Review of Very Bad People

I really enjoyed Kit Frick’s debut YA book. What did I think of her new YA Dark Academia novel, Very Bad People? I’m here to tell you! Check out my review of Very Bad People!

Very Bad People by Kit Frick

To be published on April 5, 2022 by Margaret McElderry books. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review. I read this book in May 2022.

Synopsis: Six years ago, Calliope’s mother drove the family van into a lake with her three daughters inside. The girls escaped, but their mother drowned, and the truth behind the “accident” remains a mystery. Now sixteen, Calliope transfers to Tipton Academy, the same elite boarding school her mother once attended. Tipton promises a peek into the past and a host of new opportunities—including a coveted invitation to join a secret society that fights for social justice. Calliope accepts, but it soon becomes clear that some members define justice differently than others.As the society’s tactics escalate, Calliope uncovers a possible link between them and her mother’s deadly crash. Now, she must question what lengths the society might go to in order to see a victory—and if the secret behind her mother’s death could be buried here at Tipton.

My Review of Very Bad People

I really enjoyed Kit Frick’s debut YA, I Killed Zoe Spanos, which was a loose Rebecca retelling. I didn’t realize that Very Bad People was YA Dark Academia, which of course excited me a lot. If you haven’t checked out my extensive list of Dark Academia books, check it out here.

Yes, Very Bad People had virtually all the hallmarks of a great Dark Academia book: a boarding school setting with lots of quirky traditions, a mysterious secret society (another Dark Academia must!) and some dark deeds.

Calliope’s new school, Tipton, has a secret society called Haunt and Rail. This group of twenty students sworn to absolute secrecy picks social justice causes to anonymously advocate for. But the vigilante aspect of Haunt and Rail also has its dark and controlling side, a side that starts to make Calliope uncomfortable. In addition, Calliope is using her time at Tipton to solve the tragic mystery of why her mother would have crashed their family car into a lake near the school.

The worldbuilding in this book was fantastic. My advance reader copy had a map of the campus, and all the school’s traditions and history were so well thought out that it felt like a real place.

There is a lot going on in the story: Haunt and Rail, their crusades and internal drama, Calliope and her investigation, Calliope’s family situation, and a romance. Kit Frick is a really talented writer and I felt that all the strands mostly got tied up, but I almost wished this had been a longer book as I felt that it was hard, even in just under 400 pages, to get it all wrapped up. The ending is mostly resolved and yet it was also sort of unresolved too.

But still, if you are looking for YA Dark Academia (and I ALWAYS am), Very Bad People is a great book for you!

If you loved I Killed Zoe Spanos, or love suspense, also be sure to check out my list of ALL the Rebecca retellings you need to know about.

And you can check out Kit Frick’s adult suspense novel, The Split.

And don’t forget to check out my Dark Academia post! You can learn about Dark Academia and get a book list!