4.5✨

This was beyond creepy! Small creepy town, everyone is super religious, girls keep dying. I didn’t want it to end! I loved the characters. I genuinely thought I had it figured out and I was WRONG. The writing was great and flowed really well. My ONLY complaint is that I wish the “big scene” had been a little longer because I wanted more! I can’t wait to see what this author writes in the future. This was an amazing debut!

💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️ I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters. I did enjoy how they were morally grey, however. It added depth to the story.

The book was twisty. I was constantly wondering who was good and who was bad. I was trying to figure out what happened the summer before up until the mystery was revealed.

Religion played a large role in the novel as Christianity was used by the antagonists to justify evil. I found this interesting, especially when the hypocrisy of self-proclaimed Christians who choose hate over love was pointed out. As a Christian, I can say I didn't enjoy the demonization of God Himself. However, I like being able to see religion from other people's perspectives.

⭐⭐.5/5

💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️💀🚣🏼‍♀️🧟‍♀️💀🚣🏼‍♀️

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 more 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!

4’7/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “Bad creek”. Ever since I saw the author promoting this book on TikTok i was so excited to read it, so when I saw my arc request had been approved i was sooooo happy!! I absolutely loved this book, sometimes books with similar plots are quite disappointing regarding the “horror aspects”, but this book exceeded my expectations!! The summer camp vibes, the mystery, the characters…if you like “summerween” reads based on summer camps, a group of teenagers and a mystery to be solved I highly recommend this book! 🎃🖤✨

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 don’t usually read horror—it's just not my genre. But an Instagram reel (blame the algorithm!) convinced me to choose it for my next read.
Yes, there are a few gross-out scenes but the suspense makes it feel more like a mystery thriller.
What I really appreciated was that this wasn’t just a ghost story for the sake of scares. The characters—especially Iris, Gum, and Aidan—felt real. They’re grieving, confused, scared, and so tangled up in secrets, both their own and the town’s. The book touches on grief, guilt, sexuality, and buried family trauma, all while building tension.
If you like horror and you're not grossed out by puke, demons and putrid ghosts, you could give it a shot.

“Curses can be broken”
This is a story about a girl who is investigating the suspicious drowning of her older sister at their childhood Summer cabin. The cast is a broad range of different types of people and the main character seems to have a good head on her shoulders.

I enjoyed the last 75% of the book. It just really felt like it took a long time to get to the meat of the story.

I’m probably the biggest mood reader though because I should have seen the twist coming and did not 😂

Shout out to NetGalley for the ARC! ❤️

The 3 main characters and their families are taking their annual vacation in Bad Creek. Last year, Iris' sister drowned and Iris is determined to find out what really happened along with Gum and Aidan, her childhood friends. What happens next is a series of events unfolding regarding family secrets that puts Iris in danger.

I liked the narrators and I think they did a good job. Each character was pretty fleshed out in that their personalities were distinct and you get their motivations and fears.

I really enjoy these young adult spooky books that take place in the summer. Perfect for summerween!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy to review.

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.

Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for an audio ARC of Bad Creek in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

The first half of the book was a bit challenging to engage with, but the second half completely captivated me. I really appreciated the use of multiple narrators, as it added depth and richness to the story. If you're looking for a great introduction to the horror genre, I would absolutely recommend this book!

“That’s what this place was. Sugar and death.”


This book absolutely blew my mind. With talks of grief, privilege, tradition, and ghost, every word had me on the edge of my seat, dying to know what happened to all the girls who keep drowning at Bad Creek.

Each one of the three main characters are so thought out, and have such strong personalities and backstories. There’s Iris, who is not convinced her sister, Glory’s drowning last year was an accident. Then there is Gum, who is trying to hide his sexuality from his very religious family while being haunted by the ghosts of Glory. Then, there’s Aidan, who was l sort of Glory’s boyfriend, terrified that he might’ve been the one to kill her — only he can’t remember doing it. Together, this ragtag group of teenagers unbury a load of family secrets, and generational trauma.

I listened to the audio book for this one, and the voice actors do an incredible job of bringing these characters to life!

I think this book would be perfect for fans of “We were liars” but needed more horror in the mix. This was a debut novel from author Peyton June, and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next!

Bad Creek review
Audiobook/ 3rd person - There are different voices for the characters. Easy to listen to
Iris returns back to the lake that her sister dead in last year. Everyone is saying she drowned but Iris thinks she might not know the whole truth. Gum is scared to come out, hiding his identity. Aiden was seen fighting with Gloria the last night she was alive. Gums family holds a dark secret that might be the reason of why everything is happening. Rituals? Evil spirits? A curse? Is anyone safe at Bad Creek?

Told from three different perspectives, with three equally great audiobook narrators, this is a compelling, dark YA horror. In addition to the three protagonists - Iris, a grieving sister; Gum, a closested teen; Aidan, a guilty presence - is Glory. Dead and haunting the narrative like the best of them, Glory is as corporeal and fleshed out as the rest. And the plot is just as meaty as these characterisations. We have hauntings in houses and in people, gut-wrenching grief, festering intergenerational wounds - all with a side salad of the found family trope and the sweet-yet-savoury intersection of queer identity and religious trauma. Overall, a compelling read.

Thank you for the chance to review.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I found myself talking back and not wanting to put it down! The characters were well written and the plot was entertaining and imaginative. I LOVED the narration as it obviously pulled me and kept me hostage in the story.

Narration:
The three narrators (one for each teen), really made this stand out. While I didn't enjoy the speech patterns of Gum's narrator and the inconsistent accent work, I thought that each lent a distinct personality for their characters. Iris was perky and determined, Gum uncertain, and Aidan almost dreary and bereft.

Book:
Slightly predictable, but a fun ride nonetheless. The gradual buildup of spooky scenes lent a good tension to the story. The characters had some great development, though if you don't like angsty teens this one isn't for you.

Ghost.
Religious rituals.
Excellent narration.

Really enjoyed how descriptive this book was. The story line was very engaging, needing to know what was going on.

The ending was great.

Way too slow, didn’t feel engaged in the plot until almost the end when the big scene happened. Otherwise I did like the actual premise of the plot and the characters as well as the family and friend dynamics

An atmospheric horror story about friendship, summer and the secrets of small towns.
I got the audiobook format, where there is trio of narrators, and it exceptionally well done. Each voice feels authentic and emotionally grounded, pulling deeper into the story’s eerie and resonant world.

This isn't just a horror thriller, but it's about friends. Growing up, but still coming together when they needed to most.
Definitely highly recommend this author and will be reading more of her future work.

Big thank you to Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this arc!

Peyton June’s Bad Creek is a fierce and emotionally charged YA horror debut that explores grief, queer identity, and the ways family can both protect and haunt us. Told through the rotating perspectives of three lifelong friends, Iris, Gum, and Aidan, the novel traces a haunting summer in a lakeside town in Michigan where the past refuses to stay buried, or better still, where the teens, especially Iris, won’t let it.

The audiobook format, with its trio of narrators, is exceptionally well done. Each voice feels authentic and emotionally grounded, pulling me deeper into the story’s eerie and resonant world.

At the centre of the story is Iris, returning to Bad Creek one year after the drowning of her older sister, Glory. Still reeling, raw, angry, and searching for answer, Iris is both supported and stifled by her two moms, whose own grief complicates every interaction. The strained family dynamic, particularly between Iris and Joana, adds a powerful layer of emotional realism. This isn’t a story about moving on—it’s about what happens when you can’t. “𝑰𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌.”

Glory, though gone, is never truly absent; her presence lingers like a haunting spectre. We glimpse her not only through the ghostly and the supernatural, but also through Iris’s memories, Gum’s reflections, and a series of flashbacks that reveal Glory’s personality, secrets, and the slow unraveling that preceded her death. A Moleskine journal Iris finds: part diary, part sketchbook offers a chilling window into Glory’s inner world. “𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒔, 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 […] 𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓, 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔, 𝑱𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒖𝒎 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒕-𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓 […] ‘𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒆,’ 𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚.”

Gum, meanwhile, is hiding his sexuality from his deeply religious family, wrestling with guilt and fear despite knowing his friends wouldn’t judge him: “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒊 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒔 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉.”

Aidan, more distant this summer, carries his own emotional baggage, his father’s legacy as a cult horror filmmaker and a growing sense of disconnection without Glory there to tie him to the group. Glory was the glue that held the trio together.

The supernatural elements: ghosts, nightmares, Iris’s sleepwalking mirror the characters’ emotional turmoil. Each teen comes from a household shaped by grief, silence and expectations and June uses these family dynamics to explore generational trauma and patterns that blurry the lines between love and control. The haunting presence of Grandpa Bill and the Clavey family adds layers of religious struggles and generational decay, blending horror with incisive social commentary. The result is unsettling, intimate, and timely.

Peyton June masterfully balances personal grief with supernatural dread, crafting characters who feel real and haunted in equal measure. Bad Creek isn’t just a ghost story: it’s a story about the ghosts people leave behind in those they love. I truly wasn’t expecting that ending.

A standout YA debut that blends supernatural horror with rich emotional depth. Haunting, heartfelt, and unforgettable. Perfect for our times.

Thanks to RB media Recorded Books and Netgalley for the advance copy.

Wow! This story was amazing from start to finish.

I laughed and even teared up at the end there. Such a rollercoaster of emotions, but I enjoyed the ride. I loved being taken to Bad Creek, even if at the end of it all, I hate the place. I still felt like how Iris felt about the place. Holding onto those memories despite all the grief, the pain, and the fear of all that happened.

This story isn't just a horror thriller, but it's about friends. Growing up, but still coming together when they needed to most.

Thank you for the audio of it. I think it brought the story to life in the best of ways.