Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
This was a very solid read. There's nothing new or innovative about the story, but it was told very well. Goodman's writing has readability to it, and her pacing is well done. While I'm not a huge fan of YA thrillers, the book was decently structured, and it kept you engaged.
The story tells of Goldie, a young, almost, high school graduate who is in one of her final years as a summer camp counselor. Goldie has been a part of this particular camp, Camp Alpine Lake, since she was a little girl. Her best friends, Ava and Imogen, also work at the camp. They have been friends since they were little kids who went to this camp together. Unlike Goldie, Ava and Imogen are very affluent, which does cause some tension. Not wanting to give away too much, there is a murder that occurs at the camp that Goldie is connected to, and we follow her, trying to figure out what happened.
While the mystery is fine, what I enjoyed about this book was the relationship between the three young women. Goodman wrote such a solid friendship and made these three women truly care for each other. I love seeing that in a YA novel, especially. There was a hint of a past romance, which was important but didn't overshadow the real relationships, which was the friendships.
I will definitely be picking up more of Goodman's work, especially if she writes adult novels.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.
This was a very solid read. There's nothing new or innovative about the story, but it was told very well. Goodman's writing has readability to it, and her pacing is well done. While I'm not a huge fan of YA thrillers, the book was decently structured, and it kept you engaged.
The story tells of Goldie, a young, almost, high school graduate who is in one of her final years as a summer camp counselor. Goldie has been a part of this particular camp, Camp Alpine Lake, since she was a little girl. Her best friends, Ava and Imogen, also work at the camp. They have been friends since they were little kids who went to this camp together. Unlike Goldie, Ava and Imogen are very affluent, which does cause some tension. Not wanting to give away too much, there is a murder that occurs at the camp that Goldie is connected to, and we follow her, trying to figure out what happened.
While the mystery is fine, what I enjoyed about this book was the relationship between the three young women. Goodman wrote such a solid friendship and made these three women truly care for each other. I love seeing that in a YA novel, especially. There was a hint of a past romance, which was important but didn't overshadow the real relationships, which was the friendships.
I will definitely be picking up more of Goodman's work, especially if she writes adult novels.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.
3.5 ⭐️ a fun little read. The pasing was bit weird and the characters were often unlikeable but I adored the setting and atmosphere.
This was honestly a really great book from start to finish. The twist at the end could have been predictable for some but I was shocked for sure. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I really didn’t. Loved this, loved the ending and I truly enjoyed it.
This is my favorite book by Jessica Goodman! She captures the feeling of what it means to be at camp perfectly. The descriptions are spot on and the atmosphere she builds is the perfect amount of exciting and erie.
I also love the characters! They are all so interesting and not one dimensional in anyway. The interactions between all the characters serve a purpose and further propel the story forward.
I wish we had gotten a tad more romance just because i’m a sucker for it but all around a very good and interesting read. I did not see the twist coming at the end and I liked it immensely.
I also love the characters! They are all so interesting and not one dimensional in anyway. The interactions between all the characters serve a purpose and further propel the story forward.
I wish we had gotten a tad more romance just because i’m a sucker for it but all around a very good and interesting read. I did not see the twist coming at the end and I liked it immensely.
rich people doing bad things? check. big betrayl you don’t see coming? check. murdered person that throws everyone’s normal everyday life into complete mayhem? also check. this book was SO thrilling, and for the better part of the book i was like “oh her friend DEFINITELY did it” and now i regret ever not trusting that girl. my only gripe is i WISH there was a bonus chapter where the three besties came back after purchasing the camp and on the opening day of it being camp again idk idk i wanted a peak at the happy future they deserve
I think I may need to give up on trying to like Jessica Goodman's books.
This is my third one and while it wasn't the worst, it felt so very basic and paint by numbers that I found it difficult to get really invested.
The characters never feel 3-dimensional. The storyline is never overly interesting. The mystery isn't particularly compelling. The back and forth between present day and the past never really leads to anything, it's just used as a device to make you feel bad for the main character, sort of?
It's just middling overall. Easy enough to read (though, I confess I was skimming the last chapter or so), but I can't offer a hearty recommendation.
This is my third one and while it wasn't the worst, it felt so very basic and paint by numbers that I found it difficult to get really invested.
The characters never feel 3-dimensional. The storyline is never overly interesting. The mystery isn't particularly compelling. The back and forth between present day and the past never really leads to anything, it's just used as a device to make you feel bad for the main character, sort of?
It's just middling overall. Easy enough to read (though, I confess I was skimming the last chapter or so), but I can't offer a hearty recommendation.
Personal rating 4 stars
Objective rating 3 stars
A good fun YA summer mystery read. Rich kids, dead beat town, accidents, a dead body, and summer camp.
Objective rating 3 stars
A good fun YA summer mystery read. Rich kids, dead beat town, accidents, a dead body, and summer camp.
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes