Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
This book was so disappointing. I love horror movies set at summer camps. It might be the Friday the 13th nostalgia, but I love every cheesy slasher story set at summer camp. I love the retro and classic premise and the usual homages to summer camp slasher classics. I’m usually not drawn to adolescent high school stories (horror or not), but there’s something about teen summer settings that has always appealed to me, especially in horror stories. I think it has something to do with summer nostalgia and how romanticized adolescent summer memories have become to me. When summer arrives, 18-year-old townie Goldie Easton can’t wait for Ava and Imogen, her two best friends, to return to Alpine Lake. Goldie’s parents work at the camp every summer, so Goldie has always been able to attend for free, something that sets her apart from the rest of the uber-wealthy campers, including Ava and Imogen. This year, the summer before they’re supposed to head off to college, they’re working as counselors and lifeguards. The girls have an unbreakable bond, but they’ve all been keeping secrets: Goldie’s never told them that she took the rap for a car accident that killed one of her classmates in order to protect Heller, her boyfriend, who’d been driving drunk. But just before the campers arrive, Heller is found dead in the lake, and as the weeks unfold, Goldie begins to believe someone killed him. I liked how this book discussed class and the difference between kids who can attend summer camp because they’re rich enough and those who struggle to make it there, with both groups in love with summer camp and the memories made there. Despite enjoying this theme, I disliked how much of the narrative revolved around it. I picked this up expecting Friday the 13th, only for this book to be more like Nancy Drew tries to solve a financial murder/mystery at summer camp. I was expecting a thrilling slasher or a mystery thriller, but instead this book was a rumination on class differences with a murder mystery in the background. In a book like this, I was expecting the big secret to be something shocking or scary, only for one of the counsellor’s parents and their shady business deals to be a central focus. The top book review of this book on Goodreads says, “I genuinely could not care less about off-shore accounts and embezzlement and whatever other financial tomfoolery this book’s plot was trying to throw at me.” and I think that says everything that needs to be said about this book. My eyes glazed over at the reveal, and I only pushed through because I was so close to the finish line. What should have been a subtle theme running throughout a slasher/mystery story became the central focus and overtook the story to the point it became boring. This book could have been so many different and far more interesting things, but it instead chose the most boring possibility that falls incredibly flat. The worst books for me are those that have incredible potential but squander it, and this is that kind of book for me. Disappointing.
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Brought back so many memories of summer camps past! I really liked the main murder mystery plot and felt like the twists were well-placed and appropriately foreshadowed. The story also had interesting commentary on privilege, how friendships grow and change as we grow and change, and how to reconcile what you learn about someone with your experience of them.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
One thing I can count on with Jessica Goodman books is that no matter the book, it’ll be a fast read. This is a young adult thriller murder mystery told in alternating timelines between chapters as we get a glimpse into a small town’s elite camp and the passes given to people with money.
The things the townspeople allowed these camp kids to get away with is craaazy but I guess when your camp tuition helps fund the town, they will just pretend you’re of age to legally drink.
I still recommend if you’re wanting the nostalgia of summer camp and a read you’ll fly through.
The things the townspeople allowed these camp kids to get away with is craaazy but I guess when your camp tuition helps fund the town, they will just pretend you’re of age to legally drink.
I still recommend if you’re wanting the nostalgia of summer camp and a read you’ll fly through.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes