Review: A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison

Note- this review does NOT contain spoilers. 🙂

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison | Goodreads

Alrighty guys,

I’ve been working a lot lately, and honestly, I needed a break from being serious. Does that happen to anyone else? Like, I’m tired of adulting and just need a mental break. And what better way to rest than read a thriller?? Luckily, this one popped up on my Kindle (thank you, algorithm gods) and the rest is history.

Okay, to the review.

My first impression was that this book sounded a lot like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The plot felt very similar and that was a bit of a turn-off. With that said, I really enjoyed Evenyln Hugo and what I had read so far in A Very Bad Thing, so I figured I’d stick it out a few chapters.

After a few chapters, I was hooked. Ellison does a great job keeping the chapters short and the story moving. I finished the book within 48 hours, and the only reason it took that long was because my Kindle died and needed to be recharged.

The book jumps between different people’s points of view, and Ellison does a nice job with this. It can often be disorienting, but the POV chapters were effectively placed. Just when I was wondering, “What does So-and-So think about this?” she would provide a chapter from that person’s POV. I particularly liked how she would describe the same person from their POV (ex, I have weight in all the wrong places*) and someone else’s (ex, she had a full, curvy figure that he could look at all day*). *These are paraphrased examples, but they go to show how the character sees themselves and how other people see them.

Another thing that Ellison handled well was the dissemination of information to the reader. There’s a fine line between telling the reader everything (which results in no suspense and is boring) and not revealing enough (which leaves the reader irritated and wondering what is going on). Ellison finds the perfect middle ground to make you feel like you know what’s happening, but not completely. You still want to keep reading to answer the next question and figure out how it’s all going to play out.

I was able to guess some of the outcomes but not all. Then again, I think my brain is trained to go down paths that most people don’t think of or see when they read a book. It’s just part of being a writer and having to come up with twists. With that said, I still enjoyed the book and there was a gratification in being able to guess some of the outcomes.

While I could guess the ending somewhat, I did not predict the last chapter. The subject of the last chapter was on my short list of possible outcomes, but I was not expecting it at that time. The last chapter was the ultimate plot twist.

This was particularly interesting for me because it was a bit of ‘taste of your own medicine’. The end of my first book is a twist and I received all sorts of comments about that. I wouldn’t say that people hated the end (okay, some did), but it did cause me to write different endings from that point on. Fortunately for me, Ellison’s twist wasn’t as jarring as mine was, but still. I felt it. I left the book with mixed emotions. I was satisfied, but I was still on edge. What would happen to X? (I’m keeping it anonymous for anyone who hasn’t read it yet!) What would things look like 5 years down the road? I don’t think Ellison is setting the book up for a sequel, but it’s always possible.

Overall, A Very Bad Thing was the book I hoped Verity would have been (e.g., riveting and good). It captured me and kept me hooked, asking questions and thinking through scenarios. The characters were flawed but likable, and their relationships were relatable. This is the first J.T. Ellison book I’ve read, and I definitely be reading more from her.

What did you think? Leave your comments below. 🙂

xoxo, Lulie