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Never Tell Collection #6
The Bad Friend
1 hour, 19 minutes
Secrets, betrayal, and jealousy are at the heart of a friendship in an unnerving short story about truth and self-deception by Caroline Kepnes, the New York Times bestselling author of You.
Ellen has a lot to be thankful for. Her fiancé, Troy, is perfectly sweet. Her childhood friend Tanya, despite her edgier taste in men, is like a sister to her closest friend—and rival. So familiar and yet, over the years, so many secrets between them. For Ellen, what lies ahead is a series of choices that will add up to a life she never could have imagined.
Caroline Kepnes’s The Bad Friend is part of Never Tell, a heart-pounding collection of stories about secrets, lies, and mind games. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Just keep the endings to yourself.
Secrets, betrayal, and jealousy are at the heart of a friendship in an unnerving short story about truth and self-deception by Caroline Kepnes, the New York Times bestselling author of You.
Ellen has a lot to be thankful for. Her fiancé, Troy, is perfectly sweet. Her childhood friend Tanya, despite her edgier taste in men, is like a sister to her closest friend—and rival. So familiar and yet, over the years, so many secrets between them. For Ellen, what lies ahead is a series of choices that will add up to a life she never could have imagined.
Caroline Kepnes’s The Bad Friend is part of Never Tell, a heart-pounding collection of stories about secrets, lies, and mind games. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Just keep the endings to yourself.
Audible Audio
First published March 19, 2024
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1456 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Kepnes
27 books14.1k followersCaroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence and...
You Love Me. Publishing in the US on Aril 6, 2021
(You know You Netflix? That's based on my Joe Goldberg books! You can read You3 before Season 3)
Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, and now lives in Los Angeles.
You Love Me. Publishing in the US on Aril 6, 2021
(You know You Netflix? That's based on my Joe Goldberg books! You can read You3 before Season 3)
Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, and now lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 431 reviews
October 20, 2025
5/5 ★
I REALLY don’t understand the low ratings. This is great!🍹
In The Bad Friend, Ellen’s comfortable life with her fiancé Troy is shaken when her unpredictable best friend Tanya returns, dragging the past back with her. What begins as a reunion quickly spirals into secrets, jealousy, and choices that will change everything.
This was my first time reading Caroline Kepnes, and it definitely won’t be my last. I LOVED the narrative style that this follows. It’s first person but deeply personal.
I don’t want to give anything away from the story since it’s a novella, but the time jumps made it feel fully complete to me. It also demonstrated how fast life goes and how small (and sometimes large) choices make a difference even years later.
This wasn’t twisty or a thriller in the way some people may have expected. It felt more like literary fiction. This style worked perfectly!
This is book 6 of 6 from the Amazon Original Stories: Never Tell: Can You Keep a Secret? Collection. I will be reading the other five soon as well. This was a very strong start!
I REALLY don’t understand the low ratings. This is great!🍹
In The Bad Friend, Ellen’s comfortable life with her fiancé Troy is shaken when her unpredictable best friend Tanya returns, dragging the past back with her. What begins as a reunion quickly spirals into secrets, jealousy, and choices that will change everything.
This was my first time reading Caroline Kepnes, and it definitely won’t be my last. I LOVED the narrative style that this follows. It’s first person but deeply personal.
I don’t want to give anything away from the story since it’s a novella, but the time jumps made it feel fully complete to me. It also demonstrated how fast life goes and how small (and sometimes large) choices make a difference even years later.
This wasn’t twisty or a thriller in the way some people may have expected. It felt more like literary fiction. This style worked perfectly!
This is book 6 of 6 from the Amazon Original Stories: Never Tell: Can You Keep a Secret? Collection. I will be reading the other five soon as well. This was a very strong start!
May 8, 2024
4★
“Every so often you think about Tanya.
It’s been a few years since you spoke. There wasn’t some big fight. You got married and you got pregnant. She got into law school. It happens. People drift. She would die if she saw you now. You’re in a yellow sweater and you’re a mom, waiting in the stinky lobby…”
Ellen, Ellie, El talks to herself in the second person throughout her story. I say ‘her’ story, although it’s the story of several people, but with Ellie, everything is about her. At first it seems odd for her to be narrating her story in the second person, with herself as the audience, but then it occurred to me that everything is about her, her, her – or rather – me, me, me, so she doesn’t need anyone else listening.
It opens with her and her brand new fiancé, Mr Nice Guy (Troy) in a booth waiting for Tanya to arrive with her date. As Troy talks, Ellie spots a nice-looking Tall Guy in boots and immediately begins fantasising about him, imagining that he has seen her and is secretly fantasising about her.
“He’s talking to you. Not the tall man. Troy. Your fiancé is talking to you.
‘Fries?’
‘Sure!’
Troy knows you want fries. You always want fries, but he always asks just in case. You run your fingers over your collarbone because of the other man, the tall man.
‘Sorry,’ Troy says.
He says that a lot when you drift, and you say what you say a lot: Me too, babe. I spaced out, but I’m back.’
He loves you more than you love him. You’ve wasted time with the tall guys, and you’re no idiot. You met him two years ago in a dive bar. You were out with Tanya. Reeling from your latest breakup, cursing men. Tanya said that wasn’t fair because your latest ‘obsession’ was like all the guys you go for. Openly, obviously bad. And here was Troy. A human safety net with his puppy-soft hair and his boyish freckles, quick to laugh, to blush, to love. Still the same now, Troy Sweet Troy.”
Ellie recounts her history to herself all the way up to the present, a lifetime later, where we learn she met the Tall Guy again, years after her engagement, in unusual circumstances. Eventually we finally hear a bit of the other side of her me-me-me story and where her self-absorption has led her.
Kepnes certainly covered a lot of territory for a short story, and I enjoyed seeing where she took her characters. It’s a different kind of suspense from the other stories in the collection, but it certainly hides quite a secret. This is my favourite of the six.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy for review of the #NeverTell (Can You Keep a Secret?) collection.
I have reviewed all six stories in the collection:
Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine
My review of Everywhere You Look
The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White
My review of The Ghost Writer
The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz
My review of The Other Side of the Road
Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall
My review of Scorpions
Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda
My review of Jackrabbit Skin
The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes
My review of The Bad Friend
“Every so often you think about Tanya.
It’s been a few years since you spoke. There wasn’t some big fight. You got married and you got pregnant. She got into law school. It happens. People drift. She would die if she saw you now. You’re in a yellow sweater and you’re a mom, waiting in the stinky lobby…”
Ellen, Ellie, El talks to herself in the second person throughout her story. I say ‘her’ story, although it’s the story of several people, but with Ellie, everything is about her. At first it seems odd for her to be narrating her story in the second person, with herself as the audience, but then it occurred to me that everything is about her, her, her – or rather – me, me, me, so she doesn’t need anyone else listening.
It opens with her and her brand new fiancé, Mr Nice Guy (Troy) in a booth waiting for Tanya to arrive with her date. As Troy talks, Ellie spots a nice-looking Tall Guy in boots and immediately begins fantasising about him, imagining that he has seen her and is secretly fantasising about her.
“He’s talking to you. Not the tall man. Troy. Your fiancé is talking to you.
‘Fries?’
‘Sure!’
Troy knows you want fries. You always want fries, but he always asks just in case. You run your fingers over your collarbone because of the other man, the tall man.
‘Sorry,’ Troy says.
He says that a lot when you drift, and you say what you say a lot: Me too, babe. I spaced out, but I’m back.’
He loves you more than you love him. You’ve wasted time with the tall guys, and you’re no idiot. You met him two years ago in a dive bar. You were out with Tanya. Reeling from your latest breakup, cursing men. Tanya said that wasn’t fair because your latest ‘obsession’ was like all the guys you go for. Openly, obviously bad. And here was Troy. A human safety net with his puppy-soft hair and his boyish freckles, quick to laugh, to blush, to love. Still the same now, Troy Sweet Troy.”
Ellie recounts her history to herself all the way up to the present, a lifetime later, where we learn she met the Tall Guy again, years after her engagement, in unusual circumstances. Eventually we finally hear a bit of the other side of her me-me-me story and where her self-absorption has led her.
Kepnes certainly covered a lot of territory for a short story, and I enjoyed seeing where she took her characters. It’s a different kind of suspense from the other stories in the collection, but it certainly hides quite a secret. This is my favourite of the six.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy for review of the #NeverTell (Can You Keep a Secret?) collection.
I have reviewed all six stories in the collection:
Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine My review of Everywhere You Look
The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne WhiteMy review of The Ghost Writer
The Other Side of the Road by Andrea BartzMy review of The Other Side of the Road
Scorpions by Rachel Howzell HallMy review of Scorpions
Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy PochodaMy review of Jackrabbit Skin
The Bad Friend by Caroline KepnesMy review of The Bad Friend
August 25, 2025
I’ll give this a 3.5 rounded up.
The audio novella from KU kept me entertained and so I give this a 3.5 ⭐️. I ONLY give this a 3.5 because the ending was very unfulfilling. I was annoyed w the FMC but I understand that people really can be the way she was. It’s just sad really.
The storyline was interesting but the lack of clarity (due to the lack of desire to fact find) was irritating. So many questions the FMC had…but she never ONCE tried to find the truth, she just sat in her head and questioned everything but never spoke up. Insert. Eye rolls…for days.
The audio novella from KU kept me entertained and so I give this a 3.5 ⭐️. I ONLY give this a 3.5 because the ending was very unfulfilling. I was annoyed w the FMC but I understand that people really can be the way she was. It’s just sad really.
The storyline was interesting but the lack of clarity (due to the lack of desire to fact find) was irritating. So many questions the FMC had…but she never ONCE tried to find the truth, she just sat in her head and questioned everything but never spoke up. Insert. Eye rolls…for days.
April 20, 2024
3.5 Stars — The Bad Friend was a bit different from the other short stories I've read from this collection. It was very unsettling, and downright depressing too. I did like how time moved quickly over the main character's lifetime to see the consequences of her actions. This is what happens when you're never satisfied with what you've got.
August 1, 2024
the setup…
Ellen and Tanya are childhood friends who seemed to drift apart after a pivotal encounter right before Ellen married her fiancé Troy. Tanya met them for drinks, accompanied by a man that was quite appealing, at least on the surface. Though Ellen thought she and Tanya were as close as sisters, there was an edge to their relationship and Ellen was on the receiving end. Many years later, they had a chance meeting that upended her world.
the heart of the story…
Have you ever had that friend who would deliver compliments that felt like they had barbs around them? That best describes Tanya’s behavior toward Ellen, at least in Ellen’s mind. There’s definitely a rivalry and it shaped Ellen’s life decisions even after they became estranged. That next encounter years later had a bombshell effect and even I couldn’t tell if Ellen’s imagination and paranoia were running amok or if there was game playing on Tanya’s part.
the narration…
It’s Julia Whelan at her finest, capturing all of Ellen’s emotions so well, drawing me into her mindset as if I were there!
the bottom line…
This was extremely thought provoking and unsettling. Don’t expect a straightforward ending, which I found provocative and appropriate. Did Ellen get what she deserved, was she played or was it just life? You’ll have to decide and I still haven’t made up my mind.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the collection. All opinions are my own.)
Ellen and Tanya are childhood friends who seemed to drift apart after a pivotal encounter right before Ellen married her fiancé Troy. Tanya met them for drinks, accompanied by a man that was quite appealing, at least on the surface. Though Ellen thought she and Tanya were as close as sisters, there was an edge to their relationship and Ellen was on the receiving end. Many years later, they had a chance meeting that upended her world.
the heart of the story…
Have you ever had that friend who would deliver compliments that felt like they had barbs around them? That best describes Tanya’s behavior toward Ellen, at least in Ellen’s mind. There’s definitely a rivalry and it shaped Ellen’s life decisions even after they became estranged. That next encounter years later had a bombshell effect and even I couldn’t tell if Ellen’s imagination and paranoia were running amok or if there was game playing on Tanya’s part.
the narration…
It’s Julia Whelan at her finest, capturing all of Ellen’s emotions so well, drawing me into her mindset as if I were there!
the bottom line…
This was extremely thought provoking and unsettling. Don’t expect a straightforward ending, which I found provocative and appropriate. Did Ellen get what she deserved, was she played or was it just life? You’ll have to decide and I still haven’t made up my mind.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the collection. All opinions are my own.)
March 29, 2024
The Bad Friend is the sixth, and final, installment in the Never Tell short story collection. I am a fan of Caroline Kepnes's work so this was probably my most anticipated of them all. It is told in the rare 2nd person POV, which I am a big fan of. Fast paced and unique. The ending felt a little open to interpretation. Did our main character finally find clarity or did her jealousy and betrayal ultimately become her new truth?
4 stars.
4 stars.
March 30, 2024
Short story I could not connect with on any level.
July 22, 2024
Story 3 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Julia Whelan
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Julia Whelan
March 25, 2024
First, I love these exclusive Kindle Unlimited series on Amazon. I've read quite a few of them. This is from the new "Never Tell" collection.
--
"Can you keep a secret?
How well do you know people? How well do they know you? Six award-winning, bestselling authors of suspense explore the lingering threat of secrets and the inescapable fear that they can’t stay buried forever."
--
Everywhere You Look
By Liv Constantine
The Ghost Writer
By Loreth Anne White
The Other Side of the Road
By Andrea Bartz
Scorpions
By Rachel Howzell Hall
Jackrabbit Skin
By Ivy Pochoda
The Bad Friend
By Caroline Kepnes
I will for sure read them all! This one was so good. Classic Kepnes storytelling. If you love her "YOU" series and love to hate Joe Goldberg, you will enjoy loving to hate the protagonist in this story as well.
Ellen is a woman unsatisfied with what she has and has a roving eye for what she thinks she needs. This puts her in direct competition with her best friend, but the reality is, that she's just a miserable person in competition with only herself. We all know people like this. I do too and it was so satisfying and validating to watch this play out--even though it does get pretty dark...because it's Caroline Kepnes!
CWs (SA and abortion)
--
"Can you keep a secret?
How well do you know people? How well do they know you? Six award-winning, bestselling authors of suspense explore the lingering threat of secrets and the inescapable fear that they can’t stay buried forever."
--
Everywhere You Look
By Liv Constantine
The Ghost Writer
By Loreth Anne White
The Other Side of the Road
By Andrea Bartz
Scorpions
By Rachel Howzell Hall
Jackrabbit Skin
By Ivy Pochoda
The Bad Friend
By Caroline Kepnes
I will for sure read them all! This one was so good. Classic Kepnes storytelling. If you love her "YOU" series and love to hate Joe Goldberg, you will enjoy loving to hate the protagonist in this story as well.
Ellen is a woman unsatisfied with what she has and has a roving eye for what she thinks she needs. This puts her in direct competition with her best friend, but the reality is, that she's just a miserable person in competition with only herself. We all know people like this. I do too and it was so satisfying and validating to watch this play out--even though it does get pretty dark...because it's Caroline Kepnes!
CWs (SA and abortion)
May 11, 2024
Oh wow. This story took a turn I wasn’t expecting.
I’m seeing lower ratings for this story here but for me, this was a 5.
Understanding too well the dynamics of the bff and then growing apart dynamic that sometimes happens with friends, this story really pulled me in.
But that twist though! Man…this lady kind of built her own life of hell by staying in her head and not opening her mouth. Then the denial, doubt, bargaining, justification… almost like the stages of grief!!! That’s all I’m saying without spoiling it for you.
This story is one I’m going to be thinking about for awhile.
Amazon Original short story. 5 stars. Thanks for reading!
I’m seeing lower ratings for this story here but for me, this was a 5.
Understanding too well the dynamics of the bff and then growing apart dynamic that sometimes happens with friends, this story really pulled me in.
But that twist though! Man…this lady kind of built her own life of hell by staying in her head and not opening her mouth. Then the denial, doubt, bargaining, justification… almost like the stages of grief!!! That’s all I’m saying without spoiling it for you.
This story is one I’m going to be thinking about for awhile.
Amazon Original short story. 5 stars. Thanks for reading!
May 1, 2024
With Friends Like These...
Review of the Amazon Original Stories eBook (March 19, 2024), released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook.
This didn't feel at all in keeping with the suspense fiction in the other stories of the Never Tell collection. The suspense here was only from the questions: "which one of them is the bad friend?" and "is anything going to happen?" Eventually a supposed secret is revealed, but even the truth of that is questioned, so you are left in doubt at the end.
It is 2 stars only for the ambition of telling a lifetime over the course of 44 pages. Ellen and Tanya are young women at the beginning and are 70 something years old at the end. The story goes over their friendship, the boyfriends, their husbands, their children with the unresolved revelation coming towards the conclusion.
The Bad Friend is the sixth of six Amazon Original Stories eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on March 19, 2024 as part of the Never Tell Collection of short stories which are promoted with the collective description:
Trivia and Links
Caroline Kepnes is the author of several novels, the most popular of which is You (You #1, 2014) which was also the basis for the Netflix TV series. Her most recent novel is For You and Only You (You #4, 2023).
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon Original Stories eBook (March 19, 2024), released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook.
This didn't feel at all in keeping with the suspense fiction in the other stories of the Never Tell collection. The suspense here was only from the questions: "which one of them is the bad friend?" and "is anything going to happen?" Eventually a supposed secret is revealed, but even the truth of that is questioned, so you are left in doubt at the end.
It is 2 stars only for the ambition of telling a lifetime over the course of 44 pages. Ellen and Tanya are young women at the beginning and are 70 something years old at the end. The story goes over their friendship, the boyfriends, their husbands, their children with the unresolved revelation coming towards the conclusion.
The Bad Friend is the sixth of six Amazon Original Stories eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on March 19, 2024 as part of the Never Tell Collection of short stories which are promoted with the collective description:
"How well do you know people? How well do they know you? Six award-winning, bestselling authors of suspense explore the lingering threat of secrets and the inescapable fear that they can’t stay buried forever. No matter how dark the hiding place, the consequences of revealing the truth can bring out the worst in lovers, friends, family, and strangers."
Trivia and Links
Caroline Kepnes is the author of several novels, the most popular of which is You (You #1, 2014) which was also the basis for the Netflix TV series. Her most recent novel is For You and Only You (You #4, 2023).
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
October 20, 2025
I am going to crash out in the corner and delete my account. (kidding about the account, but not about the corner)
I have been defeated.
The stories where nothing notable happens for 95% of it, and then in the last 5% we state a deep topic.
Then the book ends, and I am supposed to tell you how thought-provoked I am.
I just. I don't know.
I am very sympathetic toward the deep and heavy topic mentioned. But i am just not sure if just naming a serious thing suddenly gives a ton of depth to an otherwise… empty story.
It feels like a last-ditch effort. You know?
I gave this three stars at first, because the other reviews convinced me it was better than I felt like it was. But actually, I will not be giving into group-think today.
Bring back thrilling thrillers.
I have been defeated.
The stories where nothing notable happens for 95% of it, and then in the last 5% we state a deep topic.
Then the book ends, and I am supposed to tell you how thought-provoked I am.
I just. I don't know.
I am very sympathetic toward the deep and heavy topic mentioned. But i am just not sure if just naming a serious thing suddenly gives a ton of depth to an otherwise… empty story.
It feels like a last-ditch effort. You know?
I gave this three stars at first, because the other reviews convinced me it was better than I felt like it was. But actually, I will not be giving into group-think today.
Bring back thrilling thrillers.
March 31, 2024
yes, it grabbed my interest but the fact that as a reader you'll never if it is real or not is what bothers me.
December 30, 2024
Very promising premise but turned mediocre very quickly.
August 21, 2025
4,0 ✨✨✨
(Audiobook)
(Audiobook)
May 16, 2024
This woman is def a bad friend WOW
November 21, 2025
Eager to add some short story reading to tide me over, I looked to the Never Tell collection. This piece by Caroline Kepnes served as something highly different from other pieces in the collection. Ellen has a great deal going her way, with a fiancé who treats her well and a best friend, Tanya, who is a wonderful best friend. While Tanya had a slightly sharper taste in men, Ellen has always respected that. As the years pass, they lose touch, only to reconnect and spill some of their secrets. This chance meeting sheds light on a great deal and sends both women into a frantic revelation about a past they thought was much calmer. Caroline Kepnes delivers something interesting with this piece.
The author speaks volumes in this short story. It develops an oddity in its opening pages, requiring the reader to pay close attention or fear losing the gist of it before long. The piece does not gain much momentum, but the story remains constant for the readerto obtain needed answers. While the flow seemed to be present, I did not connect well with it, leaving me to wish I could have found a niche and hooked myself with it.
Characters present decent contrasts, particularly Ellen and Tanya, but I could not find myself caring too much, even with the reveal towards the end. The minor characters lack the same connectivity, though perhaps it was I who drove a silent wedge between them and myself, leaving me to wander in search of someone who would pull me back into the middle of the mix.
As with the other pieces in this collection, Kepnes story seeks twists and surprises to turn it into something worthwhile for all. There are moments where the reader can likely see where things are headed, though other aspects seem to leave things drifting and without much grounding. I can see some of what Caroline Kepnes wants to do with the story, but it did not do all I would have hoped. Perhaps I missed something here, but I will leave others to try digging something out for the reader to enjoy.
Kudos, Madam Kepnes, for a story with an odd twist, likely its best aspect.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
The author speaks volumes in this short story. It develops an oddity in its opening pages, requiring the reader to pay close attention or fear losing the gist of it before long. The piece does not gain much momentum, but the story remains constant for the readerto obtain needed answers. While the flow seemed to be present, I did not connect well with it, leaving me to wish I could have found a niche and hooked myself with it.
Characters present decent contrasts, particularly Ellen and Tanya, but I could not find myself caring too much, even with the reveal towards the end. The minor characters lack the same connectivity, though perhaps it was I who drove a silent wedge between them and myself, leaving me to wander in search of someone who would pull me back into the middle of the mix.
As with the other pieces in this collection, Kepnes story seeks twists and surprises to turn it into something worthwhile for all. There are moments where the reader can likely see where things are headed, though other aspects seem to leave things drifting and without much grounding. I can see some of what Caroline Kepnes wants to do with the story, but it did not do all I would have hoped. Perhaps I missed something here, but I will leave others to try digging something out for the reader to enjoy.
Kudos, Madam Kepnes, for a story with an odd twist, likely its best aspect.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 14, 2024
The Bad Friend was so different than the other books in the Never Tell collection of short stories. I was sucked in from the first page. I like that Caroline uses big time leaps to pack as much into the short story as she could. This one was deep and left me feeling more sad than anything. Decent short story though!
The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell collection with Amazon Original Stories. Thank you to NetGalley!
The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell collection with Amazon Original Stories. Thank you to NetGalley!
February 29, 2024
The story is about complex relationships, secrets , jealousy and unexpected friendships. This is really deep and touching. It really emphasised on mistakes we make in life and realisation hit us when we grow up and we wish if we did things differently.
Many Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley
Many Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley
May 2, 2024
Like the author's previous books in her You series, this short story is written in second person point of view, which I found decidedly unsettling, since the main character, Ellen, is not a particularly admirable person. What newly-affianced person yearns after a tall, handsome "bad boy" while sitting at a restaurant table with said fiancé? The story takes the reader through the years, including Ellen's marriage to and inevitable divorce from the fiancé, then husband, and then her marriage to the bad boy, who wasn't quite so bad after all. One thing I found puzzling was that in the beginning, Ellen and Tanya are best friends, practically joined at the hip. Ellen admired Tanya so much that at one point I wondered if she was in love with Tanya. Then, over the space of a few years, Tanya disappears from Ellen's life, only showing up for a couple of cameos in the remainder of the story. Strange choice on the author's part, I thought, at least the choice not to give an explanation for Tanya's distancing herself from Ellen.
April 18, 2024
Easily the weakest part of the Never Tell anthology. Couldn't find one thing that I liked about it.
December 29, 2024
Example of those who are not content with their lives and think the grass is greener on the other side!!
December 24, 2024
may “friends” like these never find me 🙏🏼
March 20, 2024
Caroline Kepnes, what are you doing to me?!?! This coulda been its own series - I want to live in Ellen’s miserable head for so much longer 😣😆
First off, for YOU fans, this is told in second person 🥰. Kepnes does this better than all others. It’s different here than when Joe does it, but it is just as effective.
Second, I feel like Ellen is how Beck would have turned out if she hadn’t made her way to the Big City and crossed paths with Joe 🤔. Like Beck, Ellen doesn’t truly deserve what comes her way. But she doesn’t really do enough to be a better person that might stop it 🤷🏻♀️.
And finally, I don’t know what I truly believe. Did Ross do it or didn’t he? Is Tonya lying? You think you’ve settled these answers for yourself. And then, Kepnes weaves in one more doubt, one more suspicion.
The world does not get enough books from Caroline Kepnes- please, keep ‘em coming 🙏🏻
First off, for YOU fans, this is told in second person 🥰. Kepnes does this better than all others. It’s different here than when Joe does it, but it is just as effective.
Second, I feel like Ellen is how Beck would have turned out if she hadn’t made her way to the Big City and crossed paths with Joe 🤔. Like Beck, Ellen doesn’t truly deserve what comes her way. But she doesn’t really do enough to be a better person that might stop it 🤷🏻♀️.
And finally, I don’t know what I truly believe. Did Ross do it or didn’t he? Is Tonya lying? You think you’ve settled these answers for yourself. And then, Kepnes weaves in one more doubt, one more suspicion.
The world does not get enough books from Caroline Kepnes- please, keep ‘em coming 🙏🏻
April 12, 2024
The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell Collection by Caroline Kepnes. Pregnant and engaged to the good, kind Troy (who doesn’t excite her), Ellen and her fiancé are at a restaurant waiting for her best friend Tanya (late as usual) and her latest (probably another loser) boyfriend. A tall, gorgeous, blue-eyed man catches her eye. He winks. She stares. Is he flirting with her? It’s a shock when this is the guy Tanya brings to meet them. Ross Tate continues the looks, winks. But Ellen is engaged, and her baby girl will be someone she can love, someone who will love her. Fast forward a few years, Ellen has lost contact with Tanya, her boredom leads to divorce from Troy and, a few years on, a hook-up with guess who! But is this a good idea? A second-person narrative in which the protagonist isn’t very likeable, and maybe gets what she deserves? A jaw-dropping twist. 4 stars
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.
May 9, 2024
Wow, this was just depressing, and left me feeling unsettled. Not an enjoyable read and I'm not sure what to take away from this one. I don't like the feeling I'm left with after reading it.
June 27, 2025
Ellen has a lot of doubt about what is good for her in terms of her relationship.
She is married to Troy, who is kind and attentive but she is having thoughts about other men and wondering ‘what if.’
Her life is seemingly perfect to those on the outside. Ellen decides to make a decision that changes her life and ends up feeling happier and secure with her choice until she realizes what she has done.
Kepnes does such a good job exploring the feeling of discontent/blandness in a relationship.
I finished this and thought - will we really ever truly know our partner or just the version we see or want to see.
She is married to Troy, who is kind and attentive but she is having thoughts about other men and wondering ‘what if.’
Her life is seemingly perfect to those on the outside. Ellen decides to make a decision that changes her life and ends up feeling happier and secure with her choice until she realizes what she has done.
Kepnes does such a good job exploring the feeling of discontent/blandness in a relationship.
I finished this and thought - will we really ever truly know our partner or just the version we see or want to see.
January 1, 2025
It’s just a alright book. The ending was not to my liking but to each their own…. All good things I can say it it’s a short story
December 2, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️
This made me very unsettled, especially towards the end. I just didn't like it.
This made me very unsettled, especially towards the end. I just didn't like it.
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