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Nothing Bad Happens Here
A carefree New England vacation is just what sixteen-year-old Lucia needs to chase her sadness away. At least, according to her mom, who whisks them away for the summer with her ridiculously wealthy new boyfriend. Nothing bad happens in Nantucket, a charming island with cobblestone streets and million-dollar cottages.
But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl's identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…
But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl's identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2025
66 people are currently reading
5907 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Ekstrom Courage
3 books437 followersRachel Ekstrom Courage is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Murder By Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery and the young adult thriller Nothing Bad Happens Here. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband (the children’s book author Nick Courage) and their family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
January 27, 2025
Lucia’s mother drags her off to a summer in Nantucket with her new boyfriend. Lucia recently experienced a tragedy and feels alone in the world and is looking for new connections. In her first week there, she finds a body on the beach. She is also suspicious of other things that start happening so she starts trying to figure out who killed the girl found on the beach.
This was a good, fast-paced young adult thriller. There were also some fantasy type vibes that were never truly confirmed but made you wonder what truly happened. In the end Lucia finds out the truth but it just brings her more drama and problems.
There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this and there was even some romance vibes too. This was a very quick read for me, because I wanted to know who was guilty of the crime. This will be a good spring break or beach read. The descriptions of the beach town made me want to go to the beach right now.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good, fast-paced young adult thriller. There were also some fantasy type vibes that were never truly confirmed but made you wonder what truly happened. In the end Lucia finds out the truth but it just brings her more drama and problems.
There are a lot of twists and turns throughout this and there was even some romance vibes too. This was a very quick read for me, because I wanted to know who was guilty of the crime. This will be a good spring break or beach read. The descriptions of the beach town made me want to go to the beach right now.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2024
Thriller fans rejoice! Packed with expertly layered twists and the perfect kiss of supernatural, NOTHING BAD HAPPENS HERE snagged me like a barbed fish hook! I’ll be thinking about the Three for a long time to come!
February 12, 2025
Hmmmm I’m happy with the twist but I also wanted more at the end! I picked up on the hints throughout, and would’ve been disappointed without it! It was slightly paranormal as well…but it also didn’t fully explore it. It felt unfinished, but I still enjoyed my time.
I received an ALC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
I received an ALC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
June 1, 2025
Oh man...this is one of those books that had a lot of potential, but failed to reach that potential by introducing too many elements.
If you know me, I'm constantly on the search for YA thrillers to recommend to readers; however, this didn't do it for me. Nothing Bad Happens Here led with interesting themes: rich town, rich kids, no crime, what could possibly go wrong? Main character, Lucia, is spending the summer with her mom and her mom's wealthy boyfriend on the New England coast. Not only is she attempting to adjust to their relationship, but also get to know her new environment and their inhabitants. Everything goes wrong when she discovers a dead body on the beach. From there, I think Courage could have developed a interesting story that challenges perceptions of wealth being the equivalent to safety; however, I found this book to contain plot holes and a paranormal twist that didn't quite work with the rest of the novel. The ending of the novel did come as a surprise, unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overshadow the inconsistencies of the rest of the novel.
If you know me, I'm constantly on the search for YA thrillers to recommend to readers; however, this didn't do it for me. Nothing Bad Happens Here led with interesting themes: rich town, rich kids, no crime, what could possibly go wrong? Main character, Lucia, is spending the summer with her mom and her mom's wealthy boyfriend on the New England coast. Not only is she attempting to adjust to their relationship, but also get to know her new environment and their inhabitants. Everything goes wrong when she discovers a dead body on the beach. From there, I think Courage could have developed a interesting story that challenges perceptions of wealth being the equivalent to safety; however, I found this book to contain plot holes and a paranormal twist that didn't quite work with the rest of the novel. The ending of the novel did come as a surprise, unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overshadow the inconsistencies of the rest of the novel.
January 29, 2025
Actual Rating 2.5
THANKS TO THE NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THIS DIGITAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
Lucia had a terrible and sad year. She just wanted to stay in throughout the summer. But her Mom had other plans, and now they are in Nantucket to stay with her new boyfriend, who lives with his son. Nantucket is a small and safe island with nice people and many summer visitors. Life in Nantucket is not bad until Luica stumbled upon a corpse on the beach which brings back a lot of the trauma. The identity of the corpse is a mystery and apparently, no one knows her. Lucia really wants to know the dead girl's story. But this is not an easy task when no one is giving away anything.
I won't label this book as a mystery, as it took 80 pages to find the corpse. Then the story rotated around several other things so the mystery element was like 30% of the book. I really liked the world-building of the story and a few relationship dynamics. Lucia's mom's idea to stay with Todd didn't make sense as their chemistry wasn't convincing. Lu is one of the stupidest MCs, I've encountered, her moral compass is really skewed. The trio and their character were one-dimensional, and why everyone enabled their actions? The story was slow-paced so after 150 pages I skimmed a lot. The ending was so lacking and the story had several loopholes. Ending also proved that, Lu is not only stupid but also a HUGE hypocrite.
THANKS TO THE NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THIS DIGITAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
Lucia had a terrible and sad year. She just wanted to stay in throughout the summer. But her Mom had other plans, and now they are in Nantucket to stay with her new boyfriend, who lives with his son. Nantucket is a small and safe island with nice people and many summer visitors. Life in Nantucket is not bad until Luica stumbled upon a corpse on the beach which brings back a lot of the trauma. The identity of the corpse is a mystery and apparently, no one knows her. Lucia really wants to know the dead girl's story. But this is not an easy task when no one is giving away anything.
I won't label this book as a mystery, as it took 80 pages to find the corpse. Then the story rotated around several other things so the mystery element was like 30% of the book. I really liked the world-building of the story and a few relationship dynamics. Lucia's mom's idea to stay with Todd didn't make sense as their chemistry wasn't convincing. Lu is one of the stupidest MCs, I've encountered, her moral compass is really skewed. The trio and their character were one-dimensional, and why everyone enabled their actions? The story was slow-paced so after 150 pages I skimmed a lot. The ending was so lacking and the story had several loopholes. Ending also proved that, Lu is not only stupid but also a HUGE hypocrite.
March 31, 2025
It was painful to read till the end because the protagonist was too immature and irrational even for her age. Her sense of right and wrong were inconsistent, and her self-righteousness was a bigger crime than real murder in this novel.
March 26, 2025
Strong YA voice, but a few holes and inconsistencies.
It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't a fantastic read either. A very American voice and themed novel, which had some good plotlines. The protagonist and her choices had me questioning some of the direction the plot was going.
Not as strong as the Truly Devious or One of Us is Lying series, but younger readers may enjoy this book.
It wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't a fantastic read either. A very American voice and themed novel, which had some good plotlines. The protagonist and her choices had me questioning some of the direction the plot was going.
Not as strong as the Truly Devious or One of Us is Lying series, but younger readers may enjoy this book.
March 20, 2025
Nothing Bad Happens Here is a thrilling page-turner that hooked me from the very first page. Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s expertly crafted pacing pulled me deeper into the story, with unexpected twists, relentless tension, and just the right amount of the supernatural, keeping me guessing until the very end. It’s a must-read for fans of suspenseful, addictive YA thrillers.
June 13, 2025
Ok…. I loved this book so so so much!!! I definitely didn’t see Eric coming! Amazing twist! I was a little confused by the super natural twist. I definitely recommend this book, tho I was a little annoyed that I didn’t get a clear answer on The Three.
I have a question for all of you who have read this book, “ What would you have done if you were in Lu’s place a the end when she has to decide whether or not to send the email?” Personally I would agree with Lu and send it, I would also have to the police abt The Three, and Tristian’s death.
I have a question for all of you who have read this book, “ What would you have done if you were in Lu’s place a the end when she has to decide whether or not to send the email?” Personally I would agree with Lu and send it, I would also have to the police abt The Three, and Tristian’s death.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up.
A fun YA thriller that would be the perfect book to bring to the beach on vacation. It was fast paced and packed full of twists the entire time. Some predictable while others not! I really enjoyed the process to the end and I was so curious to find out what truly happened. I definitely recommend!
Thank you to tbrandbeyond and delacorte press!
A fun YA thriller that would be the perfect book to bring to the beach on vacation. It was fast paced and packed full of twists the entire time. Some predictable while others not! I really enjoyed the process to the end and I was so curious to find out what truly happened. I definitely recommend!
Thank you to tbrandbeyond and delacorte press!
April 25, 2025
•𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄
1. If you love a supernatural twist, then you’ll love this one!
2. Have you ever visited Nantucket? I haven’t, so this was a fun one to read and get to explore the area via Lucia!
3. This YA mystery covers several topics including grief and family drama.
4. Love great world building? This one has that and more!
5. Do you remember making bad decisions as a teenager? I do! You’ll really relate to Lucia in that sense.
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
A carefree New England vacation is just what sixteen-year-old Lucia needs to chase her sadness away. At least, according to her mom, who whisks them away for the summer with her ridiculously wealthy new boyfriend. Nothing bad happens in Nantucket, a charming island with cobblestone streets and million-dollar cottages.
But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl's identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…
1. If you love a supernatural twist, then you’ll love this one!
2. Have you ever visited Nantucket? I haven’t, so this was a fun one to read and get to explore the area via Lucia!
3. This YA mystery covers several topics including grief and family drama.
4. Love great world building? This one has that and more!
5. Do you remember making bad decisions as a teenager? I do! You’ll really relate to Lucia in that sense.
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
A carefree New England vacation is just what sixteen-year-old Lucia needs to chase her sadness away. At least, according to her mom, who whisks them away for the summer with her ridiculously wealthy new boyfriend. Nothing bad happens in Nantucket, a charming island with cobblestone streets and million-dollar cottages.
But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl's identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…
April 12, 2025
I enjoyed this book for the first half, I kept waiting for a twist or something exciting to happen, but it didnt really. I was not expecting a super natural element so when it happened I was a little disappointed. Not that I don't like that kind of thing but I was not expecting it in this book so it kind of threw me. The big twist at the end was kind of predictable and then her choice at the very end I did not agree with at all. After what she experienced twice witnessing accidental deaths, she's awfully judgemental and self righteous to make the final decision she did. The book started off fun beachy, summer vibes in a tourist town with a murder mystery in the mix. And then it got super natural and the main character really annoyed me with her decisions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
April 16, 2025Hahaha, I do live here, and I can tell you, bad things absolutely do happen, but I love this premise. I gotta read it! This sounds right up my alley, bonus it's home!
December 1, 2025
Hi Again!
After a DNF that I really wanted to be a mystery, I decided to look at my Libby bookshelf and see if I could find another mystery audiobook to give a try. I had a big week planned, with a lot of listening time, so I wanted something that would hold my attention while still allowing me to get things done. I spent a little time looking through my wishlist when I found Nothing Bad Happens Here was available to borrow that second. I remember when this book hit shelves, and I was drawn in by the cover, so I decided to borrow it and try it out.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Lucia is going away; her mother’s new, wealthy boyfriend is taking them on a family trip with himself, her mother, and his son. Lucia is not in the mood for this, but she does not really have a choice. Once on the trip, she starts to cheer up just a little when she meets a group of girls around her age. Things are finally starting to get a little better, that is, until she finds a body on the beach when out walking one day.
At first, I really was unsure about the story. It took a little time for me to get into what was happening, but once we arrived at her mother’s boyfriend’s house and we started to see some interesting things. I knew I was going to be hooked (which I definitely was). Towards the end of the story, I really did not buy one of the twists the author was trying to sell (it has to do with mythology), but overall, the story was a great time, and the mystery was interesting. I want to give honorable mention to the cover, which definitely screams beachy.
Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars
After a DNF that I really wanted to be a mystery, I decided to look at my Libby bookshelf and see if I could find another mystery audiobook to give a try. I had a big week planned, with a lot of listening time, so I wanted something that would hold my attention while still allowing me to get things done. I spent a little time looking through my wishlist when I found Nothing Bad Happens Here was available to borrow that second. I remember when this book hit shelves, and I was drawn in by the cover, so I decided to borrow it and try it out.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Lucia is going away; her mother’s new, wealthy boyfriend is taking them on a family trip with himself, her mother, and his son. Lucia is not in the mood for this, but she does not really have a choice. Once on the trip, she starts to cheer up just a little when she meets a group of girls around her age. Things are finally starting to get a little better, that is, until she finds a body on the beach when out walking one day.
At first, I really was unsure about the story. It took a little time for me to get into what was happening, but once we arrived at her mother’s boyfriend’s house and we started to see some interesting things. I knew I was going to be hooked (which I definitely was). Towards the end of the story, I really did not buy one of the twists the author was trying to sell (it has to do with mythology), but overall, the story was a great time, and the mystery was interesting. I want to give honorable mention to the cover, which definitely screams beachy.
Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars
June 20, 2025
Yikes. This was super weird.
The synopsis of this book made it sound like a fun summer mystery. A girl and her mom spend the summer in Nantucket with her mom’s boyfriend and his son. While coping with her own grief, she discovers the body of a girl washed up on the shore. The book follows her investigation of the girl’s identity and her death while she also enlists the help of her three alluring, mysterious friends who might be hiding secrets of their own.
For starters, the actual mystery of this book doesn’t really start until about halfway through. The beginning of the book drags on with very little build-up to the main premise of the story. And even when the story does pick up, the plot still moves very slowly.
Then there’s the ending, the moment the mystery is solved and the plot resolves. Except…it wasn’t really resolved. While every book doesn’t need to have a happily ever after ending, there needs to be some kind of resolution. I don’t know if the main goal was shock factor, but everything felt so chaotic and unsatisfying. While it might’ve given the main character a little more of a backbone, it undermined every other aspect of the story. These characters’ morals were nowhere in sight.
Not a fan of this one, and a little bitter I pushed through for that ending. I normally try to be pretty generous when reviewing books and give the author the benefit of the doubt, but I’m so confused on what the goal was here.
The synopsis of this book made it sound like a fun summer mystery. A girl and her mom spend the summer in Nantucket with her mom’s boyfriend and his son. While coping with her own grief, she discovers the body of a girl washed up on the shore. The book follows her investigation of the girl’s identity and her death while she also enlists the help of her three alluring, mysterious friends who might be hiding secrets of their own.
For starters, the actual mystery of this book doesn’t really start until about halfway through. The beginning of the book drags on with very little build-up to the main premise of the story. And even when the story does pick up, the plot still moves very slowly.
Then there’s the ending, the moment the mystery is solved and the plot resolves. Except…it wasn’t really resolved. While every book doesn’t need to have a happily ever after ending, there needs to be some kind of resolution. I don’t know if the main goal was shock factor, but everything felt so chaotic and unsatisfying. While it might’ve given the main character a little more of a backbone, it undermined every other aspect of the story. These characters’ morals were nowhere in sight.
Not a fan of this one, and a little bitter I pushed through for that ending. I normally try to be pretty generous when reviewing books and give the author the benefit of the doubt, but I’m so confused on what the goal was here.
April 6, 2025
3.75 ⭐️ rounded up
for the beginning of this book, i got exactly what i expected. it was a fun, beachy story with a relatable, depth-filled mc and a lot of family drama, which i enjoyed a lot! right around the 75% mark things took a turn and this really went from typical ya murder mystery to something else.
again, i don't think that having the story feel different from typical ya was a bad choice, it left the ending with a different taste than usual. but the mc was crafted really well, the writing was beautiful, and the plot-twist was super effective.
overall, i would still definitely recommend this, especially for the summery vibe and the poignant conversations about grief and moving on. 🐚❣️🌊🛥️🏠💍
for the beginning of this book, i got exactly what i expected. it was a fun, beachy story with a relatable, depth-filled mc and a lot of family drama, which i enjoyed a lot! right around the 75% mark things took a turn and this really went from typical ya murder mystery to something else.
again, i don't think that having the story feel different from typical ya was a bad choice, it left the ending with a different taste than usual. but the mc was crafted really well, the writing was beautiful, and the plot-twist was super effective.
overall, i would still definitely recommend this, especially for the summery vibe and the poignant conversations about grief and moving on. 🐚❣️🌊🛥️🏠💍
April 29, 2025
I liked the book a lot actually. The twist was good at the end i definitely didn’t see it coming. Idk what was up with the three girls but I loved the author kept it mysterious and the disappearance after everything . Lucia makes friends with them and trys to solve a murder through the book I wish there was more of her trying to solve it and more twist and turns but still great read .
July 14, 2025
This was actually really good, did it take me by surprise, yes. Was I probably not paying 100% attention to it, maybe...but hey, it was a really good story that I'll probably re-read again to see if I can catch any hints as to who the culprits are.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Lucia, who arrives in Nantucket hoping for a restorative summer vacation with her mother and her wealthy new boyfriend. However, the discovery of a girl's body on the beach shatters any illusions of a peaceful getaway. What emerges is a fast-paced young adult thriller that masterfully balances mystery elements with subtle supernatural undertones that will leave readers questioning what's real and what's imagined.
I would've given it a higher score, but some of the actions that Lucia takes that really make me want to slap her for being so dumb. And maybe I'm just getting older because in certain parts I was wondering why on earth they didn't call the cops?!?!? Still, it was a fun read.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Lucia, who arrives in Nantucket hoping for a restorative summer vacation with her mother and her wealthy new boyfriend. However, the discovery of a girl's body on the beach shatters any illusions of a peaceful getaway. What emerges is a fast-paced young adult thriller that masterfully balances mystery elements with subtle supernatural undertones that will leave readers questioning what's real and what's imagined.
I would've given it a higher score, but some of the actions that Lucia takes that really make me want to slap her for being so dumb. And maybe I'm just getting older because in certain parts I was wondering why on earth they didn't call the cops?!?!? Still, it was a fun read.
March 29, 2025
I really enjoyed this. Great twisted!
And always a sucker from references to PGH!
And always a sucker from references to PGH!
June 23, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
TL;DR: Overall, the plot of Never Thought I'd End Up Here was intriguing and the world-building was great, but the main character thoroughly annoyed me. It's worth noting that this isn't the typical murder mystery book. The investigation only takes the reins in the last 25% of the book as the start was focused more on Lucia's character development.
Follow sixteen-year-old Lucia as she is forced to spend her summer in picture-perfect Nantucket, where, according to literally everyone, nothing bad ever happens. But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on the beach, old trauma reopens. When the girl's body continues to be unidentified, and the police and news doing nothing about it, Lucia decides to take matters into her own hands. Doing so, she crosses paths with Selah and her two besties, and gets swept up in their shimmering, care-free world.
Soon she beings to suspect that there are secrets hidden in this quite town, ones that will be key in finding out who killed the girl on the beach. Nothing on Nantucket is as it seems...
I was hooked from the moment I read the description for Nothing Bad Happens Here! It had a great premise, though I wish I loved it more. But, let's start with the positives, shall we?
Although it took some time for the investigation to get going, the world-building was awesome! Even though there wasn't anything murder related going on, Lucia's life was still interesting. Small towns already have this set dynamic to them, and it's cool seeing how the main character fits into it. For example, Lucia was so vastly different from the other teens on the island that I'm genuinely surprised she made friends with Selah and the other two. Generally though, I love reading books where set in small towns; it's so different from my life which is why I think I find it as intriguing as it was.
As well, the ending was CRAZY! Although I was not surprised at the final twist, I didn't actually expect Rachel Ekstrom Courage to end it like that. I only wish that there was an epilogue so I could see what happened after, even if it was a news report or interview or something else that I will not say because of spoilers.
Now going on to the things that annoyed me, specifically Lucia.
I think Lucia was my main issue with the book. I fully understand that she has trauma from her past, but she was so annoying and flip-floppy. Her moral compass was so inconsistent, and even for her age she was so irrational. Seriously though: who consistently hangs out with girls that she knows nothing about save for their names?!
Also, um... the supernatural aspect??? I swear you either have a book that has supernatural elements in it entirely, or you don't. You can't just plop it in one chapter more than halfway through and not really explain more. My reaction to reading that chapter is very accurately describe using this emoji: 🤦♀️
As I mentioned previously, the murder investigation does not really take the reigns that much. The first half especially is focused more on Lucia's character development and how she is adapting to her new life. It is not until the final quarter that it starts to get much more action packed and full of twists (even if they were not that shocking).
Overall, the plot of Never Thought I'd End Up Here was intriguing and the world-building was great, but the main character thoroughly annoyed me. I would not really put this on the same level as my favourite murder mystery books pacing and focus wise, but it was still a good murder mystery book (albeit one that is less investigation and more character).
Many thanks to Delacorte Press and the folks at TBR & Beyond Tours for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To read my full review for Nothing Bad Happens Here (official synopsis, author bio, content warnings, genre, etc), check out my blog post review!
TL;DR: Overall, the plot of Never Thought I'd End Up Here was intriguing and the world-building was great, but the main character thoroughly annoyed me. It's worth noting that this isn't the typical murder mystery book. The investigation only takes the reins in the last 25% of the book as the start was focused more on Lucia's character development.
Follow sixteen-year-old Lucia as she is forced to spend her summer in picture-perfect Nantucket, where, according to literally everyone, nothing bad ever happens. But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on the beach, old trauma reopens. When the girl's body continues to be unidentified, and the police and news doing nothing about it, Lucia decides to take matters into her own hands. Doing so, she crosses paths with Selah and her two besties, and gets swept up in their shimmering, care-free world.
Soon she beings to suspect that there are secrets hidden in this quite town, ones that will be key in finding out who killed the girl on the beach. Nothing on Nantucket is as it seems...
I was hooked from the moment I read the description for Nothing Bad Happens Here! It had a great premise, though I wish I loved it more. But, let's start with the positives, shall we?
Although it took some time for the investigation to get going, the world-building was awesome! Even though there wasn't anything murder related going on, Lucia's life was still interesting. Small towns already have this set dynamic to them, and it's cool seeing how the main character fits into it. For example, Lucia was so vastly different from the other teens on the island that I'm genuinely surprised she made friends with Selah and the other two. Generally though, I love reading books where set in small towns; it's so different from my life which is why I think I find it as intriguing as it was.
As well, the ending was CRAZY! Although I was not surprised at the final twist, I didn't actually expect Rachel Ekstrom Courage to end it like that. I only wish that there was an epilogue so I could see what happened after, even if it was a news report or interview or something else that I will not say because of spoilers.
Now going on to the things that annoyed me, specifically Lucia.
I think Lucia was my main issue with the book. I fully understand that she has trauma from her past, but she was so annoying and flip-floppy. Her moral compass was so inconsistent, and even for her age she was so irrational. Seriously though: who consistently hangs out with girls that she knows nothing about save for their names?!
Also, um... the supernatural aspect??? I swear you either have a book that has supernatural elements in it entirely, or you don't. You can't just plop it in one chapter more than halfway through and not really explain more. My reaction to reading that chapter is very accurately describe using this emoji: 🤦♀️
As I mentioned previously, the murder investigation does not really take the reigns that much. The first half especially is focused more on Lucia's character development and how she is adapting to her new life. It is not until the final quarter that it starts to get much more action packed and full of twists (even if they were not that shocking).
Overall, the plot of Never Thought I'd End Up Here was intriguing and the world-building was great, but the main character thoroughly annoyed me. I would not really put this on the same level as my favourite murder mystery books pacing and focus wise, but it was still a good murder mystery book (albeit one that is less investigation and more character).
Many thanks to Delacorte Press and the folks at TBR & Beyond Tours for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To read my full review for Nothing Bad Happens Here (official synopsis, author bio, content warnings, genre, etc), check out my blog post review!
May 18, 2025
It took over 50% of the book to even get to any investigation or any exciting part. Even then it's framed as a book where she's digging in to this investigation and solving the case, when she does basically nothing. She writes down a couple dates from articles and follows her friends and then they tell her everything. All of the answers are fed to her. The whole selkie thing, are they or are they not, I don't need ambiguous answers here. The whole book seemed like realistic fiction and then you add in this one singular tidbit insinuating that they are selkies and don't even confirm. Learning about Eric at the very end and not even getting conclusion on any consequences or what happened to the family feels stupid. If she calls them "the three" one more time I'm going to freak out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2025
I love YA thrillers but I struggled with this one r. The story is quite predictable and I was bored most of the time until maybe the last 25%. The characters were not likeable at all in that mostly they were annoying and got on my nerves . there was a twist at the end but again predictable. And some paranormal elements that could have been explored and made thisso much more compelling
My rating 2.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
My rating 2.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
September 17, 2025
Lucia has had such a hard year so when her mom's new boyfriend invites them to Nantucket for the summer, Lu hoping the change of scenery will help healing or at least different.
This was a great light read. Nothing ground breaking, but an interesting ride.
I will say being a mythology nerd, I saw twist one pretty quickly and being a thriller nerd, I knew the MAIN twist within the first few chapters.
However, this book does well in making you doubt even just a little bit throughout.
The only "issue" is Tom, more the I read too much reddit part of me, as he a GIANT red flag and yet Lucia's mom is all for him controlling her and changing her and Lu.
One twist I WISH would have been addressed is why does Eric seem to know in some way "who" the three are? It would have been a great add that his mom was a relative of them (trying to stay spoiler free). But that is just my silly mind.
Again, a good read that will distract you from the real world.
This was a great light read. Nothing ground breaking, but an interesting ride.
I will say being a mythology nerd, I saw twist one pretty quickly and being a thriller nerd, I knew the MAIN twist within the first few chapters.
However, this book does well in making you doubt even just a little bit throughout.
The only "issue" is Tom, more the I read too much reddit part of me, as he a GIANT red flag and yet Lucia's mom is all for him controlling her and changing her and Lu.
One twist I WISH would have been addressed is why does Eric seem to know in some way "who" the three are? It would have been a great add that his mom was a relative of them (trying to stay spoiler free). But that is just my silly mind.
Again, a good read that will distract you from the real world.
May 23, 2025
I finished this book but I really didn’t want to… Lucia is so very annoying!! But also the parents in this book were terrible too. Just childish and immature and heavy handed. I would have cussed Todd out several times, especially when he told me I had to get a job while I’m on vacation!!! I also hate when something bad has happened before the book starts and everyone alludes to it but you don’t find out what it is till well into the book! Like just tell me!!!
May 29, 2025
At first, I wasn't sure about this one. It was quite a slow burn, but once things picked up, I was hooked and holding on for dear life. A real feminine powerhouse with some unexpected twists. The setting was beautiful, and the descriptions were so well written I felt like I was there. Perfect summer thriller.
April 14, 2025
The further I got in this book... The more I realized I had massively underestimated this book!
Wow, it was WOW!!!
The plot was wild and the pace did this beautiful thing where is took a gentle plod then BOOM! You are getting smacked in the face! It was a ride and a half. Once I hit the middle of the book I was so glued I read until my eyes hurt so bad and I still had to finish it.
The writing blew me away! It was so dang good!!
4.5 stars!! WOW!!
Wow, it was WOW!!!
The plot was wild and the pace did this beautiful thing where is took a gentle plod then BOOM! You are getting smacked in the face! It was a ride and a half. Once I hit the middle of the book I was so glued I read until my eyes hurt so bad and I still had to finish it.
The writing blew me away! It was so dang good!!
4.5 stars!! WOW!!
August 30, 2025
I guess I am just confused and left with a lot of questions. I was enjoying it and wanted to know the ending but spoiler alert you will have a lot of unanswered questions and she should be in trouble herself so I just really did not like the ending...
March 23, 2025
It was good, had moments that didn’t engage me and I think it was because it’s ya but it definitely has me excited about the golden girls book with her writing!
August 22, 2025
review to come, but wow what a truly amazing book!!!
May 2, 2025
I loved the story up until it became weird with the paranormal. I’m not a paranormal person at all. However, by that time I was hooked and had to find out what happened to the girl.
The other thing is we have to assume justice was served. I wish there had been an epilogue to wrap up just a few details.
The other thing is we have to assume justice was served. I wish there had been an epilogue to wrap up just a few details.
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