It's not that this book is bad, per se, but more that its purpose/genre are not elevated by the writing. Meaning, this is a mystery book written for young adults, and therefore, the language may not be particularly complex. Now, does a book need to be complex to be intelligent, thoughtful, and a worthy piece of literature? Absolutely not! I read tons of YA literature; by virtue of that, I've read so many YA mystery/thrillers that are more dynamically written than this one.

This book had a lot of elements in it that I thought I was going to love: summer camp, survival, girl in the woods but the supernatural twist didn't work for me this time!

I've loved Durst's other books so had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, the survival thing has been done better by others, and the supernatural element just felt forced.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I'm a huge sucker for YA horror centered around girls in the woods, so I thought this was going to be a real treat. It was...not. I didn't click with the writing or the characters, and I found them a bit irritating, unfortunately. This is clearly a me issue, and I'm sure others will adore this YA alternative to 'Yellowjackets.'

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy.

Claire has a lot of anxiety and is not looking forward a summer camp at the Lake House, but her parents think this will be a "formative experience" for her. She arrives at the camp with two other late arrivals, Reyva and Mariana and dropped off by Jack, a teenager. Immediately, the girls find the burned buildings and then a dead body in the woods and realize that someone is hunting them and they have no way off the island.

Strengths: This book immediately sucks you in and because the characters are extremely likable, you are rooting for them to survive. I enjoyed the evolving relationship between the girls and they accepted Claire's anxiety and helped her realize that overthinking and analyzing situations is also a plus in dangerous situations.
Weaknesses: The book seemed much longer than 253 pages and at times the plot seemed repetitious; however, there is enough action to keep YA readers engaged.

I will be purchasing several copies for my middle school library and recommend as a must purchase for libraries.

This was a total hit for me. I went in without any real expectations and was totally blown away! The comparison to Yellowjackets is apt, and I think this book will be a hit with fans of the show for sure.

I loved the survivalist aspect of the book, I had no idea that was going to be part of it. And I thought I had the twits figured out from the beginning but I was way off which was a delightful surprise (though I think some could see it coming).

There is some really great character growth, and I really appreciated the representation of anxiety (potentially OCD) which I think was really accurate.

The ending did feel a little rushed to me, I think it could have benefited from a few more pages, but overall, a super solid read.

ARC was given by NetGalley & HaperTeen in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (April 25, 2023)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, murder, depictions of blood, stalking, gun violence, violence, on page suicide, depictions of anxiety & panic attacks, mentions automotive accident (in the past), graphic injuries

“And the worst part wasn’t that there was a dead body here. The worst part was that somewhere out there… was a killer.”

First off, let me start by saying how excited I am to finally be able to share this review now that the HarperCollins strike has ended! I really enjoyed my time buddy reading this book with two of my favorite people and I’ve been eagerly waiting to tell you all about it. I never thought I’d be someone who gets into survival thriller books, but here we are and now I’m keeping my eyes peeled for more survival thrillers. And if the survival thriller aspect doesn’t lure you in, let the cover intrigue you enough to give this book a chance especially for fall reading!

Claire has spent her whole life making lists in her head of worst case scenarios, triple checking and preparing for anything, including the worst case scenarios. It’s just how she’s wired, but most people worry for her including her parents. So much worry, in fact, that they ship Claire off to a summer camp bonding experience with two other girls. However, things suddenly turn dark when the three girls are left on the island, ready to enjoy their week of bonding, when they discover the lake house they’re supposed to stay at is burned to the ground and they find a dead body in the woods. They’ll soon realize that nothing is by accident and someone, something is hunting them and refuses to let go.

Honestly, I loved our cast of characters! Reyva was probably my favorite out of everyone just due to the fact that even though she’s bonding with Claire and Mariana, she’s the person we really have to peel the layers back with. Reyva is the character we find the backstory and details of last, and that’s just by her character’s design. I loved it so much and Reyva is also a gamer, which you know I love a good game I can curl up with for hours. Mariana was such a fun time though! For starters, Mariana loves cars and gets really passionate about it. I adored reading the sections of Mariana talking about it. Seeing characters being passionate about the things they love and adore is like drinking a glass of cold water, refreshing and energizes my soul! Out of all of the characters, Claire was the hardest for me to connect with and I think it’s just due to the way Claire is written. While it’s clear Claire has severe anxiety and intense overthinking, it wasn’t clear on if she also has agoraphobia (the fear of open or public places) which I would have liked some clarification on due to having quite a few passages about how Claire never really liked going out into to public or liked being in public places. Either way, I still appreciate the anxiety representation, despite not having that clarification. All together, I enjoyed these three girls together and I loved the way the book concluded with the three girls, as well.

“Reyva said, quieter, “I don’t know who told you that broken means weak, but that’s bullshit. You are the smartest, most capable person I’ve ever met. And just because your body doesn’t behave the way you want it to all the time does not mean that you aren’t strong.”

There were so many fantastic discussions happening throughout this book between Claire, Mariana, and Reyva. A lot of conversations surrounding mental health and how some times the world, and people, make you believe that there’s something really wrong with you when there’s not. There’s underlying discussions surrounding stigmas with mental health and how you can internalize not feeling enough, how having mental health hardships or a disability somehow makes you weak or you feel broken, and I loved watching these girls talk about this and shoot it all down. I have a lot of love for books that can have discussions surrounding mental health, shoot the negative down, and at the end be like, “You are so much more than just your mental health.” And I felt this book conveyed that in a really good way. What I loved even more than these discussions was the fact that it brought the three girls closer together and strengthened their bonds. Seeing the author write that into the story made me really soft and sappy, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over how much it warmed my heart.

All of the character love and the mental health talk aside, the atmosphere was really good. Even though I haven’t read this book in a hot minute, I still vividly remember the atmosphere. I remember how I just wanted to keep reading and was so captivated. The minute the girls are dropped off on the island and discovered the lake house was burned down, I had to make sure I was stocked on water and snacks because I knew I hunkering down until I finished this book. I think due to the atmosphere being well built, the pacing of the book read so fast for me, personally. However, I will admit that I went into this book with the mindset of wanting to have a fun, captivating, thrilling time and I felt I had received that in my reading experience.

“There was something wrong. Wrong about the house, wrong about the cave, wrong about the forest and the sudden storms and the birds that fell quiet.”

If I had to say anything bad about this book or say what others might not like about this book, it would probably boil down to two things. The first thing being the storyline. Let me just say, the storyline is a wild ride and even though I enjoyed it, I think readers will either have a fun time or absolutely hate the direction it goes. I think for those who will be on the disliking end of the direction the storyline goes will feel like the storyline is odd or potentially come off as half-baked. And the dislike for the storyline also ties in with the second thing, the ending or the conclusion to the book. Now, this was my only issue with this book, but it wasn’t enough to make me knock a star or anything like that. The ending felt very unsatisfying with how things concluded on the island and the way it was wrapped up. Again, I loved watching all three of the girls meet up and still get that happy ending, but everything else before that scene felt like something was missing or almost like the author took the easy way out to wrap up the book.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading this. Again, I loved chatting about this book with my friends and fellow buddy readers. It was a great read for us all around and some of the discussions we had surrounding the book were some of the most memorable conversations I’ve ever had. There was just so many great things about this book and I think readers will have a lot of appreciation for the anxiety rep, disabled/chronic pain rep, the lgbtqiap+ rep, and the atmosphere. I love a good spooky atmosphere for a read. This is a very autumnal read and I definitely recommend curling up with it during the Halloween season or just a really stormy day!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This book was a wild ride. Three girls get trapped on a remote island with a killer, and they have to figure out what is hunting them and survive. This is a great book for those who like mysteries and thrillers.

An off-the-grid summer trip.

A burnt cabin.

A body in the woods.

HOLY MOLEY!

What a freaking read!

This was my first book by the author and I must say this woman really knows how to put her readers on the edge of their seats. The characters, the horror, and the anxiety levels this book gave me. I could not put it down. I wanted to see the story through to the very end.

Claire - I love her.

She has anxiety much like me. She is one of those that has to do so many checks on locked doors, windows, and everything in between. She may be prepared for the off-the-grid summer camp but nothing prepares her for what she and the other two girls find. A burnt-out cabin and a body in the woods show that she really is prepared as she thinks she is. There is a killer out in those woods and he is stalking them.

This book will give you everything - horror, anxiety, and keep you on the edge of your seat. You won't want to put this book down until the very end. You will love the characters. They are well-written and the storyline will give you creepy, horror-like vibes.

I want to thank Netgalley, the author, and Harperteen for giving me a chance to read this book for an honest review.

First, of I just have to say I loved the cover art.
This book is about Reyva, Mariana and Claire they are sent to a camp by there parents. When they get there they find a burned down house and a dead body. They have been stranded with no way home.

This book took a huge twist that I was not expecting. It's definitely very unique. If you like books that are survival books, camping, and horror you'll love this book.

The only thing I disliked about the book is the language (it wasn't much but still didn't feel necessary) and that Marianna was bisexual. I felt like the author just made her bisexual just so she could say I have a LGBTQIA character in my book.

…..I liked the cover art. But…. Honestly… that’s about it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I probably wouldn’t recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

"The Lake House" is a fun, fast-paced thriller that pits three teenage girls against a murderous and violent mystery. They thought they were going to camp, and instead what greets them is a burned down house and the dead body of the counselor that was going to be welcoming them to their summer fun. The three girls have to band together to figure out what's going on and how to survive it.

I love survival horror, and this was YA survival horror done really well. All three girls were distinct and interesting, and I particularly enjoyed how they became friends despite their differences. No one made stupid decisions, everyone was doing their best - there was no cheap tension about silly things. These girls were smart and made good choices!

There was a twist early on that I figured out pretty fast, so it didn't pay off for me. After a strong start, things devolved about halfway through as what was going on became more apparent. Still, I recommend this one for anyone who wants a fun, thrilling YA about friendship, bravery, and survival.

Thank you NETGALLEY, author, and Harpercollins for this ARC! I support the Harpercollins strike, but I believe the author shouldn't take any hits for being with Harpercollins.

I never read horror/thriller books, but this book had me pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the characters, and their sense of humor, especially Mariana. She tried to see the greater side of things and was always questions such as "What is your favorite color?" even though they were stuck on the island which I enjoyed. The main character is great at solving things and always being 10 steps ahead. It is fortunate that the three of them were together on the island with their own special expertise which helps them survived. The only problem with the book was the plot twist, which wasn't that shocking in my opinion. I felt like the author could have gone with something else for the plot twist, but she went with an obvious approach in my opinion. The reason why I gave it a 3 star rating was the ending with Jack. I was sitting there reading thinking, "Did the author forget she has a character named Jack?" which it is explained why it was written like that. Though I didn't like that, nor the realization about Jack at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. When a author can write a story that actually gives me anxiety means it's a good book in my mind. :) The other thing I loved is, the main character is me, very anxious and consumed with thoughts of death, being able to have a character that I see myself in really helped me look at how I let those thoughts consume me and how I really need to work on not letting it bother me so much.
Highly recommend this if you are looking for a fun read.

Going into this I was expecting something that felt a little more serious in tone and a bit dark based off of the cover. However, I really loved the characters and watching how they became friends. I also really felt for Claire. I've never read a protagonist with such a unique personality and I really understood her fears. I loved watching her growth throughout the book.

I did love this book despite the odd plot twist and it not being as fast-paced as I'd hoped.

Thank you for my ARC.

Okay, so I will start with saying I liked this book. If you're interested in wilderness/survival-type books and are okay with the author not pushing things too much, I'd give this one a shot. I haven't read many lost-in-the-woods-how-do-we-survive type books, but I definitely enjoy that type of scenario in entertainment, and I think this book does that aspect of it very well, for a YA at least. Where it lost me a bit was the explanation behind what was actually happening. I don't want to give anything away but it's just not my kind of thing and I feel it's a bit of a cop out in books. Would recommend if it sounds interesting, but I would say to not expect anything life-altering and just enjoy the ride! It's a fun one.

I really enjoyed this book, up to a point. I liked the main characters and how they were able to open up to each other about their quirks and share their secrets. I also enjoyed how the girls pooled their skills to survive in the wilderness.

The mystery was really engaging, until the end. There were a few theories regarding why the house burned down, the murder, and how the girls ended up at “camp,” but the end result was a little too out there.

Overall, a really appealing story.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen, and Sarah Beth Durst for the ARC.

3.75 ⭐️
Lately my vibe has been reading survival horror books and I was so excited to get sent a copy of this book. When it mentioned Yellowjackets in the title I immediately knew I had to read it.

Claire’s paranoia and anxiety is something that I really related to in terms of how she always thinks about the worst possible outcomes. I loved how her character developed and, in turn, it made me feel very seen and much better about my own anxieties.

The other girls, Mariana and Reyva, were also really well developed and I loved how they were all so different but very similar at the same time. They were all really fun to read and learn about.

The plot twist was predictable for me because of Yellowjackets being mentioned and I had hoped it would go the direction that it had. So even though it was predictable for me, I still enjoyed reading it. However the last few chapters of the book felt a little rushed but also there was slightly more story than necessary and I think it could have been summed up with a couple chapters less.

Even still I would 100% recommend this book to any friend looking for a good survival thriller book.

There’s something about YA thrillers that just hit the spot. I don’t know why it’s so entertaining reading about a group of teenagers fighting for survival from a potential killer in a remote off the grid summer camp but it just is. Something about YA thrillers just hit different sometimes, ya know?

I was racing through this book because I was dying to know how it ended! This book drops zero hints, so there is no way you can even begin to theorize who is behind all of this and why, because it gives you hardly any information until about halfway through. This makes the mystery factor even stronger and makes you even more desperate to get to that promised twist ending. You don’t really get to know these three characters, their backstories, or motivations, and they feel like strangers for most of this book. Yet, this worked in the book’s favor because it leaves no room for guesswork or anyone guessing who or why could be behind it because you’re given essentially no information until you’re at around the halfway point. This ends up making the mystery even more anticipatory.

As far as the big reveal goes, I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming at all haha. It’s not a new concept that I haven’t read before, but I wasn’t expecting the book go to in this direction! Almost always, the tags at the bottom of the goodreads page for the books will at least give some hint of what direction this book will go in (like for example, if you see “ghost” or “vampires” or whatever in the tags, you know it’s a vampire story even if the book blurb doesn’t mention it) and the tags for this one do not reveal a thing. And no one better change it because it’s so much more fun that way! Once the mystery is unveiled I legitimately had no clue how they were going to get out of this. This book was gripping, claustrophobic, and so much fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harperteen for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting and lost me towards the end. The characters are great and love that they come together to survive.

Spoiler next....

The part where the author lost me was where an acient spirit possesses people to kill those in it's agenda. That would have been okay, but it came out of nowhere towards the end that it was almost like it was a random last minute decision. But, that's just my opinion.