What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mean Ones
So what if Sadie hears talking dead animals and a strange, comforting male voice in her head? The therapist insists these are just symptoms of PTSD. It makes sense considering that she hid under the bed and watched as her best friends were slaughtered.
But the murders were seventeen years ago, back when her name was Sabrina. Now, she’s a perfectly normal 29-year-old. She works as a physical therapist assistant and lifts weights with her boyfriend, Lucas, who’s the sweetest, most considerate man—as long as he’s not angry. But when Lucas spontaneously agrees to join a couples trip to a cabin in the woods, the visions get worse, a strange figure stalks her during the night, and that male voice in Sadie’s head keeps calling, asking her to do things she’s never fathomed.
Sadie’s not sure if it’s her paranoia or something else entirely . . . But she is sure of one thing—this time, she’s not going to sit idly by as everything starts to unravel.
But the murders were seventeen years ago, back when her name was Sabrina. Now, she’s a perfectly normal 29-year-old. She works as a physical therapist assistant and lifts weights with her boyfriend, Lucas, who’s the sweetest, most considerate man—as long as he’s not angry. But when Lucas spontaneously agrees to join a couples trip to a cabin in the woods, the visions get worse, a strange figure stalks her during the night, and that male voice in Sadie’s head keeps calling, asking her to do things she’s never fathomed.
Sadie’s not sure if it’s her paranoia or something else entirely . . . But she is sure of one thing—this time, she’s not going to sit idly by as everything starts to unravel.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2025
89 people are currently reading
14507 people want to read
About the author
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
3 books325 followersTatiana is the author of the horror novels Such Lovely Skin, The Mean Ones, and What Feeds Below (Fall 2026.) She has an MFA from The Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing, she’s either gaming, lifting weights, or teaching people how to lift weights. She is of Japanese, Mexican, and European descent, and lives in Iowa.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 628 reviews
Read
June 21, 2025🪓 Book Review: The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Rating: 5/5 💀🌲🧠🩸🔥💐
This book slays, literally and emotionally.🪓 From talking dead animals to the voice in your head telling you to go full feral, The Mean Ones is a blood-soaked dive into trauma, identity, and what happens when a woman finally stops playing nice.
Sadie, once Sabrina, isn’t your average final girl. She lifts weights, works as a PTA, and tries to keep her past buried deep beneath the floorboards of her mind. But the past doesn’t stay dead, and neither do the animals. When a couple’s cabin retreat turns into a psychological meat grinder, the voice in Sadie’s head isn't just whispering, it's howling.
The pacing is killer (pun intended), and the dual timelines cut like a knife. The flashbacks creep up on you like a shadow in the woods, while the present-day tension twists tighter than a barbed wire hug.
But what really makes this novel shine like blood in the moonlight? The rage. The female rage. This isn’t your standard good-vs-evil tale, it’s about survival, about systems that tell women to stay small, stay silent, stay sweet. When Sadie finally says, “enough,” the world calls her monstrous. But really? She’s just done being prey.
It’s Midsommar meets The Silent Patient, but darker, stranger, and with way more bite. Atmospheric? Like a fog-choked forest. Emotional? Like screaming into the void and finding it screams back with a woman’s voice.
This is a “good for her” story sharpened to a deadly point. I rooted for Sadie/Sabrina with my whole chest, right up to the jaw dropping end.
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓- Five out of Five for slashing my expectations in all the right ways.
Expected 30 Sep 25
Rating: 5/5 💀🌲🧠🩸🔥💐
This book slays, literally and emotionally.🪓 From talking dead animals to the voice in your head telling you to go full feral, The Mean Ones is a blood-soaked dive into trauma, identity, and what happens when a woman finally stops playing nice.
Sadie, once Sabrina, isn’t your average final girl. She lifts weights, works as a PTA, and tries to keep her past buried deep beneath the floorboards of her mind. But the past doesn’t stay dead, and neither do the animals. When a couple’s cabin retreat turns into a psychological meat grinder, the voice in Sadie’s head isn't just whispering, it's howling.
The pacing is killer (pun intended), and the dual timelines cut like a knife. The flashbacks creep up on you like a shadow in the woods, while the present-day tension twists tighter than a barbed wire hug.
But what really makes this novel shine like blood in the moonlight? The rage. The female rage. This isn’t your standard good-vs-evil tale, it’s about survival, about systems that tell women to stay small, stay silent, stay sweet. When Sadie finally says, “enough,” the world calls her monstrous. But really? She’s just done being prey.
It’s Midsommar meets The Silent Patient, but darker, stranger, and with way more bite. Atmospheric? Like a fog-choked forest. Emotional? Like screaming into the void and finding it screams back with a woman’s voice.
This is a “good for her” story sharpened to a deadly point. I rooted for Sadie/Sabrina with my whole chest, right up to the jaw dropping end.
🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓- Five out of Five for slashing my expectations in all the right ways.
Expected 30 Sep 25
September 26, 2025
Title/Author: The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Midsommar meets The Final Girl Support Group in this horror novel about a woman who survived cult killings as a child and is striving to be "normal," but a spontaneous trip into the woods and the voices in her head keep pulling her to the dark side.
Format Read: physical arc from Creature and audio/NetGalley
Pub date: September 30th, 2025
Publisher: Creature
Page Count: 272
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978195197...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-Dual timelines (present day adulthood and flashbacks to childhood)
- Strong, capable FMCs
- Midsommar + Mean Girls + The Ritual + Yellowjackets vibes
- "Don't go in the woods" and "deadly summer camp" and "cabin in the woods" tropes
- CULTS
- Psychic trauma/visions
- Shocking and gruesome scenes--pulls no punches
__
Minor complaints:
- Sometimes the visions and the intensity of them are a lot. In the audiobook, I didn't really like the way she voiced the entity that talks to Sadie in her mind
Final recommendation: I love the storytelling style. This book is character-driven--I love Sadie (bonus points for the name choice) and being in her head. The dual narratives work perfectly together-I never felt disappointed returning to one timeline over the other (which typically happens to me). In the present day narrative, Sadie and her partner Lucas are into weightlifting and have a magnetic sexual chemistry. Meeting up with their friends to stay in an isolated cabin in the woods and visit a cave was thrilling and gave me "HERE WE GO" excitement.
The past narrative with the Summer Camp leading up to a tragic event we know is coming, felt just as thrilling. The toxic friend group dynamic is so compelling. it felt authentic too.
The climax is WILD!! So satisfying! Everything any horror reader could want, actually. I really enjoyed myself.
Comps: Midsommar (2019), Yellowjackets (2021), Mean Girls (2004), The Ritual (2017) and the book by Adam Nevill
Midsommar meets The Final Girl Support Group in this horror novel about a woman who survived cult killings as a child and is striving to be "normal," but a spontaneous trip into the woods and the voices in her head keep pulling her to the dark side.
Format Read: physical arc from Creature and audio/NetGalley
Pub date: September 30th, 2025
Publisher: Creature
Page Count: 272
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978195197...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-Dual timelines (present day adulthood and flashbacks to childhood)
- Strong, capable FMCs
- Midsommar + Mean Girls + The Ritual + Yellowjackets vibes
- "Don't go in the woods" and "deadly summer camp" and "cabin in the woods" tropes
- CULTS
- Psychic trauma/visions
- Shocking and gruesome scenes--pulls no punches
__
Minor complaints:
- Sometimes the visions and the intensity of them are a lot. In the audiobook, I didn't really like the way she voiced the entity that talks to Sadie in her mind
Final recommendation: I love the storytelling style. This book is character-driven--I love Sadie (bonus points for the name choice) and being in her head. The dual narratives work perfectly together-I never felt disappointed returning to one timeline over the other (which typically happens to me). In the present day narrative, Sadie and her partner Lucas are into weightlifting and have a magnetic sexual chemistry. Meeting up with their friends to stay in an isolated cabin in the woods and visit a cave was thrilling and gave me "HERE WE GO" excitement.
The past narrative with the Summer Camp leading up to a tragic event we know is coming, felt just as thrilling. The toxic friend group dynamic is so compelling. it felt authentic too.
The climax is WILD!! So satisfying! Everything any horror reader could want, actually. I really enjoyed myself.
Comps: Midsommar (2019), Yellowjackets (2021), Mean Girls (2004), The Ritual (2017) and the book by Adam Nevill
April 22, 2025
The slasher camp book that I didn’t know I needed in my life till now. This book was perfection. As I was reading it, I was able to envision everything that was happening. I absolutely loved the dual timelines in this one because it gave me insight as to what she experienced when she was young. I was able to understand why she struggled with her mental health and how she handled her horrific experiences that she had endured. This book is very dark and full of mystery! It includes horror, gore, trauma and murder. This is a fast paced read that has both unlikable and likable characters in it. Lucas annoyed me sometimes throughout the story, but I can understand him because of the lack of communication from the female main character in the story. This also deals with friendships and how toxic they can be! It is written in the female main characters’ perspective. I really enjoyed the pop culture references and the camp setting!
“The Mean Ones” is about a young girl named Sabrina that watched her best friends get murdered at camp, when she was young. She is older now and goes by the name Sadie. Her and her boyfriend named Lucas go on a trip to a cabin in the woods. As the story unravels, a big twist comes along and left me in shock! Overall, I give this a 5 out of 5 stars rating! I highly recommend this to anyone that likes to read horror books that have gore and a camp/cabin scenery! This is a fictional novel that you do not want to miss out on!
Content warnings include grief, murder, death, violence, mental health (primarily PTSD), abuse and gore.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and Creature Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This is set to be published on September 30, 2025!
“The Mean Ones” is about a young girl named Sabrina that watched her best friends get murdered at camp, when she was young. She is older now and goes by the name Sadie. Her and her boyfriend named Lucas go on a trip to a cabin in the woods. As the story unravels, a big twist comes along and left me in shock! Overall, I give this a 5 out of 5 stars rating! I highly recommend this to anyone that likes to read horror books that have gore and a camp/cabin scenery! This is a fictional novel that you do not want to miss out on!
Content warnings include grief, murder, death, violence, mental health (primarily PTSD), abuse and gore.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Tatiana Schlote-Bonne and Creature Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This is set to be published on September 30, 2025!
July 1, 2025
i don't know what Mrs Tatiana sprinkles in her books but i'm convinced i've been drugged somehow. it must be crack because the way i get GLUED to the pages every time!!! i'm addicted & i will continue to pick up her work.
I read her YA horror debut Such Lovely Skin & flew through it & this one does not disappoint! Tatiana writes such fun horror. they're not too serious or over the top gory, just a fun time. the writing is easy to follow & i related to sadie so it was easy for me to get sucked in.
between the weightlifting, curly hair, rock/alternative music, anime & fighting our inner demons i'm pretty sure i am Sadie & Sadie is me.
the dual timelines come together perfectly & that ending?!?! i was on my balcony yelling "LET'S GOOOOOO!" *chefs kiss*. the Other Place gave The Upside Down vibes, which i loved. it was definitely creepy & i, for sure, would not like to go there. Allie is such a Regina George, i'm so sorry but like....she kind of deserved it ??? 🤷🏽♀️
this was cozy campy goodness! if you like demonic (was he?), cultish horror or summer camp slashers this is for you!
thank you netgalley and creature publishing for the arc!
I read her YA horror debut Such Lovely Skin & flew through it & this one does not disappoint! Tatiana writes such fun horror. they're not too serious or over the top gory, just a fun time. the writing is easy to follow & i related to sadie so it was easy for me to get sucked in.
between the weightlifting, curly hair, rock/alternative music, anime & fighting our inner demons i'm pretty sure i am Sadie & Sadie is me.
the dual timelines come together perfectly & that ending?!?! i was on my balcony yelling "LET'S GOOOOOO!" *chefs kiss*. the Other Place gave The Upside Down vibes, which i loved. it was definitely creepy & i, for sure, would not like to go there. Allie is such a Regina George, i'm so sorry but like....she kind of deserved it ??? 🤷🏽♀️
this was cozy campy goodness! if you like demonic (was he?), cultish horror or summer camp slashers this is for you!
thank you netgalley and creature publishing for the arc!
September 7, 2025
The Mean Ones by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Narrated by Annalee Scott
Dreamscape Media, Audiobook
Est. Pub. Date: Sept. 30, 2025
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮🔮🔮🔮 orbs
Orb’s Prologue: The cult follower wielded a knife whittled from a human femur. As I rose through the bully's vein, I erupted through the jugular provided by a timely slash. My globular fluidity rolled down the victim’s leg onto the dirt-ridden cabin floor. As if opening into a silent trash compactor, I stared down into a vacant darkness. I slinked over the edge, my crimson body filled with hemoglobin and various chromosomes screaming to adhere to a surface. Free-falling into the abyss, I was greeted by a voice that let me know I had purpose. As one drop of measly blood, I often wondered about my destiny, but rest assured, dear reader, I was part of a master plan.
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, author of The Mean Ones, presents readers with Sabrina, a girl navigating her teen years, ravaged by awkwardness and insecurity. Latching on to the popular girls, who prove to be not only best friends but also her worst enemies. That unenviable position of trusting friends who use subterfuge to commit acts of subtle cruelty. The jokes the bully plays to mask their own insecurity ring true throughout this novel.
Sabrina attends a camp with her two “best” friends. What transpires is an endless supply of backstabbing. With Sabrina reevaluating her choices, she witnesses the untimely demise of her friends. Why had the murderers left her alone? Found alone with blood-soaked hands, she might be the main suspect, although there is only one problem: the bodies of her friends are nowhere to be found. Labeled by society as a survivor, Schlote-Bonne has fast-forwarded Sabrina’s life to 2023, where PTSD has taken hold of her life.
In 2023, Sabrina is now Sadie, in an attempt to start anew. A voice is calling to her, and the nightmares have yet to cease. On another camping trip with boyfriend Lucas, best friend Heather, and Heather’s boyfriend Eli, readers are again visited by an episode of cult-following individuals on the prowl, out for blood to satiate the thirst of an otherworldly being. The story transpires in some devilish scenes bound to bring satisfaction to the most ardent horror aficionado.
Loved it! As I consumed this dark novel, I was mesmerized by narrator Annalee Scott’s voice. Clear emotional annunciations brought the tale to life. Feeling every emotion as if living in the protagonist’s own body. It was an ethereal experience and one I can easily recommend.
Orb’s Epilogue: As the chapters wound down, nearing their end, I wiped the sweat from my brow. Choices in life can be difficult. Being accepted into society can be an arduous task. Perhaps the simplest solution is being comfortable with one’s own uniqueness. For peace of mind, realize that placating to peer pressure rarely leads to a positive outcome. This novel has an underlying sense of survivability through emotional growth. How much pain and suffering can one endure, yet remain resilient? An excellent story overall, and especially tasty in audiobook format.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Narrated by Annalee Scott
Dreamscape Media, Audiobook
Est. Pub. Date: Sept. 30, 2025
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮🔮🔮🔮 orbs
Orb’s Prologue: The cult follower wielded a knife whittled from a human femur. As I rose through the bully's vein, I erupted through the jugular provided by a timely slash. My globular fluidity rolled down the victim’s leg onto the dirt-ridden cabin floor. As if opening into a silent trash compactor, I stared down into a vacant darkness. I slinked over the edge, my crimson body filled with hemoglobin and various chromosomes screaming to adhere to a surface. Free-falling into the abyss, I was greeted by a voice that let me know I had purpose. As one drop of measly blood, I often wondered about my destiny, but rest assured, dear reader, I was part of a master plan.
Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, author of The Mean Ones, presents readers with Sabrina, a girl navigating her teen years, ravaged by awkwardness and insecurity. Latching on to the popular girls, who prove to be not only best friends but also her worst enemies. That unenviable position of trusting friends who use subterfuge to commit acts of subtle cruelty. The jokes the bully plays to mask their own insecurity ring true throughout this novel.
Sabrina attends a camp with her two “best” friends. What transpires is an endless supply of backstabbing. With Sabrina reevaluating her choices, she witnesses the untimely demise of her friends. Why had the murderers left her alone? Found alone with blood-soaked hands, she might be the main suspect, although there is only one problem: the bodies of her friends are nowhere to be found. Labeled by society as a survivor, Schlote-Bonne has fast-forwarded Sabrina’s life to 2023, where PTSD has taken hold of her life.
In 2023, Sabrina is now Sadie, in an attempt to start anew. A voice is calling to her, and the nightmares have yet to cease. On another camping trip with boyfriend Lucas, best friend Heather, and Heather’s boyfriend Eli, readers are again visited by an episode of cult-following individuals on the prowl, out for blood to satiate the thirst of an otherworldly being. The story transpires in some devilish scenes bound to bring satisfaction to the most ardent horror aficionado.
Loved it! As I consumed this dark novel, I was mesmerized by narrator Annalee Scott’s voice. Clear emotional annunciations brought the tale to life. Feeling every emotion as if living in the protagonist’s own body. It was an ethereal experience and one I can easily recommend.
Orb’s Epilogue: As the chapters wound down, nearing their end, I wiped the sweat from my brow. Choices in life can be difficult. Being accepted into society can be an arduous task. Perhaps the simplest solution is being comfortable with one’s own uniqueness. For peace of mind, realize that placating to peer pressure rarely leads to a positive outcome. This novel has an underlying sense of survivability through emotional growth. How much pain and suffering can one endure, yet remain resilient? An excellent story overall, and especially tasty in audiobook format.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for the audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
May 8, 2025
I won’t lie—I went into this one a little skeptical… and holy shit, it did NOT disappoint.
We follow Sabrina, a survivor who witnessed her friends murdered at camp, and now we see how she lives her life after the trauma. At first, it sounds like a sad, straightforward survival story… but here’s the thing: maybe Sabrina isn’t exactly a nice person. Hm.
What I loved is how we watch her story unfold, and—at least for me (everyone’s POV can be different)—I ended up rooting for her. By the time we got toward the end, I was literally yelling, “LET’S FUCKING GO.”
One of the strongest parts of this book is how it doesn’t simplify anything. It’s not just “good vs. evil” or black and white. Some people have families, communities, and cultures that shape them—and what looks horrifying to an outsider might feel normal, protective, or supportive within those systems. Sometimes we fight against the current. But what happens when we stop fighting?
And then there’s the female rage. This story is unapologetic in showing how women who settle, who get bullied or abused, are judged. And when they finally stand up for themselves? Suddenly they’re “evil.” I LOVED IT.
This book won’t be for everyone—it’s messy, it’s angry... but in a nice way (does that make sense?)
PS this is also a great love story. Firmly standing my ground.
We follow Sabrina, a survivor who witnessed her friends murdered at camp, and now we see how she lives her life after the trauma. At first, it sounds like a sad, straightforward survival story… but here’s the thing: maybe Sabrina isn’t exactly a nice person. Hm.
What I loved is how we watch her story unfold, and—at least for me (everyone’s POV can be different)—I ended up rooting for her. By the time we got toward the end, I was literally yelling, “LET’S FUCKING GO.”
One of the strongest parts of this book is how it doesn’t simplify anything. It’s not just “good vs. evil” or black and white. Some people have families, communities, and cultures that shape them—and what looks horrifying to an outsider might feel normal, protective, or supportive within those systems. Sometimes we fight against the current. But what happens when we stop fighting?
And then there’s the female rage. This story is unapologetic in showing how women who settle, who get bullied or abused, are judged. And when they finally stand up for themselves? Suddenly they’re “evil.” I LOVED IT.
This book won’t be for everyone—it’s messy, it’s angry... but in a nice way (does that make sense?)
PS this is also a great love story. Firmly standing my ground.
September 8, 2025
What do you do when the past catches up with you.
Book Stats:
📖: 272 pages
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Creature Publishing
Format: eARC from publisher
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 7 hours 41 minutes
🎤: Annalee Scott
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Format: Singular POV / Singular narrator
I enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. The voice was pleasing to listen to.
Themes:
💫: Toxic relationships
💫: Leaving the past behind
Representation:
🪽: Weight Lifting FMC
����: PTSD, anxiety, hallucinations
Tropes:
💗: Cult group
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
I found this book to be extremely unique and interesting as far as the premise goes. It's a hallucinogenic fever dream into a cultish group unlike any I've ever read about before.
I did have some slight problems with the pacing. There were times where I had a hard time paying attention because it seemed to be just long periods of inner monologue with the main character info dumping. But honestly, those were minor concerns because the mystery and bits and pieces of the story we were getting were super compelling and kept me reading. I came up with numerous theories as to how this book would end and I'm happy to report back that I was never completely right. I definitely knew some things were not as they seemed and was partially right with some of my guesses, but I never actually nailed down what was going to happen. At a certain point I did stop trying once my theories proved to be inaccurate the more information I got and just kind of enjoyed the ride.
I did really enjoy this author's writing style as far as how they presented the information and the various forms of representation within the novel. I'll read more by this author. I feel like it was a pretty fun ride overall.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a gifted eARC from the publisher and a gifted audiobook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Book Stats:
📖: 272 pages
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Creature Publishing
Format: eARC from publisher
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 7 hours 41 minutes
🎤: Annalee Scott
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Format: Singular POV / Singular narrator
I enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. The voice was pleasing to listen to.
Themes:
💫: Toxic relationships
💫: Leaving the past behind
Representation:
🪽: Weight Lifting FMC
����: PTSD, anxiety, hallucinations
Tropes:
💗: Cult group
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
I found this book to be extremely unique and interesting as far as the premise goes. It's a hallucinogenic fever dream into a cultish group unlike any I've ever read about before.
I did have some slight problems with the pacing. There were times where I had a hard time paying attention because it seemed to be just long periods of inner monologue with the main character info dumping. But honestly, those were minor concerns because the mystery and bits and pieces of the story we were getting were super compelling and kept me reading. I came up with numerous theories as to how this book would end and I'm happy to report back that I was never completely right. I definitely knew some things were not as they seemed and was partially right with some of my guesses, but I never actually nailed down what was going to happen. At a certain point I did stop trying once my theories proved to be inaccurate the more information I got and just kind of enjoyed the ride.
I did really enjoy this author's writing style as far as how they presented the information and the various forms of representation within the novel. I'll read more by this author. I feel like it was a pretty fun ride overall.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a gifted eARC from the publisher and a gifted audiobook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 20, 2025
4 Stars.
Writing wise is great but there were a few times I cringed a little. The book goes by super fast and it's one of those ones where I kept finding myself on the next chapter wanting to know what happened.
My complaint on the story's length is that it doesn't feel fleshed out enough on certain aspects of the storyline and the lore. I would have loved more!
Also, being in Sadie's head was a nightmare. Wanted to shake her so bad, and I say this as a girly with ocd and massive anxiety. I don't want to twin right now damn :/
The ending was so much fun though. Truly made the choice to go with four stars easy.
Thank you to netgalley and publishers!
Writing wise is great but there were a few times I cringed a little. The book goes by super fast and it's one of those ones where I kept finding myself on the next chapter wanting to know what happened.
My complaint on the story's length is that it doesn't feel fleshed out enough on certain aspects of the storyline and the lore. I would have loved more!
Also, being in Sadie's head was a nightmare. Wanted to shake her so bad, and I say this as a girly with ocd and massive anxiety. I don't want to twin right now damn :/
The ending was so much fun though. Truly made the choice to go with four stars easy.
Thank you to netgalley and publishers!
August 9, 2025
I gave this one a read because of the badass cover and the promise of a strange voice inside the main character's head. I love stuff like that. It's told in dual timeframes, past and present, with a bloody murder that you already know about going in and other mysterious aspects that unfold as you go along.
It's important to note that in the flashback/2003 chapters, the protagonist goes by the name Sabrina and in the current day/2023 chapters, she has changed her name to Sadie. Though the names are so close that I honestly didn't catch on immediately that she was even hiding her identity. I thought the 2023 chapters were a bit more fun to read, for the most part. (Aside from the boyfriend.) The flashbacks felt a little more in tune with a younger narrator and they were probably written that way on purpose. But O-M-G, they had so many pop culture references. Like at least one on every page. I figure this was likely done to generate nostalgia and set the scene as well as show us Sabrina's personality, but it was still a LOT. And there was also some awkward homophobia in those chapters, too. Sabrina’s two BFF's were garbage and I was counting down the moments until they died violently.
When it comes to the adult part of the story, Lucas sucks and Sadie just makes excuses for him and stays in this toxic and gross relationship. I almost DNF’d the book a couple of times because of that, and also because parts of it felt very close to glorifying/romanticizing potential mental illness. Also, in the 2023 storyline as soon as Sadie let her boyfriend’s buddy take everyone’s cell phone away on their weekend trip and didn’t object, I was pretty much done with her. (And annoyed at the author, because that’s a little too convenient.) I had a very hard time sympathizing with her even after everything she had been through, because she kept simping and apologizing for this absolutely garbage person. It also felt off that she kept saying things like, "I have to be Normal Sadie, and Normal Sadie would do this instead."
I guess that basically, I wasn't in love with the writing style. But I stuck around because of all the weird, nightmarish imagery. I was definitely into that and there was enough of it to keep me interested. There was definitely a dark romance aspect to this story that typically isn't my thing, but I can definitely see a lot of other people loving it. (I'm just jaded, lol.) Very cool that Sadie/Sabrina is a bodybuilder, though! I don't think I've ever read a book with a protagonist like that before, and it looks like the author was drawing from real-life experience.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This book completes my 2025 goal of 60 books for the year, but of course I'm going to keep reading more!
Biggest TW: Bullying, Body shaming, Animal Harm/Death, Chronic Illness, Hate speech/slurs/Homophobia
It's important to note that in the flashback/2003 chapters, the protagonist goes by the name Sabrina and in the current day/2023 chapters, she has changed her name to Sadie. Though the names are so close that I honestly didn't catch on immediately that she was even hiding her identity. I thought the 2023 chapters were a bit more fun to read, for the most part. (Aside from the boyfriend.) The flashbacks felt a little more in tune with a younger narrator and they were probably written that way on purpose. But O-M-G, they had so many pop culture references. Like at least one on every page. I figure this was likely done to generate nostalgia and set the scene as well as show us Sabrina's personality, but it was still a LOT. And there was also some awkward homophobia in those chapters, too. Sabrina’s two BFF's were garbage and I was counting down the moments until they died violently.
When it comes to the adult part of the story, Lucas sucks and Sadie just makes excuses for him and stays in this toxic and gross relationship. I almost DNF’d the book a couple of times because of that, and also because parts of it felt very close to glorifying/romanticizing potential mental illness. Also, in the 2023 storyline as soon as Sadie let her boyfriend’s buddy take everyone’s cell phone away on their weekend trip and didn’t object, I was pretty much done with her. (And annoyed at the author, because that’s a little too convenient.) I had a very hard time sympathizing with her even after everything she had been through, because she kept simping and apologizing for this absolutely garbage person. It also felt off that she kept saying things like, "I have to be Normal Sadie, and Normal Sadie would do this instead."
I guess that basically, I wasn't in love with the writing style. But I stuck around because of all the weird, nightmarish imagery. I was definitely into that and there was enough of it to keep me interested. There was definitely a dark romance aspect to this story that typically isn't my thing, but I can definitely see a lot of other people loving it. (I'm just jaded, lol.) Very cool that Sadie/Sabrina is a bodybuilder, though! I don't think I've ever read a book with a protagonist like that before, and it looks like the author was drawing from real-life experience.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This book completes my 2025 goal of 60 books for the year, but of course I'm going to keep reading more!
Biggest TW: Bullying, Body shaming, Animal Harm/Death, Chronic Illness, Hate speech/slurs/Homophobia
Read
September 2, 2025Tatiana has the ability to write the most skin-crawling, dark, and humorous horror books, and I don’t know what it is about her prose, but I’m convinced she imbues crack in every word, because how is it that I finish every book by hers in under 24 hours? I went into this one with high expectations because I loved SLS so, SO much, it’s one of my favourites, ever, but I didn’t know WHAT it was that I was expecting.
Reader…my expectations were exceeded, and I was blown away once more. The Mean Ones is a very different vibe from Such Lovely Skin. While the latter is YA, with a solid YA voice, this is firmly adult, with very adult themes and plot. And while SLS was a techno horror, with gaming and twitch streaming woven in, this one is very camp. It is atmospheric and creepy, and it’s also much, MUCH darker. There were certain much awaited scenes in the book that made my jaw drop and forced me to set my kindle down because they were so horrifying (in the best way possible). They truly made me sick to my stomach because of how brutal they were but how DESERVED, given who these things were happening to, lol. Middle schoolers from the early 2000s are an evil, evil brand of people.
I was so surprised when Tatiana told me her books usually clock at about 65k to 75k words, because while I read them fast, they feel so fleshed out and expansive. They truly suck you in. Both the timelines in this book were equally intriguing, and I usually find myself wanting to read one timeline more than the other in other dual timeline books, but in this one both gripped me by the throat. But my favourite has to be the past timeline, with the murders that started all of Sadie’s trauma, and felt like reading a very creepy camp horror in the vein of Christopher Pike or R.L. Stine with an 80s or 90s setting (and far more fucked up than books by either of these authors). I also loved the millennial references.
And that ending, oh my god. This is going to go down in history as one of the most unhinged endings EVER, but it’s so perfect given the satirical dark comedy voice of the book. I absolutely ate that shit up! Like there were scenes where I was finding myself recovering from a particularly gruesome moment, and then Sadie would say something totally out-of-pocket in her head and it would be so ridiculously funny I would burst into shocked laughter.
“For all the dirty demented little girlies” should be the dedication of this book for real, because Sadie is so fucked up and I LOVE her for it. This is truly the morally black female-driven feminist cult horror book I never knew I needed.
..
Edit 8/2/25: ARC ACQUIRED I AM ACTUALLY SCREAMING TATIANA IS MY FAVOURITE HORROR AUTHOR AND SUCH LOVELY SKIN WAS A TOP READ OF 2024!!
Edit 22/12/24: I will read anything and everything written by Tatiana
Reader…my expectations were exceeded, and I was blown away once more. The Mean Ones is a very different vibe from Such Lovely Skin. While the latter is YA, with a solid YA voice, this is firmly adult, with very adult themes and plot. And while SLS was a techno horror, with gaming and twitch streaming woven in, this one is very camp. It is atmospheric and creepy, and it’s also much, MUCH darker. There were certain much awaited scenes in the book that made my jaw drop and forced me to set my kindle down because they were so horrifying (in the best way possible). They truly made me sick to my stomach because of how brutal they were but how DESERVED, given who these things were happening to, lol. Middle schoolers from the early 2000s are an evil, evil brand of people.
I was so surprised when Tatiana told me her books usually clock at about 65k to 75k words, because while I read them fast, they feel so fleshed out and expansive. They truly suck you in. Both the timelines in this book were equally intriguing, and I usually find myself wanting to read one timeline more than the other in other dual timeline books, but in this one both gripped me by the throat. But my favourite has to be the past timeline, with the murders that started all of Sadie’s trauma, and felt like reading a very creepy camp horror in the vein of Christopher Pike or R.L. Stine with an 80s or 90s setting (and far more fucked up than books by either of these authors). I also loved the millennial references.
And that ending, oh my god. This is going to go down in history as one of the most unhinged endings EVER, but it’s so perfect given the satirical dark comedy voice of the book. I absolutely ate that shit up! Like there were scenes where I was finding myself recovering from a particularly gruesome moment, and then Sadie would say something totally out-of-pocket in her head and it would be so ridiculously funny I would burst into shocked laughter.
“For all the dirty demented little girlies” should be the dedication of this book for real, because Sadie is so fucked up and I LOVE her for it. This is truly the morally black female-driven feminist cult horror book I never knew I needed.
..
Edit 8/2/25: ARC ACQUIRED I AM ACTUALLY SCREAMING TATIANA IS MY FAVOURITE HORROR AUTHOR AND SUCH LOVELY SKIN WAS A TOP READ OF 2024!!
Edit 22/12/24: I will read anything and everything written by Tatiana
July 26, 2025
I read Such Lovely Skin by this author and enjoyed it a lot so I was stoked to read The Mean Ones! Unfortunately I kind of ended up hating it.
The Mean Ones is about Sadie - a 2o something PT assistant who enjoys weightlifting with her terrible PT boyfriend. She also hears a creepy voice in her head and sometimes has weird visions.
Before all of this, her name was actually Sabrina and she was the witness to two of her friends being murdered at summer camp. Because the summer camp horrors became a popular true crime story/hulu special/etc., she changed her name and hasn't told anyone in her life about her past. One weekend Sadie and her boyfriend Lucas go on a weekend camping trip with another couple, and the horrors of Sadies past come back to haunt her in the woods.
We get two timelines here - Sadies current POV and her POV back at camp as a young kid. I didn't like either one. The camp timeline was just filled with stereotypical petty mean girl drama, and the current timeline was all about an abusive boyfriend and Sadie's appalling inner monologue and lack of respect for herself.
My biggest issue though was with the writing. Ok stick with me here. You know how disney stars go crazy when they try to end their child actor image and become adults and then they overcorrect by sexualizing themselves in a way that is embarrassing to witness? That was how this authors transition from their previous YA novel into this adult one felt. The writing style remained simplistic and juvenile (not necessarily a bad thing - just very YA), but with a few weird sexual lines and swear words thrown in to try and make it feel more adult. It read like a 16 year old trying to write how they think someone in college would write.
Here are some examples:
"Why can't Lucas propose to me already? We're coming up on three years. Maybe I should've given him that cave blowjob!" LMAO
"I can't believe all the vulnerable things I've told her, like how Lucas is the first man I've been in love with, how my asshole ached for hours after Lucas and I tried anal for the first time, how Lucas likes it when I suck on his nipples." Girl, be so for real. To be clear I have NO issue with sexual content in a book - where it makes sense. It was just forced in here at extremely random and inappropriate times in unnatural ways.
Also - quite a bit of fatphobia from the characters which was very unnecessary:
"Bina's already had her first period. She has two options: lose the fat or be a loser."
"Cottage Cheese Legs called our names" referring to their camp counselor
Also - some homophobia:
"'Don't tell us you're a dyke', Blakely said. 'Eww!' Allie shrieked."
Also this?
"Dad wasn't ugly, but he was half-Mexican."
*Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Mean Ones is about Sadie - a 2o something PT assistant who enjoys weightlifting with her terrible PT boyfriend. She also hears a creepy voice in her head and sometimes has weird visions.
Before all of this, her name was actually Sabrina and she was the witness to two of her friends being murdered at summer camp. Because the summer camp horrors became a popular true crime story/hulu special/etc., she changed her name and hasn't told anyone in her life about her past. One weekend Sadie and her boyfriend Lucas go on a weekend camping trip with another couple, and the horrors of Sadies past come back to haunt her in the woods.
We get two timelines here - Sadies current POV and her POV back at camp as a young kid. I didn't like either one. The camp timeline was just filled with stereotypical petty mean girl drama, and the current timeline was all about an abusive boyfriend and Sadie's appalling inner monologue and lack of respect for herself.
My biggest issue though was with the writing. Ok stick with me here. You know how disney stars go crazy when they try to end their child actor image and become adults and then they overcorrect by sexualizing themselves in a way that is embarrassing to witness? That was how this authors transition from their previous YA novel into this adult one felt. The writing style remained simplistic and juvenile (not necessarily a bad thing - just very YA), but with a few weird sexual lines and swear words thrown in to try and make it feel more adult. It read like a 16 year old trying to write how they think someone in college would write.
Here are some examples:
"Why can't Lucas propose to me already? We're coming up on three years. Maybe I should've given him that cave blowjob!" LMAO
"I can't believe all the vulnerable things I've told her, like how Lucas is the first man I've been in love with, how my asshole ached for hours after Lucas and I tried anal for the first time, how Lucas likes it when I suck on his nipples." Girl, be so for real. To be clear I have NO issue with sexual content in a book - where it makes sense. It was just forced in here at extremely random and inappropriate times in unnatural ways.
Also - quite a bit of fatphobia from the characters which was very unnecessary:
"Bina's already had her first period. She has two options: lose the fat or be a loser."
"Cottage Cheese Legs called our names" referring to their camp counselor
Also - some homophobia:
"'Don't tell us you're a dyke', Blakely said. 'Eww!' Allie shrieked."
Also this?
"Dad wasn't ugly, but he was half-Mexican."
*Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2025
4.5 ⭐️I promised myself more horror this year, and this story slithered under my skin in the best way. A macabre, cult-soaked labyrinth of shadows and whispers, laced with a touch of morally grey romance that felt unsettling at times. The main character was easy to relate to, flaws and all. The flashbacks to her younger years were perfectly weaved into the present day plot, each memory more chilling than the last. This book definitely gave me the creeps. It was exactly what I hoped it would be.
Thank you Netgally for allowing me to ARC read this one.
Thank you Netgally for allowing me to ARC read this one.
October 16, 2025
A neat, well drawn slasher horror from Tatiana.
This was one of those books where I went in completely blind and was happily surprised by how good it turned out.
The story is told through two timelines and focus' on Sabrina whose life was turned upside down as a teenager, and now as an adult has built a stable life. Thats until friends ask her and her boyfriend to go away for a weekend. Here things start to get crazy as you would expect.
The author did a fantastic job at juggling many underlying themes throughout this novel. There is a lot going on if you read between the lines.
There is the whole slasher element to deal with, intertwined with folk horror that dominates but there are also more cosmic feeling moments and those that deal with more down to earth, day to day subjects.
This story will pull you along at quite a speed, jumping from time line to time line each chapter. This seemed to help keep things feeling fresh and also to keep me guessing. Yes, I'm one of those people who wants to figure out what will happen, way before it happens.
Yet again, I'm rambling on and on.
This was a fantastic read from start to finish. It was maybe going to be a five star review but I can't overlook how much I hated many of the characters. I don't know if it was intentional but all the male characters were awful human beings. Anyways, that's my rant over.
You should check this out. Its a wonderful book!!
This was one of those books where I went in completely blind and was happily surprised by how good it turned out.
The story is told through two timelines and focus' on Sabrina whose life was turned upside down as a teenager, and now as an adult has built a stable life. Thats until friends ask her and her boyfriend to go away for a weekend. Here things start to get crazy as you would expect.
The author did a fantastic job at juggling many underlying themes throughout this novel. There is a lot going on if you read between the lines.
There is the whole slasher element to deal with, intertwined with folk horror that dominates but there are also more cosmic feeling moments and those that deal with more down to earth, day to day subjects.
This story will pull you along at quite a speed, jumping from time line to time line each chapter. This seemed to help keep things feeling fresh and also to keep me guessing. Yes, I'm one of those people who wants to figure out what will happen, way before it happens.
Yet again, I'm rambling on and on.
This was a fantastic read from start to finish. It was maybe going to be a five star review but I can't overlook how much I hated many of the characters. I don't know if it was intentional but all the male characters were awful human beings. Anyways, that's my rant over.
You should check this out. Its a wonderful book!!
October 8, 2025
I’ve read the author’s other YA horror story, “Such Lovely Skin” and really enjoyed it. In this new book, geared more towards adult readers, I was initially pretty creeped out.
I liked the setup, the eerie flashbacks, the weirdness in present day. I can’t say I was a fan of the explanation or ending though. It just left me hungry for more details and follow through. Why is Sadie the one who has these experiences/encounters?
The fact that Tatiana always incorporates her interests and parts of her life into her works is awesome (gaming, lifting, etc).
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Creature Publishing for a copy!
I liked the setup, the eerie flashbacks, the weirdness in present day. I can’t say I was a fan of the explanation or ending though. It just left me hungry for more details and follow through. Why is Sadie the one who has these experiences/encounters?
The fact that Tatiana always incorporates her interests and parts of her life into her works is awesome (gaming, lifting, etc).
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Creature Publishing for a copy!
August 6, 2025
I knew I’d love this book after devouring Such Lovely Skin, and this one was just as creepy, and completely addictive. I couldn’t put it down! Every spare moment I had, I spent flying through pages.
We follow Sadie, a 29-year-old still haunted by the ritualistic murders of her childhood friends at summer camp. Ever since, she’s been plagued by strange visions and a dark, persuasive voice in her head she can’t seem to resist. 17 years later, when she joins her boyfriend on a cabin getaway, the line between past and present begins to blur and Sadie is forced to confront the terrifying truth she’s been running from her entire life…
This book is excellent in so many ways. The dual timelines shifting between the present and that fateful summer are executed perfectly, building tension with every chapter and keeping the pace sharp. The forest setting oozes dread, and the imagery is burned into my brain: hair dolls with teeth, diseased deer walking upright, a strange woman lurking in the woods, and the voices of the dead whispering through the trees. And The Other Place is awesomely creepy. Reminiscent of Stranger Things ‘Upside Down’ but feels older, sicker, and more dangerous. Upside-down trees sprouting open mouths, the laws of reality bending just enough to make you question everything. It’s vivid, it’s beautiful and I kinda want to live here- even though I know I shouldn’t 🤭
Sadie is such a layered, compelling character- I was rooting for her from the start, even as the story takes some jaw-dropping turns. Her inner monologue felt raw and authentic, especially her struggle to live up to the version of herself she thinks she should be, and the constant feeling of being different. I also loved her passion for weightlifting (clearly a nod to the author’s own) was such a cool, grounded contrast to the darkness of hearing a demon in your head. Also, the music references were perfect. Korn and Atreyu? Hell yeah! Instant win. And let’s talk about that ending!! So perfectly fitting and fantastically creepy- I love when a story leans into the darkness and doesn’t hold back.
If you’re craving psychological and supernatural cult horror wrapped in camp slasher energy, laced with gory, folk horror–infused imagery and toxic friendships, this is the one. Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is a rising horror queen and I’m hooked on everything she writes. Don’t sleep on this one!
We follow Sadie, a 29-year-old still haunted by the ritualistic murders of her childhood friends at summer camp. Ever since, she’s been plagued by strange visions and a dark, persuasive voice in her head she can’t seem to resist. 17 years later, when she joins her boyfriend on a cabin getaway, the line between past and present begins to blur and Sadie is forced to confront the terrifying truth she’s been running from her entire life…
This book is excellent in so many ways. The dual timelines shifting between the present and that fateful summer are executed perfectly, building tension with every chapter and keeping the pace sharp. The forest setting oozes dread, and the imagery is burned into my brain: hair dolls with teeth, diseased deer walking upright, a strange woman lurking in the woods, and the voices of the dead whispering through the trees. And The Other Place is awesomely creepy. Reminiscent of Stranger Things ‘Upside Down’ but feels older, sicker, and more dangerous. Upside-down trees sprouting open mouths, the laws of reality bending just enough to make you question everything. It’s vivid, it’s beautiful and I kinda want to live here- even though I know I shouldn’t 🤭
Sadie is such a layered, compelling character- I was rooting for her from the start, even as the story takes some jaw-dropping turns. Her inner monologue felt raw and authentic, especially her struggle to live up to the version of herself she thinks she should be, and the constant feeling of being different. I also loved her passion for weightlifting (clearly a nod to the author’s own) was such a cool, grounded contrast to the darkness of hearing a demon in your head. Also, the music references were perfect. Korn and Atreyu? Hell yeah! Instant win. And let’s talk about that ending!! So perfectly fitting and fantastically creepy- I love when a story leans into the darkness and doesn’t hold back.
If you’re craving psychological and supernatural cult horror wrapped in camp slasher energy, laced with gory, folk horror–infused imagery and toxic friendships, this is the one. Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is a rising horror queen and I’m hooked on everything she writes. Don’t sleep on this one!
May 8, 2025
Another killer novel! Once again, I couldn’t put this book down. The alternating timelines came together so perfectly. Love the nuance in the characters - subverting the way people “should” act under certain circumstances. The ending too! Perf. I’ll never go to summer camp again!
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
Thank you to the author for a review copy.
Want to read
February 13, 2025''So what if Sadie hears talking dead animals and a strange, comforting male voice in her head? ''
Girl, is it Hozier?
Girl, is it Hozier?
May 31, 2025
I almost feel guilty about how much I love this book, and especially that *chef's kiss* ending. This book is for traumatised, former people pleasers who have had enough. This is for people who love demonic and cultish horror set in forests. This is for the slasher lovers but want social commentary in their thrillers.
Would you like a book that you will want to read in one sitting because the pacing is absolute perfection? Would you want this for Halloween this year? This is it. 30th September 2025. Pen. It. Down.
Thank you to the author, Creature Publishing (they are very passionate about feminist horror✨✨✨), and NetGalley for this eARC. I leave this review voluntarily.
Would you like a book that you will want to read in one sitting because the pacing is absolute perfection? Would you want this for Halloween this year? This is it. 30th September 2025. Pen. It. Down.
Thank you to the author, Creature Publishing (they are very passionate about feminist horror✨✨✨), and NetGalley for this eARC. I leave this review voluntarily.
October 3, 2025
The overall story was decent, but I believe it could have been executed more effectively. I would have preferred if the cult theme had been introduced earlier, rather than having the last few chapters focus solely on it. There were several minor details that felt overly highlighted (like the excessive references to Lord of the Rings and conversations about lifting) that added little to the narrative. It seemed as though the author was simply trying to pad the book's length during those sections. Overall, it’s not a terrible story about a summer camp gone awry and cults.
May 12, 2025
Sadie has quite the different invisible friend than most ever have had. Instead of hearing a regular voice, she hears a distorted man who often encourages her to do some pretty morally skewed things (even if she doesn't act on them). She also hears dead animals speak, so there's that! As an adult, her biggest remembrance is seeing her best friends get murdered from underneath a bed at summer camp as teens. With a different name and hopefully a different life, Sadie attempts to escape her past and the voices simultaneously- and it was a joy to get to read about her experience in doing such a thing. When the voices come back to her, as a now 29 year old, we have to figure out alongside her what she will do to fight them off and discover the "truth". I will leave it there- both because I think you probably can't resist such a synopsis, but I also don't want to spoil the entire book. This is Schlote- Bonne's first adult novel, and what a wonderful entrance she has made. I loved the unique role of reading from the POV of a weight lifter, and I especially enjoyed seeing how different this one would be from her previous YA Horror. This book did not disappoint. It's quite unlike anything I've read before, and I can't wait for her next. If you like Yellowjackets, mysterious animals, or summer camp slashers- check it out asap. Thanks so much to Tatiana and the publisher for the chance to read early and give an honest review.
September 6, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.
.
This was a creepy, campy, witchy, cultural, gorey good time. It is fast-paced and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. I just wish there was more fleshed out in regards to the cult as it was kind of basic. If there were at least 50 more pages to the book, I feel like it could have been done to provide a little more backstory. I did like the message behind the story of self empowerment. I am definitely interested in reading more from the author.
.
This was a creepy, campy, witchy, cultural, gorey good time. It is fast-paced and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. I just wish there was more fleshed out in regards to the cult as it was kind of basic. If there were at least 50 more pages to the book, I feel like it could have been done to provide a little more backstory. I did like the message behind the story of self empowerment. I am definitely interested in reading more from the author.
November 11, 2025
This book is very well titled. So many of the characters are incredibly mean and I wanted bad things to happen to them.
The book is longing and rage and betrayal and just all the feelings.
I did have some issues with our main character at first. While I understood the reason behind her personality, it's hard for me to like a doormat. Luckily, the doormat eventually becomes a bitey thing and I ended up liking her immensely.
An unusual read that I really enjoyed!
The book is longing and rage and betrayal and just all the feelings.
I did have some issues with our main character at first. While I understood the reason behind her personality, it's hard for me to like a doormat. Luckily, the doormat eventually becomes a bitey thing and I ended up liking her immensely.
An unusual read that I really enjoyed!
September 20, 2025
This book blew me away. In a month that’s all about bridging the summer and fall, I found the ongoing themes surrounding duality so interesting that’s it’s got me kind of fixated at the moment: the mix of past and present timelines, the coin-flip nature of adolescent female friendships, the blurred edge between reality and trauma-induced hallucinations, the destructive cycle of love bombing and devaluation, and what damage it can do to a child to tell them you want to help them but then to constantly emotionally isolate them when that help is more laborious than you thought.
The Mean Ones is a book that sucked me in immediately, with a protagonist who has both determined she’ll never let herself be caught in the same situation she was when she was a kid again and has also come to terms with the fact that she will silently carry a part of that night with her for all of her life in the form of visual and aural hallucinations that infiltrate her waking hours on an unpredictable basis. She just wants to be as “normal” as her parents always wanted her to be, and to her that means being in a serious relationship with a man that is boring and basic in every way. Her only job is to make sure he’s pleased and feels superior, and that’s not hard to do. That’s what most women do every day.
The things that happen to us in childhood echo. Schlote-Bronne has written a brutal, cruel, fast-paced exploration of how we should embrace our trauma but never let is define us, listen to our inner selves, and become our own force of nature. 5⭐️
I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Horror/Horror/Supernatural Horror
The Mean Ones is a book that sucked me in immediately, with a protagonist who has both determined she’ll never let herself be caught in the same situation she was when she was a kid again and has also come to terms with the fact that she will silently carry a part of that night with her for all of her life in the form of visual and aural hallucinations that infiltrate her waking hours on an unpredictable basis. She just wants to be as “normal” as her parents always wanted her to be, and to her that means being in a serious relationship with a man that is boring and basic in every way. Her only job is to make sure he’s pleased and feels superior, and that’s not hard to do. That’s what most women do every day.
The things that happen to us in childhood echo. Schlote-Bronne has written a brutal, cruel, fast-paced exploration of how we should embrace our trauma but never let is define us, listen to our inner selves, and become our own force of nature. 5⭐️
I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Horror/Horror/Supernatural Horror
September 20, 2025
Twisted and fun horror story.
Sadie has settled into her mediocre life. She has a best friend, a boyfriend - the two couples double date. She's so glad she's found people to be with because she's been hiding her whole adult life. Through flashbacks, we learn that Sadie used to be Sabrina and she was at a camp with frenemies when the 2 girls she was with go missing. As the only survivor, she's changed her name and tried to forget her past.
But she's suddenly thrown into a couples camping trip with her boyfriend and best friend and best friend significant other. She doesn't want to, can't go back to the forest. But maybe she needs to face what happened before so she can finally move on.
This was such a fun read. Sadie was a fun main character because she always kept me guessing. I never knew what her reaction to something would be - if she'd bow down to her boyfriend or suddenly snap back with a backbone. The plot kept me guessing and I liked how the past story was easily woven into the present story - keeping the tension up and the reader wonder what would come next. The ending was so good and such a surprise. I did this as an audio and the narrator was wonderful! Such a great fall, spooky time read.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Sadie has settled into her mediocre life. She has a best friend, a boyfriend - the two couples double date. She's so glad she's found people to be with because she's been hiding her whole adult life. Through flashbacks, we learn that Sadie used to be Sabrina and she was at a camp with frenemies when the 2 girls she was with go missing. As the only survivor, she's changed her name and tried to forget her past.
But she's suddenly thrown into a couples camping trip with her boyfriend and best friend and best friend significant other. She doesn't want to, can't go back to the forest. But maybe she needs to face what happened before so she can finally move on.
This was such a fun read. Sadie was a fun main character because she always kept me guessing. I never knew what her reaction to something would be - if she'd bow down to her boyfriend or suddenly snap back with a backbone. The plot kept me guessing and I liked how the past story was easily woven into the present story - keeping the tension up and the reader wonder what would come next. The ending was so good and such a surprise. I did this as an audio and the narrator was wonderful! Such a great fall, spooky time read.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
September 3, 2025
Eeee I enjoyed this so much! I think this was the perfect way to end summer! Sadie has been through hell and back. She keeps some really questionable friends/boyfriend in her life and when they all decide to go camping? Well let’s just say things don’t go as planned.
I will be thinking about that ceiling fan for a minute. 🫠
Duel time lines that I thought were done well. I felt like the end was a bit predictable. This is my first book from this author and I will definitely be reading more!
Thank you NetGalley && Dreamscape media for the ALC!
I will be thinking about that ceiling fan for a minute. 🫠
Duel time lines that I thought were done well. I felt like the end was a bit predictable. This is my first book from this author and I will definitely be reading more!
Thank you NetGalley && Dreamscape media for the ALC!
May 19, 2025
thank you netgalley and creature publishing for the arc!
The Mean Ones is told through past and present chapters and follows our main character Sabrina, who witnessed her friends get murderded while at camp. Now, an older Sabrina, visits the area once again with her boyfriend and is thrown into various twists as she is overwhelmed with visions and past memories that begin to surround her.
I ended up really enjoying this! this book had everything that I personally love (horror, folklore, cults, summer camps, dual timelines) I think that if youre a fan of yellowjackets and the culty atmosphere it had, you might enjoy this!!
The Mean Ones is told through past and present chapters and follows our main character Sabrina, who witnessed her friends get murderded while at camp. Now, an older Sabrina, visits the area once again with her boyfriend and is thrown into various twists as she is overwhelmed with visions and past memories that begin to surround her.
I ended up really enjoying this! this book had everything that I personally love (horror, folklore, cults, summer camps, dual timelines) I think that if youre a fan of yellowjackets and the culty atmosphere it had, you might enjoy this!!
September 23, 2025
This book absolutely did not disappoint 👏🏻
I’ve been eager to read this one since I heard about it months ago and decided I was going to wait until it was closer to release day.
And let me just say… I DEVOURED this book!! It gave off Mean Girls and Stranger Things vibes (the Other Place was eerily reminiscent of the Upside Down!).
The way the times changed from present to past was something I really enjoyed. We get the present day happenings along with being sent to the past, learning about the incident that brought us to where we are. It wasn’t too much of an information overload at once which I really enjoyed.
Our MC Sadie strives to be normal, just wanting her life to be like it was before the incident. But, unfortunately, she just can’t seem to get away from her past and “the Other Place”.
Tatiana does such a phenomenal job of weaving a world that sometimes feels a bit like a fever dream. She did an amazing job at making me hate one particular character that I will not go into detail about (literally could spend my entire review just talking about said character and how much of a red flag they are) and feeling for our MC Sadie.
I absolutely cheered for her at the end of the book, because she got what she wanted and deserved in life.
Also, did I mention… shadow daddy?!? Yes please 🥵🥵
Anyway… that’s my review. Read it because… Mean Girls + Stranger Things + Shadow Daddy
I’ve been eager to read this one since I heard about it months ago and decided I was going to wait until it was closer to release day.
And let me just say… I DEVOURED this book!! It gave off Mean Girls and Stranger Things vibes (the Other Place was eerily reminiscent of the Upside Down!).
The way the times changed from present to past was something I really enjoyed. We get the present day happenings along with being sent to the past, learning about the incident that brought us to where we are. It wasn’t too much of an information overload at once which I really enjoyed.
Our MC Sadie strives to be normal, just wanting her life to be like it was before the incident. But, unfortunately, she just can’t seem to get away from her past and “the Other Place”.
Tatiana does such a phenomenal job of weaving a world that sometimes feels a bit like a fever dream. She did an amazing job at making me hate one particular character that I will not go into detail about (literally could spend my entire review just talking about said character and how much of a red flag they are) and feeling for our MC Sadie.
I absolutely cheered for her at the end of the book, because she got what she wanted and deserved in life.
Also, did I mention… shadow daddy?!? Yes please 🥵🥵
Anyway… that’s my review. Read it because… Mean Girls + Stranger Things + Shadow Daddy
August 9, 2025
2.25 stars.
The Mean Ones takes place in dual timelines: 2023 and 2006. We start in the present. Sadie's about to go lifting with her boyfriend and it's laid out from the very first page that her childhood friends were murdered. She was diagnosed with PTSD induced hallucinations. Unfortunately… She isn't a likable character. She's an obnoxious people pleaser incapable of telling people no. (Not a big sin on its own but the flaws pile up fast). She doesn't stand up for herself or anyone else. She lets her abusive boyfriend treat innocent servers like shit without trying to help or signal outwardly that she thinks it's wrong. She has no self respect.
I won't judge Sadie for staying with her boyfriend. But I do judge her and hate how she treats others. One of the running themes throughout the novel is that there's mean girls and nice girls and one can't exist without the other. It's almost like Sadie wants us to believe she's a nice girl. But, imo, she's not. She's incredibly judgy and two faced. Shallow. She has a comment about her father that's straight up racist??? There's also a bit of fatphobia throughout and while I'd say most of it doesn't come from Sadie... I definitely side eyed her. It feels quite baked into the book. Oh! And Sadie is a physical therapy assistant who complains that her regular clientele are middle-aged men who are considering hip replacements they don't need. Essentially, Sadie is the type of medical professional that I'd be dreading getting. Because who wants treatment from someone who LITERALLY calls their clients lazy (not to their face, sure, but behind their back)??? That's what she says in her own words! Sadie, who is totally able-bodied, has the audacity to call people who are in chronic pain lazy without knowing the full extent of their everyday existence. And I find that insufferable. I'm sorry, what's this book trying to tell me? Does the narrative think Sadie is right or does it think she's wrong? It's really unclear.
Oh oh! I can't forget about the homophobia. The comments aren't said by Sadie, thankfully, they're said by other kids in 2006 but I still found it tiring after awhile. That paired with how aggressively heterosexual everything was in the present, it just didn't feel like a book that thought about queer people beyond “ew, icky"? I'm not saying I need main characters to be queer to have a good time! But some indication that being queer is normal or ok in the present would have helped my reading experience.
Horror is subjective but I didn't feel an inkling of dread while reading The Mean Ones. I wasn't unnerved. I certainly wasn't scared! I was just frustrated because I didn't care about the characters enough to be invested. I don't need to like a character to enjoy a horror novel. But if I hate the characters the novel better bring the scares and, for me, this one didn't.
Oh my God, and the third act??? The ending??? Rushed. And certain aspects were not properly developed, so I felt nothing. It was simply unbelievable. And one of the characters felt like a groomer, so. That wasn't fun.
I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to but don't be discouraged if you were interested as I have the minority opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
The Mean Ones takes place in dual timelines: 2023 and 2006. We start in the present. Sadie's about to go lifting with her boyfriend and it's laid out from the very first page that her childhood friends were murdered. She was diagnosed with PTSD induced hallucinations. Unfortunately… She isn't a likable character. She's an obnoxious people pleaser incapable of telling people no. (Not a big sin on its own but the flaws pile up fast). She doesn't stand up for herself or anyone else. She lets her abusive boyfriend treat innocent servers like shit without trying to help or signal outwardly that she thinks it's wrong. She has no self respect.
I won't judge Sadie for staying with her boyfriend. But I do judge her and hate how she treats others. One of the running themes throughout the novel is that there's mean girls and nice girls and one can't exist without the other. It's almost like Sadie wants us to believe she's a nice girl. But, imo, she's not. She's incredibly judgy and two faced. Shallow. She has a comment about her father that's straight up racist??? There's also a bit of fatphobia throughout and while I'd say most of it doesn't come from Sadie... I definitely side eyed her. It feels quite baked into the book. Oh! And Sadie is a physical therapy assistant who complains that her regular clientele are middle-aged men who are considering hip replacements they don't need. Essentially, Sadie is the type of medical professional that I'd be dreading getting. Because who wants treatment from someone who LITERALLY calls their clients lazy (not to their face, sure, but behind their back)??? That's what she says in her own words! Sadie, who is totally able-bodied, has the audacity to call people who are in chronic pain lazy without knowing the full extent of their everyday existence. And I find that insufferable. I'm sorry, what's this book trying to tell me? Does the narrative think Sadie is right or does it think she's wrong? It's really unclear.
Oh oh! I can't forget about the homophobia. The comments aren't said by Sadie, thankfully, they're said by other kids in 2006 but I still found it tiring after awhile. That paired with how aggressively heterosexual everything was in the present, it just didn't feel like a book that thought about queer people beyond “ew, icky"? I'm not saying I need main characters to be queer to have a good time! But some indication that being queer is normal or ok in the present would have helped my reading experience.
Horror is subjective but I didn't feel an inkling of dread while reading The Mean Ones. I wasn't unnerved. I certainly wasn't scared! I was just frustrated because I didn't care about the characters enough to be invested. I don't need to like a character to enjoy a horror novel. But if I hate the characters the novel better bring the scares and, for me, this one didn't.
Oh my God, and the third act??? The ending??? Rushed. And certain aspects were not properly developed, so I felt nothing. It was simply unbelievable. And one of the characters felt like a groomer, so. That wasn't fun.
I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book to but don't be discouraged if you were interested as I have the minority opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 628 reviews