Bad Creek Rebecca E. F. Barone A BEST BOOK OF THE

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times

has spent his career considering the thorniest

But despite their daily frustrations and existential concerns

and twisted secrets

Bad Creek Rebecca E. F. Barone A BEST BOOK OF THEBy: Peyton June Published by Norton Young Readers, 2026 05 19 Iris, Gum, and Aidan are vacationing in Bad Creek, just like every summer. Except Iris's older sister, Glory, drowned in the lake last year, and Iris can't seem to move on; Gum is hiding his sexuality from his family while being viciously haunted by Glory's rotting ghost; and Aidan is distraught over a drunken argument with Glory that he fears may have led to her death. When Iris sleepwalks