The Bad Ones [Paperback] Melissa Albert [Paperback] Albert, Melissa [Paperback] Albert, Melissa [Paperback] Albert, Melissa Paperback – 22 February 2024

A sprinkle of dark magic in the darkness descends upon the town, driving them into madness. "Goddess, goddess, count to fiveIn the morning, who’s alive?"A young girl has gone missing and the police are questioning everyone in school, town and more. But the answers only ly with the best friend (Becca), and when she decides to go looking for her sole friend, she uncovers a gloominess that has been shadowing this town for decades now and it all started with just a Goddess Game.If you are looking for uncanny spooky tales, dark games that go wrong mixed with nefarious men, this book is for you. There is murkiness, there is a conundrum and it is all situated in a contemporary world of school-going students. Besides these, I enjoyed the angles of toxic friendships, obsession and the zeal for survival that were combined well with the town's folklore background. I find this book good for beginners, interested in venturing into these genres.

absolutely loved the story writing. the amazing descriptions made the writting very interesting to read. the storyline might be slow but i think i was in mood for that and it fit me perfectly. the suspense is decent after half tge book one can actually guess the ending but nonetheless it was very very interesting. overall i loved the book.

Goddess, goddess, count to fiveIn the morning, who’s alive?Melissa Albert’s *The Bad Ones* is a masterclass in claustrophobic magical realism, blending horror and fantasy in a way that only she can. Set in a small town where four people mysteriously vanish in single night, the story unravels through Nora's desperate search for her estranged best friend, Becca. What starts as a quest to find a friend spirals into a dark exploration of local folklore, childhood games turned sinister, and the fine line between make-believe and the actual reality.Albert’s storytelling is as gripping as ever, weaving a tale that’s as much about the occult power of childhood and creation as it is about a MURDEROUS RAMPAGE! The eerie presence of a forgotten goddess is unsettling add layers of intrigue, making this book impossible to put down. I don't want to spoil the story by giving away too much cause you need to read it to EXPERIENCE the grim !I've read nearly all of Melissa Albert's twisted tales and have had polar opinions but one thing is for sure - each one is a labyrinth of wonder and dread, and every plot of hers leaves me speechless! The Bad Ones... oh, it sings a different tune. It has to be my favourite so far.If you're craving a read that screams FEMALE RAGE, occult mysteries, and a deadly game set against a backdrop of small-town dread, *The Bad Ones* is DEFINITELY IT!!

Nora's best friend Becca has gone missing along with 3 other people. They vanished late at night and no one has an inkling of what might have happened except maybe Becca herself. Nora knows that Becca knew something about the strange things happening in their small town but they hadn't talked to each other for 6 months and now she is gone. But then Nora starts finding little clues that she is sure Becca has left behind for her and that somehow connects these disappearances to an urban legend of a vengeful goddess and her little game. As Nora starts connecting the dots, she realises that the secrets Becca held were much more dangerous than she could have ever imagined and their little town is not at all as it seems.I'll be honest, I didn't have much expectations from this book. I hadn't read anything from Melissa Albert before and I am not a big YA horror reader but this book took me absolutely by surprise and I am now a @melissaalbertauthor fan! If all her books are as atmospheric as this one, I am sold 🤌🏻Firstly, this book has one of the most stunning covers. It fits right into the vibe of the book and that should be enough to convince you to read it👀The Bad Ones is a dark and sinister and atmospheric tale of co-dependent female friendships and female rage with Nora and Becca at the centre of it. I loved the writing style, it was lyrical and haunting. I love a good small town with lots of secrets setting so that worked perfectly for me. The little romance plotline we got was also done really well and I really liked it too.There were a lot twists throughout the book and it kept me guessing and at the edge all the time. I did rightly guess some of the plot twists while some took completely by surprise! (love that for me). This book made me want to read more horror (YA) and more of Melissa Albert books because if they are like this one, then I would totally love them! 💘Thank you so much @penguinindia for sending this my way 💖