In theory, this should have been a five star read for me: spooky sapphic dark academia meets horror movie meta commentary with a striking cover and beautiful illustrations throughout. Credit where it's due, there are some superbly creepy atmospheric moments and moments of stunning prose in this book, and I applaud the boldness of doing so much in one novel. However, I had a few issues. The first, most glaring issue, is the writing style, told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator who will occasionally add their commentary. The narrator often addresses the reader directly, and this would completely break the immersion for me when reading one of the aforementioned creepy moments. Secondly, this book is LONG, which naturally meant that it took me a while to get through, and often felt like a slog. Despite the length of the novel, I also felt that there was little character development in the present-day protagonists, and personally found the ending a little underwhelming for all the pages it took to get there.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the eARC.)

*Plain Bad Heroines* had me hooked from the first page. The writing style grabbed me immediately, as I love an omniscient narrator who hints at future disaster. I especially loved the recurring motif of yellow jackets and the disaster and menace they bring. It reminded me of the theme of bees in *The Starless Sea* but perilous instead of wholesome.

This book has a narrator, which is easy to make cheesy and hard to make compelling, but Danforth makes it work. The narrator is clever and sometimes funny – the same vibe as Janet from *The Good Place*. The writing style suited the story and the characters and I am now interested in reading Danforth’s other works. I had not realized, previous to reading *Plain Bad Heroines* that she had also written *The Miseducation of Cameron Post*. I now also want to read *that* – so many books, so little time.

The story follows two timelines: the first in the early 1900s where a girls’ school seems cursed with repeated tragedies; the second in the present day where a group of young actresses is making a movie about the school and similar tragedies start to befall them. I found the early timeline more compelling, especially since it had a *Picnic at Hanging Rock* vibe to it. This could be dark academia if you squint.

What I found most compelling about this book was its depth of female characters. The story has almost exclusively female characters and they all feel authentically individual. I am always in awe of writers who can create multiple characters like this, but Danforth is writing at a new level. Their internal struggles and interpersonal connections are complicated and feel realistic. I enjoyed this book so much and would absolutely like a finished copy so I can reread it and enjoy the fantastic illustrations in full.

This book (I was drawn in by the colours of the cover which reminded me of Scabby Queen) was so great and felt refreshing. I’ve so far recommended it to 4 separate people and I’m excited for more from the author!

PHENOMENAL!!! 10/10; absorbing, and you can really stay with it because it is nice and long! Queer rep, Hollywood drama, horror and suspense, historical gays - THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL.

Another huge thanks to Netgalley and Borough Press I've been really lucky with the books I've been reading off Netgalley lately and Plain Bad Heroines is a book that I finished and instantly wished I had a physical copy of. The illustrations within the book were beautiful and added more to the story. The story itself delivered the gothic sapphic content I live for.

We find ourelves in the early 1900's, Brookhant's School for Girls is buzzing with life. Until two students Flo and Clara, madly in love with each other are found dead within the woods that surround the school grounds. A scandalous book found with their corpses. And as time goes on, more deaths follow that of the young girls.

Over a hundred years later the doors to Brookhant's are flung open once again as aspiring actresses hope to bring the story of Flo and Clara alive once more. But before the camera even starts rolling mysterious happenings begin again, as past and present warp together in this curse fueled tale of deceit and lives lost too soon.

I loved the almost fairytale style to the beginning of the book that only grew darker with each turn of the page. How as the story went on the secrets began to unravel as did the minds of those working with the production.

If you're a fan of gothic horror this is definitely the book for you.

I found the first 30% quite slow, but necessary for introducing the story and the characters within both timelines, but once I got past a certain point of the book I sped through it and struggled to put it down until I had finished. I'm still really tempted to buy a physical copy.

In turn atmospheric and unnerving, and bitingly funny, I couldn't help but be sucked into the story by the engaging narrator. This is a book best savoured as the deliciously creepy tale unwinds around you.

I'm so happy I read this book when I did, because WOW.

The gothic element was so well done. The author tried to create a dark yet engaging atmosphere, and I was drawn into this world by the throat. I really liked how Clara and Flo's story was told. The past catches up for our characters when a movie is being filmed at the same location. I just really liked the vibe of this book. It is quite long, but after the first 10% it gets so good I couldn't stop reading!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

This was something a bit different for me and admittedly I struggled with it a bit at first. I couldn't relate nor stand the main characters to begin with however I grew to love them by the end. Definitely worth persevering with! Would recommend.

Absolutely loved this. The female relationships, the mystery, the drama. I actually felt creeped out while reading this (which is a good thing!!) I loved how the story was a mixture of the same storyline just in the present and modern-day. I also loved how creepy the wasps/hornets were!!! Definitely not a book to read before bed.

This was definitely an interesting book and I enjoyed the ride, but it was disjointed and at times confusing.

We follow mostly 2 timelines: the first is the story of the Brookhants School for Girls and the weird things that happen there. Then, about 100 years later, a girl publishes a book about it and we follow the filmmaking process as they try to adapt it.

I loved the narrative voice throughout, it was cheeky and so reminiscent of gothic classics. I thought it worked well throughout the 2 timelines, but to me there was a real disconnect with the modern-day setting. Like it didn't fit with the atmosphere the author was trying to paint on it. It wasn't creepy enough or eerie enough in my perspective.

It didn't help that all 3 of the heroines are unlikeable and don't seem to have any chemistry. It felt really forced to me, till the very end. Like she tells us they are bonding even though they all have secrets and resentful thoughts toward each other.

The main thing that made me not give it a 4, which it probably deserved, was that I didn't really understand what happened to the characters. Maybe I couldn't put the pieces together but from what I've read, other seem to have also been confused and people are reading it differently.

That said, I think it's a novel I would revisit. Now that I know what happens, maybe starting again would help. But it was so long...

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I gave it a good shot (I got to about 54%), and then decided to put it down. It's hard to DNF books because I want to give every book a fair chance. Plain Bad Heroines was just not for me. I didn't enjoy the writing style, and the story moved at a glacial pace. Part horror, part romance, part Hollywood commentary, I'm sure people who love films and the stories behind those films will love this one. However, most of the references were lost on me, and I hated the characters (Merrit in particular). We also get bashed over the head with the yellow jackets (and I do mean this literally, dear Reader). Overall, I didn't enjoy it.

A modern gothic horror for the Instagram age, written in a quirky and humorous, sassy style. Plain bad heroines follows two time strands at once: in the first, Flo and Clara are students at Brookhants school for girls, 1902 - in love with a scandalous book and with each other, when they die a horrible death in the woods, causing trouble for the school principal, Libbie Brookhants. We continue to follow Libbie and her partner Alex throughout the novel, as they struggle with the creepy things afoot at Brookhants. There’s a bit of a mystery here as we read. Alongside this, in the present day two actresses, Harper and Audrey, and a writer named Merritt are all involved in shooting a film at the old schoolgrounds, retelling Flo and Clara’s story for the modern day horror movie market. But the set is besieged by unnatural happenings and rumours begin that the film is cursed. So, lots of layers and lots of unsettling horror-vibes, sapphic romance, and the narrator amusingly talks directly to the reader a lot, which is fun.

I definitely felt immersed in this book and its really unique atmosphere - and I loved all of the main characters, too.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK - Borough Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a seductive book this is. Complex, intelligent, addictive, gothic and sapphic - could you possibly ask for more? Plus a book within a book is always a winner for me. I love the layers, I love the complexity, I love the hidden meanings and how moments overlap from one story to another. Danforth has written a subtle tone of creeping horror that at times also packs a real punch, and I absolutely adored it. This book was pitched right at me, I was powerless to resist, and it delivered every last bit of gothic goodness it promised.

5 delicious stars

I generally enjoy books with multiple timelines and clever use of different types of media, and this was no exception. At its most basic, this is a story about a possibly haunted/cursed old school, deadly yellowjackets, an old book about a girl who doesn’t fit in, and various sapphic relationships. But within that framework, there’s a lot going on, and various stories within stories. You get extracts from the original book. A 1920s tale of some schoolgirls who were obsessed with it then died, and the terrible aftermath at their spooky boarding school. And then there’s a modern day book someone wrote about this going ons, and finally, the story of ill-fated attempts to make a film of the book, on location at the now abandoned school. Both the core 1920s story and the core modern day film production story get several POVs and there are also some flashbacks and news reports etc thrown into the mix. So overall, it’s one of the most ambitious books I’ve read in a while and it’s impressive how the author keeps all the wheels turning. The different sections have different tones but merge into a satisfying whole.

There’s also lots of enjoyable ambiguity about what’s actually going on and by extension, what genre this is. There are plenty of spooky happenings, but they could be actual supernatural occurrences, delusions from overwrought minds, or tricks played by the production company. It keeps you guessing all the way through and though there are some answers, maintains some degree of mystery to the end. Either way, there’s lots of enjoyably gothic, tense, claustrophobic vibes – lightly counterbalanced by a few fun scenes in LA and elsewhere.

The five or so main characters are all pretty distinct and interesting with a good degree of moral ambiguity and some pretty major flaws that don’t stop you from rooting for them. And their various relationships and dynamics are well done.

Overall, I really liked this. It’s one of the more interesting and different things I’ve read in a while. My one complaint would be that the ending left me a bit unsatisfied but I’d still highly recommend this, especially to anyone who likes twisty plots, unconventional narrative structures and gothic vibes.

Really enjoyed the many layered plot lines to this (despite being a bit confusing at first).
I really loved the gothic descriptions and dark academia elements though!

I really enjoyed this book. The narration style was interesting, I liked the variety of characters, and most of all the foreshadowing and flipping between the two time periods. Although some parts are a bit cliche, the book definitely redeems itself through the narration leaning into it!

I sadly will be DNF'ing this book as even though I tried to get into it many times, I barely made a decent dent into the book (20% since the start of the month).

I am so disappointed in myself since I was so excited to read this book but sadly it just wasn't for me in the end.

I was getting slightly confused and bored, reading it felt like a chore more than something you should enjoy. All the characters got mixed up in my head and I couldn't really pinpoint where any of the POV's were going.

I am grateful to the publishers for providing me with the eArc and I am saddened that I couldn't present a higher rating, but this is just my opinion and I have heard of many other people who adored this book!

Once again, thank you so much to the publishers, I am grateful for the opportunity.

Plain Bad Heroines is a delightfully weird book. It's also a big book with many, many layers and subplots that read like a grown up Point Horror novel written by Lemony Snicket. Add some delightfully gothic illustrations and you have a book unlike any other I've ever read. I'm going to do my best to review it without spoilers (easier said than done, tbh).

It's a story within a story, about another story that is believed to have caused the death and madness of the women who read it. We begin in 1902 at a liberal girls' school in Rhode Island, run by Libbie Brookhants and her partner, Alexandra Trills. Three girls die in mysterious circumstances, but one book unites them- a rather scandalous book about female desire and relationships by Mary MacLaine. Soon things come crumbling down around Libby and Alex and things just go to from bad to worse. Over a century later, three young women- Audrey, Harper and Merritt- are back at Brookhants to film a horror film based on Merritt's book about the apparent Brookhants curse, but things are not all as they seem and get pretty weird quickly.

This is a really interesting novel with loads of layers; it's a ghost story, a love story, a story of madness, a critique of Hollywood and a gothic novel. Some things can get missed, but overall this is a weird and enjoyable read- and you'll never look at wasps (yellowjackets in the novel) in the same way ever again.

I’ll keep it short as this book came out a year ago and you so should have already purchased your copy!!
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A perfect autumnal read and one I will think about for a while. Giving you queer gothic lemony snicket in the best way possible. Giving you dual timelines and an ending that you will RACE through!!
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Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful.
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Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Fiction for the ARC!!

As an avid reader I have rarely read a book as original and compelling as this one. I spotted it recommended on Twitter before publication and had to request it.

Initially the omniscient narrator (not one of my favourite devices) and the slowish start to the book didn't grip me, but once the main premise was established I found it hard to put down. Several different narratives and characters weave together to tell the story of Brookhants School for Girls, and the tragedies befalling those adjacent to it.

It's hard to go into any great detail about the plot without giving much away, but suffice to say that it's incredibly original and creative, and despite not being a fan of the horror genre in general, I was totally hooked.