Rating 3/5

Alice and Tom are meant to be in every way. They are perfect for each other, except they have never met.

The narration of this story is captivating. I truly felt stuck in Alice's delusions. The first half of this novel was brilliant - Alice comes off morally grey and unlikeable but relatable. The last half felt rushed to explain Alice's backstory in a sort of hushed rationale and created a sense of pity that felt undeserved. I think the story started to lose its path the longer Alice created stories in her head without ever explaining why she does this, until the very end. I believe the classism, the genderism, and racism themes would have stood out more if it wasn't all pushed at the "resolution" of the book. Beautiful writing, nonetheless!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC!*

The premise of this book was so intriguing. A woman obessed with the man who she cleans for. What could be better?!
Unfortunately, after about 25 percent of the book, I had to put it down. While the concept was interesting, I struggled with the author’s writing style.

The main character’s thoughts were too detailed, and the stream of consciousness style was so hard for me to follow. It was exhausting, and I don’t think it will get better. For my sanity, I had to stop.

I appreciate that the author tackled the nuances of mental health struggles, and feel like this would be a great book if there were some breaks from the heavy internal dialogue. I may try to pick it up again later on.

Thank you to Emma van Straaten, Harper Perennial and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book for an honest review.

The premise is SO intriguing, but the execution left much to be desired.
The writing style is so inaccessible. At the very beginning, I felt overwhelmed and it just never got better.

3.5 - I wanted to like this more than I did. I truly enjoyed most of it. I loved the unhinged plot, the unraveling main character, and the general insanity of it all. I struggled a bit with the writing style - while beautifully written it went on and on which made the book feel much much longer than it actually was. While I was still invested in the story, I noticed myself starting to skim a bit because I wanted to know what was happening but felt it was being told in too many words. Despite this, I did enjoy the general chaos of it all and recommend this to anyone who enjoys obsession and unhinged MCs.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for the ARC.

Alice is hopelessly, desperately in love with Tom (read: obsessed). The problem is the two have never met. Alice cleans Tom’s flat once a week and spends her time there perusing his items, allowing herself to imagine a life with him. In Creep, readers watch Alice spiral in to madness and it’s impossible to look away.

I loved the intentional capitalization of “Him”—referring to Tom—as we read this story from Alice’s perspective, placing Tom at the very top of some made-up hierarchy. The writing felt tedious at times but there is no denying that Creep is addicting, disturbing, and stressful, yet deeply satisfying.

Thank you Harper Perennial for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available Feb. 25 2025

This book was off putting in all the best ways. It was incredibly strange, but also heartbreaking. The unreliably depressing narrator was amazing, and the ending really got me despite thinking it would be coming.

I made it 40% into this book and just had to stop to maintain my own sanity.

This is a book about a young woman who cleans a man's apartment weekly as she becomes obsessed with him. While cleaning she touches his things, reads his emails, and even more inappropriate invasions of privacy. The writing itself was very good. I usually like a more easy read/free-flowing and straightforward style, but the main character's fanciful ruminations of everything she's experiencing were very descriptive and almost poetic. However, the lines she was crossing with her intense fixation became so disturbing to read that I almost felt like I was losing my mind along with her.

Thank you to the publisher Harper Perennial for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

This was really not for me. The concept sounded so amazing. Unfortunately the writing style was very difficult for me to handle. I did not enjoy reading every thought in Alice's head. It was too detailed and too mentally exhausting.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Creep by Emma Van Straaten because the premise was so intriguing. I’m no stranger to unlikable characters, and usually, they don’t deter me from enjoying a book. However, in this case, the main character’s unlikability, combined with their intense focus on mental health struggles, made finishing the story feel more like a chore than an escape. That said, Emma Van Straaten is undoubtedly a talented writer. With stronger supporting characters or more variety to balance the heavy internal monologues, this could have been a much more enjoyable read. While this book wasn’t for me, I’d be open to giving another of her works a try in the future.

This was a strange book. Alice was a creep for sure. She was obsessive and twisted. The writing style was different. I am not sure if I disliked it but I did not love it. This book made me want to keep reading because I had to know what would happen but it is not for everyone. It is kind of scary but thrilling but also strange.

What an interesting read! This is was the perfect amount of weird in a love story that I needed! Thank you netgalley and Harper Perennial.

this was very twisted and so cool, i didnt know what i was expecting going into this but i did really enjoy it and feel like its the perfect book for the cooler months! enjoy and thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I'm mind boggled by all the great reviews this book is getting. And yes, I am that dissenting voice here, saying, "But the Emperor has no clothes."
I get it - women's voices are IT right now. Novel after novel is released dedicated to the female experience, preferably as viscerally rendered as possible. They don't have to be likable -they just have to be REAl.

Well, the protagonist in Creep isn't likable, which alone wouldn't have bene a dealbreaker. But she is also not interesting or compelling. And on top of it, the novel has next to nothing by way of plot.
It's a story of obsession, a nasty and tedious to read story of obsession, focused narrowly on a single point of view of someone who just doesn't have that much to say.
She spends the entire time daydreaming about a perfect man, who, of course, wants nothing to do with her. And you can't blame him, because as a reader, you don't want anything to do with her either.
Obsession is a fascinating subject when done right. Caroline Kepnes' YOU (and its steadily declining in quality sequels) have managed it. This book did not.
The narrative is super dense, because apparently being literary these days includes doing away with paragraphs and most of the dialogue. The book is short, but it's a slog to get through. The ending is predictable. Funny thing is that the writing itself is decent, but it takes more than the ability to turn out a nice sentence to create a good book.
Overall, a complete waste of time. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Perennial, and Emma van Straaten for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

...oh my gosh, this gave me the creeps but in such a good way. Alice is so unhinged, but also... what woman isn't at least a little? Alice has the most delusional and messed up thoughts, but I was here for it.

The formatting took me a bit to get used to, but I was able to follow the story well. Look out for this in 2025!

‘Alice and Tom are made for each other. Deeply connected, they share a flat in London, go to galleries together, enjoy the same books and wine. They even share a toothbrush. It’s all picture perfect.
Except Alice and Tom have never met.’

Imagine Glenn Close from Fatal Attraction. Now multiply her obsession and mental instability by 2 turkeys. Yea. Alice was undamnhinged.

I love a good ole twisted story of infatuation & fixation. But unfortunately, Creep missed the mark for me. The writing technique threw me off. Like all the way off. I don’t know what the authors intent was with this bizarre style, but it felt like a good attempt at trying to be eccentric and maybe highbrow….? Idk. But:
“I unclose my eyes and a bright square of window glares.”
Really? You unclosed your eyes, girlll? Cool.

And the number of times she references her period, the blood and the clotting and how it all looks as she flushes it away🥴 Gahh. One mention would’ve been sufficient. But many mentions started to border vampiric.

Not sure what else to say. There’s no connections to be found anywhere. So I had little empathy or feelings of any sort. Aside from occasional pity. Oh. And shame! Oh the shame I shempt🥴 I shuddered for Alice, and often, knowing she was about to do something that she’d convinced herself was the guiding hands of fate or whatever. But alas, it was not. It was straight damn delusional and I felt the full bulk of 2nd hand shame. So heavy, it’s like it had its own body and that body decided to cob a squat next to me as I read, just waiting till the next opportunity to dump a volkswagen of mortification all over me. So, that’s gotta count for something, right?

Okayyyy, too many Thanksgiving wines for me, apparently. 🥂🍷😮‍💨😵‍💫

Even though this one wasn’t exactly my thing, I am sure many readers will find that delectable thrill they seek within these very pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.

Pub Date: Feb 25 2025

Don't mean to review like a creep. Especially on Thanksgiving, but the writing style is painful. The synopsis sounded very promising but I do not like the writing. It feels like Alice's stream of consciousness not only are the chapters long, but some paragraphs take up the full page. It drives me crazy how she refers to Tom has He w a capital H. It's a DNF because it would be a struggle for me to continue and I highly doubt it'll get better or be a payoff if I continue

I love an unreliable narrator, and I love a storyline that makes my skin crawl. It kept me turning the pages, and wanting to know what was going to happen. This isn't a book for everyone, by any means, but for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, and "weird girl" lit, I think this will do really well with that readership. Even while the storyline is cringeworthy, the writing itself is so captivating.

What a delightfully terrifying book. Van Straaten did a fantastic job creating a character so uncomfortable and downright scary, yet somehow still capable of inspiring pity. This is definitely a weird one, but totally worth it. Loved this one!

"Creep" is about a woman who works as a cleaner for a man with whom she is deeply obsessed. It's an interesting idea yet its execution is uninteresting. It feels that the author is trying too hard to create an "unlikable," "unhinged" narrator who says lots of pithy things, with little care for whether those things make any sense. As a result I could not settle into the story; I felt very conscious of the fact that I was reading a fictional character; I could not believe in her voice.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Creep.

The title says it all: the novel revolves around Alice, a cleaner for Tom's house. Tom doesn't know it but he and Alice are destined for each other. It's just a matter of time.

This literary trend has only grown in recent years; stalker main characters obsessing over someone.

I don't get this trend; why should I care about these stalkers? They're not compelling or interesting characters nor do I want to get to know them better in real life.

I requested the ARC because I hoped the premise would surprise me, but instead I got a disturbing account of Alice's obsessive love for Tom.

I'm not even sure how it happened, where it came from, or perhaps she's just mentally ill?

The writing was good, but I didn't like the format or style nor was I a fan of Alice's voice.

Not surprisingly, she has no friends and has a poor relationship with her mom and sister.

Is that why she is the way she is?

So many of these types of characters are characterized this way; outcast, loner, delusional. I'm not a fan of this characterization since it perpetuates stereotypes.

Nothing in Creep is original or a compelling perspective on the 'stalker' narrative.

Why should I care about Alice? Or Tom? Or this story at all?

There's a sinister quality inherent in any narrative when a stranger has access to your personal space and belongings, not unlike being burglarized or robbed.

But there's no suspense or urgency; the narrative drags on since readers are stuck in Alice's head all the time, which isn't a bad thing, if she was an interesting character, but she's not.

I'm not the right audience for this type of story but I think some readers might enjoy it.