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.

3.25/5 stars! This cover was so creepy and I loved it. Heading into this, I was hoping to get some "The Last Time I Lied" vibes...summer camp, mayhem commences, etc. It was a good YA mystery read, but I feel like I've read this idea several times before and I'm not sure what this story provided that was new to the genre. I did feel like there was good representation for how anxiety can really affect us and impact our natural inclinations.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

As a Mainer, I was really excited to read this story set in the woods of Maine at a Lake House retreat. YA, horror, set in Maine...it checks all the boxes for me.
Claire is a professional worrier so this trip was already a stretch and when she arrives with two other campers to find the burned out shell of the camp, a dead body, and no way home (or cell signal) her worst fears have come true. This is not just a horror (although the creep level is high) it is also an amazing survival tale, and a story about friendship and overcoming your fears.

The Lake House is a unique YA survival thriller (with some horror elements) releasing April 2023. The survival genre is my absolute favorite, and I loved how the author mentioned the television show Alone was part of the inspiration behind this book. That is one of my top survival shows too!

Our three main characters Claire, Reyva, and Mariana have all been forced by their parents to attend a Summer Camp. This camp is very secluded, and it is only accessible by boat or prop plane. Because of weather issues the three girls arrive a day later than other camp goers. Upon arrival the girls realize something horrible has occurred. The Lake House is burned to the ground, there's a dead body, and they don't think there are any survivors. Now they are stranded with no phone, and no way of escaping the island. That isn't the worst part though.. There is someone on the island hunting them, and with no escape, the girls have to use all their brains and brawn to go from hunted to hunter.

The plot was great. I loved the direction it took, and I think there was adequate time spent on the girls trying to survive. The characters are all SO likable. I saw Mariana as my sassy Latina sister. I did find it moved at a slower pace than I like. It is very character driven and focuses on their budding friendship. I think too much time was spent on Claire's internal struggle. It did not take me too long to pick up on how she views herself and how that has hindered her life in all areas, especially socially, yet this was brought up every chapter until the end. I would suggest this book to younger YA readers because I feel like they would get the most out of the writing and story.

This definitely had the Yellowjackets and Alone vibes I was craving. I loved our three main characters and the atmospheric and spooky setting and description of the island. I would have loved a little more background on the Lake House itself, along with some of the supernatural elements, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. I just wanted a teeny bit more immersion and detail on the history of the island, and/or a better divide between the realistic survival elements of the story and the spooky curse bits. But I'd recommend this for sure!

3.5 stars rounded up

This book hooked me from the very beginning, and while it did feel like it was sort of dragging a bit towards the end (and I needed to suspend my disbelief), I really enjoyed how it came together. I loved the characterization of the 3 girls and how they used their strengths to help one another, which was reiterated by the authors note talking about how often women lean on each other for help and love/support. Overall a super quick and fun read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Reyva, Mariana and paranoid Claire go to a secluded Lake House camp on an eerie island. When they get there they find a burned down house and a dead body. They have been stranded with no way home. Someone or something is watching them, waiting and refuses to let them leave.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy, ya spooky read this one’s for you!

I absolutely love Sarah Beth Durst and I am always blown away by her range of writing. This book was not my favorite. I love a good YA horror, but this one never fully committed for me. I love the the three young girls and how different and complicated they are. They felt like real teen girls to me. I think there are moments where you are anxious, but with the setting and plot elements you could have had more of that isolating, anxiety. It was pretty obvious from the start what is happening, and the twist was kind of a let down. I think this is perfect for a younger YA reader.

This story is a solid young adult horror and survival thriller. I love our main characters as an unlikely but loyal group of friends. They are each unique in their personalities and abilities that they bring to the table to help these girls survive. Their support of each other is very endearing. The character development is definitely a highlight of this book. The writing is fabulous, as her books always are. There are intense cliffhangers that make you want to keep reading. I love the supernatural elements - great paranormal, horror style. The creepy, eerie atmosphere is another highlight in this story for me. The background of the camp is super interesting, I wish we could have had more from the perspective of the events that happened in its past. I think that would have added more depth to the story world. The survival thriller elements weren’t as strong for me, which made some of the pacing drag at times. The reveals were surprising but I wasn’t as engaged in the outcome as I wanted to be. This is a positive three star read for me. While I didn’t absolutely love it, it was still an enjoyable read. It’s fun, even if not the most mind-blowingly memorable. I think part of this might be due to my own personal tastes. I do love the horror genre, especially paranormal, but I prefer adult thrillers because they are more gritty, gory, and intense.

This is a story that will motivate you to read trip advisor reviews.

The good: I loved the writing, and the creepy setting. I found the premise intriguing & I would definitely read more by the author.

The less good: I didn’t enjoy the protagonist , and that made it hard to connect with their experiences. That being said, it was an excellent portrayal of anxiety.

Thank you so much Netgalley & HarperTeen for the eArc!

3.5/5 stars. To be released April 2023.

This was an interesting one. It started out with three girls being sent to a summer camp in Maine that just happens to be destroyed when they arrive. They are forced into survival mode because there is no one else around then the story takes a very unexpected turn. The middle part dragged for me a little, mostly because it was survival tactics, but when the background of the camp started come out - I was not expecting that! There was also great character depth that was developed with the dialogue of the three main characters. Overall, a fun quick read - just be prepared for a twist!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to reach The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst.

Summary: Claire, Reyva, and Mariana go to an enrichment retreat at the lake house set out in the middle of nowhere. When they are dropped off by boat, they find the lake house burnt down, no one around, and they find a dead body. From there they are trying to find a way to get off what seems to be a stranded island. This is a YA survival/horror story that is described as YellowJackets meets Someone Is Lying.

What I liked: I liked the idea of teens being stranded and the idea of the unknown (ie. murderers, supernatural spirits, etc) with little hints of things happening at the beginning. I liked how the characters grew throughout the story and even formed friendships. Claire, the POV of the story, had the biggest struggle of dealing with anxiety, panic attacks, and always believing in the worst scenarios. I liked that with her growth she realized that she wasn't necessarily a negative person, but that she was always thinking about how to get through multiple possible scenarios based on her environment. This actually helped her survive. The beginning and the ending were the most interesting parts of this story, as they kept me captivated.

What I disliked: I didn't enjoy most of the middle of the story. I think it is because I don't think I enjoy survival stories (I read Small Game and it was the same), although I do like shows like 'Alone'. It's just not that exciting and it feels too much like the story in the middle was about getting tasks completed, rather than building up more tension and just letting the events unfold.

Overall: This story was not for me. I give it 2 stars. I have decided I don't care for survival stories, and I don't like stories that feel like we are just reading tasks that need to happen. It is too predictable, although I do understand this is a YA story.

Reyva, Mariana and paranoid Claire go to a secluded Lake House camp on an eerie island. When they get there they find a burned down house and a dead body. They have been stranded with no way home. Creepy things start going on and they have to fight for survival. This book had good creep factor and was very suspenseful. Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC!

How can you not pick up a book with that cover? An off-the-grid summer camp sounds like the worst possible scenario for me in real life but it makes for a fun book. I felt like the end was a little disappointing. The elements were all there for a really solid, spooky story but instead it fizzled out.

I will be avoiding boat accessible only islands in the future!

#TheLakeHouse #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out!

3 girls go out to a retreat center in the Maine wilderness. When they arrive there's not a person in sight, the center is burned to the ground, there is no phone service, and no ride home.

This story basically communicates the bond of female friendship, and the feeling of belonging and being loved for who you are. As a teen I probably would have loved this.

As far as a survival book is concerned, it was OK. These girls probably wouldn't have made it very far in real life based on their situation. However, it was believable in the context that horror stories ever are believable.

As a YA thriller/horror I think it was pretty good. There wasn't too much gore or violence (a little). The thrill/fear was based in the setting, suspense due to the unknown, and paranormal elements.

I would recommend to any teen seeking out this genre.

Clean of sexual content, profanity, and gore.
Trigger warning: mention of suicide.

Thank you HaperCollins Children's for sending me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin's Publishing Group for this e-ARC.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention.

Scary YA novel! The girls are taken to the lake house by boat and left…. The down side the house is gone and they have no WiFi or anything. Great read.

Jack takes three girls to the Lake House in his boat became they were too late for the helicopter ride. The girls have been sent to the Lake House camp for the summer because their parents all had a great time there, and their parents of all three girls think the Lake House will improve their social skills. As soon as the girls are off the boat, he leaves and the girls walk the trail to the house, but it is gone. There is not another soul on the island and there is no wifi. There is also evil on the island. A good read even if the end does require that we suspend reality.

Ramona Thompson