I was intrigued because the descriptions were amazing. The first 13% was a little slow with exposition (and a lot of workout terminology I didn't understand), but I understood why that was by the time I got about 25% in. By then, I was paranoid of every character and Sadie was stressing me out with her people pleasing. Her behavior totally made sense, but my God, did I want it to end for my own nerves. Even teenage Sadie reads like a teenager, which was annoying with its accuracy (a good thing in my eyes).

The story is told in dual timelines: 2006 Alabama and 2023 Colorado. It was fascinating to see Sadie surrounded by the same personalities but different people. I noticed at one point that a past character and a present character had similar wording when it came to describing Sadie's relationship to them.

I know the plot is reliant on Sadie questioning her reality. However, I wasn't expecting all the mental abuse that Sadie suffered from those she thought she should love her. It was a lot to take in when I wanted to yell at her boyfriend Lucas every time he spoke.

There is a slight HP reference that's so subtle that you might miss it. It could be a reference to something else though so I don't know if it was intentional by the author and I don't want to ding my review because I could have been overthinking it. I thought the author referencing Frodo wrapped in Shelob's web would have been more appropriate for what the scene involved and Sadie's numerous LOTR references.

Throughout the novel, I was concerned that Sadie was going to stay her timid self but oh my God, the development. I loved how one little detail explained near the end really put things together for me to the point where I re-examined where I thought this was going to go. I'm so happy that the author pushed the limit of what I thought was going to be acceptable. Honestly, it made the book more fun and I was even a little giddy.

This book was fast-paced and visually descriptive. It was a joy to read.