Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio copy of Girl in the Creek. Here are my thoughts!

Erin arrives in the town of Faraday to work on a journal article around the people going missing in the forest near the town, one of which is her own brother. As she begins investigating she starts piecing together eerie clues, such as the mysterious fungi growing in the hotel, and the girl who keeps appearing only to mysteriously vanish. Is there a serial killer in the town or is there something much bigger going on?

Listening to this novel was quite the treat. The tone and setting of the novel were very atmospherically eerie and dark. The authors voice helped add to this with their soft, at times raspy cadence. It was a mystery that was easy to follow along with and provided a lot of different potential explanations for the culprit of the disappearances.

The horror pieces of this mystery are present, loud and proud. We get to see some body horror and a little gore, but it’s not used excessively but is used in such a way that adds to the plot and builds intrigue. I also love this popular trend of mushroom or fungi horror that is blossoming. It's so entertaining and I love when different science is pulled into horror. I found the ending satisfying and creepy in all the best ways.

I think this is a great fall read, and hopefully we will get there soon as I am over the heatwave!

This one had me weirdly tense the whole time—like I could smell wet bark and something rotting just out of frame. The horror is more creeping than loud, and it hits especially hard if you’ve ever felt spooked in the woods for no real reason. Some parts got a little crowded with characters, but the atmosphere carried it. Not sure I’ll be hiking again anytime soon.

Erin is a young journalist who heads to a small town an hour out of Portland to write an article. Faraday is tucked away and filled with woods and mushrooms and rot, as well as poachers and murderers of people. People go missing and no one seems to care very much. There’s definitely a terrible story here but it’s also personal for her as her beloved brother went missing in the area a few years earlier.

Erin meets up with a podcasting group and a bunch of their friends and, for the life of me, I couldn't tell you much about any of them because they all sort of hang around on the periphery (waiting to get picked off, it seems to me) and we don’t get to know them as people which was a frustrating experience. They’re all young and beautiful and smart but none of them have developed personalities. Oh well, some people are just boring, I suppose. They run around investigating and find some terribly gross things. Even with all of the decay and dead bodies, there is something very much not normal about this place.

This read like a slow boil eco-thriller/mystery/sci-fi adventure to me and I guess I was expecting something a little different after seeing all of the T.Kingfisher comparisons. T. Kingfisher books typically have quirky characters and humor and aren't entirely deadly serious. Some people are saying one of the characters was humorous but I guess it wasn’t my type of humor or I’m just a grouch because I totally missed it. I wish pubs would stop comparing writers like that. I mean, I get it, they want to make a buck and sell a book but it can lead a reader astray and each writer has their own unique way of telling a story.

I enjoyed this for what it was but I wasn’t able to fall into the story in the way I’d hoped. I’m unsure if it was the book, the fact that I was caring for two doggies who had the runs all week, or the sometimes monotonous cadence of the narrator. I’m guessing it was a deadly combination of all three. At normal speed the pace creeped. I sped things up but I often found myself rewinding full chapters because my attention strayed which isn’t something I do too often when I’m deep into an audiobook.

This book has some dire things to say about the depressing state of the climate and the terrible people on our planet who freely and carelessly discard people, animals and the environment simply because they can get away with it. It also creates a fungus filled atmosphere and icky body horror spectacularly but I fear I may just be fungus'd out right now so feel free to ignore me. If this is your thing, give it a go.

2.5 bumping up to 3

While I enjoyed the narration part of this book I just couldn’t get into the story. I was bored and confused. I’ll try reading it again soon but idk it’s a DNF this time. However the narrator did a fantastic job and I had no issues on that front.

The Girl in the Creek
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Body horror, eco horror, missing people, small town mystery, mushrooms, what more could you want from a creepy forest setting?! I really enjoyed this book!

This book published on July 15, 2025. Thank you so much to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an advanced copy!

Okay… okay.. I’ll admit it—I picked this one up entirely for the cover. It’s absolutely stunning, and the T. Kingfisher comparison completely sealed the deal for me!! I think that comparison is pretty fair, especially if you’re a fan of The Sworn Soldier series. The vibes are similar: eerie atmosphere, unsettling lore, and a protagonist navigating something ancient and strange.

That said, I didn’t end up loving this quite as much as I hoped I would. One of the things I adore about T. Kingfisher’s work is the immersive writing and deeply lovable character, and those are usually the make-or-break elements for me in any story. While I liked the main character and found her backstory compelling, the large supporting cast blurred together for me. I had trouble keeping track of who was who, which made it hard to feel fully invested in what was happening to them.

The plot felt a bit predictable—not bad, just not especially gripping. I found myself drifting in and out of the story at times. What did keep me reading were the unique, interwoven POVs. Those sections were rich with detail and genuinely immersive, and they added a welcome layer of intrigue to an otherwise straightforward story arc.

While The Girl in the Creek wasn’t a standout favorite, I still think it’s worth a read for those who enjoy their horror a little weird and not too scary. A solid pick for fans of slow-burn unease and eldritch undertones.

Hello and welcome to my annual reminder that mushrooms are evil. Did this book ruin the PNW for me, no. Will I be touching things in the forest ever again, also no.


Girl in the Creek is an interesting take on ecohorror. Blending cli-fi with a sprinkle of cosmic horror. I enjoyed the story and the creepy and at times claustrophobic atmosphere.


There were a lot of characters to follow, and I found myself getting lost at times. This could be because I was listening to the audiobook and have the attention span of a gnat sometimes. Although the narrator is great!


I’ve seen the term “rottagecore” floating around on the internet lately. If that’s your vibe, this book is for you. There are horror scenes in this book that are now seared into my brain. My house will be getting a full bleach this weekend.


Girl in the Creek is out now, and you should check this out if your ready to be team no mushroom 🍄‍🟫 🙅🏻‍♀️. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy.

I really wanted to love this story, but it overall fell flat for me. I did like the eco horror theme, but unfortunately, it did not hold my attention. I found my mind wandering while I was listening to the audiobook. I'm not sure if it was the narrator or the story itself that did not work for me in the audiobook format.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
Girl in the Creek was a solid blend of horror, thriller, and murder mystery. The missing person storyline pulled me in quickly. And then more people go missing! So you’re hooked pretty early on.

The atmosphere was eerie and the pacing kept me engaged. While the ending felt a bit convenient, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

This was a satisfying listen with just enough suspense and creepiness to keep things interesting.

🖤 What To Expect
• Horror thriller
• Missing Sibling
• Eerie forest setting
• Queer Rep

📖 Final Score: 3.75 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 4 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo


📅 Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

A mystery thriller with spore and body horror throughout.

I can’t say I was a huge fan of the audiobook narrator, the dialogue just felt a bit off and I couldn’t tell if it was due to inflections used or the prose itself.

The descriptions of the forest and settings were immersive and fantastic, gross and bizarre, and atmospheric at times too. This really helped me get into the story.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and MacMillan Audio for a copy.

As someone who has never been able to tolerate the texture of mushrooms, I appreciate when a writer treats them as the evil entities they are.

This was a solid blend of paranormal, mystery, thriller, and horror. To be honest, I’m still not sure which of those are the adjectives and which are the nouns. The story opens from the POV of a coyote, and it only gets weirder from there.

There’s also some truly gruesome body horror. I’m a little traumatized by the imagery.

I requested this because it sounded cool, but also because I adore Jennifer Pickens. Her narration was pitch perfect. She’s really well suited for emotional horror, and this story gave her plenty to work with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

(this review is scheduled to be posted to Instagram on Monday, July 21)

Girl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner is my first audiobook ARC, so kudos to both the writer and the audiobook narrator for bringing this story to life! I was immediately drawn in by the cover (mushroom girlie that I am), but little did I know what an amazing and rich story I was about to be drawn into. Girl in the Creek is built on rich descriptions and a fun, engaging, diverse cast.

1. The Descriptions:
OMG. Okay now I can really gush over this book. Girl in the Creek has impeccable pacing, due in part to the Creek Girl’s interludes. These descriptions of her body and its... evolution... were AMAZING. The Creek Girl interludes also served as stepping stones so that the last ⅓ of the book could full send it’s horror factor and it worked SO WELL.

2. The Cast
As I said we have a wonderfully diverse and fleshed out cast. One thing I loved was the ways that Erin wasn’t immediately buddy-buddy with everyone. The evolution of her relationships was fascinating to watch, especially as the stakes continued to rise. Further, I loved how realistic the characters behaved. I loved that we had characters in various age groups and in various walks of life given center stage. Finally, I loved that Wagner created a wholly lovable cast, then wasn’t afraid to kill them off.

3. The Ending
Now I won’t be spoiling it, but it was a RUSH. I was hoping Wagner would pull all the hyphae plot threads together in the way she did. I may have guessed the end, but it still left me shook. Jaw-dropped. Amazing execution.

Ok, hear me out. I definitely don't dislike this book but it also wasn't a favorite. The author is CLEARLYYYYYYYY talented, she writes absolutely BEAUTIFULLY. Seriously it's like poetry. With that being said, for ME & in my absolutely useless opinion,There wasn't as much focus put into the plot. Her description of the world around the characters is absolutely breathtaking, she can even make something as grotesque as a dead body sound beautiful. This specific book may have not been for me, but I would be MORE than interested in reading more from this author

Small town. Missing people. Abandoned places. Mushrooms. Sign me up! I was immediately intrigued by the cover and synopsis for this book and I felt like it delivered what I was expecting.

This was a fast paced and engaging thriller that had so many of my favorite elements. I liked the alternating chapters between the characters and the Strangeness (it was a bit reminiscent of Jackal in that way) and there were plenty of gross scenes of mushroom horror and mystery.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

🍄🩸🏞Girl In The Creek🏞🩸🍄

Genre: Horror & Sci-fi
Audio lenght: 7hrs 50min
Narrator: Jennifer Pickens
*Book length: 272 pages

On the story:

When Erin's brother goes missing years back, it wasn't something she could just put behind herself and move forward with. Her mind was set, especially after finding that there's a plethora of missing people at the same place that her brother was last seen, the Clackamas National Forest, and when she arrives strange and odd things and people seem to find her at every turn.

This book has/is

🍄Creature features
🩸Multiple POV
🍄Revenge story
🩸Small town/big hell

This was a great summer read! Creepy, tension building, really well paced from beginning to end, the body horror was really well done, it had me scrunching my face with the descriptions! I really enjoyed the different POV, especially the one from the *surprise* guest.

On the audio/narrator
I was heavily invested in this one! The narrator did a great job! Her portrayal and navigating of emotions really came through the audio! And I could easily distinguish between characters with her change of tone.

I recommend this book if you loved What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher, Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, Root Rot by Saskia Nislow, The Last Of Us game & series!

I would love to thank NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Girl in the Creek was an unexpectedly good time!

The story follows Erin, a young lady whose brother has gone missing near Mount Hood. As a Pacific Northwesterner myself, I do love a book that captures the authentic vibe of our little slice of the world - and Girl on the Creek does just that!

The pacing was well done throughout and the author did a nice job of creating characters that I cared about. I didn’t expect the storyline to go quite in the direction that it did, but the multiple threads were blended together expertly.

I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator was perfect at giving the story some urgency and tension, without being intrusive.

The ending was my absolute favorite kind of wrap up.

Highly recommend this one if you are a fan of thrillers.

4.5 stars for Girl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner.

Thank you netgalley for the advance audiobook copy.

The narration is very well done, and goes well with the story.

Girl in the Creek is a slow (creepy) burn, but a short read (or listen).

I enjoyed this suspenseful horror. And definitely recommend.

The only reason I didn't give a full 5 stars is because there are a lot of characters and I had trouble keeping up with who is who.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review. The narrator for this was wonderfully engaging. We follow Erin, a reporter creating a tourism piece but secretly on a mission to try to find out about her missing brother. We also have the POV of the girl in the creek, which was so bizarre but so very interesting, I kept finding myself looking forward to the chapters featuring her thoughts. I have been LOVING bog horror/mushroom weirdness this summer and this definitely checked that box. The body horror was grotesque and stomach flipping in such a good way. The story wasn't necessarily surprising (as far as the twists were concerned) but, it was a GOOD time. I'd recommend for readers of the Bog Wife, Blood on her Tongue and My Name Isn't Paul (not fungus related but very much in the vein of something taking over human bodies).

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of The Girl I The Creek.
This book just really wasn’t my jam. The cover appealed to my vision and the small description I read intrigued me. However, the body horror was not mentioned in any description I read and that’s just not for me.
I liked the lore of the mystery and missing aspect and loved they spoke briefly of the injustices of missing POC.
The narrator spoke slowly and I had to listen at 2x speed.

Overall this book was nothing af for me. But if you like body horror and weird strange things it might be for you

I feel like I just got off a roller coaster: After a quick introductory climb, Wendy Wagner took me on a screaming thrill ride that left me gasping for breath and discombobulated by the end, muttering “wtf” under my breath.

The Girl in the Creek follows Erin Harper as she searches for her missing brother in the old mining town of Faraday, a place full of hidden hiking trails, abandoned mines, and watchful eyes. A creeping Strangeness has infiltrated the local flora and fauna…and people are vanishing without a trace.

This book is a fast-paced environmental horror reminiscent of Jeff VanderMeer’s works. Check it out if you like immersive and otherworldly atmospheres sure to give you weird dreams! And props to the narrator, Jennifer Pickens, for adding to the heavy tension throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for advanced digital and audio copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.