Thank you to netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Camp Lanier is based upon Lake Sydney Lanier here in Georgia. I want to preface my review by stating that I am from the same town and grew up going on field trips to lake Lanier and spending summers swimming and fishing there. I have researched information regarding this lake and know its history.

Camp Lanier is a horror mystery novel with a touch of supernatural elements, based at a summer camp.

I knew almost immediately who the killer was and felt that portion of the story was quite predictable. The supernatural elements felt very rushed and lacked depth, and the majority of the characters were not very likable, except for Victoria, who was basically the fmc's best friend at camp.

I liked that the author did take time to learn about Lake Lanier and that this was not a basic lady in white retelling (which is a very common story regarding this lake) at the end of the day it always come down to evil people.

This is a pretty short read best suited for the older YA audience.

2.5 rounded up for incorporating some despicable historic events. Formulaic summer camp horror story, with a focus on racial issues. Very one dimensional…reads like fan fiction. Writing/dialogue is amateurish, but may find fans among the less hardcore YA horror readers.

Short & fast paced.

I found myself really intrigued with the concept, there was a little bit of everything in it- troubled teens, the supernatural, legends- but I’m kinda over the Camp/Slasher hype that’s over flowing right now.

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzey is a thrilling, fast-paced horror novel that keeps you on edge from start to finish. Set in a seemingly normal summer camp, things quickly spiral into chaos as campers and counselors are forced to fight for survival against terrifying supernatural forces. Barzey masterfully builds suspense, balancing chilling moments with intense action.

The characters are relatable, and their struggles feel real as they face both internal fears and the horrors around them. For fans of horror and survival stories, Camp Lanier delivers a gripping, edge-of-your-seat experience full of twists and dark surprises.

Camp Lanier masterfully intertwines mystery, horror, and emotional depth. After moving to a new city,Taylor finds themself navigating the complexities of their past as well as newfound friendships, while still dealing with the death of their brother. Their journey is both relatable and intense, and gets even more so as they head to Camp Lanier,where they are sent to complete their time in lieu of probation.

The plot progresses quickly, and builds tension and suspense from Taylor's first day at the ominous camp. The spooky element of Camp Lanier, the impending trip to jail, and the ghostly images (is she seeing things?) kept me engaged throughout.

Camp Lanier itself felt like a character, steeped in secrets and a haunting history tied to Oscarville. The setting enhanced the foreboding tone, particularly with the lake’s dark past and eerie rumors.

Themes of trauma and survival resonate deeply, reflecting on both personal and communal loss. The interplay between Taylor's survival instincts and the camp's supernatural elements created a captivating tension that kept me on edge.

The introduction of the Ripper and the unfolding supernatural occurrences added layers of suspense and horror that were skillfully crafted. The gradual revelation of the camp's dark secrets culminated in a thrilling,action packed ending.

I really enjoyed how the narrative subtly addressed important social themes, including racial tensions and historical injustices, offering a thought-provoking commentary that enhanced my overall experience and made the book even better.
"Camp Lanier" blended horror and social themes,action and lore to make it not just a thrilling read, but a meaningful one.

Thank you NetGalley, Sylvester Barzey, and, Sterling & Stone for giving me the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Camp Lanier.

The cover, & paranormal story roughly based on facts relating to the subject of a geographical body of water called Lake Lanier in South Carolina quickly caught my attention because I am from SC.
The book was a quick read for me and was well-written. I usually don’t go for YA, but I still found myself enjoying the book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to jump into books for spooky season!

Kudos to you!

Thank you for the read! As stated in my review I think high schoolers would love this now, but for me I didn’t enjoy the writing style. I do however wish there was more about the brother’s death and how they dealt with the grief because that in its self is a horror story! Maybe in the next one. … also I wish it was longer. I guess I just wanted more but again I’m an adult so there is that

Camp Lanier hit hard.

Upon arrival, the book delves into complex themes such as grief, peer pressure, generational prejudice, and racism in a captivating and spooky YA horror setting.

It was enlightening to experience a horror narrative from the perspective of a person of color, as an individual of mainly Caucasian descent.

Having personally witnessed and challenged such discriminatory attitudes in the past (for friends and colleagues), I wholeheartedly championed Taylor and the marginalized characters who are often portrayed as disposable in this genre. They boldly stood their ground and emphasized this reality's gravity, surpassing horror storytelling. The absence of acceptance, unity, and tranquility embodies our world's terrors, surpassing any campsite.

Crafting an artfully constructed narrative imbued with authenticity is the epitome of excellence. In certain cases, it is the most effective means of capturing an audience's attention. More books need to bring awareness to these lessons.

Well done!

Much appreciation to Sterling & Stone, and Netgalley for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has all my favorite types of things, black teens, contemporary situations, LAKE LANIER (iykyk), horror, and a bit of comedy.
This is a ghost/slasher/get back story & it will have you rooting for a protagonist who’s against the odds.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

Unfortunately I didn’t realize how YA this would be and it’s not my cup of tea. Thank you so much for the chance to read and I’m sure you will find your target audience!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the eARC of this book.

This was the first book I had read from this author, but I’ll definitely read more. I enjoyed this book and I think as a white reader it’s so important to read books by BIPOC authors for a myriad of reasons. This book shows the microagressions and straight up racism that black people and other people of color have to deal with on a daily basis. Even in this day and age.

My one complaint, which isn’t even really a complaint, is that I wish the book had been a little more fleshed out. I wish we’d gotten a little more of showing the family struggling with their grief and working through it. There were times the book just felt a little rushed.

That being said, I did enjoy it and will read more.

"My summer was all planned out, and now everything is in the trash, and I have to, what, walk around the woods for three months fighting mosquitoes and trash pandas?"

I love this fast-paced and psychologically thrilling read. It was a perfect mix of fiction and facts as readers get to learn about the horrific event of Ocsarville and Lake Lanier throughout this story.

It is a quick read with a great cast of characters that kept me guessing until the last pages.

"The only way they’re gonna learn is if we force them not to forget."

Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the review copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Taylor attends a private school in Atlanta on a basketball scholarship, when her and some friends ate caught shoplifting, her friends throw Taylor under the bus and she is sent to camp Lanier. It has a bad reputation. good story.

**Book Review: "Camp Lanier"**

In "Camp Lanier," Sylvester Barzey delivers a compelling and chilling tale that goes beyond traditional ghost stories, weaving together themes of identity, history, and the haunting legacies of the past. This gripping horror novel follows Taylor Johnson, a young woman caught in a precarious situation after taking the fall for her wealthy friends during a shoplifting incident. Her punishment? A summer spent working at Camp Lanier, a place steeped in urban legends and dark secrets.

From the outset, Barzey immerses readers in a rich narrative that captures Taylor's internal struggles and her skepticism toward the eerie rumors surrounding Camp Lanier. The camp's history—rooted in the displacement of a Black community to create the lake—adds a poignant layer of social commentary that resonates deeply throughout the story. As Taylor navigates her summer, the echoes of the past become impossible to ignore, and the haunting atmosphere is palpable.

The novel expertly builds tension as Taylor begins to hear cries in the night and grapples with the chilling disappearances of fellow campers. Barzey’s skillful writing evokes a sense of dread that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The combination of supernatural elements and the real-life horror of the Atlanta Ripper creates a uniquely unsettling backdrop, blurring the lines between myth and reality. Taylor’s determination to uncover the truth, even as she confronts her own fears, makes her a relatable and compelling protagonist.

Barzey’s exploration of race and community adds depth to the narrative, addressing the complexities of growing up Black in America while facing systemic injustices. The camp becomes a microcosm of these larger societal issues, and Taylor’s journey toward self-discovery is both thrilling and meaningful.

"Camp Lanier" is not just a horror story; it is a thoughtful meditation on history, trauma, and the resilience of Black voices. The blend of urban legend, supernatural horror, and real-world stakes creates a captivating reading experience that lingers long after the last page.

In conclusion, "Camp Lanier" is a standout addition to the horror genre, offering scares that are both profound and thought-provoking. Sylvester Barzey has crafted a novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate a story that delves into the complexities of identity while delivering genuine thrills. Highly recommended for fans of horror looking for a fresh and impactful narrative!

Camp Lanier is YA horror with roots in actual history. I am finding more and more that I really enjoy books that take some sort of real issue and put a horrific spin on it and/or really make you think about it as a reader.

The book begins as our MC Taylor, who attends a private Atlanta school on a basketball scholarship, is thrown under the bus by her "friends" and is sentenced to work release at a summer camp after shoplifting some lip gloss. Taylor is allowed to work as an alternate counselor, which she soon finds out is the best possible option for someone in the work release program, as all the other workers wear red jumpsuits and perform hard labor. But that's not all that is strange about the camp. Soon she starts hearing screaming that only she can hear and seeing a little girl dressed in a white gown around the camp. The book escalates as Taylor befriends her cabin mate, Victoria, and others around camp and they begin to learn the history of the camp and the lake itself. What they ultimately discover leaves a story packed with all the campfire creepy vibes, eerie atmospheres, supernatural elements and actual historical moments into the story.

Oh, and the cover is AWESOME!

4.5/5 stars!

Wow. I came into this read with very mid expectations because I haven’t been very into YA this year at all. I LOVED this book so much! It was a very quick read with a good amount of black history, Georgia history, and fiction/horror. I would highly recommend to anyone but I just know if I had read this in highschool it would have been truly 5/5 for me! The horror was pretty light and so were the themes of racism and class throughout which makes it an IMPORTANT read with IMPORTANT themes and topics but not emotionally overwhelming. I am going to have this book on my mind for a while!


Thank you NETGALLEY so much for this ARC!

Taylor is made to go to camp for community service. The camp has weird rules. The counselors are nice but the daughter of the owner is bossy.
Thanks to publisher Sterling and Stone and to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to Sterling and Stone and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for a honest review.

Camp Lanier explores themes of grief, peer pressure, generational prejudice and racism in this supernatural, campy YA horror story that skirts the fringes of creepy, and very nicely, at times. Taylor who is Black must complete community service at an all-white, privileged camp on a lake which may or may not be haunted.

I loved the aspect of historical horror in Camp Lanier. I also thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the book, which skillfully captures how easy it is for a good kid to get caught in the snare of peer pressure and suffer real world consequences as a result of poor choices. The dialogue and social dynamic, particularly the depiction of Chanel A and Chanel B, were a real highlight in this story and masterfully done. There was really something authentic and captivating there! Had the story continued at this level, it would have been a home run.

As the story progressed, I struggled with some of the pacing and the plot. It wrapped up too quickly, after a rather muddy and messy culmination, which felt anticlimactic. Yet, that’s not what gave me the most difficulty. By the last third of the story, all the young characters’ dialogue merged into one identical sounding voice—there was no differentiation from the FMC’s voice, vernacular or narrative style, which was problematic for so many reasons.

Still, overall, Camp Lanier is a worthwhile cautionary campfire tale with some substance, lessons and messages, a few spooky moments, and an interesting concept, worth a read.

I really liked this book, it started a bit slow but when things started happening I was hooked. I enjoyed the characters and the haunted lake.

I really like this book, 🧡 it’s a mix of supernatural suspense and survival, set in a summer camp that turns nightmarish for its attendees. The premise is very solid, with the camp serving as a central point for mysterious happenings, and the tension builds effectively throughout the book. 🫠🫠🫠🫠 the creepy atmosphere is beautiful, and the stakes feel high, keeping me engaged as the characters face off against deadly forces.🤗

However, the character development falls somewhat flat at times, with certain characters lacking depth or consistency. While the story is fast-paced, some plot points feel rushed or underexplored, leaving me wanting for more details and explanation behind the supernatural elements.

The book excels in its ability to maintain suspense and deliver unexpected twists, but its lack of character complexity and occasional pacing issues bring it down a notch. Overall, I’d give it 3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ —an enjoyable read with room for improvement in world-building and character development.