The Creek

by Jennifer L. Holm

Caleb Devlin is a legend on Mockingbird Lane, the boy who terrorized an entire town before he got sent away. They say he hurt other kids, tortured animals, set fires, and did things grown-ups speak of only in whispers. But that was all before Penny and her little brother moved here. Now Caleb's back, older and more dangerous than ever, and terrible things have started happening again. The whole town knows he's responsible, but the police can't do anything without proof. So Penny and her friends have no choice but to try to stop him themselves. Except now he's after them.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Suspense, Middle Grade, Thriller, Horror, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Jennifer L. Holm is a USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling children's author with more than 9.8 million books in print She is the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE and a Scott O'Dell Award for her novel FULL OF BEANS.

Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on three bestselling graphic novel series -- the Eisner Award-winning Babymouse series, the SUNNY series, and the Squish series. SQUISH is now an animated tv series on YouTube!

For more information, visit her website at www.jenniferholm.com.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes! How could this YA novel come from the same author as the one who wrote the May Amelia books and the Boston Jane series? Although the adventure is fun, the violence and murder were too much for me. Even in an adult novel, I would not enjoy reading about a child murder. It was creepy when they were burning ants and killing cats, but the weird sexual attraction and over-the-top assumptions about who was dangerous and who was not became creepy to me.
Pass on this one.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. Pretty much hated this one and not even sure why I finished it. I like spooky mysteries but the characters just didn't ... fit.


Half the time you don't even know if the main character is in her right mind or not. And she's only thirteen.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Creek by Jennifer L. Holm  
First, pets go missing, and then a child is killed. Twelve-year-old Penny and her friends hear the gossip about Caleb and they, like all the parents, think he is the killer. After all, he terrorized the town before he was sent away and now he is back. 
 
The story was okay. The characters don't have a lot of depth and Caleb is basically just a shadow of evil. The final reveal is a bit of a stretch. But it was a quick read with some twists and creepy moments. It's aimed at middle-grade readers and I think that age group would enjoy it.
 
I read this for the Terrifying Women square:
 

[Ruhama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The neighborhood is tense and worried: Caleb Devlin is home again. Five years ago he did a heinous crime that the adults won’t talk about, so the kids’ imaginations run wild, and Penny starts to have panic attacks again because of all this. Penny and her brother Teddy are relatively new to the neighborhood, and Penny likes to hang with the guys. Their summer project is to build a summer fort by the creek. But thanks to Caleb being home again, the kids are forbidden to play in the woods or go by the creek. Of course, no one listens to their parents and often sneak out to play in the woods or swim in the creek. When mysterious things start happening around the neighborhood (e.g. pets missing), Caleb is immediately suspected. But Penny knows it could not be him, and struggles to figure out who really is causing all the mischief.

This is a suspense/horror novel—I didn’t want to stop until I got to the end so that I could find out “whodunit.” Using Penny’s newness to the neighborhood was a good device to let the reader feel the action and the intrigue: we always know as much as Penny, thus feel like we’re part of the crowd. Penny is a likable enough character. She’s 13, and confused about many things that young teenagers are confused about. Why does Amy (the 14 year old across the street) not like her anymore? Why can’t she just be one of the guys anymore? Does she really have to wear a bra? I also enjoyed the boys around her, and her relationship with her brother. There are a couple of murders in the book, brief references to sexual feelings (v. little) and some violence (besides the murders). A good, quick read.

[Adam van der Zwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmm! Very interesting novel for sure! Fast paced, good characters, interesting plot, jam-packed, not really a dull moment at all! Plus, it was a suspense novel which is the kind of novel that I really enjoy. It was scary! There were some brief moments in which I was literally feeling a chill! Albeit , a little graphic, and a little unrealistic in terms of the age of the characters that this is all happening to, it was a great suspense that I could easily see turned into a movie. For sure.

At first I felt that the ending wouldn't surprise me. I had a distinct feeling that the book would end in the same cliche that everything seems to end these days. The protagonist is actually the one that is insane, and the one that is killing people. The clues and hints sure pointed towards this. But the true ending was not the case, and I was actually very pleasantly surprised! Jennifer Holm, did a great job of thinking this book through before and while she wrote it!

I would definitely recommend this book to any teen who gets enjoyment from a great suspense novel. The protagonist is easily relate-able seeing as she is around that age. And the author describes her feelings and emotions very, very well! You won't be disappointed with this novel, I promise you.

[Brennan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so I knew that this book would be the classic summer tale complete with tom-boy girl, Penny Carson and the group of boys that she hangs out with. And the whole thing linking the story together is that something odd is happening. At first when I read the synopsis I thought, "great a thriller/mystery". However, by the time I got done with the book I was disappointed. The "weak" person all along was the one who did everything and was smart enough to cast the suspicion on Caleb. I guess, it just shifted too quickly for me as the climax of the story happens within the last 25-30 pages. I felt like the end was abrupt and just a little strange.

I do enjoy Jennifer Holm's writing; I have read quite a few of her other books. However, I was let down after reading this one. Would recommend some of her books (even those are the thriller type).

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not for elementary kids!! I even question middle school kids! It’s a mystery (Who is the bad guy?) and throughout the whole book I wanted to scream, “Just tell an adult what’s going on!” OR “Parents, do you know what your kids are up to?” It’s engaging, but . . . creepy.

[♫♪ Olivia ♪♫ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is so creepy! even if you like terror stories it's still disgusting

[Chloe (Girl In The Woods Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this book, it had a dark, menacing detail to every page. This is a book that will give a heart-pumping, exciting, thrill ride that will make a recurring existence to every piece.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review will not include any spoilers but will give an honest opinion from a middle schooler's perspective of the book, The Creek, by Jennifer L. Holm. As a matter of fact, I vacillated between the ranking of 4-4.5. This book had a shaky beginning. Once I read the synopsis of the book I wasn't hooked immediately. I also wasn't positive that I was going to enjoy or even continue to read the book after the first chapter. However, once I got passed the first few chapters it got interesting. There are two main problems throughout this book that made me dislike it by a small amount.
Despite the fact that this is a small problem it did make my head turn. In the beginning of the book one of the characters was called three different names. I had to read over those few pages several times to understand. On page 3 it states, “‘Come on, Angus, let’s get moving!”’ a voice rang out. “It was Mac’s mother. She was the only one Penny had ever heard him call Angus and not be beaten to a pulp.” On top of that some people called him McHale which was his last name. I thought this was slightly confusing because there was one character being called three different names. At some points of the book I forgot that they were talking about the same character. Also, a few times I had to re-read to understand that the same character was being talked about. This made my rating go down minimally.
The next problem is a certain way the author broke down setting and time periods. In this book in particular I noticed that when the author writes and changes setting or time periods she uses three squares in a row to indicate this. An example of this is on page 11 it states, “ The hand in the car flicked a finger, as if dismissing her, and Penny leaped up and ran inside. Then after the indication using the three squares it said, “Penny’s family was already sitting at the breakfast table in the sunny yellow kitchen.” As you can see this may be confusing to some readers like me. Usually when I'm reading I don't look for signs because of the speed I'm reading at. Due to this I sometimes get confused on where I am in the book and what happened. This is because I don't notice the setting or time change. Then it just appears to me that the author jumped from one place/time to another. Instead of this the author could use a transition word or phrase so that the reader has a better understanding of what's going on.
On the other hand as you can see I gave it an above average rating. One reason for this was because of the content and storyline. I thought the author did an excellent job on the way the book was structured. Every part made sense and at the end I noticed why each part was put where it was. The sequence of events was perfectly placed and the information that went along with each part was great. On top of that, the way the author made all the events happen were very creative and I doubt they have been copied in other published books. For example, throughout the whole tenth chapter the events were followed one by another. Most events were caused by the one before. As you can see if the situations were put in any other order the story wouldn't make as much sense.
Another reason for the exemplary judgment is because of the hook and suspense. Most mysteries have an expected ending that most of the time the reader can figure out. With this novel I was on the edge of my seat the whole entire time and was shocked at the end because I had no clue it would end how it did. This mystery was about finding out who the killer was. By the end of the book there were many explanations running through my head. The killer was very unexpected and I had no clue that it would end how it did. Toward the end of chapter ten the author states,“‘It was you all along?”’ “she gasped.” This shows that the characters in the book were very surprised. They were shockes and didn't even think of this person to be the murderer. One of my biggest pet peeves for mystery books is to have an unexpected ending that no reader would have thought would happen. This is one reason why I loved this book so much. It had an effective ending that kept me thinking the whole entire time through the book even at slow parts.
As I analyzed the author's style and/or choices I give an honest opinion on whether or not it worked for the book. The way the author thought of these creative ways to make the characters seem real certainly worked for the book. An example of this is shown on page 3, “Mrs. McHale was a divorced mother. Mac’s dad had left years ago, and Penny never saw him around.” In this case you can see that the author makes relatable characters where the reader can connect to the characters in which they can feel the emotions and put themselves in the character's shoes. In this instance many people nowadays can relate to having no father around from a young age and only having a mother to do everything.
Analyses will also be made based on the characters to see if it had an impact on my attitude toward the book. The character played as Caleb is resembled as a horror movie figure. A big college student who is a rebel, breaks all the laws and is very mischievous. With the genre of a mystery there always has to be one rebellious character that is very suspicious. I liked this character because he was realistic and made the book come together as a whole. Also, usually in a story where there is a group of friends there are about four characters. In The Creek, there are six friends in one group. They all came out to be different which I enjoyed because there are many perspectives of each event/situation. The reader can now get a better understanding of different points of view.
Although I admired this friend group one thing I did dislike was that many decisions were just based on what Mac thought about the situation. Usually whatever Mac said would go with maybe one other person on his side. What annoyed me even more was that whenever Penny made a suggestion they wouldn't even consider it. This is shown on page 43, “‘Whatever,”’ “Mac said”. “‘Let's go,”’ “She took in the stubborn set of the boy's’ eyes, even Teddy’s.” “‘But Caleb-”’ “Penny said. Mac cut her off.“‘I'm sick of hearing about him, so just shut up. We’ve got a fort to build.” This quote displays Macs attitude towards Penny and proves that most of his decisions count. To add onto things if Penny were to tell them something that may not have seemed believable the boys would just dismiss it immediately without even putting it into thought. This seemed a bit sexist to me because she was the only girl that was part of the group and they didn't really respect her thoughts the same as the others. She wasn't really treated equally.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys a good mystery read and is at an older age where they can handle violence. Although it may start slow in the beginning, its intensity increases throughout the rest of the book. This will have the reader at the edge of their seat the whole time and will be thinking from start to finish. The characters may be deceiving and will put you in confusion at the end. Predictions can be made the whole time but may surprise you towards the ending.
The theme or big idea the reader can get out of this book is to always tell the truth. Otherwise you will regret something that you can't go back and change. In this mystery, Penny regrets something that she has done and doesn't tell anyone. She regrets her decision and is now very guilty. The reader will get a good lesson out of this book to never lie and also think about your actions before you perform. By reading this book you can have a better understanding about effects and consequences.
To conclude I believe this book was a very successful read. I recommend this book to someone who enjoys a good mystery and suspense, although the reader should be aware of a slow beginning for the first few chapters. Overall here was a sneak peek at the freaky yet sneaky book The Creek.

[Ostevanovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Carson and her friends love to play in the woods at a creek. Penny and her friends are experiencing a long hot summer in Pennsylvania and are interested in building a fort at the creek. However, a man named Caleb Devlin who was accused of murder several times had returned to their town. A lot of things happen all leading back to Caleb and even the police were looking for him. But as the story advances, Penny is starting to change her mind over this all.

Something I learned about the world by reading this book is that not everything is always fair and that not everyone will always believe what you say. You need to get some form of evidence if you wanna prove something. This seems important to know, because you need to be prepared for these kind of situations and try to gather evidence of something you want others to believe.

I definitely recommend this book to readers who love adventure and a little bit of horror. It is a very exciting book even for me, because I generally hate reading, but this book was still interesting to me. I would give this book a rating of 9/10.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something a little different (spoilers)

I don't come across many middle grade thrillers, which is exactly what this book is. The author does an excellent job of creating a creepy atmosphere and sense of dread throughout the novel. She also creates an interesting character in Penny, a young girl coming to terms with growing up and her changing feelings.

What I felt prevented this from being great was some aspects of the mystery. There were moments which felt like a teenage horror film, where you are mentally shouting art the characters to stop behaving so stupidly. The denouement also felt predictable, picking the least obvious character for the sake of the "twist". 3.5 stars.

[Cady · Rating 5 out of 5]

My niece (14) recommended this book, because she knows I like Stephen King. It definitely seems to share some DNA with Stephen King's IT and The Body, in all the right ways. The characters and their relationships with each other feel realistic, and even though they're 13, the story felt mature and interesting. There are few genuinely surprising moments, and I found Penny to be a good protagonist with a lot of difficult choices to make.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone much younger than my niece. She liked it a lot, but she's a horror fan. It felt like a teen/adult read to me.

[Trushant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not mysterious nor really creepy enough

I like the idea of having an antagonist be just a regular bad guy instead of something supernatural like in most books. But unfortunately the ideas are not explored enough to really make you feel anything. All the characters feel one dimensional and our main character's motivations are really confusing.
Overall, great ideas but delivered badly.
Still interested in reading more from this author.

[Krystina Ferrante · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a kid and rememember loving it. I think it was my intro to the psychological thrillers. That being said, it was weird to me now picturing these 12 year olds just out and about doing all these things. Not to mention an 18yr old boy dating a 14yr old girl and everyone just kind of ok with that lol.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good middle grade mystery with a touch of magical realism. A bit bloodier than some with lots of red herrings. Will definitely add to the 5420 reading list.

[Ann]

A neighborhood group of kids deal with a returning juvenile delinquent.
This is scary. And kinda twisted.
My 6th grade self would have loved it.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a TERRIBLE read. I think I was in high school when I read this, so the main character was a little young for me to be reading. I thought it was going to be a mystery but it was way too horror for me. I don't remember a whole lot about the book since it's been so long since I've read it. I remember being disturbed and put off by it. I remember one scene in particular where Caleb, the older guy, is in the woods alone with her, and he's toying with the zipper on the back of her dress. As a young kid this was a hot moment, but I think he was just messing with her because she was so young. He might have asked her a taunting question if I remember correctly, and she believes him to be bad so she kills him. Not intentionally, but it was murder all the same. She literally pushes him down the hill and he dies somehow, but she doesn't have any guilt or seem to see if that way. I couldn't believe she killed a person, and I think it turns out that he wasn't even the bad guy doing all the bad things in town, it was someone else, which made it ten times worse. She should live with lifelong regret as a murderer, not play it off like it's an accident. I'm not sure what kind of psyche you'd have to have to write this, but I'm not the kind of person that enjoys it. Too dark and disturbing, a really bad story to have one kid blamed for everything in town, some really disturbing crimes like killing cats, and then have it turn out not to be him after he's already been killed. I regretted ever reading this book and knew it was going to stay with me from how bad it was.

[Jicorey Girton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 12 year old named Penny Carson is looking forward to the upcoming summer of doing nothing more important than hanging out with friends, which is group of neighborhood boys. Her family has just moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia, and Penny likes exploring the woods and the creek near her home, which is why this book is called the creek. Her parents know that dangers lurk even this rich neighborhood . When household pets start to turn up dead and fires start to destroy their fort, everyone blames the violence on Caleb Devlin, a older teen who is back in town after being in a juvenile detention following some violent crimes he committed years ago. Eventually Penny begins to suspect that Caleb is not the one responsible for this new wave of terror.
Penny is at the puberty stage. She doesn't know if she wants to kiss the boys or play flashlight tag with them. She hates the bra her mom buys for her, but she is also embarrassed by the childish sundress she is forced to wear. For some inexplicable reason, she remains drawn to her neighbor Amy, an older girl who recently hit puberty and immediately became verbally abusive to Penny and her friends. As Penny investigates the grisly threats in her neighborhood, she also explores her own conflicted feelings about growing up.

[Josie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An addictive book written by one of the best young-adult writers of our generation. Once this book is opened you will cringe at the thought of putting it back down.
This novel is a captivating, thrilling, and heart wrenching book that captures the adventures and trials that are encountered in the tender time of adolescence.
This story is set in a suburban community and focuses on Penny Carson whom is in the process of growing up and learning the dangers and the enjoyment of the real world. She finds trouble when Caleb Delvin arrives back to town after his dark past, this shows her the fear of how evil yet misunderstood people can truly be. She also finds love and experiences the thrill and the heartbreak of developing feelings for the boy she'd know for nearly her whole life. As the story goes on she acquires strength and the passion to protect what she loves.
I recommend this book to anyone who is longing for an amazing coming-of-age story with a heartfelt meaning and a series of action packed turns of events. A truly timeless novel which I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did!

[James Hargest Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a boy, who is a legend after terrorizing an entire town before Penny and her family moved there. Now he’s back, older but more dangerous. Since his return, terrible things have started to occur again. While the police ignore the complaints of the citizens who know he’s to blame, a group of friends try to stay calm and find proof that it’s him. The only problem…… he’s after them too.
The creek is a suspense thriller book. I couldn’t wait to read this book as many of my mates had convinced me to read it, and I can see why now. Even knowing that The Creek is fiction, it was hard to believe it wasn’t real with some of the detail and events shown to the reader. The Creek is now one of the books which I will read again and again as it was a great read! - Ben K

[Aabani Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Creek by Jennifer L. Holm was a interesting book. In the book there is a girl named Penny Carson, she doesn't know what she wants to do. Caleb is a boy in her neighborhood who is known for problems and destruction. Penny sees Caleb and starts to have hallucinations and she starts acting paranoid. This book is really not as good as it could be. It takes forever until anything really interesting happens. This book is more about penny than it is about the danger around her. The twist at the end was pretty exciting though. The end of the book was better than the beginning. Its worth reading the middle and then the end , the beginning is like a flat line. In my opinion

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you heard? Caleb Devlin is back. Penny saw him driving up in a red Trans Am. Of course, she didn't live here then. She moved in after he was sent to a juvenile facility. But she recognized the tattoo on his hand. Why would they let him out? And what will it mean to the kids of Mockingbird Drive? None of the younger ones really remember him but they sure know the stories. The dead animals. The boy in the coma. And Caleb's dead sister. And now, it seems to be starting all over again. Dogs are missing. Cats are, too. Has Caleb begun his reign of terror again? And can anything be done to stop him?

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. I remember reading it when I had a bad sprain on my ankle as a kid - when everyone else was playing, I read this. I was terrified. It stayed with me in my dreams. The story became real to me. I read it. I reread it. I think I've read it 3 or 4 times. And every time it's just plain cool. Scary. Enthralling. Entertaining.

This isn't a book with a big, deep, revealing truth. It's not going to give you a deeper understanding of the world. But if you're a kid, looking for a fun, good read, then this is it.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penny is a tomboy looking forward to the summer, but then evil enters her town. Murdered pets are turning up everywhere and fires blaze. People want to point fingers at Caleb, a troubled teen who is back in town after serving juvie.

I really wanted to love this. It’s creepy, yet the writing isn’t gripping. Also, I was bothered by the plot. Penny is twelve, which means middle grade, yet there are too many disturbing scenes in this novel. Some parts seemed like they were for an older audience.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been as enthralled in a book as I was in this one. I love the author Jennifer L. Holm, and loved how she really made you feel like you were there watching everything happen before your very eyes. I felt as if I was in Penny's place having every traumatizing event happen to me. I would definitely recommend this book to any young adults whom want to read a book that they can simply not put down.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous piece of fiction. An excellent and quick read for those who enjoy a bit of a thriller! The plot moves quickly and keeps the reader guessing to the very end.

I very seldom come across a book that truly surprises me. There were a few times in this book where I actually yelled out loud and somewhat embarrassed myself because a plot twist so caught me off guard.

This book is very well written and definitely a must read!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one, and I did for the most part. However, even though the main characters are children I still found myself getting upset with their behavior and decisions. I didn't like how the end played out and I was able to guess the ending too soon. What started out as a coming of age murder mystery wound up being a big let down starring some dumb parents not listening to their misbehaving children.

[Angela Harris]

A true page turner. However, one question is still remains! This will contain spoilers- sorry! But when they are in the attic at the end, why does Benji say his sister was at dinner last night?! Hiw could that be!? For one brief moment I thought they were going to twist it so it was all in the little girl's mind! Talk about a twist! But that didn't happen! So now I am left wondering why Benji said that? Any help!?

[Gabby☺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a bad boy comes back to town and beats up a fat kid named Zachery.......pets disappear......murder is attempted....and little girls die......first kisses also occur

find out who really is behind all the murders and petnapping after the bad boy is found dead