Cults – The Shelf Life

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates

Publication Date: August 2025 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Extremely descriptive and gory but underwhelming and forced in terms of plot and character development.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Online influencer Eton creates a lavish atmosphere on his own island and invites hundreds of his fans and fellow influencers to take part in a 5-day series of games. Wanting to actually have some fun and put away the memories of her past life in a notorious cult, Ruth joins her friends on the island. As she holds on to her secret of being the sole survivor of the cult, she begins to question the motivations and actions of those around her. As people start to go missing or are found dead, Ruth must face the truth that she has not completely escaped her past.

My Analysis: I have to start this off by saying I really adore Darcy Coates’s works, and this is the first of hers that I have read that I did not enjoy. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow and drawn-out way too much, so much so that I almost chose to DNF. There was one thing that kept me going and piqued my curiosity, but ultimately, I don’t feel it was worth it. I get where Coates was trying to come from with how her story unfolded, but to me it seemed like she was unnecessarily trying to put two completely separate stories together in a way that seemed to be way too much of a stretch. I will give a warning that this novel is filled with very descriptive gore scenes and murder, and if you are into that, those were very well written. They definitely aren’t for everyone though. I read this to see if it could be an adult title that could crossover to YA readers, and aside from the fact I didn’t care for the story, I would probably avoid putting it in the hands of general YA readers with how intense some of the descriptions were. Ruth’s character was interesting some of the time and it was compelling to hear of her past experiences in the cult she grew up in. But again, everything about this story felt very forced to me. I gave it as high of a rating as I did simply because the writing itself was good, even though the plot was severely lacking and characters other than Ruth were under-developed. If you really want to read some gore, give this one a try, but otherwise I’d recommend reading any of the other titles by this author instead.

Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill

Publication Date: June 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: An intriguing story told in verse. If you are willing to only gain a surface level understanding of the characters and cult life, it is worth the quick read! Realistic fiction with a mystery twist.

3.5/5 Stars

Book Summary: Wolfpack shares the story of a group of girls living in a remote location that they are told is a safe haven from the outside world. Under the leadership of a man named Joseph, these girls live life by his code and readers see a glimpse into their experiences. When one of the girls goes missing and no one seems to notice, the group starts to investigate the cause of her disappearance.

My Analysis:

This book is written in verse, and is a very quick read. It is broken up into chapters each focusing on one of the ‘wolfpack’ girls, but the author does little to really dive in to each specific character. If it wasn’t indicated, each chapter could have been the same characters perspective. I wish more time had been spent getting to know the individuals, I think it would have made for a larger impact to the story overall. It is also important to note that if you are looking for a book that dives into the inner workings of cults, that this is not what you’re looking for. Although it is clear these girls have grown up in a cult environment and that is key to their story, only surface level information about the cults inner workings are revealed throughout. Overall it did hold my attention and I was curious to know the outcome of the mystery that is presented as the story unfolds. The inner thoughts of the girls at Havenwood are intriguing and their bond with one another helped to garner emotion. If the characters and the cult life went a little deeper, it definitely would have added greatly to the story.