PEYTON CRUSHED THIS DEBUT!

Bad Creek is laced with an eerie atmospheric setting & thematic depth. Peyton successfully created a bone chilling place. This success came from the use of multi-povs, which built up the story.

There is a lot of potent content for religious trauma & I am SAT for it.

Overall, this is super creepy & I adored every second of it. I am eagerly awaiting Peyton’s next book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a really creepy, campy summer read. I had no idea where this story was taking us and had a good time seeing everything unfold. It kind of gave 'stereotypical rich white people shit' vibes which I was here for. I enjoyed how this came to be a generational trauma sort of story, but I feel like the reveal didn't pack as much of a punch as I was hoping. I think because once we KIND OF had an idea where the story was going, nothing really was much of a 'surprise' after that. But overall, I had a good time with this one!

This was AMAZING!! 5 stars all around! I loved how to story was progressing and the twists and turns were done great. I felt like the supernatural elements actually worked for this, and that the storytelling really set up for a great book! I had such a fun time with this and will absolutely be recommending this to everyone. A perfect book for the summer time!

This one took me a while to get into. Not because it wasn’t good (it absolutely was), but it has that slow, eerie build that doesn’t fully grip you until things start unraveling…and when they do, it’s intense. We’re talking ghosts, grief, dark family secrets, and a town that feels like it’s hiding something just under the surface.

The story follows Iris, Gum, and Aidan—three friends spending summer in Bad Creek, but everything is different this year. Iris is consumed with grief after the death of her sister Glory who drowned in this exact lake a year ago, Gum is grappling with his identity and being haunted by Glory’s ghost (seriously gross, rotting vibes), and Aidan is carrying around some major guilt from a fight he had with Glory before she died. So yes, the vibes are dark.

Once Iris starts sleepwalking to this creepy old house that Glory was obsessed with before she died, the story kicks into gear and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. There’s a real sense of dread that builds, and the horror elements—both supernatural and emotional—are super well done.

My only gripe? The ending felt rushed. After all that build-up, I just wanted a little more time to sit with the revelations and the aftermath. I think the book could’ve used another 20-30 pages to let everything breathe a bit. Or, an epilogue of the group's next summer after this one. But overall, this was such a strong debut! The atmosphere was haunting in the best way, and the exploration of friendship, trauma, and identity gave the scares a lot of emotional weight.

Definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for something dreary (literally and emotionally) and don’t mind a slower burn that pays off.


*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Norton Young Readers, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based off of an uncorrected proof which did not sway my opinion either way. This came out in June so I'm a bit delayed in my review, but be sure to get it! Perfect spooky summer read!

Bad Creek is the perfect summer horror read. It takes place during the first week of July, so you get all the summer vibes. There’s an intriguing mystery, a creepy abandoned house, and many chilling supernatural moments.

The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the creepy cover art. I absolutely love the cover art. Also, the synopsis was so intriguing. I was so excited to read this book. It was one of my most anticipated YA reads of the year. I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed the story.

The story starts off with this teen girl, Iris, who goes to this small lakeside town called Bad Creek with her moms for a week in the summer. The year prior, her sister, Glory, tragically drowned in the lake in Bad Creek.

The story is told from the perspectives of Iris and her friends Aidan and Daniel (known as “Gum”). I usually don’t really like books that include multiple perspectives, but I didn’t mind it in this story. I think the story still flowed very well and I thought all three perspectives were interesting.

This is a debut and I thought it was a really well-written and intriguing YA horror debut. I will definitely be picking up more from this author in the future. I loved the setting, the creepy atmosphere, and the main characters. I also loved the queer rep.

If you’re looking for a YA summer horror read, definitely pick this one up.

This was such a fun YA horror debut! I loved the camp/summer setting and the mystery kept me guessing til the end. I thought the explorations of trauma, particularly religious trauma, were well done.

Thank you Peyton June ( @peyjune ), W.W. Norton & Company ( @w.w.norton ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read Bad Creek (out now).

One year ago, Iris’s sister drowned during their yearly vacation to the lake in Bad Creek. This year Iris and her friends discover an evil that’s been lurking at the lake for years…and it’s closer than anyone can imagine.

What a great young adult horror/thriller debut from Peyton June! It reminds me of all the ‘80 young adult horror books that I read growing up. I think Bad Creek would be a great entry into horror for the pre-teen/teen in your life. It had me captivated.

#BadCreek #NetGalley #PeytonJune #WWNorton

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book, and I can definitely see it resonating and being a great mystery/lite horror book for younger readers, but I had a hard time relating to the characters, so unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I thought the concept was good, but ultimately it fell a little flat for me. However, I can definitely see it appealing to teen readers looking to work their way into reading more intense horror, so I would certainly recommend it.

This read like a middle grade or new adult book despite really trying to grasp some complex ideas about separating familiarity from safety and establishing your identity outside of the one assigned to you. The characters all acted much younger than their given ages, especially Iris, and the pacing was bizarre -- either I was skimming pages just to get through the thousandth belabored repetition of someone's obvious revelation or I had to reread passages because important information or dialogue was plopped down and glossed over.

I feel bad for saying this about a girl whose sister just died but I HATED Iris. The whole premise -- doing the Same Thing every year and going to the Same Place with the Same Friends who you inherited from your parents, down to everyone being assigned a color -- was insufferable. I really supported Aidan the most for getting the fuck out and not living his whole life in the past. Really, the only reason I powered through reading the whole thing (and I still doubt whether this was the correct choice) was to watch this wretched perfect little nostalgia bubble that glossed over classism and homophobia for the sake of not upsetting the way things have always been get utterly wrecked. I'm just sorry that a bunch of innocent women had to die in order for the (insanely wealthy and privileged) protagonists to learn that lesson.

I did like that the book featured queer characters without centering romance to illustrate or prove their queerness.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for sending the arc of this book via ebook and audio!

I started out reading this on my kindle before the release date but kept putting it down, but then decided to pick it up on audio and it made the experience so much worth while! And bumped up the creep factor massively.

Bad Creek is a fast-paced, creepy YA horror that definitely delivers on atmosphere, especially in audio format, where certain scenes were genuinely unsettling and immersive. The author builds a moody, southern gothic backdrop that sets the stage for strange happenings, eerie secrets, and a familiar sense of small-town dread.

That said, while I appreciated the spooky moments and had fun with the ride overall, the story didn’t stand out much from other YA horrors I’ve read. The plot and character dynamics felt a bit predictable at times, and I found myself wanting a little more depth or originality to really set it apart.

Still, it was an entertaining listen, the pacing kept things moving, and the creepy scenes hit just enough to keep me engaged. It might not have blown me away, but I’m definitely glad I gave it a read and would definitely be interested in what more this author comes out with in the future!

Bad Creek follows Iris, Aiden, and Gum after the drowning of Iris' sister, Glory. Aiden thinks the fight he had the night she drowned makes him responsible, and Gum keeps seeing Glory's ghost. Iris thinks there's more to the story and enlists the two boys to help her find out what really happened to Glory, even though they're both keeping secrets from her.

The perspectives in this book were very well-written. Each voice was distinct, and I never had to go back and look up who was speaking. Each character had different feelings about Glory that were expressed clearly without being too on the nose. This book didn't shy away from showing Glory as a whole person who sometimes did bad things, and didn't paint her as a perfect sister and friend. That made the book a lot more interesting.

The story got pretty slow after the first 30% and I struggled a bit to get through it. I think some of the narration could've been tightened up because we hear Gum and Aiden say the same things about how they think they're responsible over and over again so it got repetitive and slowed the story down.

I also ended up not liking any of the characters. It was hard to imagine their friendship before Glory died because they all seemed to hate each other afterward. All three narrators were unlikeable in their own way so I found it challenging to root for any of them.

There was also a little too much emphasis on the adult's relationships that seemed out of place in a YA book. While their stories were relevant to the present day, I thought their stories ended up being a bit distracting. Additionally, I think most teens wouldn't be as interested in hearing about the adults. I think if there were flashbacks to the adult Disasters as teens, that would've been more effective.

This book does explore many themes that a lot of teens would relate to, like fractured friendships, religious trauma, and grief, so I would certainly recommend it to some teens.

OMG, so many thoughts on this one. I really wanted to love it. I won't say I hated it, but it wasn't something mindbending either. I have seen similar plots unfold in many other books. The storyline feels a little stale? I think another upcoming book (The Haunting of Paynes Hollow) did what Bad Creek wanted to do but better and sans all that romantic drama. I really don't like romance (even as a subplot) in my horror or thriller books. It just is distracting and isn't necessary in my opinion. It did have it's chilling moments and the lake ambience was amazing. I liked the final twist and think it was very well done. I expected a bit more but this turned out to be just okay. Not a bad book, not a great one either.

I'm giving this 2 stars.

Sadly I couldnt finish this book or even the audiobook. I stopped at 50% i couldnt feel the connect to the characters. The writing was okay but I really disliked the characters. And I didnt like the male narrators. This book could be for you but it was for me. I felting lagging and I tried to push through.

60/100 or 3.0 stars


This has a stunning cover and and interesting concept, but this just didn't work for me. It was hard to get into and care about what was going on. I was hoping to really like this, but it wasn't for me. I can see how this could work for other readers, though.

I'm always down for some good spooky Halloween fun, but autumn much too confidently enjoys the reputation as spooky season. The world may not be in a period of death and decay in the lead-up to winter, but nothing rots as quickly in October as it does in July. Peyton June's Bad Creek is fresh on the shelves to make the most of the summer haunting season with a story of grief and generational curses.

As July approaches, Iris heads back to Bad Creek for her family's annual trip to the small Michigan town, assured that her friends Aidan and Gum will be there, too, just like the three families have been doing since their parents were teenagers. This year, though, the feeling's a bit different: after all, it was during last year's trip that Iris's big sister, Glory, drowned. Her ghost is woven in everything, from the annual traditions to the bike she always used. Worst of all, Iris isn't sure she believes the official story of what happened to Glory. After all, everyone seems to be hiding something, even her friends.

The three musketeers discover a pattern of strange drownings or near-drownings through the years, further stoking Iris's suspicions. Gum didn't need anyone to tell him Glory wasn't the first drowned girl in Bad Creek: he's been seeing multiple ghosts, including Glory, at every turn, and they're getting more insistent as the week goes on. Aidan, meanwhile, has his own secret about what happened last year, making him afraid he unintentionally contributed to Glory's drowning. Add in Gum's snobby cousin Hudson suddenly acting suspiciously friendly, as well as the old-timers refusing to talk about the other drowned girls, and it's obvious there's some dark undercurrent running through Bad Creek. It's less obvious what that darkness is, or if Iris will survive this investigation—or this trip.

Bad Creek feels at times like a sequel to a story of Glory's death, and can be a little disorienting as a result. But with a few minor exceptions, that works to its thematic advantage, considering how jumbled grief can make reality. In the same way grieving is often harder on anniversaries and holidays—times when things feel the same as always except for the loved one's absence—Glory's haunting of the titular town feels perfectly fitting in a metaphorical sense well before it becomes literally true.

Perhaps even more present is the specter of family expectations. Most pressing is Gum's unexpected chance at making his mom's side of the family proud of him for once, even if he can't possibly understand the cost to do so. Aidan wants to be nothing like his father, who still clings onto relevancy from a cult-classic horror movie he made decades ago. Iris's uncertainty of how many of her choices are her own and how many are made with Glory in mind one way or the other. Even snotty Hudson, formerly the golden boy of his family, has to figure out a way to be more himself and less an offshoot of his forefathers. The ways these teenagers have to identify, or re-identify, themselves may be a little gorier than what the usual high-schooler experiences, but it's a relatable feeling all the same.

So is the growing understanding that much of the conflict—the trauma, The Way Things Are, or the curse, if you will—has its roots in the actions and needs of previous generations. Even in the real world, with much more space for outside influences than the plot of a novel, much of what we face on both a large scale of global politics and the small scale of family norms comes from people who did things and died long before we, or even our parents, were born. Often, we can't possibly know what lurks beneath the waters of history, despite feeling its ripples every day. In the same way, we're unlikely to second-guess what it gives us, or its cost. In the case of Bad Creek, the ghosts and the monster they're tethered to are close enough for our main characters to smell and touch, and real enough to make me wary what's hiding in the local river.

Awesome summer YA horror novel. Seriously, what's better than a spooky lake with ghosts and secrets in a summer read? Not much.

This has elements of things people will love- it's reminiscing of Stranger Things and Stephen Graham Jones novels, it has LGBTQIA representation, along with thrills and chills.

Pacing left something to be desired, but the story is good.

While YA horror is not my typical go to, this book was an engrossing mystery horror that took me right back to a. nostalgic place during summers spent by the water. This story was interesting and especially piqued my curiosity because of the mysterious premise. Murder mysteries mixed with a haunted camp vibe are typically a great time, and this was no exception. That being said, I found the book a bit slow to get into until more of the horror elements came out. Regardless thank you for the ARC and opportunity to read Bad Creek.

Bad Creek is a perfect summer horror read; atmospheric, tense, and full of unsettling twists. A group of friends return to their childhood holiday cabins one year after the death of one of their own, and from the start, there’s a strong sense that not everything is as it seems.

This story balances both supernatural and human threats in a way that keeps you guessing right to the final pages. The characters felt like real young adults, caught in that in-between space of growing older, all of them grapple with shifting priorities while longing for the simplicity and freedom of their teenage summers.

The story succeeds at being creepy, emotional, and compelling, it definitely left an impression.

Unfortunately this book didn’t hit the mark for me. The pacing was weird and there would be moments it would go from present-past-present all within the same paragraph which just led me to having to reread said paragraph.
The creepiness level could’ve been taken up a notch but since it’s a YA demographic I can understand why it wasn’t.
Felt like not all 3 POV were necessary and Hudson for sure should’ve gotten a POV but overall the characters weren’t enjoyable to me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm not sure what to rate this one. On the one hand, it wasn't bad, and on the other it wasn't very interesting? It took a really long time for me to get excited by the story. It was more murder mystery than horror with an odd set of characters at a rustic, crusty camp that mingles with a lot of really rich people. I enjoyed the last quarter except for the ending, which felt super rushed. I honestly don't know so I'm settling smack dab in the middle.