An incredible book, that I feel a desire to re-read this autumn now I am thinking about the atmosphere.

Like so many dark academia books the setting is the third character in the book. The school itself is steeped in history and mystery, the author takes the time to set up the beautiful but abandoned imagery that I can still so clearly imagine in my head years after reading.

The plot is one of the elements that I think keeps this book in my memory, because it has layers to the different elements. Because the plot has 3 timelines, mostly 2 if I remember correctly, the reader gets to see the same locations, feelings and themes in different time periods. I really think that provided the extra momentum and action that elevated the story for me.

Highly reccomend and I should do and investigate if the author is releasing another book. You should too!

Don’t love that it seemed to tell the most exciting part of the story in its entirety right at the very beginning, as I wasn’t as interested in the modern setting of the rest of the story.

This is very much a slow burn. I loved so many parts of this book but I also disliked many parts too.
This book is too long. I also found the authors writing style unusual.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

I do wanted to like this book more than I did, however the ending is so abrupt and things don’t wrap up. I felt like the book was trying to to do too many things at the same time, plus the size of it is so long that the middle starts to drag especially the movie part of it, I wasn’t sure what the impact of that arc was as it don’t affect the rest of the story. I appreciate the efforts though and really enjoyed the pictures included. In the end it just wasn’t the right book for me.

This was a dark, gothic, weird, feminist treat and I loved it! A story nestled inside a story, this describes what happens when a film crew adapt a book about Brookhants School for Girls and the murders that rocked it over 100 years prior.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK Children's in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book.

Plain Bad Heroines is two stories in one, one set in the past and one set in the present. In the past, we learn about the tragic and spooky histories of two lesbian women as they navigate life and supernatural wasps. In the present, we follow three teenagers involved in making a movie about a tragedy which happened at the school the women in the past ran. I feel like both these stories had potential but neither one ended up being particularly interesting.

The main issue I had with this book was the pacing. It is long and more importantly, it is longer than it feels like it should be. If this was shorter and snappier then a lot of my other issues would be sorted. It is difficult to keep track of what is happening in the past because you get long segments about it and then nothing for ages, so by the time you revisit it you're no longer sure what was going on. Meanwhile, nothing is going on in the present at all and yet we still spend hundreds of pages dwelling on that nothing. It fits thematically and the three girls are interesting enough, but because we spend so much time with them, I just found myself tuning out until the book returned to the past segments.

There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. There's a spooky scene with the wasps and a bathtub and lots of good stuff, but that's one of the only spooky scenes in the whole book. I like the idea in theory of what is happening in the present (haunted set, horror movie legend of a mother, queer stuff) but it doesn't feel like it is happening. And I did like the style of narration, again with the caveat that I would have liked it a lot more if it was more concise and didn't have time to get on my nerves.

I also got an ARC of the audiobook so I listened to that, which didn't help with the pacing but did improve my enjoyment of the narrative style and helped me keep track of the characters a little better. I do recommend the audiobook, although again the length is off-putting as most people listen slower than they read.

Overall, I sadly can't recommend this book. It had such potential but it quickly became a drag, and the moments I liked weren't enough to make the whole experience worth it. A perfect case of 'needed a good edit' and it might have been perfect.

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Wonderfully hilarious, harrowing and equally a joy to read, and unputdownable. A must-read.

The book glides effortlessly between 1902 and the present day. In 1902 readers are introduced to Clara and Flo, students living in Rhode Island and attending Brookhants School for Girls.

In the modern day, the now-abandoned school is now the site of a film production, based on a book detailing Brookhants' history - one that unfolds to be harrowing and possibly haunted.

It’s a delight that every character wears their queerness openly and delightfully on their sleeve - something that shouldn’t be a revelation but still somehow managed to be.

Plain Bad Heriones is a truly delightful, sapphic, spooky/creepy beast of a book and I devoured it!

It’s long and detailed and the plot unravels so slowly, little details and pieces slotting together right up until the very end & even then nothing is completely tied up and you’re left with Questions and a burning desire to Know More.

With two timelines, an unknown but knows-it-all narrator and multiple character views (of which every single woman was messy, chaotic and slightly untrustworthy and also literally every single one of them was sapphic which just wonderful) this book is like cluedo, a giant puzzle & the very spirit of dark academia all mixed together with terrifying wasps and an eerie sense of Other.

Genre wise this one is far, far out of my normal reading tastes but I totally loved it. The descriptions were wonderful; the sense of place was enthralling and I completely lost myself in the story! Yes it’s long and rambling and descriptive but every part of it just added to the overall creepy feeling and delightfully dark and suspicious atmosphere

I was definitely drawn into reading 'Plain Bad Heroines' by the plot, which I found to be incredibly intriguing, but whilst reading this book I found myself to be bored by the sheer length of this book and the lack of exciting plot that is going on throughout.
There were definitely aspects of this book that were interesting but I spent the majority of the book so bored and having to push my way through the majority of the book in order to get to the good parts, therefore it took me a lot longer to finish this book than it should have.
I think the dual timeline aspect was definitely my favourite part of the book and I did really enjoy that part as it kept the book somewhat interesting.
I think the length of 'Plain Bad Heroines' was one of the reasons I did not like this book and maybe if a lot of the book was cut out and the length was a lot shorter, then maybe I could have enjoyed it a lot more.

The atmosphere at the beginning of the novel was dark and tense but unfortunately the rest of the book did not read in a similar way.

As someone who has read different novels by Emily M Danforth, one of her most prominent problems is that she drags the story with needless information. This book could've been many pages shorter but alas, it was a behemoth.

Overall, I liked the characters and Emily M Danforth's writing style but the length of the novel along with the needless literary jargon killed the vibe for me.

I’ve FINALLY got around to reading this book, and oh boy is it a long one! Was it worth it? Almost.

I’ll start this off by saying I’m not usually a horror reader. What appealed to me about this book was the sapphic and feminist themes, and the settings – a boarding school in the early 1900s, and modern day Hollywood. So while I can’t comment on how it compares to other horror books, I can say that it was sufficiently creepy and was definitely one I avoided reading late at night!

In many ways, I got what I was hoping for. Almost every character is queer, and many of them obsessed with the writings of a slightly odd first-wave feminist. Those themes were very present and strong throughout the book, and it was great to see them explored in a genre book like this one. I liked some of the characters, and the ones I didn’t like I loved to hate.

There are two timelines, one in the past and one in the present. While I initially really enjoyed seeing how they interacted, as the book went on I kept hoping for more linking between the two, and was ultimately disappointed. It fizzled out rather than ending with a bang, and I would have liked to see both storylines become much more intertwined.

It was also just too long. The very start was so creepy and intriguing, but we were soon going on meandering side-quests with the modern-day storyline. It could easily have been 100 pages shorter, and much more effective.

Had this book had one more ruthless edit, it would have been a very different reading experience. As it is, I will remember it for its creepiest moments, which were absolutely brilliant.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

It had all the makings of a book I'd love, even just down to the setting. But it was too easy to put down and in parts it seemed like it really dragged for me.

A spooky dark academia with a mystery at its core, sapphic romances, dual timelines and hint of the supernatural, Plain Bad Heroines is the perfect gothic horror read.

1902: A creepy and mysterious tragedy befalls Brookhants School for Girls, where students Flo and Clara are found dead, attacked by yellowjackets. The girls had formed the Plain Bad Heroine Society in honour of real-life notorious young writer Mary MacLane, whose scandalous memoir is found with their bodies. This is just the first a series of macabre deaths which go on to plague the school until its closure, with Headmistress Libbie and her partner Alex beginning to question if the school might be cursed.

Over a century later, literary prodigy Merritt Emmons pens a bestselling book based on Flo and Clara's story. When her book is adapted into a film, starring 'it girl' Harper Harper' and former child star Audrey Wells, the trio return to a crumbling Brookhants, revisiting the past, and the curse.

Plain Bad Heroines follows both storylines, interwoven to reveal bits of each story at just the opportune moment. It's an epic book clocking in at over 600 pages. It's a complicated meta-narrative - this isn’t just a story within a story. It’s a story, which is being retold in a film, which is capturing the very story we are reading… lost yet? It is a lot to follow but, ultimately it doesn’t matter - just go with it. While the book constantly twists and turns but the force of the novel carries you all the way through, and you'll be so desperate to know more and uncover the mysteries at the heart of the narrative that you won't want to put it down.

Danforth creates exceptional characters - especially our three main heroines. Each of them felt so well rounded, each on their own journeys. Through Harper, Merritt and Audrey, Danforth explores much of modern celebrity culture, identity, sexuality and relationships, and through witty satire she also interrogates the genre of horror itself.

The only criticism I could level at this otherwise perfect book is that I do wish we’d got more of Flo and Clara. (here’s hoping Emily Danforth fancies doing The Happenings at Brookhants!) but honestly this book is already mammoth so I’m sure she had to stop somewhere. Plain Bad Heroines has everything - horror, gothic, fairytale-esque stories, modern glamor and Hollywood, contemporary commentary and satire, obscure literary references. It's also a genuinely scary horror. The quirky intrusive narrative style was perfect and if all of the above wasn't enough it also has the most incredible illustrations which I adored and gave the book even more life and personality.

Plain Bad Heroines is a completely unparalleled gothic horror. It is already one of my all time favourite books and I can't wait to reread it.

I enjoyed this book overall. It did feel like it took a while to get going - around the half way mark for me, which might be too late for some readers.

I felt the characters in the various timelines were well written and believable, the setting itself was slightly spooky, I feel like this could have been played on a bit more to add to the atmosphere.

It is quite long but moves along nicely once you reach that half way mark. The anonymous narrator was enjoyable to me, but who was it?

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for my copy of this book.

This book is ADDICTIVE! And also hilarious and terrifying - perfectly executed. If you loved Yellowjackets, you'll adore this.

A gripping story that is a tad long in places but worth the effort if you can stay the course.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

1902, Brookhants School for Girls sees the deaths of students Florence & Clara in an horrific wasp attack. The girls had recently become obsessed with a book 'The Story of Mary MacLane' & had formed the 'Plain Bad Heroines Club' in the author's honour & the book is found next to their bodies. Following a third pupil death, the school closes but that does not stop the strange deaths.

Over a hundred years later, Merritt, a young writer, publishes a book about the events at Brookhants & the rights are bought up to make a film. Star of the moment, Harper Harper (not a typo, that's her name) & fellow actor, one not so well-known & daughter of a scream-queen, Audrey, are chosen to play Florence & Clara. Merritt is also onset as the author of the book it is based on. Even before they leave for Brookhants though, weird events start to happen to the three women. Is everything to do with Brookhants cursed & doomed to failure?

After reading this book, I'm thinking it's not the best choice for anyone with a phobia of those little yellow & black winged pests who like to bug anyone foolish enough to be trying to drink a glass of lemonade out in their garden in the summer. Me, for example. I'd gladly banish them to Room 101 in perpetuity. (Disclaimer: Should any wasps be reading this, then my previous statement should not be taken seriously).

I was rather looking forward to reading this book, which from the synopsis, seemed like it would be a gothic, sapphic mystery. There were indeed elements of all three in the book, but they were smothered out of existence by the painfully sloooow pace. We don't actually get down to any paranormal stuff until the final 20% of the book. Out of the two timelines, I actually preferred the early twentieth century storyline. Reading about Libbie Brookhants (pronounced Brookhaunts) & her close friend/lover, Alex Trills in the aftermath of the death of Florence & Clara was much more interesting than the odd love triangle between present-day Harper, Merritt, & Audrey. I would also have liked more background about Florence & Clara & the PBH Club.

It runs on for over 600 pages & includes many a footnote which lead to asides which were meant to be witty, but on many occasions fell flat for me. 75% of it dragged which is a pity as the final 25% really picked up. If it had all been as good as the final quarter, it would have been a 4/5 star read. As it is, I can't rate it more than 2.5 (rounded up).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK/The Borough Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC, & I apologise for the lateness of my review.

The book is amazingly weird. Interwoven stories that explore themes of lesbian love, feminism and sexist control. Such vivid and gripping writing. The novel was highly engaging, funny and gothic