Creepers

Five people gather in a run-down motel on the Jersey shore one night in October to prepare for a break-in. The Paragon Hotel, an Asbury Park landmark built by a reclusive millionaire in the city's glory days, is now boarded up and slated for demolition.

They are creepers, slang for urban explorers investigating abandoned buildings and their dying secrets. Their group is joined by a reporter who wants to profile them anonymously for the New York Times, as this is a highly illegal activity.

Upon entering the tunnel leading to the hotel, the group realizes that they will get much more than they bargained for. Among the ravaged ruins of a forgotten time, the creepers will encounter danger, terror, and death.

It all starts so promisingly in Morrell's novel! A group of five “creepers” who enjoy history and investigating abandoned buildings (in a way that is not legal) gather to explore the Paragon Hotel. They encounter much more than they bargained for, and the expedition turns into a bloody, gory nightmare that threatens their lives.

There was nothing particularly frightening about the horror.

While this concept was great, it didn't connect with me. The plotting was so tight and propulsive that it didn't allow us to provide the characters with a breath, making them seem flat. My only other gripe would be the characters' constant monologues delivering exposition. The relentless pace left little room for character introspection and growth. As a result, the characters felt more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals, making it difficult for readers to connect with them on a deeper level. The focus on nonstop action overshadowed meaningful character interactions and emotional resonance.

While the book's premise was intriguing, its execution fell short due to a lack of character development and overreliance on action.