With lyrical, immersive prose and a profoundly haunting atmosphere, Kill Creatures is one of my most enthusiastic five star ratings of the year.

Kill Creatures is an atmospheric and creepy YA mystery about friendship, delusion, jealousy and revenge. It is fast paced and compelling and I would recommend it for readers who enjoy detailed narratives, and unexpected twists.
Thanks to Scholastic Uk and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this captivating story in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a thrilling read! Kill Creatures centers on Nan the only survivors of her friend group who disappeared last year. Except they didn't disappear... Nan killed them. Or so she thought till one of them reappears during a vigil.

The book was full of twists with a fantastic unreliable narrator who we gain further insights into her reasoning and also delusions later on in the book. I was able to guess the reveal pretty early on but fast forgot it as I got caught up in the fast paced writing. Not a bad thing at all and it's clear what's happened from the start if you keep an eye out. The flashbacks throughout the book help drive things forward and give the reader further insights into what's at play.

Overall, a fun fast paced thriller in a nice setting, perfect for an relaxing summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley & Scholastic for this arc.

Kill Creatures picks up with Nan staring at a photo of her missing friends. She’s on her way to their tribute, which is taking place a summer after they were last seen. The town and their families don’t know if they’re dead…but Nan does, because she’s the one who killed them.

I loved Nan as a character and even though she had done these horrible things, I was still rooting for her. I was mostly rooting for her to have been mistaken, and that she never actually did what she said she did, but well…Nan did enjoy her murderous thoughts and actions.

The writing in this was quite good, although sometimes confusing. Some sentences that aimed to be descriptive just felt confusing and I often had to reread to get the gist of it. I did like the structure of Now and Then, although sometimes, despite the heading, the times didn’t always feel that distinct.

Additionally, while I felt Nan felt like a distinctive character, I felt she was the only one. All the other girls sort of blended together for the majority of the book. Although, in many ways, I suppose this also does show how Nan didn’t really know them…

I think the book was well paced and well plotted. The reveals were good. I think for some reason I was expecting a bit more and felt a little let down. But overall, I think it all made sense.

This was a super interesting book. I was hooked and found it thrilling. The entire time I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going on.
I thought the style of writing was wonderful and flowed super well. I will be ordering the authors other books.

I clocked quickly that we had an unreliable narrator, although I didn't realise to what extent it would be.
I thought that it was super intriguing that the MC was actually the girls stalker, and I would have loved if we got more info about how exactly Nan was acting that Summer towards the girls to make them feel this way. Was she in love with Edie or obsessed or both? She was talking about BECOMING Luce to please Edie which was definitely unhinged.
I wish we had more info about how much Luce's dad knew or suspected, and also after the reveal some info from Nan's dad. Why did he keep Luce alive when it put his daughter at risk? I'd also like to know how much Nan's mum knew. She said "I'd do anything to you" to nan halfway through the book and I was certain she had some knowledge of everything. I know she was arguing a lot to the dad so was she mad at him because of this?
I also thought the female detective was really interesting and wish we had more time with her.

In general I enjoyed this book and would just have liked some points further explored. However I am aware that in this genre often stories are left with unanswered questions. Thank you for the e-arc.

This is such a messed up book in the best way possible.

It's a year after Lucy, Jane and Edie disappeared without a trace and Nan is trying to move on from mourning her best friends. But then, on the anniversary of their disappearance Lucy is back, safe and sound and with no memory of what happened. It shocks everyone, especially Nan who was sure she managed to kill Lucy.

Nan is such a disturbingly fun character to follow the perspective of. She's very much an unreliable narrator but the way she never seems to feel any guilt over what she's done, seems only annoyed that one of her friends actually survived, makes it weirdly enjoyable read. I can barely count the amount of times I laughed at her internal monologue.

The mystery, even with the early reveal of what Nan done, is still so well done. It makes this book completely impossible to put down. You just want to find out exactly what happened. You get enough hints throughout the story to get some of the picture down but the final twist will still make you gasp.

Amongst all of it, I think there's also an interesting commentary on what alienation and loneliness can boil into. In the end all Nan was looking for was acceptance and love. And she had no one who would step in and brought her back into reality with some kindness.

I was absolutely hooked from the start with this one, and on edge the entire time reading it - I don't read a lot of thriller style books, after this though I'll definitely be getting into more of them.

This was fast paced, gripping, and truly the twisty YA thriller I needed. I like that the timeline wasn't exactly linear and we moved between 'then' and 'now' moments, which gave us little moments of information gathering but not enough for you to work it out straight away. All the characters in my opinion were pretty unlike-able, and I FEEL like that was possibly the point? even by the end you don't lean towards supporting Nan, maybe in the way you would have in the beginning. Even though Nan wasn't a good person, I still felt for her in the end even though I could see throughout the book how she'd misinterpreted her relationship with these other girls. There were so many moments where Nan became unhinged and it really highlighted her stressors as a character.

I'd definitely recommend this if you like an atmospheric, twists and turns YA thriller!

A year ago Nans best friends disappeared into Saltcedar Canyon. She's spent the last year grieving them and avoiding probing questions. Now on the anniversary the girls families and Nan are ready to let go and say goodbye. But when the memorial is interrupted by the return of one of the girls no one is more shocked than Nan shes believed for the last year the girls were dead. After all she's the one who killed them.

This was such a fast paced twisty ya thriller. I was hooked from the first page and didn't want to put it down. I liked that this had both a past and present pov so we could slowly see how the events unfolded and how it led to Nan commuting such drastic actions. Even though Nan wasn't a very good person I still felt sorry for her by the end of this. The twists in this we're done perfectly. I'll definitely be reading more by Rory Power as I loved this highly recommend.

This was so addictive! I read it in one sitting.
A YA mystery thriller that’s incredibly compelling and a definite page-turner: I couldn’t put it down!
Absolutely loved it.
The main character was fantastic, and the lake city/canyon setting was so atmospheric.

I love it when a book keeps you guessing about who did what and why, and that was definitely the case here: everything was so enigmatic and mysterious! So good!

5 stars! 🌟

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!!

Last summer Nan’s best friends, Luce, Jane, and Edie, all disappeared following a trip out to a local canyon. Exactly one year later, during a vigil for the missing girls, one of them returns alive. But Nan knows this can’t be happening. She knows the girls are all dead. And she was the one who killed them.

Telling this story from Nan’s point of view really worked well for me. She came across as clearly unhinged in so many moments but it was also hard not to feel some sympathy for her at certain points throughout the story. The two time lines also worked really well for me, and it is something I always enjoy in this kind of story.

Honestly, I didn’t personally love the twist at the end but I do think it was masterfully executed. The pacing was also really fast, although not much really happens in the middle section. Still, I was completely gripped by the story and ended up finishing it in one sitting.

3.5 stars. I have to take into account that I’m a bit older than the YA demographic, so I’m trying to be fair with my rating, knowing I’m not quite the intended audience. I like the concept of the book - there are some good ideas, and the non-linear timeline is done well. I did find it a bit predictable and figured out how things would unfold by about halfway through. Despite this, I still felt compelled to keep reading to see how it all came together.

The writing is easy to read, and I especially liked the setting descriptions, which add to the atmosphere nicely. I didn’t feel hugely invested in the relationships, though. I think more of a perspective from some of the other characters - particularly Luce - might have added more depth and nuance. While I wish a few of the ideas had been pushed further or delivered with more unpredictability, I did enjoy the book overall. It fits nicely within the YA thriller/mystery space. A solid read, but not one I’ll be revisiting.

I loooove Rory Power's writing so much. This is a gripping ya thriller with amazing twists and beautiful writing. The characters are interesting and morally gray which makes this fast paced book a super quick read! Perfect read for a hot summer day.

⛓️‍💥🪨 Kill Creatures 🪨⛓️‍💥

- Rory Power @itsrorypower

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the one-year anniversary of Nan’s three friends going missing in the Saltcedar Canyon, the town holds a vigil for the three lost girls. But the memorial service is interrupted when one of the missing-presumed-dead girls shows up, sending the town in turmoil. Everyone is overjoyed - everyone except Nan, that is. Because she’s the one who killed them.

What an insane premise!! I was hooked from the very first page, because if that doesn’t make you want to turn the pages, I don’t know what will! Occasionally with these books that have crazy plot hooks, the story itself doesn’t deliver, but this wasn’t the case here. With flashbacks layered upon the real-time narrative, this book is twisty and fast-paced as heck. The scandal, the four girls’ relationship, the unreliable narrator, everything will have you on the edge of your seat, not knowing who to trust.

The backdrop of the canyon suited the book’s atmosphere - intense, mercurial, dangerous and deadly. The frenzied obsession of teenage girls’ friendship was placed at the forefront of the story, an element I loved. I also loved Nan’s narration - being inside her head was the most disturbing, turbulent rollercoaster of emotions.

After this, I will definitely be reading more of Rory Power’s backlist, and I’m excited to have discovered a new YA thriller author. I’d recommend for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen M. McManus and Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Kill Creatures is out June 5th! Thanks to Scholastic UK and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Kill Creatures is a chilling and atmospheric story that grips from the very first page. When Nan’s best friends vanish into Saltcedar Canyon and only one returns a year later, the mystery intensifies – especially since Nan is convinced they were dead. Because she killed them.

Rory Power delivers a fast-paced tale threaded with secrets, buried guilt and simmering rage. Nan is a compelling narrator, raw and guarded, her voice laced with dread and grief. The return of one of the girls sets off a spiralling chain of questions and revelations, with the truth lurking somewhere in the shadows of their shared past.

The story is laced with tension, gothic touches and creeping dread. Power crafts a vivid, unsettling setting that mirrors the murky emotional territory her characters are forced to navigate. It’s a book about friendship twisted by jealousy, loyalty tested by fear and the haunting cost of keeping the truth buried.

With echoes of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Gone Girl, this is a dark and immersive read that keeps its secrets until the final, shocking moment. Unsettling, sharp and unforgettable.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A strange, but rather entertaining read!

I didn’t know exactly what to expect going into this book except that it was a YA thriller. I have read another Rory Power book, and they definitely have the same obscure, fast-paced style, which I actually really enjoy.

The twists just kept coming with this one, and I managed to devour it in pretty much one sitting, which is always nice.

While the writing style itself wasn’t completely for me, it was easy to read and kept me hooked.

Overall, a fast, interesting read.

A fun reading experience from start to finish. Intriguing story, characters that will appeal to all reads and action packed twists and turns.

This was a gripping read, with so many twists and turns. I wasn’t sure where this would head. It’s dark, engaging with thriller elements. I will advise there are some trigger warnings

The stories focus is on Nan, a 17 year old that was the only survivor when her three best friends are all murdered the previous year. However on the anniversary tribute to the three girls something happens unexpectedly, Luce suddenly returns with suspected amnesia. This throws everything into a spin, the case reopens and not everything is quite a simple as Nan has made out. Is she a victimless sole survivor or is Nan hiding something deeper.

I am not going to spoil this as this is a dark story with trigging themes, Nan is a great character. The story is set all in first person and you can really see her mind unfolding between the now and then perspective. But can you fully trust her perspective is the real question.

You learn snippets of the other two girls as well as Luce. Which leads to the climatic confrontation, there are so many secrets and other stories playing in the background. You don’t know it’s happening until after it’s happened. The twists are honestly so good.

Really enjoyable read, you won’t want to put this down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this prior to release on the 5th June.

Kill Creatures is a dark, twisty YA thriller that dives into messed-up friendships, secrets, and peak summer vibes.

Nan, the main character, is super unreliable and unlikable but watching her spiral was oddly fun. She's annoying and not someone I would want to be friends with (lol), but that's what makes her so interesting to follow.

The big plot twist? Yeah, it's not too hard to see coming. But Rory Power keeps the tension high and the pages turning, and even if you guess what's coming, you'll still want to know how it all goes down.

If you're into books with messy characters, this one's definitely worth a read.

Thank you to Scholastic UK and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

Rory Power remains an auto-read author! This book kept me hooked and it was a whirlwind of twists. The story our FMC has woven regarding what happened to her friends becomes unraveled as the truth comes to light in the form of Luce, the girl she thought was dead. The ending was wild and the epilogue even more so, it makes you realise you never really know someone, it’s enlightening and scary.

I really enjoy a good YA mystery thriller and this delivered that so well, in fact I finished this in one day. This kept me engaged and intrigued throughout the whole book.
The major hook of this story is one year after her three best friends disappeared, presumed dead; Nan is preparing to say a final goodbye. Except one of the girls, Luce returns. However, Nan knows she should be dead, because she’s the one who killed them.
This hook is what kept me reading. What happened on that night? Why did Nan kill them? How is Luce alive? Why is she back now? So many questions!
Rory Powers drip feeds us information by switching back and forth from now to the past to see what the girls are up to. The reveals at the end are both satisfying and shocking. A truly fun summer read.