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Secrets, betrayal, and jealousy are at the heart of a friendship in an unnerving short story about truth and self-deception by Caroline Kepnes, the New York Times bestselling author of You.

Ellen has a lot to be thankful for. Her fiancé, Troy, is perfectly sweet. Her childhood friend Tanya, despite her edgier taste in men, is like a sister to her closest friend—and rival. So familiar and yet, over the years, so many secrets between them. For Ellen, what lies ahead is a series of choices that will add up to a life she never could have imagined.

Caroline Kepnes’s The Bad Friend is part of Never Tell, a heart-pounding collection of stories about secrets, lies, and mind games. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Just keep the endings to yourself.

44 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2024

About the author

Caroline Kepnes

27 books13.3k followers
Caroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence and...

You Love Me. Publishing in the US on Aril 6, 2021

(You know You Netflix? That's based on my Joe Goldberg books! You can read You3 before Season 3)

Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, and now lives in Los Angeles.

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5 stars
511 (14%)
4 stars
834 (23%)
3 stars
1,268 (36%)
2 stars
656 (18%)
1 star
226 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
Profile Image for PattyMacDotComma.
1,660 reviews984 followers
May 8, 2024
4★
“Every so often you think about Tanya.

It’s been a few years since you spoke. There wasn’t some big fight. You got married and you got pregnant. She got into law school. It happens. People drift. She would die if she saw you now. You’re in a yellow sweater and you’re a mom, waiting in the stinky lobby…”


Ellen, Ellie, El talks to herself in the second person throughout her story. I say ‘her’ story, although it’s the story of several people, but with Ellie, everything is about her. At first it seems odd for her to be narrating her story in the second person, with herself as the audience, but then it occurred to me that everything is about her, her, her – or rather – me, me, me, so she doesn’t need anyone else listening.

It opens with her and her brand new fiancé, Mr Nice Guy (Troy) in a booth waiting for Tanya to arrive with her date. As Troy talks, Ellie spots a nice-looking Tall Guy in boots and immediately begins fantasising about him, imagining that he has seen her and is secretly fantasising about her.

“He’s talking to you. Not the tall man. Troy. Your fiancé is talking to you.

‘Fries?’

‘Sure!’


Troy knows you want fries. You always want fries, but he always asks just in case. You run your fingers over your collarbone because of the other man, the tall man.

‘Sorry,’ Troy says.

He says that a lot when you drift, and you say what you say a lot: Me too, babe. I spaced out, but I’m back.’

He loves you more than you love him. You’ve wasted time with the tall guys, and you’re no idiot. You met him two years ago in a dive bar. You were out with Tanya. Reeling from your latest breakup, cursing men. Tanya said that wasn’t fair because your latest ‘obsession’ was like all the guys you go for. Openly, obviously bad. And here was Troy. A human safety net with his puppy-soft hair and his boyish freckles, quick to laugh, to blush, to love. Still the same now, Troy Sweet Troy.”


Ellie recounts her history to herself all the way up to the present, a lifetime later, where we learn she met the Tall Guy again, years after her engagement, in unusual circumstances. Eventually we finally hear a bit of the other side of her me-me-me story and where her self-absorption has led her.

Kepnes certainly covered a lot of territory for a short story, and I enjoyed seeing where she took her characters. It’s a different kind of suspense from the other stories in the collection, but it certainly hides quite a secret. This is my favourite of the six.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy for review of the #NeverTell (Can You Keep a Secret?) collection.

I have reviewed all six stories in the collection:

Everywhere You Look (Never Tell Collection, #1) by Liv Constantine Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine
My review of Everywhere You Look

The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White
My review of The Ghost Writer

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz
My review of The Other Side of the Road

Scorpions (Never Tell Collection, #4) by Rachel Howzell Hall Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall
My review of Scorpions

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda
My review of Jackrabbit Skin

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes
My review of The Bad Friend
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,386 reviews1,195 followers
August 1, 2024
the setup…
Ellen and Tanya are childhood friends who seemed to drift apart after a pivotal encounter right before Ellen married her fiancé Troy. Tanya met them for drinks, accompanied by a man that was quite appealing, at least on the surface. Though Ellen thought she and Tanya were as close as sisters, there was an edge to their relationship and Ellen was on the receiving end. Many years later, they had a chance meeting that upended her world.

the heart of the story…
Have you ever had that friend who would deliver compliments that felt like they had barbs around them? That best describes Tanya’s behavior toward Ellen, at least in Ellen’s mind. There’s definitely a rivalry and it shaped Ellen’s life decisions even after they became estranged. That next encounter years later had a bombshell effect and even I couldn’t tell if Ellen’s imagination and paranoia were running amok or if there was game playing on Tanya’s part.

the narration…
It’s Julia Whelan at her finest, capturing all of Ellen’s emotions so well, drawing me into her mindset as if I were there!

the bottom line…
This was extremely thought provoking and unsettling. Don’t expect a straightforward ending, which I found provocative and appropriate. Did Ellen get what she deserved, was she played or was it just life? You’ll have to decide and I still haven’t made up my mind.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the collection. All opinions are my own.)
Profile Image for Diana.
861 reviews694 followers
April 20, 2024
3.5 Stars — The Bad Friend was a bit different from the other short stories I've read from this collection. It was very unsettling, and downright depressing too. I did like how time moved quickly over the main character's lifetime to see the consequences of her actions. This is what happens when you're never satisfied with what you've got.
Profile Image for Violet.
390 reviews120 followers
March 29, 2024
The Bad Friend is the sixth, and final, installment in the Never Tell short story collection. I am a fan of Caroline Kepnes's work so this was probably my most anticipated of them all. It is told in the rare 2nd person POV, which I am a big fan of. Fast paced and unique. The ending felt a little open to interpretation. Did our main character finally find clarity or did her jealousy and betrayal ultimately become her new truth?

4 stars.
Profile Image for Karla.
1,247 reviews332 followers
July 22, 2024
Story 3 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Julia Whelan
Profile Image for Laura.
780 reviews191 followers
March 30, 2024
Short story I could not connect with on any level.
Profile Image for Sadie Hartmann.
Author 24 books6,541 followers
March 25, 2024
First, I love these exclusive Kindle Unlimited series on Amazon. I've read quite a few of them. This is from the new "Never Tell" collection.
--
"Can you keep a secret?
How well do you know people? How well do they know you? Six award-winning, bestselling authors of suspense explore the lingering threat of secrets and the inescapable fear that they can’t stay buried forever."
--
Everywhere You Look
By Liv Constantine

The Ghost Writer
By Loreth Anne White

The Other Side of the Road
By Andrea Bartz

Scorpions
By Rachel Howzell Hall

Jackrabbit Skin
By Ivy Pochoda

The Bad Friend
By Caroline Kepnes
I will for sure read them all! This one was so good. Classic Kepnes storytelling. If you love her "YOU" series and love to hate Joe Goldberg, you will enjoy loving to hate the protagonist in this story as well.
Ellen is a woman unsatisfied with what she has and has a roving eye for what she thinks she needs. This puts her in direct competition with her best friend, but the reality is, that she's just a miserable person in competition with only herself. We all know people like this. I do too and it was so satisfying and validating to watch this play out--even though it does get pretty dark...because it's Caroline Kepnes!

CWs (SA and abortion)
Profile Image for Kathleen.
113 reviews33 followers
May 11, 2024
Oh wow. This story took a turn I wasn’t expecting.
I’m seeing lower ratings for this story here but for me, this was a 5.

Understanding too well the dynamics of the bff and then growing apart dynamic that sometimes happens with friends, this story really pulled me in.

But that twist though! Man…this lady kind of built her own life of hell by staying in her head and not opening her mouth. Then the denial, doubt, bargaining, justification… almost like the stages of grief!!! That’s all I’m saying without spoiling it for you.

This story is one I’m going to be thinking about for awhile.

Amazon Original short story. 5 stars. Thanks for reading!
Profile Image for Alan (aka The Lone Librarian) Teder.
2,415 reviews179 followers
May 1, 2024
With Friends Like These...
Review of the Amazon Original Stories eBook (March 19, 2024), released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook.

This didn't feel at all in keeping with the suspense fiction in the other stories of the Never Tell collection. The suspense here was only from the questions: "which one of them is the bad friend?" and "is anything going to happen?" Eventually a supposed secret is revealed, but even the truth of that is questioned, so you are left in doubt at the end.

It is 2 stars only for the ambition of telling a lifetime over the course of 44 pages. Ellen and Tanya are young women at the beginning and are 70 something years old at the end. The story goes over their friendship, the boyfriends, their husbands, their children with the unresolved revelation coming towards the conclusion.

The Bad Friend is the sixth of six Amazon Original Stories eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on March 19, 2024 as part of the Never Tell Collection of short stories which are promoted with the collective description:
"How well do you know people? How well do they know you? Six award-winning, bestselling authors of suspense explore the lingering threat of secrets and the inescapable fear that they can’t stay buried forever. No matter how dark the hiding place, the consequences of revealing the truth can bring out the worst in lovers, friends, family, and strangers."


Trivia and Links
Caroline Kepnes is the author of several novels, the most popular of which is You (You #1, 2014) which was also the basis for the Netflix TV series. Her most recent novel is For You and Only You (You #4, 2023).

You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Profile Image for Kristy Riley.
178 reviews23 followers
March 14, 2024
The Bad Friend was so different than the other books in the Never Tell collection of short stories. I was sucked in from the first page. I like that Caroline uses big time leaps to pack as much into the short story as she could. This one was deep and left me feeling more sad than anything. Decent short story though!

The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell collection with Amazon Original Stories. Thank you to NetGalley!
Profile Image for Kira FlowerChild.
712 reviews7 followers
May 2, 2024
Like the author's previous books in her You series, this short story is written in second person point of view, which I found decidedly unsettling, since the main character, Ellen, is not a particularly admirable person. What newly-affianced person yearns after a tall, handsome "bad boy" while sitting at a restaurant table with said fiancé? The story takes the reader through the years, including Ellen's marriage to and inevitable divorce from the fiancé, then husband, and then her marriage to the bad boy, who wasn't quite so bad after all. One thing I found puzzling was that in the beginning, Ellen and Tanya are best friends, practically joined at the hip. Ellen admired Tanya so much that at one point I wondered if she was in love with Tanya. Then, over the space of a few years, Tanya disappears from Ellen's life, only showing up for a couple of cameos in the remainder of the story. Strange choice on the author's part, I thought, at least the choice not to give an explanation for Tanya's distancing herself from Ellen.
Profile Image for Rudrashree Makwana.
Author 1 book55 followers
February 29, 2024
The story is about complex relationships, secrets , jealousy and unexpected friendships. This is really deep and touching. It really emphasised on mistakes we make in life and realisation hit us when we grow up and we wish if we did things differently.

Many Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley
Profile Image for Laura.
1,347 reviews40 followers
March 20, 2024
Caroline Kepnes, what are you doing to me?!?! This coulda been its own series - I want to live in Ellen’s miserable head for so much longer 😣😆

First off, for YOU fans, this is told in second person 🥰. Kepnes does this better than all others. It’s different here than when Joe does it, but it is just as effective.

Second, I feel like Ellen is how Beck would have turned out if she hadn’t made her way to the Big City and crossed paths with Joe 🤔. Like Beck, Ellen doesn’t truly deserve what comes her way. But she doesn’t really do enough to be a better person that might stop it 🤷🏻‍♀️.

And finally, I don’t know what I truly believe. Did Ross do it or didn’t he? Is Tonya lying? You think you’ve settled these answers for yourself. And then, Kepnes weaves in one more doubt, one more suspicion.

The world does not get enough books from Caroline Kepnes- please, keep ‘em coming 🙏🏻
Profile Image for Marianne.
3,909 reviews290 followers
April 12, 2024
The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell Collection by Caroline Kepnes. Pregnant and engaged to the good, kind Troy (who doesn’t excite her), Ellen and her fiancé are at a restaurant waiting for her best friend Tanya (late as usual) and her latest (probably another loser) boyfriend. A tall, gorgeous, blue-eyed man catches her eye. He winks. She stares. Is he flirting with her? It’s a shock when this is the guy Tanya brings to meet them. Ross Tate continues the looks, winks. But Ellen is engaged, and her baby girl will be someone she can love, someone who will love her. Fast forward a few years, Ellen has lost contact with Tanya, her boredom leads to divorce from Troy and, a few years on, a hook-up with guess who! But is this a good idea? A second-person narrative in which the protagonist isn’t very likeable, and maybe gets what she deserves? A jaw-dropping twist. 4 stars
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.
Profile Image for Maria.
2,332 reviews82 followers
March 25, 2024
Not really a thriller. Just a sad story of always wanting what someone else has. I did like the way the story moved through the years quickly so you could see how Ellen’s decisions affected her life and those of others but it was difficult to feel for her because she was so unlikeable (which I think was the point).

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
Profile Image for Gwen.
528 reviews
May 9, 2024
Wow, this was just depressing, and left me feeling unsettled. Not an enjoyable read and I'm not sure what to take away from this one. I don't like the feeling I'm left with after reading it.
Profile Image for Savannah.
58 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2024
Easily the weakest part of the Never Tell anthology. Couldn't find one thing that I liked about it.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,105 reviews
May 12, 2024

3.5/5 stars

The Bad Friend is a short story in the Never Tell collection (Amazon Original Story).

This story is told in the 2nd person POV (using "you"). This is Ellen's story. She has a best friend Tanya and is engaged to Troy. But she's never happy.

The story moves forward in time quickly. At first I found this a bit jarring. But as the story progressed I did find it interesting to move through Ellen's life and see how she experienced things.

The Bad Friend is full of secrets and I was shocked by what Tanya told Ellen near the end. This part made the story more interesting to me and made me wonder what was true.

Overall this is a very unique story that it quite thought provoking.

Profile Image for Tonya Johnson.
672 reviews19 followers
April 11, 2024
I'm glad I don't have friends like this!!!! Very unrelatable to me.
Profile Image for Lisa.
231 reviews27 followers
March 26, 2024
3.5. This was so different than the last 5. Talk about mind games, yikes! Who’s lying?
The ending just didn’t work for me.
766 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2024
It's simply a bad book...

SKIP! Save yourself. The main character is one self @$#%. I don't understand the point of this author. In all the reviews I've written over my life, I've never described a character as such. I strongly suggest taking a hard pass.

Obviously, I lack a gene in my DNA. The one that struggles to comprehend why someone would waste their time to write something that goes absolutely nowhere, is sick, and way beyond just being a bad friend. Yet, I also struggle with others who find this book at all relatable or enjoyable. There is no redeeming value and zero moral value or lessons learned.

NOT RECOMMENDED 👎
📚

Profile Image for Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads.
572 reviews37 followers
April 19, 2024
Ok

The Bad Friend
By: Caroline Kepnes
43 pages
3.5⭐️

Life goes on. People grow up and realize they aren't living the life they want. Where does life lead when you realize it's time to divorce, and you miss your old best friend.

My Thoughts

The is a YMC. The book is written as you. I'm not crazy about this type. Kinda like a YN in fanfic, only the FMC is named Ellen.

The bad friend was not what I thought. None of the characters were likable. The setting was really prevalent. Yet I enjoyed it.

The bad thought that run through your head. The ones that tell you your husband is boring, your life is boring. What if you listened to the voice? Made decisions based on those decisions. That would be this book.

Profile Image for Cherlynn | cherreading.
1,883 reviews993 followers
July 16, 2024
3.5⭐

✨ "Real love comes when people lay their ugly hearts out on the table. But again, it's the same old story. You didn't. And now, as Troy once said, well, now it's too late."

Oof, this was not what I thought at all... in a good way! The title turned out to be so clever 😉

Everything about this was so well-written and realistic that it felt partly like a commentary about life. The loneliness, isolation, the void, always feeling like there's something better out there – it was captured so perfectly and I think readers will be able to relate. Really enjoyed what a thought-provoking, reflective and unique read this was!
Profile Image for Mayumi.
723 reviews20 followers
June 9, 2024
Esse conto tem 44 páginas e conta toda a vida adulta de uma mulher. Toda a vida adulta. São, sei lá, 40 ou 50 anos de uma vida chata de uma mulher chata. Eu sei que as pessoas se mostram diferente do que são em seu âmago, mas no fim das contas tanto faz porque essa mulher é uma chata e no final ela descobre que uma pequena coisa que ela fez logo que começa o conto pode ter tido consequências terríveis. Grande coisa.
Profile Image for Lovescaleb.
232 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2024
Keeping heavy secrets. Some secrets revealed. Envy. Jealousy. Teen angst. Not sure which was the bad friend because as I read, neither seemed redeemable or true to oneself.
Profile Image for Jenny.
1,457 reviews
May 25, 2024
Never Tell Series

This felt like a very very long run on sentence. Not my fave. Didn’t feel like the secret was big enough for the story.
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