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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Alcohol, Classism
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The counsellors is a fun, relatively quick mystery read. I enjoyed the main trios friendship and I feel like the story developed at a good pace until the end where the confrontation just felt a little lackluster and then it was over and we didn't see any of it. Just felt a little meh as an ending, but pretty good YA mystery murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Murder
Minor: Sexual content
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought it was a fun read with interesting characters. Overall I liked the mystery plotline although it wasn’t exactly what I expected at times and I felt it was a little rushed at the end. It’s good if you’re looking for a relatively quick mystery with summer nostalgia and strong friendships.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is so fun! Very reminiscent of “The Last Time I Lied” by Riley Sager but written for a younger audience. I have some minor qualms with the glorification of an obviously unhealthy relationship, and it’s clear based on other reviews that lots of other readers feel this way too, but let’s remind ourselves that this is YA and we are talking these are circumstances where the kids are just doing whatever their parents say because they’re scared. I can’t say much more about that without spoilers. I think this is very well crafted, the conflicts feel realistic for the characters and their social settings and/or class differences. The villain monologuing at the end to fill in story holes is always a pain point for me, so that’s my only real gripe. I prefer better storytelling and an MC who digs in and figures it out without having to have it spelled out for them in the final pages. That being said, every actual adult in the book behaves as if they don’t have a single brain cell. The parents, the staff, the townspeople. Collectively not a single intelligent thought. So obviously teens will love it.
(side note- there are a LOT of reviews here that should be hidden due to spoilers, tread carefully if you’re reading reviews prior to finishing)
(side note- there are a LOT of reviews here that should be hidden due to spoilers, tread carefully if you’re reading reviews prior to finishing)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
This is so fun! Very reminiscent of “The Last Time I Lied” by Riley Sager but written for a younger audience. I have some minor qualms with the glorification of an obviously unhealthy relationship, and it’s clear based on other reviews that lots of other readers feel this way too, but let’s remind ourselves that this is YA and we are talking these are circumstances where the kids are just doing whatever their parents say because they’re scared. I can’t say much more about that without spoilers. I think this is very well crafted, the conflicts feel realistic for the characters and their social settings and/or class differences. The villain monologuing at the end to fill in story holes is always a pain point for me, so that’s my only real gripe. I prefer better storytelling and an MC who digs in and figures it out without having to have it spelled out for them in the final pages. That being said, every actual adult in the book behaves as if they don’t have a single brain cell. The parents, the staff, the townspeople. Collectively not a single intelligent thought. Her mother????? Absolutely inexcusable. So obviously teens will love it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Counselors, by Jessica Goodman.
3.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
TRIGGER WARNINGS-
.
.
.
Murder, drinking, death
Camp Alpine Lake is Goldie Easton's favourite place, her safe haven. Goldie and her two best friends, Ava and Imogen, (who met at camp as kids), are now returning as counselors. Only each girl returns with their own secrets that puts a strain on their friendship. Just as camp is about to start and the kids are due to arrive a dead body is discovered in the lake one morning and it's someone that Goldie knows. Now Goldie is left wondering if Ava had something to do with the death. Could her childhood best friend really be a murderer?
I found the book to be slowish at times and it kind of dragged on for a bit in certain places.
But... as usual due to her writing style you can kind of predict how the story will go; The plot/story will have some random curve balls in guessing who the killer/killers are and you'll know better then to assume the first person that seems to be it, is probably not the killer.
I hated the fact that everyone kept telling Goldie that Heller loved her because he kept telling people he felt guilty for having her take the blame yet he never righted any of his wrongs... This left Goldie believing what exactly? That what she and Heller had was actual true love?
#thecounselors #booklover #bookstagram #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #bookobsessed #yabooks #igreads #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #booksofig #bookhoarder #bookhaul #goodreads #shelfie #bookrecommendation #bookshelves
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol