Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc copy of this book. This is my honest review.

This is my first book by this author, although he has been on my radar for quite some time with this point. I was really excited to give this book a go because it is Summerween and I always have a lot of fun with that.

There were a lot of really great things to love about this book. First of all the writing and the way the story unfolds is done extremely well. It reads almost like a cinematic slasher thriller with horror/paranormal elements and I really enjoyed that. I also really enjoyed how this could be easily read by and enjoyed by a YA audience, as well as keep the attention and interest of a 41-year-old reader as such as myself.

Short synopsis is we follow Taylor, a Black teenager who is attending a predominantly white and rich school on a basketball scholarship. Due to a racist action by her white peers Taylor is forced to attend camp Lanier as an alternative to go into jail for shoplifting. There are definitely rumors surrounding this camp and Taylor quickly becomes embroiled and a thrilling in yet paranormal horror-esque situation with the other campers and the location of this camp. Another thing I truly loved about this story is how the story is set as fictional happenings surrounding a real living place in the world. I always feel like that adds a real sinister and foreboding experience to a read.

There is definitely some triggers for racism in this book, but I feel it's done in an accessible way that even young adult readers could understand and sympathize with. I loved the side characters. I felt like they gave a lot of depth and richness to the story.

Needless to say, this will be another author that I continuously pick up Books from.

The writing wasn't very good, but I liked the plot. And I loved the main character's relationship with her parents. Though, it didn't really seem like they weren't taking her situation seriously enough. Especially with what happened to her brother. The ending was all over the place. Too many things were happening at once.

I was blown away by this book in the best way possible! This is my type of horror book, and it wasn’t the gruesomeness of this book because I can’t say that it was overly gruesome A lot, I would have to say it was the level of suspense that this book gave me it had me wanting to keep turning the page, and it had me fully drawn into the story. I love that this book had some history to it! Some history that in my opinion isn’t talked about and I don’t think other people really know about Oscarville!

* Thank you NetGalley & Sterling & Stone for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

When Taylor, a Black private school student, gets tangled up shoplifting with her wealthy White classmates, their parents paid for them to stay out of jail. But Taylor's only option is a community service program that takes at-risk youths and employs them at Camp Lanier.

Camp Lanier is a really good book. The story is spooky and while it is a work of fiction, it is somewhat historical, as Lanier Lake is a real man made lake that is rumored to be haunted.

I really liked Taylor, who was kind and smart, but didn't take shit from anyone. Her family was really sweet, and I felt their bond through the page.

My only issue with Camp Lanier, which did knock it down a star, is that I'm not sure it was edited. It had multiple typos, it switched from first person to third person randomly sometimes, and they mis-named people (AKA calling "Victoria" "Veronica" randomly). I think with another wave of editing, this really would be a four star book. With that said, I still flew through it, and would recommend it regardless as quick but thoughtful camper-slasher.

I enjoyed the writing in the book. When I picked it up, I didn’t realize it was a YA horror, so that’s on me. I thought the story was interesting, but also predictable (to me). I realize not every book is for every person, and that’s how I feel about this one.

I did like the summer camp setting and felt the horror parts were creepy. I also appreciated the author’s note. I don’t know anything about Georgia history, so now I have something to go research.

I genuinely loved this book! The female main character, Taylor, was a strong, black female lead, which was nice to see. The supporting characters were great as well, especially Victoria.

The story centers around Taylor, who goes to a rich, predominately white school. She gets caught shoplifting a lipgloss, and gets sent to a juvenile detention center (some friends she has).

The camp is not what it seems, with racists running the camp. The longer Taylor spends there, the more problems she sees. This story was spooky, with racial issues that Taylor is still encountering in 2024.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others.

This book was so much more than I expected. I'm from England, so I wasn't aware of the horrifying history of Lake Lanier. This book inspired me to go and change that. I loved how the author included this within the story and held up a mirror to the horrors that people have actually committed as a contrast to the more supernatural elements within the book.

"Camp Lanier" is a story about a teenage basketball star battling societal injustices as well as ghosts, both past and present.

I liked the plot, setting, and characters. The backstory was interesting, but the dialogue felt a bit awkward, and the story was too rushed in some places. This made it hard for me to get overly invested.

I think this would make an excellent movie.

If you like tropes such as fighting social injustice, camp slashers, and teen scream, then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! If you are interested in buying the book, it comes out on the 16th of July 2024.

You can see my Reel on Instagram available now @thebibliobabbler

Thank you Sterling & Stone and Sylvester Barzey for this excellent read.

I absolutely smashed this book and read it in 2 sittings. From the start the author hooked me with loveable characters and interest in what was going to happen at Camp Lanier.

What more could you want from a book - It was fast paced, had some good spooky moments, a few action scenes and twists (which I didn't expect)!

This YA horror will be a hit for YA and seasoned adult horror readers - it is addictively bingeable and ticks all the boxes for a camp horror story with an old legend as the back drop.

Pick this book up - you won't regret it!

4.5/5

Ok so this book is great! And as someone who lives extremely close to Lake Lanier, it cut even deeper! Like, for real this lake is haunted/cursed and this book definitely explores that side of things (both fictionally as well as truthfully). It has a "Get Out" vibe and a representation of Black horror both in the past and the present. It also brings to light the Atlanta Ripper, which gives this story some slasher elements, too. Camp Lanier really does a great job at bringing together ghost/supernatural horror, slasher horror, psychological horror, and more! I think our main character was extremely fleshed out and had a lot of personal battles to overcome (and did!) and I am pretty impressed it was all handled in ~200 pages. For a shorter book, this story really pulls you in and keeps you hooked while also feeling like an even larger story.

AND THIS COVER?! Can we stare at the beauty of this for a little while longer?!

Stay out of the lake!

I was so excited to get into this book after hearing stories of Lake Lanier. I was hoping this would peak my interest to read for thrillers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the book. The writing felt like I was reading something a middle schooler had written. It was really hard for me to finish the book.

First let me thank NetGalley and everyone else for this book.

I enjoyed reading this story. It’s basically a camp slasher story with ghosts and a killer lake. What’s not to love. lol Let me say, From the beginning I loved Taylor. I actually cared what happened to her and wanted her to succeed. So, Taylor is a teenage girl who hangs out with the wrong friends and ends up sentenced to work at a summer camp instead of going to jail. Once she gets to camp she begins to see things and of course nobody believes her. From there it all goes downhill. She’s being haunted by a small girl, the owners of the camp don’t like her and she’s gotta figure out why so many kids go missing from the camp. In case this doesn’t make sense, let me sum it up, READ THIS! You won’t regret it.

As I was reading this I kept thinking "this would make a good movie". After I finished reading it I researched the town and the lake and was fascinated by the diver's videos. I saw they did make a movie too!
I would recommend this book!

I received an ARC of "Camp Lanier" from NetGalley for an honest review. I was looking for a horror book to read and was very excited to have the opportunity to read "Camp Lanier." It felt like it would be a great summer read.

I liked the plot of the book. It was fascinating to me to learn about a town that was drowned under a lake. The thought of buildings under the water is very creepy, especially when you learn about the question of what hairnet to the residents. I appreciate the note at the end of the book giving the back story of the county where this happened. I needed to know what was happening at the camp and why!

The pacing of the book felt uneven. There were so many pieces to the story, and some of them were a little muddled in the storytelling. I wished the book had been a little longer so that all the pieces got developed more.

I did love that Taylor wasn't investigating strange noises and that she ran away. It was nice not yelling at the main character for acting completely contrary to survival instincts.

Overall, it was a quick read that kept me turning pages. I was left wanting more of the story.

This one was pretty fantastic to me.
A very enjoyable read indeed, that kept my attention from start to finish.
Keep up the good work ♡

I appreciated that the focus of the book was on the black experience, and it raised a lot of good points, but that's it. Other than that, this book didn't work for me.Even for a YA book, it read really young, more Middle Grade to be honest. The characters were not fleshed out at all and all of them were stereotypical. The story itself started well enough, but after the 40% point the pacing picked up too much, and the whole plot felt rushed. I didn't find the mystery compelling enough, and I though that there were too many elements that the author was not able to balance.

I really loved this camp horror novella. I usually don't love YA books but the cover drew me in. I went in with expectations of a YA book, but I actually thought it was well written. It was fun, campy, and had just the right amount of creepy elements. I would recommend this even if you're not a big YA fan.

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barney is a chilling and gripping tale that deftly weaves together mystery, horror, and social commentary. Taylor Johnson's journey from privileged teen to reluctant community service worker at Camp Lanier is fraught with tension and intrigue. Set against the backdrop of unsettling urban legends and the haunting history of an all Black town displaced for a lake, the novel explores themes of race, justice, and the supernatural. As Taylor grapples with eerie occurrences and the unsettling disappearances of campers, including whispers of a notorious serial killer, Barney skillfully builds suspense, keeping readers on edge until the very end. Camp Lanier is a thought-provoking and atmospheric read that delves deep into the dark secrets buried beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic summer camp.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't realize YA horror was a genre and I'm glad it is because this story is horror lite. It has a little bit for everyone. It's a mix of horror/slasher/revenge/race war/supernatural genres. While the story is YA the writing style is definitely meant for the more juvenile ages. I did like Taylor, the black female protagonist and really rooted for, although Victoria is the true Queen. Somehow, though it all, everything works.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This was an interesting story I know with the history of the lake this would be a heavyish book. It was entertaining to say the least. I think I wanted more of the history woven into the story. Idk maybe this book just wasnt for me but i gave it a 4 very entertaining.