A thoroughly enjoyable YA monster horror book with a splash of sci-fi. The horror is definitely on the lighter side but enough that I’ll have second thoughts when about to jump into a lake for the next few weeks. The characters are really well written with a great friendship between Lemon and her friends. There’s even a smidge of romance thrown in for good measure.
I managed to read this in one sitting over a few hours. The pace of writing kept me hooked and wanting to know more.

Thank you Netgalley and CamCat Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"A Misfortune of Lake Monsters" by Nicole M. Wolverton dives into the eerie depths of Devil's Elbow, Pennsylvania, where the tranquility of Lake Lokakoma harbors a dark secret. Lemon, a young woman wanting to escape her small-town confines, finds herself entangled in a bizarre family tradition: impersonating the town's legendary lake monster, Old Lucy, to attract tourists. However, when a real monster emerges from the depths, Lemon and her friends must confront a terrifying truth to save their community. This is a book that combines elements of horror and mystery as Lemon, her friends, and grandparents try to figure out the truth behind the appearance of the real monster. Before going into this review, I do want to provide some trigger warnings for death, gore, and an animal death (this was described in some detail and I found it to be incredibly sudden – this occurs in the first 25% of the book).

With a compelling dual point of view, Wolverton created a thrilling book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story unfolds with a sense of urgency, drawing you into a world where the line between reality and myth blurs. While the book mainly focuses on the horror/thriller elements, there is a bit of a shift towards sci-fi and secret government agencies towards the end of the book. This shift really made this book feel like a horror movie to me, which I absolutely loved. I can totally picture this book being made into a movie.

There is a lot of character depth in this book, which I really enjoyed. I wasn’t expecting much romance from a horror book, but I really enjoyed the relationship between Lemon and Troy. It definitely helped that we got to experience Troy’s POV in the book as well. Throughout, there is character depth with Lemon's relatable struggles and her friends' steadfast loyalty. One of the highlights of the book for me is the genuine camaraderie shared among Lemon, Troy, and Darrin. Their friendship adds layers of warmth to the narrative. They felt like actual teenagers (especially Darrin’s sometimes immature dialogue), and this cast of characters made me enjoy the book even more.

The pace throughout the book is fast; I found myself finishing this book in just one sitting as I wanted to know more about the truth regarding the monster. However, for a horror book, I did want more of a sense of dread and terror with the monster. There wasn’t that high of a kill count (nothing like “Jaws”), and I was expecting a bit more death and destruction when I first got into reading the book. I did enjoy the ending of the book and how everything wrapped up perfectly.

Overall, "A Misfortune of Lake Monsters" is an engaging blend of horror, mystery, and coming-of-age themes. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a YA horror/monster book.

Lemon Ziegler wants to escape rural Devil’s Elbow, Pennsylvania to attend college―but that’s impossible now that she’s expected to impersonate the town’s lake monster for the rest of her life. Her family has been secretly keeping the tradition of Old Lucy, the famed (and very fake) monster of Lake Lokakoma, alive for generations, all to keep the tourists coming. Without Lemon, the town dies, and she can’t disappoint her grandparents . . . or tell her best friends about any of it. That includes Troy Ramirez, who has been covertly in love with Lemon for years, afraid to ruin their friendship by confessing his feelings.


When a very real, and very hungry monster is discovered in the lake, secrets must fall by the wayside. Determined to stop the monster, Lemon and her best friends are the only thing standing between Devil’s Elbow and the monster out for blood.

A good quick read, this was a unique twist on a creature feature set in a YA horror novel. Fun and fast paced, this was a good read for an afternoon on quirky fun. 3.5 stars:)

For anyone in need of a book that you cannot put down, you’ve found it!
The authors ability create a vivid description of their fictional world will leave you completely captivated. A completely enthralling, nail-biting thriller that will leave you questioning the mystery even when the book is complete. A fantastic read.