A review by lornaelspeth91
Bad Creek by Peyton June

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the atmosphere, though I did have to keep reminding myself that it was a lake in the summer because all I kept picturing was a dark foggy lake, which feels like its own character.

I felt on edge the whole time and my suspect list changed constantly, I genuinely couldn’t decide who to trust at some points! While I should have figured out what was going to happen, I didn’t! 

Aside from the mystery I also really enjoyed the underlying theme of the kids trying to figure out who they are as people, trying to look past this idea of them that they’re all trying to meet to please other people. I spent a lot of the book feeling angry on their behalf! 

My only critique was with the climax: when the threat is finally revealed, the resolution felt a little too quick and easy. I would have loved to see a bit more struggle or tension in that final confrontation. That being said, it may have been a conscious choice to keep it accessible for a younger YA audience, and it didn’t take away from the overall impact of the story. I ended up crying into my pillow once it was over. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.