Book Review: Creepers by Bryan Dunn

The short but sweet product description and its reviews made this book stand out to me, so on my TBR pile it went. The description goes a bit like this -


"A zany group of characters struggle to save their home after a genetically altered creeper vine invades a small desert town.

Doc Fletcher, an eccentric biologist in the remote Mojave Desert, has finally created the ultimate drought-tolerant plant: a genetically engineered creeper vine. It's destined to change the world, but not according to Doc's plans. Instead, this vine has a mind of its own. Mayhem ensues as the residents of Furnace Valley (pop. 16), along with campers at the nearby hot springs, run for their lives - led by wannabe date rancher Sam Rainsford and the nerdy yet gorgeous botanist Laura Beecham, who has come to the desert for a reunion with the father she has never known..."

This book was a quick read that reeled me in quickly and kept me reading. It started with an introduction to the main characters, including Doc who thinks he can make inhospitable parts of the world fertile and prevent soil erosion, and Sam who has moved to Furnace Valley to try and forget a family tragedy. Sam is a dreamer but also capable (fortunately for the rest of the town's inhabitants) It's also lucky for Furnace Valley that Doc's botanist daughter chose the right time to visit, helping them understand the monster water seeking creature that begins to take over and claim lives. I ploughed on looking to find out if, or how, the gang would defeat it.

While I was reading this I kept thinking of the Kevin Bacon film Tremors. If you've seen that movie this book is in the same vein. I don't read a lot of sci-fi but this is a type I like. It doesn't take itself too seriously and while it got me thinking a bit about man messing with nature it was a fun read that moved at a pace that meant I couldn't stop to contemplate for too long.

There's not much I can say that's negative. I thought it was well-formatted and don't remember spotting any typos. It was a little predictable but that's almost to be expected with this sort of story, so not much of an issue. I found it a really enjoyable read.

Format: Kindle, review copy

My rating: 4*