Not So Well Read | Kill Creatures

Kill Creatures

Rory Power

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Last year, Nan’s three best friends ventured into the canyons near their small town and never returned. Now one of them is back, and Nan can’t believe it…because she’s the one who killed them. From the New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls comes another dark thriller about friendship, jealousy, desire, and revenge, with a twist ending that needs to be talked about.

Last summer, Luce, Edie, Jane, and Nan took a boat out for one final swim in the river. It was a perfect summer night.

But the only one who returned that night was Nan. Edie, Jane, and Luce disappeared, and Nan’s story has always been the same: She has no idea what happened. The girls went ahead, and it was as though they vanished into thin air.

Now, one year later, all of Saltcedar has gathered at the river for a memorial. Nan even recreated the outfit she wore that fateful day last summer. And when Luce climbs out of the water, no one is more surprised than Nan.

Because Nan killed her. Right before she killed Edie and Jane.

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Posts about this title from Not So Well Read

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Apr 2 2025

4 Sapphic Books I've Loved Recently

I’ve been (poorly) singing The Giver for the last month, so here are 4 Sapphic Book Recs for your TBR.

Books mentions:

📚 Planeta by Ana Oncina 📚 Tenderly I Am Devoured by @lkclipstone 📚 Kill Creatures by @itsrorypower 📚 Fable for the End of the World by @avasreid

#sapphicbooks #queerbooks #queerbookrecs #sapphicbookrecs #readqueerallyear

4 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Mar 23 2025

[This week in the book world: \ \ This week was all about Sunrise on the Reaping! It's been so fun seeing everyone diving back into the world of my all-time-favorite series. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through, but I know from everyone's stories that this is going to emotionally destroy me. I am ready. \ \ I had my own personal drama with this title–specifically a certain publisher not having us sign the needed embargo paperwork, which delayed our shipment by 3 days–but overall this release seemed to go a lot more smoothly than THAT one in January. I will say, I am forever jealous of the folks who got to attend the Waterstones Midnight Release. That looked AMAZING and even my indie-loving heart isn't afraid to admit it.\ \ This Week's Publishing News: \ \

Sarah Beth Durst announced a new teen book this week! It's called The Faraway Inn about a teen girl who goes to work at her aunt's secretly-magical B&B after a breakup.\ \
New horror novel called The House Where Nothing Hurts, "pitched as Bunny meets Marlena and for fans of Yellowjackets, about a high school volleyball team that discovers a haunted house where none of their actions seem to have lasting physical consequences"\ \
Lindsay King-Miller, author of The Z Word, is teaming up with Rachel Feder for a dystopian retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray called Dorian/Gray, pitched as a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray "where the rich are assigned poor scapegoats who experience all the negative consequences of their actions through quantum entanglement"\ \ \ This Week's New Releases: \ \ Much slower week than last week, but still some good ones:\ \
Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones\ \
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins\ \
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green\ \
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley\ \
The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth\ \
The Prince Without Sorrow (Obsidian Throne, #1) by Maithree Wijesekara\ \
The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi\ \ \ What I Read This Week: \ \ Oathbound (Finished)\ \ UGGGHHH!!! When's the next one???? I just want my babies to be happy together, okay? Also, in other news, I saw in publisher's weekly that Legendborn sold only 2000 copies in its first week, but Oathbound sold 20k+ in its first week and I'm just so happy!!\ \ Soulgazer (Finished)\ \ This book captured my entire heart in a matter of pages. Not only is it an incredible pirate fantasy, it's got an incredibly tender romance that will be beloved by both historical and fantasy romance readers. I cannot wait for the next novel and will be thinking of Faolan and Saoirse nearly every day until then. 10/10, perfect romantasy. Y'all make sure to preorder this one and show author Maggie some love.\ \ Kill Creatures (Finished)\ \ Kill Creatures is the exact reason why I love teen thrillers. Impossible-to-put-down from the very first page with a twist that will leave readers of all ages reeling, Kill Creatures is the a sun-soaked-fever-dream thriller that's perfect for summer reading. This one comes out 6/3/25!\ \ Blood Over Bright Haven (50%)\ \ I am loving this book, which is very likely due to the incredible audiobook narrator. We called the twist pretty early on, but that hasn't kept me from enjoying it. I need to finish this one tonight before book club tomorrow, so I'll keep y'all updated on my progress.\ \ Dance of Lies (28%)\ \ Ooooh, I can tell that this one is going to be a slow burn and I am buckled in and ready.\ \ What I bought/shelved: \ \ Bought:\ \
Till Death by Kellan McDaniel\ \
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins\ \
I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins\ \ \ Shelved:\ \
Between Ink and Shadows by Melissa Wright\ \ \ Other Musings: \ \ Don't forget the Trans Rights Read-a-thon is happening now till 3/31! I am hoping to read The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts and Till Death during this time!! I also wrote a little blog post with some of ours booksellers' favorite books by trans and nonbinary authors. You can read that here if you want some book ideas!](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/cFjgpkWvt5TAMAGZc5fa/)

Weekly Wrap Up – 3.17-3.23

15 books

Not So Well Read\ \ Courtney\ \ • Mar 16 2025

[Weekly Wrap Up – 3.10-3.16 This week in the book world: \ \ Oooooohhhh I am SO excited to talk about ARCs this week. There has been SO much that happened and I have been stewing on this all week.\ \ Okay, so first, this thread started a very intense debate about whether or not it's okay to put ARCs in Little Free Libraries. The general consensus from readers is, yes, absolutely. What else are we supposed to do with them? Hoard them until death? Throw them away?\ \ Authors, however, did NOT agree. The major criticism was that they would be upset that an unfinished copy was "in circulation". I'm sorry, but one reader potentially finding an unfinished copy from the small number of LFLs visited by book reviewers does not qualify as "in circulation". On top of that, ARCs are clearly labeled as unfinished copies is many places, and while people are dumb, they're not that dumb.\ \ Now, the one thing we all seem to agree with is that you should NOT sell your ARCs for $100+ on sketchy resale accounts (like this woman), but I am absolutely loving the trend of publisher's using this as a marketing material. Please don't do this, also, please don't buy ARCs for $100+ just to read things a few months early. The stakes are NOT that high.\ \ This Week's Publishing News: \ \ There honestly wasn't anything exciting that I saw... I'm just as disappointed as you are.\ \ This Week's New Releases: \ \ Much slower week than last week, but still some good ones:\ \

Stag Dance by Torrey Peters (Adult, literary)\ \
Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna (Middle grade, fantasy\ \
Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian (Adult, horror)\ \
What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch (YA, fantasy)\ \
Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch (Adult, romance)\ \ \ What I Read This Week: \ \ One for my Enemy (Finished)\ \ This wasn't my favorite Olivie Blake, but it was still really, really good. I do think it started off a bit stronger than it ended, but it was still gorgeous and some of the quotes killed me. She definitely did "Romeo and Juliet" in a way more unique way than others and it also incorporated some other Shakespeare easter eggs that had my inner Shakespeare nerd smiling. Also, if you have never read Olivie Blake and want to get into her works, I think this is an excellent place to start. Her prose and the way she structures her stories is so unique. This one is a great introduction to her style, while feeling more accessible for readers.\ \ Oathbound (70%)\ \ EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THINGS ARE GETTING SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!\ \ Soulgazer (66%)\ \ Wow wow wow. I started this yesterday at the end of my shift at the bookstore–things were SLOW–and I read over half of it last night. This is EXACTLY what I want in a romantasy. Plus, it's pirates, which you know is a soft-spot for me. Obsessed and I cannot wait to finish.\ \ Kill Creatures (44%)\ \ New Rory Power! This one has been a fun brain break. I don't like adult thrillers, but I love teen thrillers. This one is super short, so I plan on finishing it tonight. I'll update you all when I finish it. \ \ Brother Bronte (DNF)\ \ I just couldn't do it anymore. I hated Part 1. Really loved Part 2. Then Part 3 picked up and skipped right over all the actual plot. Honestly, I got so mad about that I gave up. I felt like the blurb sold me Scary Movie and then the book gave me Scream.\ \ What I bought/shelved: \ \ No purchases this week, but I did set two aside to buy next time I'm at the bookstore:\ \
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar\ \
Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill](https://notsowellread.binderybooks.com/item/YVHQj0VpoOOmOCOy76zr/)

Weekly Wrap Up – 3.10-3.16

12 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Beverly Books\ \ Kristian\ \ • Nov 15 2025

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[On my continued meander around NYC, I made my way to Books Are Magic.\ \ About Books Are Magic \ \

Books Are Magic is a family-owned independent bookstore with locations in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens and Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, committed to being a welcoming, friendly, and inclusive space for all people. We believe that books are indeed magic, and that literature is one of the best ways to create empathy, transportation, and transformation.\ \ Emma Straub and Michael Fusco-Straub own the stores. Emma Straub is a widely acclaimed novelist and is the daughter of horror author, Peter Straub.\ \ \ \ It’s always interesting to see how bookstores stage their store. I strolled around the shelves and saw favorites and new-to-me releases.\ \ \ \ Staff picks rock, as you know. I enjoyed Kill Creatures by Rory Power.\ \ \ \ I spotted a Bindery title amongst the books!\ \ \ \ Before leaving, I made sure to take a photo with their mural!\ \

Books Are Magic

2 books