Review: Devil's Creek

2 stars. I am on a bit of a cult kick currently and this has been on my list for ages - unfortunately, it just didn't hit me right. (It's September and I have been picking them so wrong this year - I need out of this slump ASAP.)

Story kicks off in 1983, when a group of ex-cult members raid the churchyard of their former group to kill the leader, Jacob Masters, and rescue their grandkids. They are successful - most of the cult members die by suicide, Jacob is put down, and the temple is burned. Six of the surviving kids grow up and live lives as best as they can. And that's where the story begins. 

For me, this book is really just 1) too long, 2) repetitive, 3) predictable, and 4) lacking an actual narrative structure, opting instead to serve up an episodic series of similar events that don't actually provide any character depth, emotional insight or fresh/interesting layers to the story. I was practically skimming by the last chapter, falling asleep every few paragraphs and desperate to get to the end. 

It also draws on plenty of recognizable influences but doesn't necessarily freshen them - yes, we all owe so much to SK, there's a reason why he's considered the best of the best - but this felt like it was maybe trying a little too hard to channel that particular brand of horror? And one more thing, though I hesitate to say it: I thought the sexual components of the story were really cartoonish. Check TWs for sure, but I was rolling my eyes by the end. I don't know if I'd call it gratuitous, exactly, and please don't mistake me for being sensitive at all about these things, but I think the author was aiming for something here, and missed. 

This does not mean that Devil's Creek is a bad book, or that it isn't scary, or that it won't appeal to you - or many horror fans. It checks a lot of boxes: small town corrupted, the return of an ancient evil, multiple POVs, body horror, earthy horror, gruesome imagery, high stakes, black goo, people doing extreme things in the name of God, a final showdown between good vs evil. It's full of the tropes we know and love, and some parts were definitely entertaining.

I have no regrets. Just wasn't for me.

Devil’s Creek on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads