It was the cover of The Bad Ones that first drew me in. How could it not? It’s a literal weeping angel statue. It’s the kind of cover Doctor Who fans dream of. While the cover made me pick it up, the story kept me hooked. The book starts as a frothy young-adult mystery, which would be enough for me by itself. However, it quickly turns into something much different and much darker. The Bad Ones is a supernatural horror story full of urban legends, unexplained deaths, and adolescent revenge.

Amazon / Goodreads / Audible

Synopsis:

Goddess, goddess, count to five
In the morning, who’s alive?

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games…

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.

Review:

Nora and Becca have been inseparable since childhood, and their recent estrangement hasn’t changed Nora’s love for her best friend. When Becca disappears one night – the same night three other people disappear from their town – Nora is determined to find her best friend. The mystery leads Nora back to her and Becca’s childhood interest in the occult and to a game the kids in town know as “The Goddess Game.”

The Bad Ones is one of the best young-adult mystery/thrillers I’ve read in a very long time. I’ve always been partial to young-adult thrillers as adult thrillers can get a little too intense for me. I find young-adult mysteries to toe the line perfectly between “way too stressful” and “not interesting enough.” I think Albert’s latest thriller manages to be a gothic, haunting mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, without any unnecessary jump scares or high anxiety-inducing moments.

If you enjoy young-adult mystery thrillers with friendships, dark themes, historical elements, a romantic subplot, and some horror elements, The Bad Ones is sure to be a new favorite.

Audiobook:

Emma Galvin does an excellent job with narrating The Bad Ones audiobook. If you listen to audiobooks, this is an excellent pick-up! Galvin adds the right amount of tension, creepiness, and confusion to Nora’s narrative voice. Galvin previously narrated Hide by Kiersten White and Five Survive by Holly Jackson, so she’s got the thriller, horror vibes down perfectly. You might also recognize her voice from her narration in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed The Bad Ones and highly recommend it to all readers who enjoy a twisty young-adult mystery. I would call it a supernatural thriller or gothic mystery rather than straight-up horror, so this would be a great way to tip-toe into horror for those new to the genre!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an audio review copy of The Bad Ones! All the above thoughts are my own.

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