A review by probablyjenna
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Melissa Albert knows how to write spooky, chaotic, likable female characters. I really loved The Bad Ones, and it absolutely highlighted Albert’s ability to spin intricate world of magic

The premise of this book feels really fresh. There’s a story about a girl who died years ago and a local game that kids in town play without knowing its darker history. Our main character, Nora, has a complicated best friend and the two of them are deeply codependent. And then the best friend goes missing, kicking off Nora’s descent into figuring out what has been lying on the surface of her hometown all this time.

There is so much I loved about how this book portrayed female friendship, especially in the teenage years. Albert never loses sight of who her characters are - messy girls who love each other above all else.

This would be a perfect October read; it isn’t scary, but certainly maintains a spooky atmosphere as Nora learns more about what’s really going on.

Highly recommend, and will continue reading whatever Albert writes next!