My daughter read one of Powers’ other books and didn’t really like it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this. I absolutely HAD to request an eARC when I read the synopsis, though! It’s such an interesting premise.

Nan is presented as an unreliable narrator right from the beginning, and she claims to have killed her three best friends a year ago. Imagine her surprise when one of them shows up, seemingly back from the dead!

I love the way Ms. Powers writes—this is beautifully written. The events enfold going back and forth between the present and the past, and it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. I was sucked in right from the get go, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it when I was forced to put it down. That said, I was confused and unsatisfied with the ending. I would’ve liked to see more explanations. I can’t go too much into detail without spoilers, but I really wanted to know more backstory.

Ultimately, I give it a 3.75, rounded up, because the story really reeled me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the advance copy. I am writing this review entirely voluntarily.

5 STARS. Imagine 3 of your best friends go missing a year ago. Now, one of them is back. The problem? They're dead. How do you know this? You killed them.

The premise of this book had me hooked from the get-go. The writing immediately sucked me in as we enter the mind of the friend that killed them, Nan. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, trapped by the fear and anxiety of getting caught, while also trying to figure out how in the world someone came back from the dead, and the reason for WHY she killed her best friends.

The reveal was so satisfying...while also being extremely sad. The author did a painfully beautiful job of writing what it is like to be a girl on the outside, looking in.

Kill Creatures by Rory Power surprised me. Not because I didn’t expect it to be good, I most definitely did, but by just how quickly it hooked me. When I started this one, I was already tired and since I began reading this one late in the evening I only expected to read the opening chapter or so before bed…but that changed quickly. A year ago Nan’s best friends disappeared into Saltcedar Canyon. Now as the community gathers to mark the one year anniversary, something amazing happens. One of the girls, Luce, turns up. But Nan knows that isn’t possible because she killed them! She is certain about that…so who is this and what is going on? This is a fun, fast paced thriller. I saw a few of the twists coming but not all of them and it has a satisfying ending. And while I didn’t intend to read the book straight though, that’s exactly what I ended up doing. 4.5 stars Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC of Kill Creatures.

4.5 stars to this one because I literally couldn't stop reading - this never happens to me.

Kill Creatures by Rory Power is one of those stories that plays out in the reader's mind like a bingeable Netflix thriller. It drops on a Friday night and you turn it on based on the homescreen preview then 8 hours and three empty chip bags later, you emerge bleary eyed but exhilarated from the ride.

That's what it was like to read this book.

You know from the get-go that Nan is a murderer. It's in the blurb, she admits to it in the first few chapters. You also know that one of the girls she murders comes back ALIVE on the one-year anniversary of the disappearances (the town doesn't know what Nan knows).

What you don't know is the MEAT on the bones of this story. And it was oh so juicy. Nan is, at times, both revolting and pity-worthy and she made for a fascinating FMC. The twists and turns this tale took were a teensy bit predictable but I'm still giving it the 4.5 stars because of the feeling it gave me while reading it - this sort of dumbstruck morbid fascination mixed with a smidge of downright terror.

I was a little scared when I realized this book wasn't as darkly whimsical as Rory Power's other books, but that was quickly erased from my mind. This world was so eerily familiar. This character was so uncomfortably real. The story was engaging, enthralling, wonderful. A must-buy from my insta-read author.

An interesting first read for me from Rory Power. The cover was the first thing that caught my eye about this YA thriller, and it sucked me in. I am admittedly moving out of my YA era and I have found less success with recent reads, but this one surprised me in terms of how compelling the narrative was. I ate this up. It was probably the fastest I have read a book in a long time. That is not to say that it equates to how well written the story was, but just how easy Power's writing style is to ingest.

The problem I find with many YA novels is the characters. It is hard, as an adult on the other side of my adolescence, to not find YA characters annoying, pretentious, and cringey. That was definitely the case here. I was immediately put off by the characters and found them unlikable and unrelatable. Our MC was unhinged and creepy, but, given the narrative, that worked in the favor of the book, establishing the story and setting everything up quite well.

In terms of the story itself, it was a bit predictable but enjoyable. I thought we were going to get a faster paced story than we got and the ending was a little rushed, but overall I had a good enough time. The twist at the end wasn't as shocking as I hoped, but if you are experiencing a book like this for the first time, or are new to thrillers I think you will eat it up. I feel like this will absolutely be a hit for the target YA/Teen audience. Power's writing is extremely easy to read and if you're not a jaded old man like me, I think you will have a great time and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to those who want a good YA thriller with messy friendship dynamics, a compelling mystery, and some action. I know Power has written a handful of books, including some adult novels, and I quite enjoyed her writing style so I think I will definitely give her another read.

Kill Creatures was one of my most anticipated YA books of the year. I love Rory Power’s writing and I was so excited to read this, however, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I loved the premise of this book - a teen girl kills her best friends, and a year later one of the friends she thought she killed returns. It’s a cool premise! I also liked how the protagonist wasn’t your cookie-cutter, good girl protagonist. She was a character with a lot of issues.

I enjoyed the mystery, but it felt like everything moved too quickly. I think I would’ve liked this more if it was a little longer. It just felt like something was missing.

I would still recommend this one to lovers of YA mystery thrillers. I look forward to Power’s next book.

3.5⭐️

This was a fun one with lots of twists. I wasn't sure who to root for and it felt like there were no winners or redeemable characters, which makes the read all the more fun!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy.

On the one year anniversary of the death of her best friends, Nan is as shocked as the rest of her lakeside town when one of those friends, Luce, shows up in the water--alive. Now Nan is freaking out because Luce should be dead, along with Jane and Edie; Nan is certain of this because she killed them. What does Luce remember? And what does this mean for Nan?

Wow. Rory Power knows how to write the underbelly of female friendships: the ways young women can pull each other together and rip each other apart. The writing throughout felt taut and having the narrator start with telling us the terrible thing she did created a different mystery. I definitely didn't see the end coming, but not in a deus ex machina kind of way. Every breadcrumb was subtly laid. After reading WILDER GIRLS, I was excited to read Powers' new novel, and I wasn't disappointed.

Kill Creatures is out June 3, 2025.

This was such a good mystery/thriller! Even though most of the book was relatively calm, my heart was pounding the entire time. I enjoyed the dual timeline and how it eventually revealed the true story. My only two complaints are the length of the book and the epilogue. I think the story could have benefited from being expanded and more detailed. Under 300 pages is pretty short, even for thrillers, and it could have used another 100. The epilogue also didn't work for me because it felt very "the villain has been unmasked and is now giving a 10-minute monologue on their master plan." That being said, these two details barely made a difference because of how much I loved the story. 4.25/5⭐.

"The girls are all dead. And I should know, because I'm the one who killed them."
INSTANT CHILLS. i fucking love rory power.

i will say i'm not really a fan of alternating timeline POVs and that's maybe the only reason i gave this 4 stars. also because this could have been so much twistier and crazier than it was - it didn't quite go in the direction that i expected but i still thoroughly enjoyed it.

i'm just obsessed with rory power's writing. it's so engaging and atmospheric, and this book in particular was a page-turner that i didn't want to put down.

5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an arc. All opinions are my own.

Omg SO GOOD!!
First of all, a moment of appreciation for the cover because I am OBSESSED with it.

Anyways, I was hooked the second I read the summary for this book, and the tension was amazing the whole way through. I did kind of guess some of the big twists, but I still loved the drama of it. This kind of reminds me of You (specifically the tv show adaptation) but sapphic, and I am so here for it.

A year ago, Nan’s three best friends disappeared during one last summer adventure, and she’s been the only one who knows the truth–she killed them (or so she thought). Now at a memorial by the river, one of them shows up alive. A dark, twisty thriller about friendship, jealousy, and the kind of secrets that never stay buried. Rory Power creates a world dense with mystery and raw feeling, pulling you deep into a small-town summer that’s crowded with tourists and haunted by the lingering presence of the missing girls.

The story gave me strong ‘Cruel Summer’ meets ‘Yellowjackets’ vibes, which had me instantly intrigued.

Nan, our narrator, is disturbingly obsessed with her friends to a point that made me uncomfortable. Her fixation, especially when she refers to them as “her girls,” felt unhinged and at times hard to follow. She seems to lack a moral compass, and the biggest mystery for me was understanding why she was so consumed by them, and why she couldn’t seem to read the room.

Despite not being entirely believable, the conclusion was well executed. I had lingering questions and tried to piece together moments that didn’t quite add up, but even with a few clues dropped along the way, the final twist still caught me off guard. Something I really value in a thriller is when the surprises feel earned. However, I struggled with the believability of the characters’ motivations. Their actions didn’t always feel justified, and that weakened the emotional impact for me.

Still, this is a tightly written, fast-paced story that keeps you guessing. While it could have packed more emotional intensity, I enjoyed the ride. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, chilling thriller you can devour in one sitting.

What a strange and enticing thriller! When one of Nan's best friends comes back from the dead, she can't be quite sure how. After all, Nan killed her. Was it something supernatural? Is Nan mistaken? Is it really her best friend? As the police zero in and clues are left behind, Nan struggles to keep up all her lies.

Told anachronistically between 'Now' and 'Then', we see both the aftermath of Luce's murder and how Nan decided to become a killer. There's plenty of small town intrigue, dark family secrets, and a setting that makes for an eerie backdrop.

I enjoyed this--I don't typically read thrillers or mysteries, but this one had me going and questioning just what the heck happened all throughout each chapter.

Being a teenager, in a small town focused on summer renters, can be so challenging.
Nan kinda lost her mind last summer - her chill group of girl friends crumbled apart. Because she killed them.
Luce kindly returns - to remind Nan what really happened that summer.
A harsh look at teenagers, self loathing and psychopathic tendencies.
Excellent summer read!

Auto Buy Author Rory Power strikes again! This was so weird and creepy and gay, it felt like I was watching a 90s summer slasher. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I fell in love with reading again starting with Rory Powers’s Wilder Girls back in 2022. I loved the story and became super invested. It marked the beginning of my journey starting to read more frequently. Hearing about this book I was beyond excited.

The cover is super eye catching and I love a good mystery. While Wilder Girls relied on heavy fantasy/ body horror themes this book was very much a contemporary mystery. It is rather short and felt a little rushed for me in some places. Especially the ending. We didn’t get a lot of look into Edie, Jane, and Luce as a unit. We are thrown into the story with their disappearances. This also alternates back and forth between current day and a year before when the girls went missing. Our MC Nan is said to be best friends with the three girls and also the one who killed them a year before. She is very much an unreliable narrator and I loved seeing her story unravel.

All of our characters here are very suspicious and while we think we know the story, the reveal is very well done while also being very cut and dry. While this book was a little more straightforward, I did enjoy the twist and writing for it. Rory’s writing always sucks me in so I was so happy I got to read this a little early.

Kill Creatures is a gripping and fast-paced wild ride that will have you pulled in by the very first chapter. From the moment the news of this new Rory Power novel was released, I just knew I had to read it after enjoying her previous novels in the past.

Lately, I haven’t been wanting to pick up many YA novels, but after reading the synopsis for this specific book, I knew I would love it, and I am so glad I did. Rory Power’s writing had you feeling Nan’s pain and loss from the get-go.

The two timelines (present and past) pull you further into this world that Rory Power’s has created and allows you to learn more about the characters, especially the friendship Nan had with each of the girls in her friend group.

Even though I had a fun time with this one and found myself not wanting to put the book down when I got to the midpoint of the story, I wanted a little more when it comes to the ending, but that most definitely does not change my enjoyment or the multiple jaw dropping moments I had throughout.

Overall, Kill Creatures was a fun and jaw dropping thrill ride that had me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put this book down, half the time. If you are the type of reader who adores YA thrillers with a dash of horror, then this book is definitely the one to put on your TBR.

THOUGHTS

The atmosphere of this book is immersive, but aside from that, this book didn't really come together for me. It had great building blocks but no coherent picture in the end. And that was a real disappointment, because I usually adore Rory Power books. Just not this one.


PROS
Unapologetic: I really do appreciate a character who makes her choices and sticks with them. And Nan has definitely made some choices. She's pretty up front, right off the bat, about the fact that she's done away with her friends. She's sat with that fact--and that secret--for a good year now, and she doesn't regret it. And I can appreciate a character that steadfast in what she resolved to do.

Sneaking Realization: The backbone of this book is a series of revelations that are not so much shocking as unsettling. They're not shocking because, as a reader, the signs and the symptoms are there, slowly building up throughout the book. It's a sneaking sense of where this book is going, but you don't want it to go to these places. You don't want these twists to happen, and so even though they're not so much a "twist" by the time you get to them, that sneaking realization of what's happening behind the scenes only adds to the atmosphere that Rory Power does so well.

Evocative Setting: As always, Rory Power is a master of evocative settings. This book is no different. Reading a Rory Power book is like being in this landscape right alongside the characters, and her landscapes are always so unique, so different from everything else on the market. This book builds a flooded canyon out of red sandstone, and it fills it with skeletons, literal and figurative. And this flooded desert landscape feels so alive for something so rotten and barren.


CONS
Too Short: I really do like a well-executed novella. Packing a punch in so few pages is a real talent. Unfortunately, this book was only hindered by its lack of pages. I don't know. I just didn't get enough on the page to get invested, to get stuck in with these characters and their twists. I hardly knew them by the time the book was over, and without that investment, I just didn't care too much about what happened and why.

Jealous Lesbian: The jealous lesbian is a trope that I don't particularly like, and unfortunately, this book toes right around the edges of that sad archetype. Though this book does contain more nuance than others that rely on this trope, I still didn't like it. Not with the current political climate toward the LGBTQ+ community. It's bad representation, representation that doesn't really represent anything based in reality, and I didn't like it. Sure, Nan's not jealous of her straight best friend here, but it gets too close for comfort, making a sapphic lead that's primarily defined by jealousy.

Twisted Twists: While I did really enjoy the creeping sense of foreboding this book toys with, of the three "twists" at the end, well, only two really worked for me. Don't get me wrong. They were all... fine. But one on top of the other, and without otherwise being invested in the characters, I just didn't really care. I don't want to spoil what twists take place (or which one didn't stick the landing for me), because here is not the place for plots to be spoiled. Just know I was uninvested and disappointed.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10
Fans of Courtney Gould's Where Echoes Die will like trekking out into the desert in search of secrets better left buried. Those who enjoyed Rory Power's Burn Our Bodies Down will like a new, evocative setting from the same author.

A year ago, Nan killed her three besties. At least she thought she did, but on the eve of their disappearance, one of the girls is found alive.

The Saltcedar setting with its growing-dry lake and failed housing development showcases the disparity between the rich tourists and the poor townies.

Nan makes a fascinating protagonist. Her lack of remorse kept me turning pages to discover her motivation for the murders.

The dual timelines work well to reveal the past and display its impact on the present. The survivor creates tension as Nan tries to figure out what the girl remembers and if her crimes will be revealed.

While the ending was supremely satisfying, I would have liked a bit of a longer epilogue. To be fair, I adore a long epilogue.

This is the third YA book I’ve read by Rory Power and look forward to her next release. I loved that she thanked Scallion the cat in the acknowledgments.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.