let_therebebooks 's review for:

The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

4.0

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Oooooo my summer camp loving self really enjoyed this book! It’s truly the perfect summer read - a fast paced thriller that takes place at a summer camp.

It started off slow for me but then quickly picked up as more things were revealed, including Goldie’s secret that destroyed her reputation. The story goes between present time and then past, giving us a better background of some of these characters and their roles in Goldie’s lives. Of course, this is a camp for the wealthy so there are some scandals!

The twist was excellent - I thought I had it figured out and then was very happily proven wrong. I don’t like when I figure out a twist because it ruins the effect of the book for me, so when a thriller can prove me wrong, I love it. Literally everything that I thought I knew, I didn’t.

I had a really hard time with Ava’s character. She did redeem herself at the end, but I think that’s because of some serious character development that was happening. Otherwise, if she hadn’t redeemed herself the way she did, I wouldn’t have liked her at all. She was very self—absorbed to me, and it was irritating. I loved Imogen though! She was a great friend to Goldie and a great side character.

I went to camp two or three times when I was younger and I LOVED it. I have so many fun and good memories of camp, and made some great friends who I still check in with every now and then, and love seeing how they’re all succeeding. It was nostalgic for me and so accurate of what a camp experience can be like. That was huge for me because it felt authentic. The author did a great job with that.

“Thank you for knowing, even before I did, that camp is where many children find independence and self-worth.”