Bad Girls Don't Die: From Bad to Cursed [Hardcover]

My first thought when reading the synopsis was "This family seriously has bad luck. How can they be getting mixed back up in something supernatural?" I loved the first book, Sarah creeped me out more than words can say...then again, as a child I had a fear of one of my dolls. I was convinced she'd come alive, but I'm not reviewing the first book.

The sequel holds that same scary factor. It's more of a gradual build-up. The whole time in my head I was going "No, Lexi, no no no no!" You'd think after the last book, she'd have learned not to toy with things of this sort. That aside, my inner teenage girl totally understands why there is an appeal to being perfect and getting everything you want. Who cares if you have to take an oath?

There was one line towards the end of the book that rocked me to my core. It was definitely one of the most frightening lines I've read in a book in a very long time. I read a lot of horror/thrillers that I don't review, so for me to say it's that bad is kind of a big deal. After that line, things sped up and went at a rapid, yet appropriate rate.

My heart ached for Carter and Kasey both. Moreso for Carter since he had no clue what was really going on. I have to admit, I kind of missed Carter throughout the book, but also would love to see more of Jared.

If you have read this review and haven't picked up the first book and love being scared/creeped out, pick it up! If you loved the first book you won't be disappointed with the sequel and then can join me in eagerly awaiting the third book. From Bad to Cursed will be in stores on 6/14.

I received From Bad to Cursed as an ARC from the publisher, Disney-Hyperion in exchange for my honest review on Letters Inside Out.

This is a good read--well written, with fairly memorable characters. Since I didn't read the first book, there was a great sense of the mysterious unknown which gave it a haunting quality. That was good. Overall, though, it's a bit cliched. I would recommend it for ages ten to fifteen.

Blending horror and humor, From Bad To Cursed is sure to be unforgettable. Taking all the amazing elements of the first installment and amping up the stakes for this newest addition, it is the perfect novel to read just after dark, with every single light in the house on. From it's characters to it's break-neck plot, From Bad To Cursed is original and yet, somehow, completely familiar.

I mentioned before in my review of the first novel, Bad Girls Don't Die, that horror novels are tricky to pull off without strong leads. Alexis's got that covered and then some. She's never been the girl that runs blindly into something because the plot calls for it. She strives to know what she's dealing with and is brave enough to do something about her situation. As a newly reformed bad girl, making amends for her dark days, she is likable. She still tells it how it is but is trying hard to be nicer to people. Her voice in this next installment felt even more authentic than the first one. As she slowly changes after joining the Sunshine Club, you can feel the things you love about her starting to slip away. Suddenly, she is becoming unreliable which is complete change from her strong, stable self in the first book. Seeing her fade into something completely other really does make you realize how incredibly strong she was in the first and by the ending, you are clamoring for her to find that strength again. Her journey doesn't disappoint.

Ms. Alender is a master in the art of subtly. You'd think a character completely changing who she is would be a huge red flag and easy to detect but I can't pinpoint when Alexis went from bad to cursed. Even though this is a first person narrative, her priorities and tone changing is so subtle that before you know it, she is a completely different narrator with only hints of the girl we know and love. Still using sight, sound, and sense to play with emotions and amp up the fright level, this novel is scary in an entirely new way. Though there isn't a physical presence of an antagonist, the fact that it was coming from within was enough to make it really truly scary. And just when you feel like you can't take anymore tension, a line jumps out to make you laugh before layering a new threat on thicker.

One of the most interesting aspects of this novel once again was the dynamic between Kasey and Alexis. Freshly out of the mental institution and hopping right into high school, Kasey is not the same girl she was in the beginning of the series and Alexis really doesn't know how to deal with her. I loved watching Kasey mature through this novel and to see Alexis's learn to lean on Kasey a little bit more. With their relationship always being Lexi taking care of Kasey, it was nice to see Kasey stepping up to the plate to show Lexi that she can carry some of the burden. There is a scene where Kasey cleans up Alexis in a bathtub that is partly touching and partly horrifying. It brings an entirely new layer to their complex relationship as sisters.

Generally speaking, I'm not big on plot since I'm willing to go for most things if I like the characters enough. And I really like these characters who continue to break through from their stereotypes in order to come alive on the page. But this story had a complex plot that will have you flipping the pages faster just to figure it out. The clues are sprinkled in so well that you don't really know what's happening until it does and I didn't even have time to try and reason out what was going to happen because I was so addicted to the words on the page. I caught the twists and turns only when the character did and I felt compelled to read "just one more chapter" until the 400+ pages melted into nothing in my hands.

Alexis's voice is believable, her journey long and winding but it doesn't feel like it. The ending reaches out for one final scare and will have the reader clamoring for the next novel. Even better than the first, with an entirely new kind of enemy and the same cast of familiar characters, From Bad To Cursed is a masterpiece. From its first fright to the last, it's scary good!