The Creeping
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | August 18, 2015 |
| Founder | Alexandra Sirowy |
| Products | Young adult suspense thriller novel |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
The Creeping marks Alexandra Sirowy’s debut novel, a suspenseful thriller aimed at young adults, published in 2015. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers released the book on August 18, 2015, available in both hardcover and digital editions.
Synopsis
In the small community of Savage, twelve years prior, two girls named Jeanie and Stella vanished while picking strawberries. Only Stella returned, suffering from amnesia and repeatedly uttering the phrase, "If you hunt for monsters, you'll find them." Her lost memories stir unease among locals, particularly Jeanie’s brother Daniel, who doubts Stella’s honesty. Now seventeen, Stella is eager to move forward but consents to attend the yearly "Day of Bones" event honoring Jeanie’s disappearance. During the gathering, a fleeting memory resurfaces just before a body resembling Jeanie’s is discovered. Shortly after, Jeanie’s mother is found murdered. Authorities suspect Kent Talcott, Jeanie’s father, of both crimes and the earlier disappearance; however, Stella believes in his innocence.
Motivated to uncover the truth and regain her lost memories, Stella reconnects with Sam, an old friend. Their inquiry leads them to Daniel and an elderly woman named Griever, who claims that numerous children have disappeared over time, abducted by a creature known as the Creeper. Detective Shane dismisses such legends beyond Jeanie’s case. Meanwhile, Stella experiences threats from an unseen force.
Stella uncovers that Jeanie had a fear of monsters before vanishing and that she and her friends were engaged in monster hunting during that summer. As more memories return, Stella discovers ongoing animal sacrifices within the town. When Kent Talcott is detained—with Daniel providing testimony against him—Stella confronts Detective Shane about the Creeper; he maintains that only human malevolence exists.
The story reaches its climax in the woods when Stella assists Caleb in searching for his sister Zoey. Recollecting traumatic events, Stella is attacked by Daniel and Caleb, who confess to accidentally killing Jeanie years earlier and reveal Daniel murdered their mother. They plan to kill Stella after she rescues Zoey from drowning. Stella successfully saves Zoey and is later rescued by Sam and Shane. Caleb is located; he admits responsibility for the murders but claims they were being chased by a monster that ultimately killed Daniel. Despite Shane’s rejection of supernatural explanations, Stella remains uncertain and requests access to old case files.
While reviewing these files with Sam, they find many disappearances likely had natural causes. Although some evidence hints at the Creeper's presence, Stella decides that pursuing it would consume her life. She opts instead to move forward alongside Sam and Zoey toward a healthier future.
Reception
The critical response to The Creeping has been largely favorable. Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and the School Library Journal praised it as "a spook-tastic spine-tingler" perfect for horror enthusiasts. Kirkus Reviews observed that although the narrative unfolds gradually, it culminates in a gripping climax filled with suspense. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books provided a mixed assessment, drawing comparisons unfavorably to Robin Wasserman's The Waking Dark but acknowledging its appeal to fans of horror fiction.