Creep

Corrigan, Eireann. Creep
October 1st 2019 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Olivia is interested when new neighbors move next door after the original ones, the Langsoms, have to move when their physician father runs afoul of the law. The Donahues are not like her quiet family-- Janie, Lucy and Ben and their parents are loud and interact a lot. When a note shows up at their door from "The Sentry" promising that deeply creepy things will happen in the house (think blood pouring from the ceiling and corpses under the floorboards), the family is thrown into chaos, and all manner of problems from the past surface. The father is determined to take the real estate agent, Ned, to task, especially since the mother seems to be flirting with him. The news media is all over the story, and tensions run high. Still, Janie and Olivia get along so well, and the drama is an interesting distraction as the girls begin high school. They interview a neighbor, have Ben befriend the son of the former owners, and even do research in the library on the history of the town. They find an interesting connection from the past, but will they be able to stop the "creep" before something terrible happens?
Strengths: This had a strong start, mentioning a murder in Olivia's town, and I was then completely sucked into Olivia and Janie's friendship. There should be a LOT more books that are set in the first few weeks of high school! I loved that Olivia runs cross country, and also that her parents were very protective but still tried to give her a little room to be independent. Janie's family is quite a mess, but that wasn't really what caused the stalking, which was an interesting twist in itself. The ancient (1980s!) history and the hidden rooms in the house made this extra intriguing, and the cover will make sure that readers pick this up!
Weaknesses: While this was an absolutely fascinating read which I enjoyed, it wasn't really very scary.
What I really think: Since this author's Accomplice (2010) still circulates well with some of my older, more mature readers, I'll definitely purchase.

Unusual that I would be wearing a sleeveless dress to work in October! Of course, the hotter it gets outside, the cooler the air conditioner is inside, hence the blouse. Anyone else not really like three quarters sleeves? Can't put a sweater over them. But I love gingham, and when things are $1 at the thrift store, I am very, very weak!