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gwendolyn_kensinger's review against another edition
3.0
What a ride. Great summer read from the point horror series.
You know by the title, cover, synopsis, basically everything about this book it screams the lifeguard is guilty, but there are 3 lifeguards and the author did a great job of shifting blame around between the three of them that I never knew which lifeguard was going to be the guilty party.
Kelsey and her mom are invited to spend the summer on Beverly Island with Eric, Kelsey’s mom’s new boyfriend, and his 3 kids (Beth, Justin & Neale). As soon as Kelsey and her mom, Marjorie, step off the ferry they know something is wrong just by the look on Eric’s face. Beth is missing! She’s been missing for 3 days and they’re frantically searching for her. Somehow the gravity of Beth’s disappearance didn’t really feel as high stakes as I thought it would. Maybe because it’s a relatively small island and they were searching for 3 days already. By the time Kelsey and her mom get there there’s not much they can do to help. Kelsey ends up meeting another girl her age and they start hanging out over the coming days. Kelsey is somehow still spooked about Beth’s disappearance and strange things start happening. She finds a note that Beth left behind that leads Kelsey to believe that Beth knew someone was after her. Then one afternoon Beth and Donna stumble across a dead body, but when they call for help the body is no longer there. So strange things keep happening but for the most part Kelsey keeps them to herself so she doesn’t cause anymore panic or worry. Eventually they call off the search for Beth thinking she went out into the water and an undercurrent got her. As the reader though we know that one of the lifeguards is to blame. I love getting a peek into the killer’s mind.
So which lifeguard is it? Is it even a lifeguard? I’ll never tell.
ghostinthepages's review against another edition
4.0
This was pretty great. I enjoyed all the mystery of this story. I never read Richie Tankerlsy Cusick as a teen and she is shaping up to be a new favorite of point horror.
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I read these because they are so ridiculous, implausible and downright offensive. It is still hard for me to award points to a book for possessing those qualities if the overall effect is as...underwhelming as 'The Lifeguard' turned out to be.
Kelsey Tanner has been dragged by her mother to Beverly Island. She'd much rather go to her friend's family's cabin in the mountains. For very good reasons she is afraid of the water. Her father's death may have something to do with that. Her mother has a rich boyfriend, Eric, however, who has invited them to his summer house so here she is. Eric has three children, hunky teen lifeguards Justin and Neale, and a 13-year-old daughter Beth. Unfortunately, Beth is missing when Kelsey and her mother arrive. There is a grand total of one other lifeguard on the island, and the prologue (as if the title already hadn't) tells us it's one of them. Which wealthy, handsome lad did the deed?
The book gets points for our raving one-eyed hermit who actively threatens Kelsey, but everyone tells her to laugh it off and chill out about it, but not much else.
Kelsey Tanner has been dragged by her mother to Beverly Island. She'd much rather go to her friend's family's cabin in the mountains. For very good reasons she is afraid of the water. Her father's death may have something to do with that. Her mother has a rich boyfriend, Eric, however, who has invited them to his summer house so here she is. Eric has three children, hunky teen lifeguards Justin and Neale, and a 13-year-old daughter Beth. Unfortunately, Beth is missing when Kelsey and her mother arrive. There is a grand total of one other lifeguard on the island, and the prologue (as if the title already hadn't) tells us it's one of them. Which wealthy, handsome lad did the deed?
The book gets points for our raving one-eyed hermit who actively threatens Kelsey, but everyone tells her to laugh it off and chill out about it, but not much else.
trulydevious's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Suicide attempt
avanders's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this Christopher Pike style book at some point in elementary school and have re-read it several times since. It's not the best written book and it's certainly not literary, but it's a fun novel with intriguing characters and I will likely read it several more times :). P.S. "Don't call for help. He may just kill you."
the_bookubus's review against another edition
3.0
This story is about Kelsey who travels with her mum to an island for the summer to stay with her mum's boyfriend, his daughter and two sons. On arrival they find out that his daughter has gone missing.
We also learn that there have been some mysterious drownings recently despite all the beaches being manned by lifeguards. I suspected every character at some point, including the actual killer, but I was still surprised at the reveal. There are also a couple of sections written from the killer's perspective which I thought were really interesting.
Seeing as I haven't read this in a good 20-odd years I was very pleasantly surprised to find this so engaging and enjoyable! Cusick is a great writer and I really enjoyed her storytelling. Sure, it's a bit cheesy and dated but it is 90s YA so I think that's to be expected!
We also learn that there have been some mysterious drownings recently despite all the beaches being manned by lifeguards. I suspected every character at some point, including the actual killer, but I was still surprised at the reveal. There are also a couple of sections written from the killer's perspective which I thought were really interesting.
Seeing as I haven't read this in a good 20-odd years I was very pleasantly surprised to find this so engaging and enjoyable! Cusick is a great writer and I really enjoyed her storytelling. Sure, it's a bit cheesy and dated but it is 90s YA so I think that's to be expected!
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in middle school, it was fairly good. I believe I read it in a day.
bookish_bobbin's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant. Unfortunately I could tell the ending. But since I've been reading these on and off forever it's about time I could tell what's gonna happen. But it is still a brilliant story!! I love the point horror series.
odrib's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Murder, Stalking, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Kidnapping and Confinement