Creed

by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

When their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and Luke's brother, Mike, seek help in the nearby town of Purity Springs. But as they walk the vacant streets, the teens make some disturbing discoveries. The seemingly deserted homes each contain a sinister book with violent instructions on disciplining children. The graveyard is full of unmarked crosses. Worst of all, there's no way to contact the outside world. When Purity Springs' inhabitants suddenly appear, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of Elijah Hawkins, the town's charismatic leader who has his own plans for the three of them. Their only hope for survival is Elijah's enigmatic son, Joseph. And his game may be just as deadly as his father's . . .

• ISBN10: 0738740802
• ISBN13: 9780738740805
• Publish Date: 8 November 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Flux
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 264
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

Well. I can't say that I liked this book, because that would imply that I didn't want to run screaming from it. And let me assure you, I did want to run. Because holy crap, this book was messed up. Obviously, there is a reason I am saving this review for Halloween, because this is the perfect Halloween book.

When Dee, Luke, and Mike got stranded and end up in Purity Springs, honestly I wanted to yell and scream at them. Seriously guys, take a long walk, a jog, camp in the damn woods, but do not stay in this creepy hellhole! I mean, I get why they do, it is kind of human nature to seek shelter and other people when you are lost, cold, and alone. But obviously, the reader knows it's going to be bad news from the start.

So, cults. Cults fascinate me endlessly. I could watch Investigation Discovery shows about cults all day. So finding out this book had a cult aspect was quite appealing to me. It isn't just straight up horror or gore, it has an intriguing psychological element to it as well. When we are introduced to Elijah (who seriously may be the most heinous, disgusting villain I have read about to date), there is absolutely no question as to why these people don't ever defy him.

I don't want to give too much about the plot away obviously, but there were a ton of twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming. And the atmosphere in this book was so bleak, I could just feel it. I needed to watch a few episodes of "Friends" when I was finished with Creed just to fall asleep. The authors painted a very vivid picture of Purity Springs, and it certainly wasn't pleasant. Creed was also an incredibly fast-paced book, very easy to devour in one sitting, because  I needed answers.

As for the characters, Dee was just so broken to begin with that her circumstances became overwhelmingly tragic. Mike and Luke didn't leave a huge impression on me, but just their misfortune of stumbling upon this place made them sympathetic. As for Joseph, I never knew what to make of him. I kind of felt that it was more fitting that way, since he grew up around such vile behavior, how could he be anything but a mess? I didn't really feel a huge connection to any of the characters, even Dee, but I did feel for them.

Creed is definitely the most horrifying book I have read in a long time, and quite possibly ever. The dismal atmosphere was palpable, and for better or worse, I was sucked into this world completely. If you like to be thoroughly creeped out and disturbed, then you've found the right book.

Copy provided from publisher for review via Netgalley**
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight