Thank you NetGalley for the ARC


The premise of this book is amazing, and execution on the atmosphere is wonderful. The writing leaned too YA for my liking unfortunately, which really took me out of the horror experience. If YA books and horror are your thing, I would highly recommend this one!

Thank you netgalley for the advanced preview book. I just love getting advance copies! This one lives up to the hype!

I believe this novel just wasn't the target audience for me. Some novels these things do not matter, of course, but this novel read more middle grad than young adult and the contrast between the language of the characters and their actions with the juvenile writing left for a jarring experience.

The history of the camp was interesting, and it had the camp vibes of a B horror movie and I certainly did not despise reading it. I feel with the content toned down and some language removed, this would thrive more in the middle grade department, though. I hate to give a new author a less than enthralled review, so I will add there's promise here and I appreciate the themes of mental health and the positive family representation, which I think we should have more of in our books.

This horror book is a must have for YA and older. It follows a young black girl as she gets caught for shop lifting and what happens during the time of her “punishment.” If you love Friday 13th then this is for you!

Black horror is a mind warping genre that is rapidly taking over the horror world. It has extra tension built into an already horrific setting, the racial tension builds the suspense and maintains a sense of realistic nature. The story is captivating and truly unique.

I had a good time reading this book. While horror isn't my favorite genre this really was a fun read. I enjoyed all the pop culture references. It really dated the book and added a splash of fun. This book was a quick and easy read and I enjoyed it very much. I think that it really had a good vibe of old school horror and that's why I stayed interested. Not to mention Sylvester Barzey is a great writer. I will definitely rec this book to friends who are looking for a nice horror read.

First of all: the cover! It's stunning. The book is scary and entertaining. Recommend! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #Sterling&Stone #SylvesterBarzey #CampLanier

Title: Camp Lanier
Author: Sylvester Barzey
Format: eBook
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
Publication Date: July 16, 2024
Themes: Family, racism, friendship, paranormal, haunting,
Trigger Warnings: Bullying, racism, mistreatment by law enforcement, paranormal, ghosts, family drama

This YA novel was a pleasant surprise. It’s about Taylor, who is a black student at a private school. When the popular girls befriend her, Taylor thinks she has it made. When her new “friends” convince her to shoplift and then frame her for the whole crime, she’s sentenced to a summer in a work release program called “Camp Lanier.” When she arrives, she notices that an unusual amount of tragedy has occurred here. When she looks further into it, she uncovers something that should remain buried.

This is a mash-up of all the summer camp horror tropes. It’s part ghost story, part slasher, and part high school drama. It was quite a treat. It was an easy read and very cinematic. The protagonist was likable and funny. The writing style was relatable and humorous. This book achieved the feel of a good campfire ghost story as well as the summer camp slasher.

While I enjoyed the story, I had some trouble liking most of the characters. I liked the main protagonist, but the supporting characters were a little difficult to connect with. I felt they could have been better established. It was hard for me to care when something happened to them. The ending was predictable and fell a little flat for me.

Overall, I do recommend this book for a fun YA summer read. I enjoyed and will look into the author’s other books.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

I enjoyed this book for its campy horror vibes. The book is about a teenage girl who gets caught shoplifting. Her punishment? To work at a summer camp. What she finds is the camp is not what it appears to be.. if you like ghost stories, slashers, and revenge you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to the author, @netgalley #SterlingAndStonePublishing for my gifted e-ARC‼️

A book that said so much yet nothing at all. We’ve all heard the creepy and eerie stories about Lake Lanier and the horrific events that lead to the lake’s creation. So, I kinda expected the author to overly deliver in every aspect. Buuuuuut that wasn’t quite the case with this. It was entertaining nonetheless but horror wise I wanted more . . . . SCARE ME lol make me feel something . . . anything‼️

The girls Taylor was hanging with . . .didn’t like them. I knew from the beginning they’d be the cause of her downfall somehow.

When Taylor started hearing and seeing things at camp that would’ve been my queue to leave. Like sir can you call my parents and see how long the judge said I’d be in jail 😂 ghosts and a possible serial killer on the loose I’ll take my chances in the big house‼️

Campers disappearing but nobody seems worried because they left a note 😐 A NOTE?

The basketball game SCRATCH IT OUT.

Taylor having flashbacks of the past was the most interesting part to me it helped us understand why she kept seeing the little girl and what was here before the lake.

The plot twist was not what I was expecting although I had assumptions. Things would’ve flowed better if we stuck to the plot and focused more on the lake because I could’ve done without the serial killer.

Overall, the book was meh it had potential but fell short for me. There’s a lot of horror, trauma, and pain surrounding this lake and the drowned town beneath it. So, there are so many ways the author could’ve developed this story. The pacing was really quick though and again I was entertained so I think it’s still a decent read and some may enjoy it more than I did.

This was a phenomenal read! The mix of history to mystery was perfect. I had never heard of Lake Lanier before reading this book and I feel like this was an amazing way to get the story out there. By giving the lake and the residents of Oscarville justice by taking those who took everything from them. The perfect revenge that screamed karma!


*I received a free ARC from NetGalley*

*Camp Lanier* blends ghost story, slasher horror, and revenge tale through the lens of its Black protagonist, Taylor. Set against the backdrop of a camp haunted by the legend of the Atlanta Ripper, the story offers an intriguing mix of urban legend and supernatural elements.

While Taylor's traumatic backstory sets a compelling tone, the execution falters. I find the writing more suitable for a middle-grade audience, with Taylor often appearing passive and frustratingly naive in her relationships. The horror elements lack depth, and the predictability of plot twists detracts from the suspense, leading to a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion.

Despite its flaws, the book excels in atmosphere, delivering eerie camp vibes and engaging ghostly encounters. The incorporation of historical context, particularly regarding Oscarville, adds depth and prompts reflection on racism and displacement.

Overall, *Camp Lanier* shows potential with its captivating premise and important themes but struggles with pacing and characterization. It may appeal to YA horror fans, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a deeper or more intense horror experience.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

When Taylor's rich white friends peer pressure her to shoplift and she's caught, she isn't expecting her friends to turn their backs on her and for their parents to pay their way out of trouble and leave her in the dust, but unfortunately, that's what happens. Without the means to pay off the courts like her former friends, Taylor faces an unfair judge known for giving harsher sentences to people of color and is stuck between an insane amount of jail time or a summer work program at a camp on Lake Lanier.

Despite having to miss a training program she was meant to be a part of for the Summer, the choice is obvious, and soon enough Taylor's parents are dropping her off at Camp Lanier, where almost all of the campers are wealthy and white (aside from Taylor's roommate) and anyone of color is across camp sleeping in shabby tents instead of cabins and working in ridiculous conditions. But because the camp wasn't expecting another person for the work team, Taylor is offered a position as a back up counselor.

Soon into her stay, though, strange things start to happen at Camp Lanier. A woman comes searching for her missing daughter though the camp director claims there was a note left behind when she disappeared claiming that she was running away; there are strange voices and children in the woods that taunt and chase Taylor through the trees; and worst of all, there's a young black girl in a white dress who turns out to be a ghost haunting Taylor, trying to tell her something.

Is there something to the legends that say an all-black town was buried beneath Lake Lanier when it was filled in the 50s? And if so, were the people of the town really forced to leave, or is something far more sinister hiding beneath the surface of the lake? And even if Taylor discovers what's going on at Camp Lanier, will she and her friends live to tell the tale?

my thoughts? ⬇️

I was immediately interested in this book when I saw Lanier in the title, because I was born in Georgia, and I was even more excited to get into it when I read the synopsis. Taylor was a great character to follow along with, and I loved the way that all of her grief and her passions and her dreams fed into the way that she reacted to the camp and interacted with the people around her, whether those people were friends like Victoria or Liam or someone she views as a rival or enemy like her former friends or Rose at camp.

The pacing of this story was beautifully written, the way that Sylvester took real, haunting Georgia and Lake Lanier history to add to the depth of the story. Plus, the double punch of the sinister background of the camp director's family and the camp itself and the telling of the lake's history were so heartbreaking and terrifying, and some of the body-horror forward scenes were genuinely terrifying.

trigger warnings ⬇️

racism, racial slurs, hate crimes, classism, murder, death, gore, death, violence, body horror, fire/fire injury, drowning, injury/injury detail, bullying, grief, suicide, child death, police brutality.

Being from Georgia, I know of Lake Lanier and its history and I really enjoyed reading this tale. I wouldn't necessarily say it's a horror story tho.. definitely more of a thriller. Good characters and a really unique and clever storyline. I'm glad I read it!

Sylvester Barzey’s Camp Lanier plunges readers into a chilling blend of horror, mystery, and historical injustice, all set against the backdrop of an eerie summer camp haunted by dark secrets. Inspired by the real-life urban legends surrounding Georgia’s Lake Lanier, this novel delivers a tense and atmospheric story where supernatural and human threats collide.

The story follows Taylor Johnson, a Black teenager who finds herself thrust into a summer of forced community service at the notorious Camp Lanier after being scapegoated for a petty crime. Right from the start, Taylor’s plight sets up a layered narrative. Her frustration over being punished for her wealthy white friends’ actions, along with her sense of isolation as one of the few Black girls at camp, adds emotional depth to her character. Taylor is tough, resourceful, and curious, and as she begins to unravel the disturbing mysteries surrounding Camp Lanier, her tenacity quickly becomes the driving force of the story.

Barzey expertly uses Camp Lanier’s history as a central source of dread. The legend that an entire Black community was violently displaced to create the lake, only to leave behind a lingering curse, sets the stage for a horror story steeped in real-world themes of racism and forgotten histories. This grounding in reality gives the supernatural elements of the novel an added weight—Taylor’s ghostly encounters, the strange crying in the night, and the whispers of the Atlanta Ripper lurking in the woods are not just scary for their own sake, but for what they represent: buried injustices and a history that refuses to be ignored.

The pacing is well-executed, with Barzey slowly ratcheting up the tension. Taylor’s investigation into the camp’s history and the disappearances that have plagued it for over 50 years keeps readers on edge, as does her mounting suspicion that something far worse than ghost stories is at play. The legend of the Atlanta Ripper, a real-life serial killer, adds another layer of horror, blurring the lines between past and present, between man and monster. As more kids vanish and Taylor begins hearing things no one else can, the story spirals into a terrifying exploration of what might be lurking beneath the lake’s dark surface.

Barzey’s depiction of the camp’s eerie atmosphere and the mounting paranoia among the kids is spot-on, with the isolated setting amplifying the sense of danger. The forest, the lake, and the dilapidated campgrounds are all described with enough detail to pull the reader into the claustrophobic, unsettling environment. Barzey doesn’t shy away from the fear factor—there are genuinely creepy moments that will stick with you long after you put the book down, particularly as Taylor digs

I think the book would have benefited from being longer because it felt really rushed most of the time. We barely met the characters and their personalities and motivations, the characters were acting like they knew each other from years since the first second, the bad people gave away their "badness" since the first moment and there was no other possible baddie, the ending felt super rushed.

Also, the books is full of pop culture references, and while that's nice to date the time the story is supposed to be happening in, it also feels like it will get old REALLY fast.

Camp Lanier is a gripping mix of Get Out meets Friday the 13th, with a dash of supernatural horror rooted in the unsettling urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia. From the stunning cover to the eerie campfire vibes, this book delivers campy slasher goodness.

The story seamlessly blends urban legends, historical moments, and ghostly elements, creating an atmospheric read. Taylor, the protagonist, is a standout—real, relatable, and easy to root for. The supporting characters are equally well-developed, adding depth to the fast-paced plot.

Though it leans more into YA horror and can be a bit predictable, the tension and intrigue kept me hooked throughout. The book offers a shorter read but hits all the right beats, balancing backstory, trauma, and escalating terror once the protagonist arrives at the haunted camp. With themes of revenge and survival, the story builds to a brutal, satisfying conclusion.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Camp Lanier—a chilling ghost story, slasher, and mystery all in one. Highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Camp Lanier was just okay. I liked our main character and really enjoyed the setting of the book. I enjoyed that it blended the history and lore of the real camp Lanier although I’m not completely familiar with it. I honestly just didn’t feel any tension and the ghost scenes fell flat and felt unbelievable. The characters choices didn’t make sense. I don’t think the writing style is for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sylvester Barzey and Sterling and Stone for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was very good and twisty. I loved that this wasn’t the normal camp slasher and had a really good paranormal element. I flew through it and really would recommend.