I enjoyed the setting, the character depictions and the way that the author set up the mysterious nature of the island, however, I was a little disappointed by the ending. There were many references to the deaths of several young girls, especially Polly and yet the book only wrapped up the death of Whitney. I was hoping/expecting there to be links between all these cases, but it didn't all come together as I hoped.

YA is a favourite of mine. YA mysteries even more so! Bad Things Happen Here sounded like the perfect book for me yet I found myself a little on the fence with it!
Is there mystery and suspense? Yes. Is there a cast of characters living a glamorous looking life that isn't what it seems? Yes. Mysterious deaths? Yes. So what didn't I love it? Well, let's see!

Bad Things Happen Here was too slow for me. It felt very drawn out, trying to realise which direction to head next. Is it a serial killer? Is it a curse? Is it all coincidence and nothings going on? It's never very clear where it wants to be heading. The characters felt very shallow to me. Not shallow in the sense of vain, I mean that they didn't feel overly fleshed out. Luca was the only one I felt I knew, not necessarily liked, and even then it wasn't until later in the novel I felt I was seeing her.

This book deals with a range of themes; sexuality, identity, grief, class, friendship, family, addiction, isolation. A lot goes on for a YA book so you would expect it to be very engaging but I didn't find it to be at all. The ending, which I didn't see coming, was alright but not enough to redeem what came before. I was left wanting a little bit more from it honestly. Unfortunately, just a so-so YA mystery!

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

This is a thoroughly enjoyable YA read.
This book is fast paced throughout and very easy to read.
The main story is based on Luca and the tragedy her life has become.
It is extremely well written and focuses on a young teenager growing up gay, it also touches on the importance of looking after yourself and your mental health.

[Thank you to Bonnier Books UK & NetGalley for sending me a digital proof of this book before the publication date!]

This book had intrigued me from the start: murder mystery, curses, female friendships, and diverse characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the progression of investigating alongside Luca about what happened to the women of Parris. It was a fast read and I felt very engrossed in the majority of it. The plot twists were shocking and the ending was graceful after a chaotic turn of events for Luca. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

I didn't realise that this was a young adult book, so I didn't really enjoy it for that reason. However, it is a good book for its genre (in my opinion) so have given it five stars anyway.

Bad Things Happen Here is a thrilling and energetic young adult mystery thriller. It blends familiarity with the unknown incredibly well, and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Highly recommend for lovers of One of Us is Lying, We Were Liars, and Pretty Little Liars

The main character is black, plus sized and has a girlfriend. She was he most likeable thing about the book for me. Set in Paris, every few years someone dies due to the curse. Luca wants to find out why. Whilst the story is full of suspense, I felt it was slightly unresolved at the end. Enjoyable but not memorable.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Its main characters give it the feel of a young adult “coming of age” story, but the setting and theme and style of writing set a very different tone. Its themes are complex and extremely young adult relevant - trying to fit in with societal norms and getting to terms with bereavement - with the setting displaying being one of privilege and comfort. The fact that the main character is a mixed-race gay teenager is not as important to the story as the hierarchy of privilege that seems to prevail, with wealth and influence seemingly playing a more important part. I think that more could have been given to the portrayal of the setting - the superficially privileged but fundamentally rotten island of Parris - and this would have made the story and the characters’ struggles and behaviours resonate more. For me, a potentially really interesting story that didn’t quite hit the mark.

I initially enjoyed the idea of this novel. With every author you come across you are trying out their writing style as well. This novel had a decent pace with it’s short chapters making it easy to read this disturbing type of novel which I think would be more suited towards the end of the year. It is about this idyllic island where the privilege go to enjoy their time and do everything they can to protect it. However this novel is about a mixed-race Luca who is confused about her sexuality and so forth. I may be mixed race as well however that or my preference in people is not my identity and I did not wish for this to be the main focus.
The novel was compelling though in most aspects.

Rebecca Barrow is a completely new author to me and I feel that this book has really set the bar high for her next books.

The blurb reads

"Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.

When Luca comes home to police cars outside her house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks Luca’s world, the identity Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life."

I was literally hooked whilst reading this novel and enjoyed every single word that Rebecca Barrow narrates. An incredible read that is very different to what I normally read but the story is told in such a way that it captivated me.

I really enjoyed Luca as a character, to me she screams young and independent with quite a powerful way about her. I would love to read more about her and Rebecca Barrow may write about her again.

The story is told in such a way that you actually feel that you are side by side with Luca and doing the investigation with her.

Definitely one of my top novels of 2022 so far.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Barrow and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting read but I was slightly disappointed with the ending, I think I wanted more of a showdown & justice! Really well written though and it kept me guessing throughout. Its well worth a read.

This was a creepy story about a small town that everyone believes is cursed because of the various unsolved deaths of young girls over the decades. Luca is at the heart of the novel and the curse because first it was her best friend and now it is her sister and so she is determined to get to the bottom of her death by any means necessary. She also develops a relationship with the new girl next door while searching for answers and this is a deeply intense and dark novel based in a rich town full of secrets and cover ups. You never know what is going to happen next and so I couldn't put the book down. There is a big twist at the end which made my jaw drop making for an incredible story.

An easy, gripping, fast-paced YA mystery/thriller that is basically We Were Liars x A Good Girl's Guide To Murder.

This book has a plus-sized, mixed-race, bisexual main character who also experiences intrusive thoughts (which I thought were presented in a relatable way as someone who experiences them often).

I especially liked the betrayal trope and plot twists through the novel!

This is a really nice read read if you want to get out of a reading slump.

I absolutely bloody love a good YA thriller murder mystery WHODUNNIT with an island setting, so imagine my absolute joy at getting a proof of this baby?! It’s an incredible read. I found it was one of those books that once you pick it up, you don’t put it down again until you’ve finished it. I was gripped, I was hooked, I was titillated. The characters were all wonderful and easy to connect with, and damn if you don’t love Luca then we will have issues. Massive heart vibes to that sweet little popcorn cherry apple.


Thank you so much to Eleanor at Hot Key Books for sending me a proof of this one. I loved it!

Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.
When Luca comes home to police cars outside her house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks Luca’s world, the identity Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life.

This is a gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

A great high-school style mystery along the lines of ‘One of us is lying’. Interesting characters, fascinating plot line, perfect for the YA market.

Bad Things Happen Here was so exquisitely written and full of teenage angst, it fits perfectly into the YAs genre.

Such an unpredictable gripping and twisty “Nancy Drew” style novel. I loved the fact that I just did not predict it.

Thank you #NetGalley #RebeccaBarrow and the publisher for my E-arc copy and giving me the opportunity to read this novel.

I was so taken in and am rating #badthingshappenhere the five out of five stars and if I could I would give it more.

I found myself floundering in this book. I felt it was over long and I just did not engage with it at all. I could not really get into the characters in any way and longed to get to the end of it.
The idea of an island that is cursed and causes the deaths of young girls is an interesting one, but somehow it was not for me.

Lead characters were wonderfully complex and there was fab representation throughout the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the read, but the ending left me wanting more.

Bad Things Happen Here is the YA murder mystery of the summer. Barrow has created a truly intoxicating and twisted gem of a book.

This was one of those books that is just all-consuming and completely enrapturing. I absolutely flew through the pages. Right from the start, Barrow had me by the throat and never truly let me go. That opening line is one hell of a hook and ensured that my full attention was solely focused on this story. The writing style flowed so well for me, keeping me glued to the pages and transporting me to the sun-soaked island of Parris. This setting became its own character, illustrated through its delicately constructed facade of perfection and hiding its darkly destructive nature. Very often, things are not as they seem and Parris’ picture-perfect image disguises an abhorrent web of secrets and corruption.

Luca was such a fascinating protagonist, flawed and fractured by her grief but also determined to uncover the truth. Her voice was completely engaging and twinged by that deep-seated feeling of survivor’s guilt, complicated by her past and what truly happened all those years ago. The curse that drives the action was an interesting motif, interrogating our superstitions and the myth of the perfect victim. I loved how this book explored that myth, ripping it apart and revealing its innate classism, racism and sexism. Why is it only those who society deems as worthy that have even a shot at justice?

This was a really twisty and constantly engaging mystery, with shocking reveals and an impressive focus on quieter character work. A lot of the scenes are extremely emotionally charged and I loved the exploration of trauma and grief. While the stakes are always being raised, there is also always an equivalent emotional devastation lurking round the corner. Most of the twists are tied into these intimate character relationships carefully cultivated by Barrow and add new layers into your perception of events.

Bad Things Happen Here is a book that delves deep beneath the veneers of societally deemed perfection, exposing its deadly flaw, with wonderful representation and a killer mystery.