Martin Kelly

When I read Fake Nora, I mentioned that I would love to see what happened to Jesse and Kelly Martin delievered.
This is a super short sequal to the series, but it does not fail to disappoint. All of the prominent characters from Fake Nora made an appearance. This story never has a dull moment and had me looking over my shoulder to ensure that I didn't see any shadows in the mirror.
If you enjoy middle grade and also like a slightly spooky plot, I would highly recommend that you pick up Fake Nora and The Bad Ones.

Note: You must read Fake Nora first to understand The Bad Ones.

Content: slightly spooky vibes that could be disturbing for younger readers

4.5 Stars

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mer)

Is it an oxymoron to say that a thriller/horror book is delightful?
Well, it may be but that is the truth with this one.
Going into this, having never read a MG thriller/lhorror, I had no idea what to expect. I am so glad that I gave it a chance. It was spooky (I even got the shivers) but not overly scary. It was full of hopelessness combated with hope. And the best part was the friendships. I really appreciated the relationships between all the characters in the book and loved that I saw a ton of growth in each character.
I highly recommend this to any MG (or older) reader looking for an enthralling tale.
4.5/5

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mer)

I first read Fake Nora where Jesse was introduced. From there I was hooked. I had to know more about Jesse's story and requested that Jesse's story be written. I was not alone in my request and thus The Bad Ones was written.

I felt bad for Jesse having to learn to readjust to the "real" world after escaping the mirror one. Luckily, he had Nora there to help him along the way. Because I had become so invested in these two from the first book, it made this book a really easy and quick read. There are a few scary moments but nothing too frightening that the young readers can't handle.

Author, Kelly did not disappoint with the follow up book. I grew even closer to Jesse. Fans of Fake Nora will enjoy this book. Just beware the mirrors!… (mer)

My first reason to this book was that it was giving me "Insidious" vibes. You know the movies, where the young boy, Dalton falls into a coma but the family discovers it is not really a normal coma. Dalton is stuck in a dreamworld where there are evil spirits wanting to get out and take the place of the person who is stuck in the dreamworld.

However, at the same time this book was also giving my Goosebumps vibes. This is because this book is geared towards young adult readers. So it is not too spooky to give the reader nightmares but spooky enough to give you some goosebumps and avoid getting too close to mirrors.

I flew through this book. A very fast read. Nora is a fighter. She did not give up hope. The other characters in the story that I enjoyed was Nora's brother, Nolan and Jesse. I agree with another reader that I would like to see Jesse featured in his own book. Readers young and old both will enjoy reading this book. Fake Nora is a book that you will want to pick up to add to your horror book collection!… (mer)