Every Bad Thing

Customer Reviews

2 reviews

• Booksforbadal

  Every Bad Thing by Shannon Gill Burnett Shannon Gill Burnett’s Every Bad Thing is a haunting psychological novel that dares to ask difficult questions about identity, betrayal, and the breaking point of the human spirit. Equal parts devastating and cathartic, it immerses the reader in the unraveling mind of Danielle Smith, a woman who has sacrificed nearly everything for her family only to find herself discarded and forgotten. The novel begins in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where we meet Danielle as a child and follow her through her formative years, her time at Northwestern, and into adulthood. These early glimpses into her life are not just backstory—they provide the essential scaffolding for understanding how her choices, sacrifices, and suppressed dreams set the stage for her eventual collapse. By the time we meet Danielle as a wife and mother, Burnett has already planted the seeds of empathy in the reader. We see her not as a stereotype of suburban motherhood but as a fully realized woman struggling against the erosion of self. When Danielle attempts suicide, the novel pivots from despair to revelation. Her failure to end her life forces her into a painful question: why should she be the one to disappear when she has been the victim all along? This moment marks a turning point that drives the rest of the novel forward with a chilling inevitability. Soon after, her husband—coldly pragmatic and shockingly selfish—announces that he is leaving her for his pregnant paralegal. Burnett’s portrayal of this betrayal is raw and unflinching. It is not simply a marriage ending; it is the ultimate erasure of Danielle’s sacrifices, her dreams, and her identity. From this point, Every Bad Thing becomes an exploration of revenge, mania, and desperation. Danielle’s descent is meticulously drawn, balancing horror with heartbreak. Burnett does not sensationalize her protagonist’s actions, nor does she excuse them. Instead, she places the reader in the uncomfortable position of both fearing and rooting for Danielle. The novel asks: when stripped of everything—love, identity, dignity—what might any of us be capable of? Burnett’s greatest strength lies in her psychological insight. She refuses to paint Danielle as simply a victim or villain. Instead, the narrative interrogates the murky territory between nature and nurture, questioning whether Danielle’s choices are products of her environment, her biology, or the crushing weight of years of neglect. The novel thus transcends its thriller framework, engaging readers in a deeper philosophical and emotional inquiry about the origins of our darkest impulses. Stylistically, Burnett writes with precision and compassion. Her prose is taut yet deeply evocative, capturing both the starkness of Danielle’s despair and the terrifying clarity of her rage. The pacing is carefully controlled—never rushed, never indulgent—allowing the tension to build naturally until it crescendos in moments that are as shocking as they are inevitable. By the end, Every Bad Thing delivers a full-circle journey that is as unsettling as it is satisfying. Danielle’s path may terrify, but it also compels reflection on resilience, injustice, and the fragile balance between love and annihilation. Shannon Gill Burnett has crafted a bold, emotionally raw, and psychologically astute novel. Every Bad Thing is not an easy read, but it is a necessary one—a story that challenges us to confront the brutal beauty of human frailty and the haunting truths about what happens when we can no longer hold on.

• Emily Young

  Every Bad Thing by Shannon Gill Burnett is a cataclysmic story of the life of Danielle Smith, a woman who experiences what it truly means to lose everything, and how that can make even the most sane person feel compelled to commit heinous acts of revenge at the expense to those around her. The emotional whiplash of seeing Danielle’s perfect life exponentially deteriorate will leave you reeling with a paradoxical sense of being both with Danielle and against her. This book is not for the faint of heart, but can offer everyone deep insight into what it truly means to be human.

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