When Iris and her family return to Bad Creek the year after her sister's death at the lake nothing is the same. Iris, in wanting to bring back together the remaining Disasters Aidan and Gum, decides they need to investigate Glory's death and as it turns out many girls have drowned in Bad Creek.
I enjoyed the relationships in the book and the Scooby-Doo gang approach to mystery solving. There is a wide range of characters including pretty obvious villains.
The mix of present day and flashbacks could be confusing and hard to distinguish. While the ending wrapped everything up, it was a little too easy in my opinion.

Stranger Things meets the Indian Lake Trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones in this somewhat campy YA horror set at a lake in Michigan where families vacation every summer. The story was inspired by the author's own childhood experiences at a summer lake and she really got the creepy, meandering, nostalgic vacation vibe down.

Iris and her family have come back again this summer since Iris's sister, Glory, died in a supposedly accidental drowning last summer. Engulfed by grief, Iris knows that the drowning was not accidental and vows to investigate. But everything is changed in the gaping hole of Glory's absence in her group of queer friends, affectionately named the Disasters. Glory was the extroverted, fearless ringleader, ths glue that held them together, and Iris is her annoying mousey sister. Can she really solve her murder?

But it turns out girls have been drowning in this lake for years and there's something more sinister than murder in this tranquil vacation spot with old family traditions.

The first half of the book was kind of slow paced and I took awhile to get into the characters because their obsession with Glory's death was a little too on the nose. Glory this, Glory that. Grief takes different forms for everyone though. It definitely immersed me in that summer camp life in that way of making the mundane horrific. I spent the first half of the book thinking it would be a conventional murder mystery with grief-stricken teen sleuths and then it really picked up at 65% with the supernatural elements and the pace.

At first I thought this book wasn't that memorable until the twist at the end.

Just a fun romp with queer teens enjoying one last nostalgia at summer camp with a splash of cosmic horror. I also liked how their queerness wasn't front and center, either; it was just a part of who they were.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a solid YA horror with the timeless moral of "rich people suck." There are themes of grief, generational wealth, sins of the father, and religious trauma, and there's even a tiny bit of romance between Iris and the summer town's golden boy.

I did get a little confused sometimes with present-day-to-flashback-to-present-day scenes. Although I didn't mind Iris, Aidan didn't add much for me, and I ultimately think the book would've been stronger with Gum as the single POV character. Gum was the closeted black sheep of a wealthy conservative family and not as academically successful or physically gifted as his relatives. The angst of it all -- of him obviously not wanting to fit in with his bigoted, self-righteous family, but also...him obviously wanting to fit in? to feel a sense of belonging and approval? That push and pull of pride and shame? I wanted the whole book devoted to that. Iris was dealing with the death of her older sister, which was a decent character arc as well, but Aidan was mainly just "I sure hope I didn't kill my girlfriend! I'll blame this other boy I'm jealous of!" Gum's POV chapters were much more emotionally impacting for me.

I thought this was a good young adult read. It was not anything jaw dropping, but I do think that it is an engaging and entertaining read.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

A brilliant chilling and eerie debut, touching on so many elements of trauma, privilege, sexuality and grief. Bad Creek the book follows three lifelong friends Iris, Gum, and Aidan as they struggle to process the loss of Iris’s sister, Glory, who drowned mysteriously in the lake the previous summer. This book keeps you gripped from the get go, with true unsettling horror that lingers long after you've finished reading.. making you wonder if something else is truly out there. The themes of sacrifices, both personal and ritualistic, alongside generational curses and searching for closure all lead to a satisfying conclusion with a sense of hope.
A truly enjoyable read, one that I certainly will continue to think about even long after I've finished reading.

ARC Review

I’m such a sucker for a good old fashion murder mystery and the fact this had a little Friday the 13th lakeside, cabin murder vibe made it even better.

All the characters were super likeable (at least the ones you’re supposed to like 😂) but I think Aidan was my favorite of the Disasters crew, Gum being a close second. The creepy vibes and spooky parts definitely felt most present in Gum’s POV which I think is why I loved his chapters so much but Aidan as a character just stood out the most for me.

If you’re looking for a good, creepy mystery but something that’s not too crazy and graphic I highly recommend checking this out on release. I do suggest checking Trigger Warnings as religion does play a key role in the second half of the book. So if religious trauma and just books with heavy religious elements isn’t your thing I’d maybe sit this one out. But I’m a big fan of religious horror/thrillers so it was a big hit for me!

You might need to take a break with this book if you like YA horror, deadly nostalgia, generational curses, Midwest gothic vibes, maybe slightly haunted lakes.

It seems rather fitting that I would read a YA horror book about a vacation, while in fact on vacation. The vibes for bad creek are fantastic, there’s an eerie edge to it that sort of hovers over everything and a melancholy with knowing that there was a death the previous year.

Instead of staying in the typical murder mystery schemes, I liked the different twists and turns that Peyton added that made it unique and kept me enthralled with the book right up until the very end.

I received a gifted copy of this, all comments and thoughts are my own

Thank you Netgalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Peyton June’s “Bad Creek” is a chilling and emotionally raw YA horror novel that focuses on grief, generational trauma, and the sinister legacy of privilege. With a tense and eerie atmosphere, the book follows three lifelong friends—Iris, Gum, and Aidan—as they struggle to process the loss of Iris’s sister, Glory, who drowned in the lake the previous summer. But as strange hauntings begin and secrets from the town’s past unravel, the trio realizes that Glory’s death is just one thread in a much darker history.

The supernatural elements in “Bad Creek” are deeply unsettling (in a good way), with genuine moments of horror that linger long after reading. The ghostly apparitions, the self-filling bathtub scene, and the eerie lake setting all contribute to an atmosphere of dread. June’s descriptions of Bad Creek are vivid, making the town itself feel like a living, breathing entity hiding unspeakable secrets.

Beyond the horror, the book explores weighty themes of repression, and the consequences of unchecked privilege. Gum’s struggle with his sexuality, particularly his fear of coming out in a small-town environment, is portrayed with heartbreaking realism. The story doesn’t shy away from depicting homophobia, adding to the book’s raw emotional depth. Meanwhile, the sinister legacy of powerful men conducting ritualistic sacrifices highlights themes of generational curses and the consequences of past sins. These men believe themselves to be chosen, yet their actions only bring suffering to innocent lives.

Iris’s relentless determination to uncover the truth behind Glory’s death—and the supernatural forces at play—leads her down an increasingly reckless path. Her willingness to offer herself to an unknown entity adds an extra layer of psychological horror. Aidan, dealing with the guilt of his final argument with Glory, brings another emotional dimension to the trio’s dynamic.

While some plot points could have been resolved more efficiently if characters simply communicated, such as the adults who were somewhat aware of the generational curse, the book ultimately delivers a powerful and satisfying conclusion. The ending offers a sense of closure, focusing on acceptance and hope, as the characters finally come together to move forward from Glory’s death.

Overall, “Bad Creek” is a gripping and vengeful debut that expertly blends horror with social commentary. It forces you to confront the real monsters—whether supernatural or human—lurking beneath the surface. Fans of atmospheric horror, generational curses, and stories that challenge societal norms will find “Bad Creek” an unforgettable read.

Bad Creek by Peyton June is one of the best books I've read this year so far. So so good. I couldn't stop reading this story. So so good.