Happy belated release day!
Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy and for keeping my horror TBR long
GIRL IN THE CREEK – Wendy N. Wagner (Released July 15th, 2025)
Book Description:
The Girl in the Creek by Hugo Award winner Wendy N. Wagner is an atmospheric and eerie story about a Pacific Northwest forest that seems to be devouring all who enter. A perfect read for fans of T. Kingfisher and Jeff VanderMeer’s cli-fi cosmic horror.
The Clackamas National Forest has always been a sanctuary for evil—human and alien. The shadows of looming trees and long-abandoned mines shelter poachers and serial killers alike. Then there’s the ruined hotel on the outskirts of picturesque small town Faraday, Oregon, nestled in the foothills of Mt. Hood. The one drowning in mushrooms and fungus not even the local expert can identify. Not to mention the stacks of missing persons cases. Freelance writer Erin Harper arrives in Faraday to find out what happened to her brother, whose disappearance in the forest has haunted her for years. But someone else has gone missing. And when Erin finds her in the creek, the girl vanishes again — this time from the morgue, and days later her fingerprints show up at a murder scene. Maybe it’s a serial killer, or maybe it’s the spores infecting the forest and those lost inside. Erin must find answers quickly, before anyone else goes missing. But she might be next…
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
Why do I continue to read horror that takes place in the woods? Clearly, I enjoy freaking myself out every single time I go out at night. The other night when I went to grab Billy and something large was full out RUNNING in the woods towards us. Billy hid under me, and before we saw anything, it diverted. NOPE. Enough outdoor time for me. I have no clue what it was, but there was no need to investigate or follow it. Then I pick up a horror book about people going missing in a National Park.
Erin Harper is a freelance writer and arrives in the small town of Faraday, Oregon, to write an article about travel to the area. However, her real reason is to investigate what happened to her brother. Like many before him, he disappeared without a trace while in the foothills of Mt. Hood. As she begins her investigation, she finds another missing girl while searching the forest. So many questions with very little answers. Is it a serial killer? Seems the most logical, right? Could it be aliens? Something supernatural? Well, buckle up because the last third of the book picks up to a wild pace.
Are you a fan of eco horror? Some body horror involving spores, fungus, and mushrooms? Creepy things in the woods? There is a wide cast of characters that felt intimidating, and after only a couple of confusing moments, I got them all squared away. The pace is slow to start, then seemingly out of nowhere, it picks up and doesn’t quit until the end. I’m curious what people will think of this ending!
Jessicamap Reviews 