Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek  By  cover art

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

By: Rhett McLaughlin,Link Neal
Narrated by: Vikas Adam
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $26.05

Buy for $26.05

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Go Behind the Scenes of The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

0:00

Publisher's summary

From the authors of the number-one New York Times best seller Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality and creators of the internet’s most-watched daily show, Good Mythical Morning, a thrilling and darkly funny novel about two best friends fighting the sinister forces at the heart of their Southern town.

It's 1992 in Bleak Creek, North Carolina, a sleepy little place with all the trappings of an ordinary Southern town: two Baptist churches, friendly smiles coupled with silent judgments, and a seemingly unquenchable appetite for pork products. Beneath the town’s cheerful façade, however, Bleak Creek teens live in constant fear of being sent to The Whitewood School, a local reformatory with a record of putting unruly teens back on the straight and narrow - a record so impeccable that almost everyone is willing to ignore the mysterious deaths that have occurred there over the past decade.

At first, high school freshmen Rex McClendon and Leif Nelson believe what they’ve been told - that the students’ strange demises were all tragic accidents. But when the shoot for their low-budget horror masterpiece, PolterDog, goes horribly awry - and their best friend, Alicia Boykins, is sent to Whitewood as punishment - Rex and Leif are forced to question everything they know about their unassuming hometown and its cherished school for delinquents.

Eager to rescue their friend, Rex and Leif pair up with recent NYU film school grad Janine Blitstein to begin piecing together the unsettling truth of the school and its mysterious founder, Wayne Whitewood. What they find, with Alicia's life hanging in the balance, will leave them battling an evil beyond their wildest teenage imaginations - one that will shake Bleak Creek to its core.

This Audible book includes an exclusive interview with Rhett and Link, conducted by Stevie Levine, host of the Good Mythical Morning recap show, Let's Talk About That. In this conversation, Rhett and Link dive into their childhoods in Buies Creek and how they influenced their lives and writing.

About the authors:

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, raised in North Carolina and best friends since the first grade, are an LA-based comedy duo known for hosting the most-watched daily talk show on the internet, Good Mythical Morning, their narrative series Rhett & Link's Buddy System, the award-winning weekly podcast Ear Biscuits, and their instant number-one New York Times best seller, Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality. Their YouTube channels have a combined subscriber base of over 24 million people with seven billion total views. They have been featured on and in The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kelly & Ryan, The Conan O'Brien Show, Variety, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker.

©2019 Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln "Link" Neal III (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Editor's Pick

A smart mystery wrapped in humor
"There are some pros and cons to being the comedy editor here at Audible. One con is the "UNSUBSCRIBE" emails I get from coworkers whenever I joke about being old in my newsletters. (Looking at you, Catherine). One pro is that I get to do cool things like fly out to LA to meet and interview "Intertainers" like Rhett & Link about their debut novel. The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek really has it all. It’s funny, mysterious, smart, and filled with 90s references—which is perfect for me because I’m SO OLD. Plus Audible favorite Vikas Adam narrates it, which means that not one second of this listen will be dull. If you don’t know who Rhett & Link are now, well, this is a good introduction. And if you do know their work, expect the unexpected."
Aaron S., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,317
  • 4 Stars
    477
  • 3 Stars
    148
  • 2 Stars
    65
  • 1 Stars
    39
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,048
  • 4 Stars
    452
  • 3 Stars
    178
  • 2 Stars
    50
  • 1 Stars
    44
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,094
  • 4 Stars
    437
  • 3 Stars
    131
  • 2 Stars
    64
  • 1 Stars
    40

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Does it hold up beyond the R&L fandom?

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek is the first novel by Youtube stars Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. I have been a fan of Rhett and Link for several years now, watching GMM, listening to Ear Biscuits and reading their first book, which was not a novel. R&L promoted this book a lot on all of their mediums and more, so as a long time fan of this duo I was excited and curious to see what they would do with a totally fictional novel. To me, it seemed like I was being exposed to a lot of promotion for this book but I also understood that they needed to talk about it as much as possible in hopes of breaking the news to those outside of the R&L. sphere, subjecting themselves to awkward morning and nighttime television talk shows to promote their novel.

Getting into this audio book, I really didn't know what to expect besides the fact that it featured characters that were essentially Rhett and Link (Rex and Leif), that Bleak Creek was based on their own hometown, and that it was going to be a sort of "Hardy Boys" mystery. The book featured a lot of "fan service" as I would call it - references to little personal traits and stories that Rhett and Link fans would know and love. It also contains a fair amount of 90's references, which at the beginning serve as a fun way to establish the setting, but at times were intrusive and would be un-relatable to younger readers. Because I wasn't sure what I was getting into, I found the pacing of the story to be kind of jarring sometimes. I think I felt comforted by the fun Rhett & Link references in the Rex & Leif characters, but then felt kind of blindsided when the novel took a particularly dark and magical turn a little more than halfway through the book. The underlying story of the Creek was somewhat interesting, a little cliche but most horror seems to be. Some parts were very gripping and others (a lot of Jeanine's personal backstory, for example) were kind of boring. The pacing of the story seemed to be out of balance overall.

I knew that I was going to be listening to this book so I was interested to see that Rhett and Link chose to have someone else narrate it. It made sense I guess, it is a novel and not a memoir like their last book, so having someone else read it seems appropriate. I have some mixed feelings about the performance, but overall I didn't like it. The general narration tone is incredible dry and boring, and easy to phase out and ignore. I know a lot of audiobooks sound like this, but come on. This monotonous narration was juxtaposed by some colorful character impressions, some of which I liked quite a bit (Whitewood, Rex) and I think they saved the performance. However, there were times when Gam-Gam or Ruby were talking and I could BARELY get through listening to it. Gam-Gam had a lot of dialogue early on and it was incredibly irritating to listen to.

Overall, this is a a fun and twisted first novel by Rhett and Link but it has a few shortcomings. I know that a lot of their fans are going to love this book, but I am curious to see how it is perceived by people who don't know anything about the duo.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The book the Mythical Beasts would have written...

At first when I noticed Rhett & Link were not the narrators of this book I was a bit disappointed. There choice in Vikas was the right one. He really did deliver the characters the way they needed to be. If you have been a Mythical Beast for a long time or this is your 1st introduction to Rhett & Link you will enjoy this book. There is a fantastic story inserted with fun facts about Rhett and Link and a lot of 90's references...very funny 90's references. If you are in the 40+ age group it will really make you laugh....scooter leg, NKOTB, bike pegs and multiple pagers taking us back to a time before AOL, internet and cell phones. Thank you for creating a place where we can grow with these characters...I hope this story will get to move forward very very soon.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceeds expectations

I used to be an avid reader but after a string of lackluster books I had slowed almost to a crawl. While I've been a fan of Good Mythical Morning for years as well as The Book of Mythicality, I didn't know what to expect in a novel. Well this novel blew my socks off. I am super impressed by the talent and story telling that went into it. I genuinely looked forward to continuing the novel after work and listened to it twice back to back. The only negative thing I can say is it ended. I would like to continue hearing about their lives. Start working on the sequel!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Pretty ok

Ok for a first novel, though a bit tedious at times and the "mystery" is disappointing.
Fans of R&L will find their fill, the best parts are probably the ones born out of their special brand of comedy. I'd say that Bleek Creek itself is the best character, the description and stories of the community and its surroundings are quite vivid and I simply enjoyed spending imaginary time there with the boys by the cape fear river.
Reading and voice acting is really good.
I give it a 5/10, middle of the road with highs and lows. Probably more suited for younger readers in the 11-18 yo span.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Funny, Creepy, and Excellent.

As a southerner, I feared two things in this book.

1. The narrator not being able to adequately handle central NC drawl.
2. The authors taking the quick way out and relying on degrading tropes.

I was thrilled to be proven baseless in my fears. The performance by Vikas Adam was flawless, and the story was engaging, fun, creepy, and very well done.

Well done, all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun and Engaging

Honestly did not expect this book to be this good. Probably in my top five for the year. Excellent characters. Great story. Painfully accurate metaphor for the Jesusland South Machine. Couldn’t put it down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

disappointing

kinda disappointed in this book. I love Rhett and Link but this book seems to be written for teenagers but with 90s references that only people older than 30 would get. but I also think I would have liked it better with a different narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal

Just finished this book and absolutely love the charm and story told. Narrator did an amazing job at capturing the personality of each character and I look forward to future novels! And definitely a better love story than Twilight. Semper Curiosus

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Hard to finish.. I was disappointed

I think the narration contributed to my dissatisfaction of the book. Made it seem very juvenile. I read such great reviews on this book but it wasn’t for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Sequel please!

A fun ride! Sometimes cliche, sometimes predictable, but always a fun adventure. Definitely a worthy step into the new realm of creative endeavors for Rhett & Link! This story leaves so much more to unfold and I hope there will be future novels to come to unravel the mysteries ahead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Sam
  • Sam
  • 11-04-19

I love Rhett and Link

I have been watching Rhett and Link on YouTube for a while and I really enjoy their humour. This book stands on it's own as an excellent story and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Thea
  • Thea
  • 10-09-20

Funny and disturbing in equal measure!

Like anything you’d expect from Rhett and Link, The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek is filled with lots of humour and great observations on life. But this story also has a much darker side, and ends on a really creepy note. So much so I’ve just told my husband he needs to read it pronto so that I have somebody to discuss it with!

The narration is brilliant and easy to follow, and the story flows so well. I listened to it over the course of a few days and will be listening to it again in the near future I’m sure.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Mary Murphy
  • Mary Murphy
  • 05-13-20

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

i dont usualy listen to this kind of book, but as i watch Good Mythical Morning every day i thought i would give it a go. I realy enjoyed this book, it made me smile, laugh and cry. well done Rhett and Link, you did your Mythical Best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Finn Burton
  • Finn Burton
  • 01-17-20

It was okay

it had an okay story line however it was not as good as it was promoted it to be but i would still recommend it to you if you needed something extra in your life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kindle Customer
  • Kindle Customer
  • 05-19-20

A captivating story which was performed amazingly

This book was a wonderful surprise. I'm a fan of Rhett and link and "read" this more out of curiosity than anything. It was interesting and kept my attention throughout. The reading by Vikas Adam's was remarkable and I will be searching for more books read by him.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 07-05-23

I love Rhett and Link

but this book made me cringe. Not the plot or the writing but the concept. It’s a story of mindless child abusers. Not only „the villans” but also parents sending their children to die and not really caring. Strange idea.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for donna coleman
  • donna coleman
  • 12-04-22

a good read

enjoyed the story...can see rhe similarity with stranger things, Stephen King and Southern States of America...just a tad long and drawn out after the main plot had been revealed...but glad I persisted through yo the epilogue

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Aslanenlisted
  • Aslanenlisted
  • 10-11-21

A mythical adventure

This was a fun read, the narrator really nails the characters from the start. Mythical beasts of all ages will enjoy this adventure and be pleading for more.

There is also a fun Q&A at the end with Rhett, Link, and Stevie.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 07-19-21

I am a fan of GMM,

but I did not like this book. The story did not really speak to me. Great read thou. :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Audiobooks Nest Reviews
  • Audiobooks Nest Reviews
  • 06-17-21

Sweet, Chilling, Thrilling

Sweet and chilling. Not a dipping sauce, but my description of this fantastic thriller about immense evil in a small town.

LOVED

I loved almost everything. The following are the highlights.

- This is a classic tale of good versus evil with a solid, creative premise.

- In a story told through the eyes of children, I found their perspectives funny, charming, annoying, heartbreaking and, above all, impressively authentic.

- The tone overall achieved a delicate balance between creepiness and humour.

- Vikas Adam has that comforting, wry “Wonder Years” quality as the voices of Rex and Lief.

COULD HAVE LOVED MORE

Rex and Lief. This is in no way a criticism, rather exasperation at the thought processes of 14 year old boys.

SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO...

This was advertised as perfect for fans of Stranger Things. Spot on.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Vicky Etscheid
  • Vicky Etscheid
  • 03-09-23

Mythical beast

I loved it! my favourite part is the glowing spring. The story is great

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 07-22-21

Funny, scary, heartwarming adventure

Really enjoyed this, if you know Rhett and Link well from the GMM show, it gives it that extra bit of life in the characters Rex and Leif. A lot of highlights too their lives growing up but not so much to make it a fictional tale of their lives together. Even in the most nerve racking scenes I couldn’t help but laugh in certain instances. Narrator was absolutely amazing, I’d love to listen to more of his “Acting” because that’s what it is I guess. Very glad I took the time to listen to it. And remember to always be your mythical best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 04-15-21

Wow. Just wow.

From beginning to end I was enthralled with this book. Well done to Vikas for his brilliant storytelling and voice acting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Bree Harper
  • Bree Harper
  • 05-06-20

Absolutely loved it!!!

This book is amazing, the story caught my attention immediately and kept me wanting to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. The narration is great with the different voices, it really feels like the characters are real. I think it’s so good, I’ve listened to it 4 times and it never gets boring!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Sarah
  • Sarah
  • 03-29-20

More dark than expected (in a good way)

Loved the book! - only criticism is the narrator had a weird and creepy voice...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Bateyk
  • Bateyk
  • 02-20-20

Super creepy and fun

I really liked this story- great characters and unexpected stuff! Definitely hope to hear more from the ‘triumvirate’s untold adventures’ but you have to find a way to keep Ben and further develop hornhat!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 02-14-20

Great book

Not being someone from The USA or religious in anyway the beginning was a little bit cringe to start with but absolutely worth listening to it all the way through.

Thanks Rhett & Link for even more entertainment
Love ya work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for David Lee
  • David Lee
  • 02-04-20

phenomenal

it was a really great story full of twists and turns, I would highly recommend it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for rejnh
  • rejnh
  • 01-31-20

Surprisingly good

I was surprised how good this story was. I'm a fan of Rhett and Link's YouTube content but I wasn't sure if this would translate into being good authors, but the story was engaging and the characters interesting. The pacing was good and kept me listening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Emily Hitzke
  • Emily Hitzke
  • 12-28-19

Entertaining and intriguing

After a slightly lengthy setup, I became immersed in this nostalgic take that became surprisingly dark. I truly want expecting the direction they took it in. I'd love to see a sequel made. 😊

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!