I had a hint of what this one was about just from the title .. I’m a big fan of the spooky, so I’m fairly familiar with the haunted history of Lake Lanier. This book definitely hit on some of those notes and more.

I can’t lie, I lost the plot a little bit towards the end. There was definitely a lot going on all at once. A little rushed and a lot of jumping around. All being said though, it was a perfectly enjoyable summer camp supernatural slasher.

This was super interesting. I liked the storyline and general pacing. I was kept interested the whole time and just couldn't stop turning pages

Thank you NetGalley & Sterling & Stone for a copy of Camp Lanier. Chilling horror story based on Lake Lanier. I knew who the culprits were but still enjoyed the book! Definitely recommend..

I'm definitely in the minority here ... but this was more "camp" than "camp" for me, if you catch my drift. I was hoping for "Get Out" meets summer camp but the execution left much to be desired. Things happen at a swift pace, and the side character Victoria was entertaining, but that's it. This is not realistic in any way. This reads like the author's never been to summer camp. The horror elements are banal and the lead character Taylor's reactions make zero sense. There was something uncomfortably stereotypical about the writing ... the voice was definitely off ... but it was more than that. For example: '"Come play with us, Taylor!" they said in chorus, then everything went black. Because I fainted, but like a gangsta.' This kind of dribble. I wanted to love the full-frontal condemnation of racism but it was not deftly done and the baddies are about as basic as starched linen. The concept was great, but only in theory. A shame.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

All opinions are my own.

Camp Lanier is a YA horror based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier.

Our protagonist, Taylor is a young Black girl attending an almost all white academy whose only downfall is befriending three white girls who couldn’t care less about her. She is sent to Camp Lanier after her so called friends set her up to take the fall for shoplifting.

This has all the feels of the campy horror movies we all love. It was fast paced and interesting. I enjoyed how it tackled racism and classism.

"I know black history. It's not my fault it reads like a horror novel."

"Out of everybody, why me?"
"Because you've been dying to scream, and I hoped if I pushed you long enough, you'd scream for us too."



Camp Lanier is a YA horror based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier. It focuses heavily on racism and the horrible acts and treatment we, as black people, still receive today.

After being sold out by her so-called friends, Taylor Washington is given an ultimatium- either do 2 years in jail or work a summer in Camp Lanier. Taylor chooses the work release program at Camp Lanier, believing it should be a breeze. That is until unexplanable things start happening. Almost immediately upon her arrival, Taylor sees a little girl running around in a white dress, but quickly learns she is the only one who can see this girl (ghost). And then Taylor's new friend, Mia, goes missing, Taylor knows something isn't right. After some digging, Taylor learns the dark, ugly truth of what has been happening at Camp Lanier for the past few decades and is determined to bring it to an end.

Camp Lanier is a quick and very interesting read, captivating from start to finish. I loved the paranormal aspect of it and how the author was able to incorporate facts and history into the book. At the end of the book, the author provides us with the horrific historical truth of just some of the violent things that happened in Oscarville and Lake Lanier. The reveal isn't as twisted as one would expect, however, given the nature of the book, it is no surprise and adds to the primary topic presented in this book- racism. I admired Taylor and how she felt it was her duty to make a change.

Thank you NetGalley, Sterling & Stone, and Sylvester Barzey for this riveting arc!

Camp Lanier is a fun take on the summer camp horror story. Black teen Taylor is sent to work at the camp after getting into trouble with the law. Although initially annoyed with her summer being stolen from her, she quickly realizes that something dark is going on at the camp.

For my tastes, the story was a little too short and fast paced. Taylor was a great main character and I loved the setting, so I would have liked more time to see her actually working at the camp and experiencing the outdoorsy atmosphere. The same goes for the horror elements, I loved what was there (particularly the lake specific spookiness!), but it all went by a little too quickly.

I think this would be a great starter horror book for someone who is younger and/or isn’t used to reading gory descriptions.

4/5⭐️
Camp Lanier follows a young Black teen name Taylor who faces racism by her peers and the courts. She is send to a summer camp on Lake Lanier which is full of ghosts, racist staff, and a masked killer running around the camp.

Taylor is a very likable main character. Her voice feels very realistic which I enjoyed! This was definitely a fun, faced paced, easy summer horror story. It was a little bit slower in the beginning but the middle-end was super quick and engaging. I usually don’t enjoy history in books but this was done very well. I had no idea about the history of lake lanier and this book definitely opened my eyes to it. If you’ve heard/ enjoy lake lanier stories you’ll enjoy this book! This story is pretty predictable but it was still very fun to read. i enjoyed the ending as well! I definitely recommend this book!

A fun YA horror read - not your average summer camp trope! Appreciated the nods to pop culture throughout. Important, relevant exploration of racism, classism, and the true history inspiration for the tale. Well paced overall, maybe a bit slow to start, and some of the dialogue between characters was awkward. Really enjoyed the detail in the horror imagery!

Even though this book was YA, I loved it as a 30 year old! It was short, sweet, & scary!

Taylor was a great protagonist. She is strong, funny, and all around a good person. Her point of view was very enjoyable!

Although it wasn’t very twisty, as you could guess the who & why, it was still awesome to read leading up to the reveal.

All in all, regardless of age, I recommend this read!

Taylor is a black teen girl in Atlanta going to an all white school. She makes friends with an unsavory group of mean girls to fit in. After being caught shoplifting with these friends (and being thrown under the bus by them) Taylor is sent off to Camp Lanier as part of a work release program instead of being sentenced to jail. At camp she faces more racism from her peers and experiences a bit of the paranormal.

This was a fun summer camp horror story. I was expecting it to lean more into Friday the 13th territory, but it definitely took more inspiration from Get Out (which is mentioned a few times in the book.) The pacing was a little too slow for my liking. It doesn’t feel like much happens in the first half of the book, and there’s never really a good build up of suspense. The last 20% of the book is where things get good and the story goes from 0 to 100. A lot of the banter between characters felt repetitive, but that is probably true to the teenage experience. The ending was pretty predictable, but overall it was still a fun read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read with a little bit of horror.

3/5 ⭐️

This was a bit of a history lesson mixed with life lesson. It definitely will remind you maybe why sending your kids away to a camp is not a great idea. Also not everyone who calls themselves your friend is actually a friend.

Taylor and her family have moved from VA to GA about a tragedy as fractured their family. Taylor is attending a predominantly all white high school. After a horrible decision on Taylors part is made, she is given only two options for her immediate future. 2-10 years in jail or she can spend time at Camp Lanier for the summer and her record would be cleared. Her parents jump at the chance to save their child and decide to send her to the camp. Only as soon as Taylor arrives at the camp things immediately don't feel right and she will have to fight for her life and uncover dark secrets.

If you are familiar at all with Lake Lanier and Oscarville,then you are already prepared for what this story will bring. As a fellow Georgia girl, I knew of Lake Lanier an I also knew never to go near that town or lake ever. Taylor and the campers will soon come to release this camp is going to be more that just campfire stories and toasted marshmallows. Everyone will not survive.

I think Author Sylvester Barzey, writes females characters so authentically. He also has a way of intertwining real life horror situations into his stories. So much so that they will leave a lasting impression on you as the reader. The writing in this story is so vivid and chilling. It is a reminder that we are continuing to tell the stories of our ancestors in our way. I encourage readers to research Lake Lanier/Oscarville,GA.

Thank you, NetGalley for this arc.. this was an enjoyable read for me. It is about a girl named Taylor, who is a black student in all white school. She gets in with the wrong crowd of girls and winds up getting arrested for shoplifting. Instead of going to jail, the judge sensor to a camper at risk students where she has to do community services. when she gets to the camp things start happening to Taylor. She starts seeing ghost of young children and other horrible images. Realizes that there are some sinister things that are happening in this camp and in the lake. She decides that if she wants to survive, she will have to figure out what the secrets are that are buried within the lake before she becomes one of the missing kids. I like the ghost and paranormal aspects in the story. It was very entertaining and I couldn’t wait to finish to see what happens at the end of the story. I would recommend this book.

Main character steals items with friends and she ends up getting in trouble, they threw her under a bus and make sure she hit every wheel and set the bus on fire. She goes to court they want to put her in jail for 2 years or go to this camp and her family picks camp so does she to do service and it would be good for her the judge states. Shes a black main character her brother died of supposed bipolar disorder and she wants to go to basketball its a way of her brother always being there with her, as she gets to this camp she meets other felons and becomes friends with them and becomes like a alternate counselor with them. But she keeps seeing this little girl in white that nobody sees and they say that the camp waters are haunted urban legends. This book was pretty spooky and I couldn't stop reading to see how it ended.

Camp Lanier is a BIPOC horror that gives summer camp and woodsy vibes and talks about real life issues such as racism and classism. Our protagonist, Taylor, is really likable from the beginning of the book. She gets sent off to Camp Lanier for the summer to be a counselor and as soon as she gets there, supernatural things start happening, but no one believes her. She quickly uncovers the dark history behind the camp. This fast-paced horror is sure to satiate any summer camp horror/slasher vibes you’re looking for! 🏕🔪🩸👻

I liked that the author included the very real history around Forsyth, GA, so readers who are unaware of the exodus of black people on their own lands can become aware. This book has a real history behind it, which makes it all that more terrifying.

I rated Camp Lanier 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 and would recommend to anyone that this sounds interesting to! As always, protect your mental well-being before you read and check content warnings!

This book releases July 16, 2024!

Thank you, @netgalley, for providing this book for an honest review!

I was super lucky to get this book from the author and it was an awesome horror/camp slasher. I enjoyed it from begging to end! I really enjoy this type of trope and was not disappointed!

I will definitely read other books from this author.

Yeah, this is my kind of horror book. When a black teenage girl is sentenced to work release at a summer camp after shoplifting some lip gloss, it soon becomes apparent that something supernatural is going on. But it gets even worse from there!

This is part chilling ghost story, part slasher, and part revenge tale all told with a great black protagonist that you'll want to get behind as the horrors of this camp keep getting worse and worse.

This book is shorter but has all the beats of a longer one, starting with the background of the protagonist and the trauma her and her parents have recently experienced. Once she gets to the camp all bets are off as the ghostly entities, the blood curdling screams (which only she seems to hear), and the terrifying legend about the Atlanta Ripper that might be making his presence felt even now all converge.

With the help of some unlikely friends, they'll have to get to the secrets of this place or wind up as victims. And the truth is more brutal than you could imagine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.