Bad Things Happen Here

Bad Things Happen Here
Age Range
12+
Release Date
June 28, 2022
ISBN
9781534497436
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I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

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. 

Editor review

1 review
3 Reasons to Read BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE
(Updated: July 19, 2022)
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Luca lives on Parris, an island primarily inhabited by the rich and well off. But underneath the glamor is a haunting string of dead women. When Luca's sister, Whitney, is the island's latest victim, she knows she has to find out the truth before the curse comes for her next.

3 Reasons to Read BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE:

1.) The setting: I love a setting that features a gritty, dangerous remote location, especially one that is shielded by the illusion of grandeur. Luca sees everything the island tries to hide, and she feels the weight of the hypocrisy around her.

2.) The relationships: While a good mystery does need strong action, I would argue the relationship between the victim(s) and the person living are just as important if not more. Luca lost her best friend, Polly, before she lost Whitney, and it is the loss of both relationships and the harsh grief that propels Luca forward into the action.

3.) The character development: Luca is grieving, mourning, experiencing betrayal and love, and trying to decide what next step to take all at the same time. Her heart is broken repeatedly by different circumstances, and she has to find a way through, even if it means leaving what is familiar and making hard choices. Her development feels really authentic and understandable for her character, and you can't help but want her to find happiness in some way, shape, or form after everything she's been through.

BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE is the perfect summer thriller with a beating heart at the center.
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