Rachel Kushner knows what she's doing. Creation Lake is yet another installment in Kushner's catalog of fascinating female characters, living outlandish lives that only Kushner could dream up (or at least I'm convinced of that).

Sadie Smith can be whoever you need her to be. She works for an unidentified government agency and is tasked with infiltrating groups that the government has a special interest in.

While the plot is engaging, Kushner's deft character building is what keeps you following along in Creation Lake. The reader is left wondering who Sadie really is and why she does what she does. There is so much lurking in the shadows and it's incredibly engrossing. I couldn't put this one down.

I found this compelling, very funny, smart, and amazingly humane and touching given the cold and amoral narrator.

In Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake, “Sadie Smith” is interesting. Other than her linguistic prowess and her notable breasts, she’s a chameleon, an American of undisclosed background who formerly worked undercover for unnamed government agencies. Her first assignment: infiltrating an outlaw biker club. Another assignment: acting as an agent provocateur in a group of radical environmentalists in the western US. Her current job: working for an unnamed agency in France, again undercover and again informing on radical environmentalists. The mystery revolves around Sadie: who is she?; what's her motivation?; and why has she chosen a risky, subterranean, and amoral life? Kushner throws in another theme, what happened to those Neanderthals, how and why did they seemingly disappear, and how do their genes persist in our modern gene pool? Each of us inherits code, blueprint, a set of instructions—call them what you want—from those who came before us, all the way back into the deepest sediments of time. These codes. . . are genetic lice, which crawl from ancestors to descendent; they travel from the many to the one, right on through human history. How do they make their way? They take a transmigrational highway. . . " Creation Lake's mystery is troubling and unresolved, and its ideas are thought-provoking.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for generously providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of <i>Creation Lake</I>.

This was my first Rachel Kushner and I liked it very much. I'd put her in that category of super smart authors, like Rebecca Makkai and Eleanor Catton, who have interesting things to say but are also happy to take on the challenge of presenting it in the form of a thrilling narrative.

In 'Creation Lake', Sadie is a spy working for mysterious private sector clients who instruct her to infiltrate (left wing) protest organisations and convince them to radicalize and become violent (in order for the police to step in and round up the gang...). Sadie is not only brilliant, but also completely amoral and has no problem befriending and then framing well-meaning people. But as the novel proceeds perhaps she is not as much in control as she thinks.

This is not really a spy novel though, or at least not only. A lot of the fun is in the original French countryside setting and the teachings of old 1968 idealists, especially Bruno who writes fascinating emails on Neanderthals and prehistoric life.

'James' is still my favourite on the Booker shortlist, but this is a close second.

A spy thriller for those more interested in Neanderthals than espionage. Kushner’s protagonist, Sadie, is wholly memorable and a lot of fun to be around. We follow her as she is tasked with infiltrating a mysterious collective in France; while this is ostensibly the premise of a nail-biting page-turner, Kushner is far more interested in exploring rich philosophical ideas than in action-packed set pieces. Right from the start, the plot is interspersed with long sections (explained in-universe as email exchanges written by the leader of the collective) examining the origins of human civilisation and the relationship between homo Erectus and neanderthals.

Destined to be divisive, but I found this to be an enjoyable and propulsive novel with plenty of humour and big ideas.

I just loved this!!! I couldn’t put this down, and I absolutely adored living in Sadie’s head. Kushner’s prose is crisp and precise; her grasp of characters is masterful; and while I admit that at first I found the Bruno missives and disquisitions on Neanderthals totally baffling and irrelevant, they wound up offering some of the most moving parts of the book. Fabulous.

Creation Lake is a thrilling and cerebral novel that explores themes of power, control, and human nature. The story follows Sadie, a 34-year-old American spy, as she infiltrates a rural French commune, investigating its inhabitants while being drawn into their radical beliefs and intellectual debates. Kushner masterfully weaves together suspense, philosophy, and sharp observations, making the novel both thought-provoking and accessible. The narrative is full of wit, wit, blending the tension of a spy thriller with deeper existential questions about society. Readers are left questioning who is truly in control, as power dynamics constantly shift between the characters. Kushner’s fans will find this novel both dazzling and rewarding, continuing her reputation for bold, inventive storytelling.

If you can push through the first 20 pages you will be enthralled by the writing and compelled to read on. The story will switch from musing about Neanderthals to undercover spy Sadie Smith infiltrating a eco terrorist commune in the South of France. The best fall release so far and shortlisted for the Booker and the National Book Award.

Huh? I am clearly not smart enough to figure out exactly what happened here. Unfortunately, it flew over my head. I wanted to prioritize it after being listed on the National Book Awards, but I have no idea what happened.

4.25/5
CREATION LAKE is a philosophical treatise disguised as a spy novel set in rural France. Sadie Smith (code name, of course) is a for-hire undercover agent who has infiltrated a leftist agricultural commune, Le Moulin. Her handlers—who remain a secret—want her to pin a recent eco-terrorist attack on Le Moulin’s leadership and otherwise stir up trouble. Sexy, cool, and callous, Sadie thinks nothing of the ethics of her tactics or the validity of her ultimate aim: She’s here to get the job done.

Much of the text derives from emails that Sadie has intercepted between an aging activist, Bruno Lacombe, and the commune. In these emails, Bruno, in the role of mentor, waxes eloquent on his peculiar obsessions, particularly the intelligence of Neanderthals and his philosophy that returning to cave dwelling is the cure for modern woes. These musings mix in concerns about government-fueled climate disaster and late-stage capitalism, and although Bruno is quite the eccentric, Sadie (and the reader) increasingly get the sense that he’s onto something fundamentally true.

Kushner coats the taut narrative in shadow and intrigue, perhaps overselling the importance of the plot, and I think this is where readers will be divided: Those waiting on tenterhooks for the denouement are more likely to be disappointed (the neatly-wrapped ending relies on coincidence), while those who enjoy riding the philosophical streams will emerge refreshed and satisfied. I landed somewhere in the middle: I very much enjoyed the reading experience—my mind expanded!—as well as the brief, meaningful glimpses of character development, but was underwhelmed with how the book wrapped up.

I’d recommend CREATION LAKE to fans of Stephen Markley’s THE DELUGE or Eleanor Catton’s BIRNAM WOOD, but with a more philosophical, pensive quality. Inventive, daring, and unconventional, this is a novel I won’t forget.

Rachel Kushner is a kind of god.

I don't know how she managed to make a book about philosophy and spying and a character just kind of puttering around and thinking a lot one of the most stressful, page turning adventures I've ever been on. Sadie's narration is so sharply funny and she's so judgmental that it made the reading experience absolutely fly by. Kushner has a natural talent for language and while I do think some of the dialogue is a little clunky and too expository, she makes up for it with energy and big fucking balls.

Congrats to Kushner for being shortlisted for the Booker AND longlisted for the National Book Award. She absolutely deserves it!

Thank you so much for this ARC and my sincerest and deepest apologies for the lateness on this review.

CREATION LAKE
Rachel Kushner

Only Kushner can put spies and neanderthals in the same sentence and keep my rapt attention. It’s not exactly what she’s saying that makes me a fan as much as how she says it. The sentences fall and land like little bombs on the fairway. Leaving chemtrails and I am reading her book in the fumes.

Reading her novels is a very active experience.

I think the biggest question is what can we learn from anyone who has come before us? How can we change the narrative of our stories in the name of them? Glorify them in the work that we do day in and day out by learning from them.

My takeaway from this novel is how you can structure a novel to tell the story you want to tell. Kushner wanted to talk about Neanderthals but did not want one as a character. She wanted to talk about a world but not be in it.

If you don’t like what you’re seeing change the view or change your perspective.

I loved it, can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure!

CREATION LAKE…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What I love about Rachel Kushner novels is that when you read what the book will be about you think this is going to be a fun easy read. Then you open the book and you enter a world that you never expected. She makes you sit up straight pay attention to every word and just let yourself get carried away by her brilliant writing. Creation Lake is no exception. It says it's a book about a cult. You meet Sadie Smith who is and agent who goes to visit a cult leader named Bruno Lacombe and see what's going on there and why he so many devoted followers. This book explores Neantherdals and their DNA and what it means to humans. There are so many side subjects that will have you laughing and wondering how did her brain come up with this stuff. I read this book in spurts because there is so mucg to take in this novel but was satisfied from beginning to end. GIve yourself a chance and let yourself get into this novel. It won't matter if you've never read a book by her before. It's a perfect starter novel because there is so much you will walk away with. Outstanding!!! Thank you to Scribner and Netgalley for the read.

Infiltrating an eco-activist group is just the beginning.

Here is a story told in the first person narrative by a woman operating under the name of Sadie Smith. She is doing the same work in the private sector that she once did under the auspices of US intelligence, namely using her looks and skills to infiltrate groups that are “of interest”. In this case, she targeted first Lucien Dubois, of the bourgeoisie but embracing a rebellious side to his nature, and once gaining his trust manipulated him into providing an introduction to Pascal Balmy. Pascal has gathered a group of eco-warriors on a farming coop in rural France known as Le Moulin who are agitating against the agribusiness concern which is messing about with nature. Sadie’s mission is to provoke the group into committing certain acts (she is, we are led to believe, almost too good at doing so) which will sabotage the movement, although that will turn out to be just the beginning of her task. Along the way Sadie becomes intrigued by the writings (emails, to be specific) of one Bruno Lacombe, who regularly communicates from his cave his philosophies of the world to Pascal and the group at Le Moulin. Bruno is concerned with the conflict between modern day civilization and the natural world, and he holds theories about Neanderthal man and how that version of man may have had characteristics superior to that of Homo sapiens. Conflict exists in the modern day as it always has….will it bring about distruction which cannot be undone?
This is in some ways an espionage thriller, but layered over with sociology and philosophy, humor and environmental concerns. Our protagonist is not what one would describe as a hero, although in fairness all of the characters are somewhat lacking in moral clarity. Even Sadie, convinced that she is aware of who is wielding power behind the scenes, may not be as much in control of the situation as she thinks. Author Rachel Kushner writes with precision and style, and integrates humor and pathos into the unfolding narrative, which certainly explains the glowing reviews bestowed upon Creation Lake as well as on her previous works. That said, I can (and do) admire the skill of the writer while finding that I wasn’t truly drawn into the unfolding tale as much as I wished to be; I would rate it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars. Perhaps it is the nature of Sadie, holding herself back from those in whose lives she is meddling, that resulted in my failure to engage? It is definitely a unique and well-crafted novel, one that would appeal to readers of Louise Erdrich, Eleanor Catton and Stuart Turton. My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me early access to Creation Lake.

What it is like to be, and what kind of person becomes, a paid infiltrator/instigator, worming one's way into groups of environmentalists and trying to push them toward acts of violence that will ultimately lead to their destruction? For me, that was the question this novel attempted to answer, at least for the main character, who goes by Sadie. It's an interesting look at leading a double life, the opportunities and costs, and the difficulties of reconciling the two lives. I've never attempted such a thing and I don't think I could do it. The ease with which Sadie does it is both sad and disconcerting, and ultimately kept me feeling distanced from her, as I can't quite imagine doing what she's doing. But people are doing these things, and being able to get into their minds seems like a potentially useful thing to be able to do.

Sadie's detachment from what she's doing reminded me of stories about robots, or aliens, or any other not-quite-human attempting to live with humans, and the differences between sociology and psychology (easy to predict what a group will do, but difficult to predict what any individual in the group will do). Many of the people she interacts with sense something is off, but most ignore their intuition for various reasons.

Although the setup Sadie creates isn't perfect at all times and the constant threat of being found out moves closer and sometimes further away, I never felt that there was any real threat to her wellbeing. I think because of this, the ending fell a bit flat for me. But overall I enjoyed reading this and will definitely read more by Kushner.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

There was a lot of good in this book and Kushner's line level writing is incredible, however some of this book was a little too ethereal or academic for my preferences. I loved the slow burn and exciting moments, just wish there were more. Sadie is a great protagonist, and the setting transported me.

Kushner does it again, with a finger to the pulse of the western-centric world. Her typical dry, dark humor lends itself to the unreliable narrator trope, further right than The Mars Room, however unlikable and arrogant. Some may relate to the main character, and some may despise her, but the pervasive detachment from reality, "get your bag" attitude, is pretty relatable on all levels these days.
Creation Lake and all its themes being released in September is probably not coincidental, but I have a particular positive bias towards anarchism and the politics are explored in this work. The book asks a lot of questions and proffers a few lines of thinking, but gives no answers. This might frustrate some but I appreciate how that leaves it up the reader to decide where they stand in all this, not just the plot, but their own life. Which parts of the main character will people see in themselves?
My only issue came with the ending, which felt like a rushed redemption arc for the main character; an ill-fitting ending with rose-colored glasses slapped onto it. Still, this is a book full of present day politics and philosophy I found particularly salient to my life and I will definitely be gifting this to a few people I know.

My next read on the Booker Longlist was Creation Lake. Thank you @scribernerbooks for the gifted copy. Creation Lake is a noir novel about a secret agent, an American ruthless, strategic, and bold woman who is sent to France to infiltrate an eco terrorist group. Her name is "Sadie" and this is very much "Sadie's" book.

Things I loved:

-"Sadie". She was a total baddie.
-The sentence level writing is EXQUISITE
-The prescient political commentary

Things I didn't love (read carefully as these are very me specific and this book very likely could be for you:

-It is a spy novel and noir, I don't like either of those things. Oops.
-Apparently I'm not that into anthropology, and there is so. much. anthropology.
-This was kinda funny, and I don't love to read funny
-While I loved the main character, she is cold, but this whole thing felt a little emotionless to me, and I need that for a book to be a win.


To summarize, this is smart, this is objectively "good", but I just couldn't enjoy it. It definitely gave me some "Birnam Woods" vibes, and I LOVE Birnam Woods, so that also probably drew some unfair comparisons in my mind. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!

Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake takes on environmental activism through the lens of a protagonist who, like many of Kushner’s characters, lives on the fringe of society. The story revolves around Sadie Smith, an undercover operative hired to sabotage a group of French environmental activists. Her target? The Moulinards, a farming collective fighting the government's plan to construct a massive "megabasin" that would serve corporate agricultural interests. Despite its espionage elements, the novel isn’t your typical thriller, as it grapples with a much larger question: Can humanity escape the destructive patterns encoded in our very nature?

At the center of this conflict is Bruno, a reclusive figure living in a cave, who captivates Sadie with his musings on inherited traits and behavior. He believes each person carries a kind of genetic blueprint from their ancestors, almost like instructions that guide our decisions and actions. His theories, including a fascination with the potential superiority of Neanderthals, provide a thought-provoking backdrop to the more practical concerns of environmental struggle. The tension between primal instinct and modern society is a theme that runs throughout the novel.

The characters are all morally ambiguous—Sadie’s employers are never fully revealed, but their motives are suspect, just as much as the leaders of the Moulinards. And Sadie herself is no exception. Readers looking for a clear hero will be hard-pressed to find one here, but the novel offers rich insights into the complex dynamics of power, resistance, and identity. Kushner skillfully weaves together history and philosophical questions, leaving readers to ponder what truly defines us as human beings.

For me, as someone who enjoys character-driven stories, Creation Lake posed a bit of a challenge. Sadie remains enigmatic throughout, and the novel doesn’t offer the kind of emotional arc I typically look for. However, the ideas explored in the book—especially the notion of predestination and how much of our lives are shaped by forces beyond our control—kept me engaged. Kushner’s willingness to explore such deep and nuanced topics elevates the book beyond a typical activist story.

In the end, Creation Lake leaves you with more questions than answers, a hallmark of Kushner’s writing that keeps readers reflecting long after the final page. Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for an early review copy. I’d rate this one 4.5 stars.

a secret agent infiltrates an anarchist organization in the page-turning spy thriller. I enjoyed the dry humor, anthropological tidbits, and political commentary—CL is the most political work from the longlist. I appreciate the nuances that discuss problems on the political spectrum on both the right and left. At times, I feel Kushner tries too hard to implement scientific facts and sacrifice character and plot development. The FMC’s pick-me energy also gave me RABBIT HUTCH (Tess Gunty) and LESSONS OF CHEMISTRY (Bonnie Garmus) whiplash. Is this meant to be a James Bond parody? I have no idea. And I was left disappointed.