Trisha Leaver

Chalk it up to my love of horror novels if you must, but Creed just didn't deliver on the creep factor that it promised. I've seen so many rave reviews of this book. Reviews that praised the tension that was built, the gore factor, and even the writing. Now that I've finished reading, I can honestly say that I don't agree with any of them. This was like watching a B-horror movie unfold, except without any of the redeeming qualities that make them fun.

I felt nothing for these three show more characters. No terror, no remorse, not even the tiniest inkling of emotion. What I did feel, in spades, was frustration. Dee, Luke and Mike were cardboard cutouts of what teens should be. Their flat personalities never allowed me to get close to them at all. Even Dee, who had a horrible childhood and should have felt like a stronger female character to me, felt fake. I kept waiting for her to lash out. To take all her frustration and do something big. It never came to that.

A story like this has so much potential. A city that looks abandoned but holds so many secrets. A fanatical villain who will stop at nothing to keep those secrets. Plus, three teens who have no idea what they're walking into. In a perfect world, I'd eat this story up in a heartbeat. The way it was executed in Creed just left a lot wanting for me. Nothing about this book caught me up. I wasn't connected to it at all. Even the gory parts, the parts that should have made me feel disturbed or sad, they elicited nothing from me.

Now, again, I do read a lot of horror novels. It's distinctly possible that I've reached a point where I am no longer the audience for this book. However, keep in mind that I also wasn't a fan of the writing or the characters either. I'll leave the decision up to you, as to whether Creed takes a spot on your reading list or not. It definitely wasn't for me. show less

I would like to thank Flux & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this e-book to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.

Goodreads Teaser:
"Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the show more small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear."

This is one hell of a psychological thriller. From the very beginning the story grabs you and pulls you in, much like what happens to the protagonists. Dee is the central character of the story, which is told from her point of view. This adds to her complexity, giving her more depth than Luke and Mike. That's not to say the brothers are lacking, simply that we see them in relation to Dee, and are not privy to their thoughts.

Joseph is a strange cross between protagonist and antagonist. Depending upon which character he is interacting with determines which role he fills, yet ultimately he is almost as much a victim of circumstance as the three outsiders. For in Purity Springs, population 149, everyone who isn't a resident is an outsider. In fact the town is pretty much a character itself, for it has a very distinct personality and behavioral patterns just like an individual. However it isn't the nicest of towns, or at least not if you aren't from one of the founding families.

After their car runs out of gas on a lonely stretch of road, the three young friends decide they must walk to the nearest town to buy some gas, and maybe find a ride back to their car. The boys try to convince Dee to wait in the car, but she's not having anything to do with being left behind or with the threesome separating. As soon as it is suggested all she can think of is every bad slasher flick her boyfriend Luke has made her sit through with him. Yet as they get closer to the town she begins to rethink the whole plan, wondering if they should have waited in the car for a passing motorist. That's how creepy Purity Springs is. Not only are the emergency sirens blaring with no sign of dangerous weather, but the entire town is eerily deserted.

The progression of frightening events keeps building as the story expands, with each event that much more disturbing. That is until things hit the wall of just plain horrific. As the three friends try to navigate their way through the increasingly dangerous situation they've found themselves trapped in they are forced to trust Joseph, though they have every reason not to. Yet Dee finds herself drawn to Joseph, for she alone recognizes something in him that only she can understand. That recognition may well prove to be the downfall of the three friends.

The authors did an excellent job of keeping the pacing, the arc of the story, and the characters growth well matched. The story builds to a horrifying crescendo, only to have things inevitably crash to the ground, shattering all that came before. While there are a few details that don't quite fit the premise of Purity Springs, they are small enough and few enough to make virtually no difference to the overall story. In fact they really only come to mind after completing the book, when you might find yourself repeatedly replaying specific scenes. Despite those holes in the tapestry of the story, this is one book you will want to get comfortable before you begin (a cozy seat, a beverage at hand, a box of tissues, etc.), because once you start reading you won't stop until you've reached the end. Even then it will linger with you long after you've finished it. Easily one of the best psychological thrillers I've read all year! show less

Maddy and Ella are identical twins. Maddy is the popular and fashionable one, while Ella is the shy and geeky one. They used to be inseparable, but they've been getting on each other's nerves lately. One night, they get into a tragic accident leaving Maddy dead and Ella consumed with guilt. Ella decides to pretend she's Maddy believing that she will spare more people from the pain since Maddy is popular and well-loved. But Ella soon realizes that assuming her sister's identity is harder than show more she thinks, especially after uncovering a secret her sister has been keeping.

The twin angle is formulaic, it reminds me of Jessica and Elizabeth from the Sweet Valley series. The plot isn't as explosive as I hoped, yes Maddy did something bad but it's not as monumental as what I suspected. I also wonder, if Josh really likes Ella, why did he even go out with Kim? I think it would've been more interesting if Ella did a convincing job of being Maddy. I mean I understand she's grieving and all, but why assume your sister's identity if you'll only do a half-hearted effort?

Still, I enjoyed this well-written book, it's a fast-paced and emotional ride that will hook you from the first chapter and keep you turning pages until the end. show less

The first third of this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike set off on a road trip, heading towards Dee's surprise for her and Luke's anniversary. But when their car runs out of gas, they find themselves forced to hole up in a small, mysterious town.

This town has all the makings of a horror movie, a cult, or possibly both. There are identical books in each house full of terrifying rules, sirens that won't stop sounding, and absolutely show more no sign of another living soul. The graveyard has a freshly dug grave, and there is a stockpile of Welcome to Purity Springs signs where the population number keeps going down by one.

Where the book started to lose me was when it was revealed what was happening in the town. The explanation just didn't seem to live up to the build up. And even more than this, was the book's unrelenting bleakness. After the beginning of the book, there was not a single spark of lightness, or even a smile. This made it very difficult to power through and finish the book. I think I only finished it because I was already far enough into it that I felt like I should, and because I was hoping there would be some sort of happiness, even if the resolution was tragic.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did, which is probably another reason I was determined to finish it. I know there are a lot of readers out there who enjoyed it, and I can definitely see why. It's a scary, interesting young adult thriller that is well-written in many parts. If I had known going in just how dark it would be, and how far it would veer from the thriller it began as, I might have liked it more because I would have lacked such high expectations. Then again, had I known, I might not have picked it up at all. show less