From Bad to Cursed

Written by Katie Alender

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Alexis is thrilled when her sister joins a club; new friends are just what Kasey needs. It's strange, though, to see how fast the girls in The Sunshine Club go from dorky and antisocial to gorgeous and popular. Soon Alexis learns that the girls have pledged an oath to a seemingly benevolent spirit named Aralt.


Worried that Kasey's in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the club themselves. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis trades in her pink hair and punky clothes for a mainstream look, and quickly finds herself reveling in her newfound elegance and success.


Instead of fighting off the supernatural, Alexis can hardly remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781494584184

Reviews for From Bad to Cursed

[sarahlh-41506 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

More like a 3.5 that a 3, but I'm not willing to give it a 4 just right now. Caveat: this rating is because of the story, not the main characters. I found our beloved main protag Alexis extremely selfish and irriating - and this was before she started hobnobbing with the Sunshine Club. Plus her boyfriend is boring, and then he turns Cullenesque without reason and the in-text explanation is rather dull as well. I'd rather have a book with the little sister Kasey as the main protag, to be honest, or maybe just a book where everything isn't blamed on her and she isn't shamed for having spent time at a facility for people with mental illnesses (and the insinuation that Kasey asks to be troubled by these supernatural elements all the time is rather gross - does no one in that family ever consider that Kasey feels left out of her own life and is looking for some sort of acceptance anywhere she can find it?).

The story itself, however, is rather scary and thrilling and the entire concept of Aralt and the Sunshine Club really sends the chills down my spine. The last third of the book was an absolute roller-coaster ride of emotions for me. The conclusion was surprisingly satisfying in a dark way, even if it didn't end up Megan/Alexis (still crossing my fingers though, delusional shipper than I am). Will probably still read the third book that is set to come out next year, although my expectations are a little lower than usual.

[khal_khaleesi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(This review can also be found on my blog: The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).

After reading the first book in this series, Bad Girls Don't Die, I knew I had to read From Bad to Cursed. I must admit that I was a bit wary of reading the next book as usually sequels aren't as good as the first book. However, all my worrying was in vain. This book turned out to be amazing just like the first.

Alexis and her little sister are back in this second book in the Bad Girls Don't Die series. Alexis is still worried about Kasey who has been in home for the mentally unstable. Kasey has come back home, and Alexis will do anything to keep Kasey safe. So when Kasey starts becoming more beautiful and starts making tons of new friends, including her sword enemy, Alexis gets suspicious. Alexis learns that Kasey is involved in a club called the Sunshine Club. However, the club isn't as nice as the name suggests. Alexis joins this club to find out what Kasey has gotten herself into this time. However, it soon becomes apparent that Alexis is in way over her head.

From Bad to Cursed is a good title for this book. In the story, things definitely go from bad to cursed so I can see why the author chose this title.

The cover of From Bad to Cursed looks incredibly creepy, not as much as the first book in the series, but still creepy. I'm not sure who's supposed to be on the cover. I thought it might be Kasey, but Alexis is more dominant in this story, so he could possible be Alexis. However, it still could be any member of the Sunshine Club. I do love the cover of this book, but just like Bad Girls Don't Die, I don't feel that it really gives much away about the story.

Again, Katie Alender is spot on with the world building! She makes you feel like you are experiencing everything that Alexis is. Alender makes you feel as if you're part of the Sunshine Club for this story. Everything just feels so realistic which is fantastic!

This is another book where I enjoyed the pacing very much. It was hard for me to put this book down to do anything else. Reluctantly, I did have to put this book down for some time, but as soon as I had free time, I was reading it again. This is such a fast paced story that you will not even notice the minutes flying by.

The wording in From Bad to Cursed is fantastic. It is easy to understand, and I also appreciate the fact that the teenagers speak like teenagers and not like the teens out of Dawson's Creek. I didn't notice any swear words, so fear not. The dialogue flows quite nicely.

All the characters in this book are all well developed with their each individual personalities. Alexis is a fantastic main character. I think everyone can relate to her in some way. I love Kasey!! I love how vulnerable she comes across as. She also comes across as being a bit more strong in this book. I love how she's grown. We also get to learn a bit more about Lydia in this story which I appreciated. However, Carter isn't mentioned too much in this story although he's still in it.

The whole plot in this book was well executed. It's a fantastic idea for a book. This book has me looking forward to the next book in the series, As Dead As It Gets. In fact, I ended up buying it today before I had even finished From Bad to Cursed. That's how much I love this whole series.

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13 . It is amazing!

From Bad to Cursed (Bad Girls Don't Die #2) by Katie Alender gets a 5 out of 5 from me.

[thelibraryhag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alexis is concerned when her sister joins a club at school. Hey she's making friends. What could be bad. Well, as Alexis discovers, you have to sell your soul to join this club and there is no way out. Alive anyway.This is the second book in the series and it rocks. I really like the characters of the kids and the adults. Alexis parents learn from the mistakes that lead to many of the problems in the first book and have learned to pay more attention to the girls. But Alexis still suffers from her inability to trust people. This is a problem she really needs to work on.

[haileyb.b1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

when alexis finally gets her life on track she joins the sunshine club to support her sister. it starts out as a normal club with a bunch of teenage girls making each other prettier and nicer the perfect girl. Only to discover its controlled by an evil spirit aralt. Aralt has made it possible for all of the girls to look and act flawless perfect grades, amazing hair and skin and they never make mistakes. When alexis and her best friend megan discover aralt it is too late they already took the oath and the spirit is inside them. arrant is and the alexis is trying to get out so he punishes the whole club an eventually Tashi is killed the gypsy taking Aralt from place to place by Lydia. when graduation come someone must die and alexis doesn't want that to happen so she changes the spell they read at graduation. Lydia learns of alexis's plan and cheese her across town and blinds he r an the only way to save her eyes is to call aralt and in the end Lydia ends up dead.This book is amazing. Katie Alender does a great job of describing the book. i would highly recommend this book to just about anyone. i really like how It was totally different from the first book but to so different that it was confusing. i really hope its a movie some day.

[sierraf.b1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Alexis finally has a "normal" life with a cute boyfriend, best friend and no possessed sister. Kasey soon comes back from the Hospital and Alexis hopes that Kasey might be getting back to her old self. Alexis doesn't know yet but their lives are about to take a turn for the worst. Kasey is now a freshman at Alexis's High school and she struggles to fit it. Soon Kasey gets her self involved in a club called the sunshine club. afraid something bad might be going on, Alexis starts asking Kasey about her club and she finds out some news she didn't want to hear. Kasey and her friends have sold their souls to a ghost named Aralt in return for beauty and success. after hearing this Alexis decides she is going to put an end to this. Alexis and Megan come to one of the sunshine clubs meetings, But Kasey forgot to tell them about one thing , the oath. When Alexis and Megan take the oath they find themselves becoming one of "aralt's girls". The two girls soon forget why they joined in the first place. But everything takes a violent turn when Lydia ,second in command to the sunshine club , Kills Tashi , the only girl who could control Aralt , In an effort to take control. Soon Comes the time for graduation. Graduation is when they pass the book along to another group of girls. But there is a catch. Someone has to give up their life so Aralt can be refreshed. In a last minute effort to free themselves from Aralt Alexis changes out the chant for a new one , a separation chant. Alexis thinks it might have worked but she noticed that Lydia did not say the chant. In the end they are set free from Aralt. But not without one girl dying........Lydia.From Bad to cursed, is the sequel to Katie Alender's first book, Bad Girls don't Die. This book lived up to my standards. though I have to admit this book wasn't as scary as the first one but still quite good. This book had a lot of suspense in it . I would highly recommend this book to those of you who like a good book. I really liked the way this book had a whole different story than the first one and didn't linger too much in the past. Overall I enjoyed this book.

[yogiboo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good. Some unique story telling and ideas which I found refreshing. Looking forward to the last book.

[zabetreading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: This cover fits really well with the first in the series. The girl has a seriously intense and chilling stare and begs the reader to ask whether she is emerging from the door or protecting what is within. While her expression is dark and menacing, her outfit is sweet and child-like, presenting a wonderful contrast. The scroll work on these covers always adds a delicate detail that adds interest.

The Gist: Alexis has spent the last few months in blissful normality. That is, until her sister Kasey is released from the mental hospital and promptly finds a group of friends who are a little too perfect. Worried that Kasey may be in over her head again, Alexis and her friend, Megan, join the Sunshine Club in order to protect her. The girls quickly learn that you never get beauty, poise and a launch up the social ladder without sacrifice.

Review: Alender really knows how to write her ghosts. First the evil doll-obsessed little girl and now a spirit that feeds on the teenage obsession to be pretty and popular. The novel starts off slowly, as each girl takes small steps towards "self-improvement" but features some truly chilling moments once the girls begin to depend on supernatural influences and to forget how they survived without them (the scene with Emily in the bathroom - HOOO BOY, that freaked me out a little).

Alexis is still a fairly unlikeable character. She mistrusts her friends and is reluctant to make any gestures of compassion and friendship towards her sister (she just got out of a mental hospital - invite her to some parties and don't make her eat lunch by herself - it is not that hard!). At one point she even asks herself when she turned into "The kind of person I claimed to hate" but doesn't appear to change her behavior. This gets worse as she begins to think and act like a teenage Stepford wife. Alexis' continued flaws did, however, allow me to see things from Lydia's point of view which may or may not play out in her favor in the final book.

Though this novel is the middle book in a series, I believe it could stand fairly well on its own. It does not suffer the same flaws as many middle books - where big secrets are rarely revealed and the plot only serves to prepare for the last novel. Here we have a real clear ending to one story, and the hint of the beginning of the next which made me want to jump right into As Dead As It Gets. Which is exactly what I am going to do as soon as the sun goes down!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Self harm with curling iron, hand to hand fighting, knifeplay
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: None

Notable Quotables:

“Rule one: Don’t be friends with ghosts.”

“I felt the oddest combination of emotions – happiness and apprehension at the same time. Like my heart inflated and then ran away and hid under the bed.”

“Look on the bright side, I told myself. It might not be ghosts. Maybe it was just drugs. Or blackmail.”

[storiesandsweeties · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read Bad Girls Don't Die before my blogging days, but I absolutely loved it. It was incredibly creepy, the characters were strong, eccentric, and stepped away from many of the usual stereotypes we see so much of today. It hit on two things that absolutely freak me out---hauntings involving children and creepy possessed dolls (when i was growing up, my mom collected antique porcelain dolls---my imagination got away from me a few times late at night!). I had no idea this would be a series, as Bad Girls Don't Die had a definite ending, but when I heard about From Bad to Cursed, you can bet I was pretty excited to get my hands on it!In this second installment, Kasey has come home from the mental hospital after almost killing the entire family and destroying their former home under the command of a spirit-possessed doll. Alexis is glad to have her home, but wary of Kasey's condition and how she'll fit in to her school life. She's torn between letting her fend for herself and keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing like what happened in their past ever happens again. Meanwhile she's trying to get on with her own life, balance boyfriend, school, and a high-stakes photography competition. Then Kasey starts hanging with a group who've dubbed themselves the Sunshine Club. At first it seems innocent enough, just a group of girls who have given themselves extreme makeovers inside and out. But Alexis soon discovers there is something way more sinister guiding them...and then she gets sucked into it herself.There are some great twists and turns here, great intense story-telling, and lots of surprises. I definitely didn't feel this one was as scary as the first book---but definitely just as compelling. With a club full of 22 girls, sometimes there were a few too many names flying around to keep track of---there was one that became such an important part in the story in the second half, but I couldn't for the life of me, remember where she came from! I loved the ideas that are presented throughout this story---the question of what success and getting everything you want is worth. The question of doing for yourself and not putting too much blind faith in things working out fine on their own. Alexis and Kasey are both complicated characters this time around, and it's interesting and unique to hear a story told from the point of view of someone who is under a spell for a good part of the book.A great second book---will there be more? I don't know, but I'll definitely be reading it if there is! Although, there would have to be a pretty good explanation as to why these two sisters keep landing themselves in paranormal trouble!

[allureofbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender is the second book in the Bad Girls Don’t Die trilogy. I found a lot more depth and meaning in this novel than I expected to find! Beyond just containing a really creepy ghostly mystery, I think the characters’ experiences added extra layers to the story.Teenagers have a long history of searching for a way to feel beautiful and popular. The lengths some will go to (especially girls) can get really out-of-hand. That is definitely true in this novel! Kasey, who was possessed by a vengeful ghost in the first book of the series, accidentally gets herself roped into another situation where she finds herself possessed. This time she drags her older sister Alexis and Alexis’ best friend Megan along with her.Alexis goes to a meeting of The Sunshine Club intending to put a stop to it to keep Kasey safe – but before long finds herself pledging loyalty to the god Aralt. The members start showing up to school looking much prettier…before long they realize they are also acing quizzes they didn’t study for and attracting attention from the popular crowd that had ignored them in the past. Exactly what is Aralt doing with their lives?I found the plot really engrossing – it is definitely a twisty-windy journey to find out exactly who/what Aralt is and how he is managing to control their lives. The plot is 100% contained in the novel, you definitely don’t have to read the first book of the series to keep up with it (although I recommend doing so just so you have more background on the characters – and because this series is entertaining and creepy).Putting aside the supernatural, the girls learn that sometimes being popular and gorgeous isn’t worth all the trouble it takes. I’m not sure if Katie Alender meant readers to find so much depth in this part of the plot or not, but it definitely struck a chord with me. I thought the book overall gave a really great message.I never stopped feeling like I was reading a book about characters – the writing didn’t make me feel like a part of the story or like I was reading a book about real people. So, while the writing didn’t quite live up to the plot – I definitely still recommend this series overall. Very interesting and very different from everything else on the shelves.

[deb_bryan_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this book while halfway through its predecessor, Bad Girls Don't Die. I paused my reading of another excellent book, Feed by Mira Grant, to read this book when it reached me. I love these books' protagonist, Alexis. She's smart, relatable and passionate--the kind of gal I'd be delighted to see as the heroine of a movie! When she's wishy-washy or confused, it's in a way that's as genuine as it is understandable. She takes action appropriate to not staying in a "confused" state for long. I think that's why I find her so compelling: She's always searching for the right path, instead of passively waiting for neon signs to point it out to her.Unlike the prior reviewer (whose review I was awesome!), I actually found this book more engaging than the last. I paced around my apartment as I read the latter half of it during my son's afternoon nap. (Bless him for sleeping long enough to let me finish it!) Occasionally I'd stop and reflect on the creepiest idea of all from the book: "Betterment." It's funny but also apt that the second most horrifying element of the story, for me, is the one that I could most easily see occurring absent a supernatural context. Ech.This was a compelling read. I was prepared to give it 5 stars straight up till the last 30 pages, where I lost some of my enthusiasm. I understand the ending. I understand that it's possibly the most plausible conclusion to this (portion of) the story. But it was, for me, the weakest link in said story, the inaction to the rest of Alexis's action. Would I recommend the book? Will I be reading its successor(s)? Heck, yes. Let my caveat not be read otherwise!

[ylin20621 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Things are finally looking up for Alexis: her family is in no immediate danger, she has a sweet boyfriend, and her best friend still has her back. Finally her sister, Kasey, is back from the mental hospital after a murderous run with an evil spirit. But rumors start to spread and rejoining some old classmates after the first week of school can be tough for any girl. When Kasey and a couple of odd friends join and form The Sunshine Club, Alexis is a little more than weary. After all, with one evil spirit there’s bound to be more right? From Bad to Cursed immediately follows Bad Girls Don’t Die. Readers who are curious about this sequel will need to brush up with the prequel. If you don’t, be prepared to be lost. And now onward to the review! While I found From Bad to Cursed not as creepy as its predecessor, I still found it chilling. Alender takes old classics—porcelain dolls, Ouija boards, creepy Stepford wives—and somehow manages to give it a creative spin. Or an all consuming black sludge. Really, whatever comes first. Alender explains everything that was needed but leaves behind an air of mystery. I found From Bad to Cursed lacking the humor I first saw in Bad Girls Don’t Die, but I didn’t mind too much. (Not when Carter Blume is showing the nice guys how it’s done.) Alexis is still the strong, likeable female and sister. With her pink hair and bad girl attitude, she looks the part. Ah but, From Bad to Cursed keeps the readers on their toes when Alexis redyes her hair to a proper color. Even without her punkrock hair, Alexis is still a fierce girl to be reckoned (just as is her sister who can be kickass at times). Alexis love for photography and her skill is showcased when she enters a contest and manages to advance to the final stages. It’s the little things within the details that make From Bad to Cursed such a great read. With Alender’s love of crafts, it’s expected to find aspects of art in her creations. If you follow Katie Alender, the author of the Bad Girls Don’t Die series, on twitter you’ll notice that she loves her dog and why wouldn’t she? He is adorable. But don’t let that fool you; From Bad to Cursed is just as gruesome as her first and she holds nothing back when it comes to haunting ghosts who loves to play with peoples’ mind. Alender enjoys teasing the readers by building up the anticipation and drama. Everything things start to fall to place and while its not a happily ever after, it’s somehow perfect for what it is. We’re left with the possibilities and the anticipation of the third book