Reviews - The Counselors | The StoryGraph

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1.36k reviews for:

The Counselors

Jessica Goodman

3.48 AVERAGE

taryn_g's review against another edition

4.0

mysterious tense medium-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

megkbrown's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

leighs_library's review against another edition

3.0

I ended up on 3 stars with this one because I loved the camp and the way it dealt with the issues of the wealthy kids coming for summer and how it affects the local community. However, I did not find the mystery very compelling and the ending felt a little rushed with the reveals. I would recommend it for the summer vibes and would be a great beach/vacation read.

jess_reads_books's review against another edition

4.5

mysterious tense fast-paced

kinseybaltzell's review against another edition

4.75

dark mysterious 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: Yes

lady_lessica's review against another edition

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

gwendolyn_kensinger's review against another edition

3.0

This was the group book for the Suns Out Books Out Readathon and even though it is young adult it is set at a summer camp. So, I was in! Goldie Easton can’t wait for Ava and Imogen to return to Camp Alpine Lake for the summer. They met 10 years ago when they were campers themselves and now, they’re back as counselors and lifeguards. Goldie’s been keeping a secret from her best friends and things only get worse when a townie is found floating in the lake before camp officially opens. Heller’s death rocks Goldie to the core because their relationship is complicated. To make matters worse Goldie noticed Ava sneaking out of her cabin the night that Heller died and she begins to suspect that her friend knows more than she’s sharing. As the story progresses Goldie is determined to find out if Heller’s death really was an accident or if more nefarious intentions were at bay.

I enjoyed the tension between the girls and the depictions of camp life, which was full of traditions. I thought it was atmospheric and it will probably be nostalgic for readers who spent time at a summer camp themselves. The format of the book, flashing back and forth between past and present turns into a slow burn as we try to piece together what happened in the past with what is happening now, and place each person in the story line. There were several things that I felt were unnecessary or at least I didn’t know why Goodman wrote them the way she did: the past chapters, the division of class amongst the friend group, Goldie’s parents working at the camp…those are just a few examples. I thought maybe I would learn something from the past that affected the reveal at the end but I guess it was meant as a way to get to know the characters more??

Even though the reveals were lame I still enjoyed the setting and the friendship aspects to the story. Now I am seeking more summer camp thrillers to add to my TBR.