The Creeping

How it reads

The Creeping is horror (young-adult supernatural horror, specifically), and its dominant mood is eerie. It's atmospheric and uncanny, with a sense that something is wrong. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in a small town setting, in the present day, told in the third person, staying close to one character. Its central concerns are coming of age, friendship and secrets. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is dark — no rescue, no neat bow. At 416 pages it's an ordinary novel's length. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.