Camp Lanier is a thrilling, atmospheric read that had me hooked from start to finish. Sylvester Barzey masterfully weaves suspense, mystery, and emotion into a story that keeps you guessing at every turn. The characters are compelling, and the vivid setting pulls you right into the heart of the action. If you’re a fan of gripping tales with unexpected twists, Camp Lanier is a must-read. Sylvester Barzey truly delivers!

I forgot what this was about when I first started reading it. So to say I went in blindly is putting it perfectly. I LOVED it! I did feel like it was lacking something I couldn’t put my hands on but I digress! I HIGHLY recommend this for any of my horror junkies! Yes please! 🙌

This was a fun read! I’ve heard the legend of Lake Lanier and loved reading a story that included more about it. A quick horror book that will definitely have you hooked! One thing that bumped me was some of the pop culture references, which I feel could get outdated quickly.

I enjoyed this! It's got a creepy atmosphere and a unique storyline and characters. It's pacing is perfect and I liked the writing style. It's not overly gory or scary and would be a perfect light horror book. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Sylvester Barzey, Sterling and Stone and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

CAMP LANIER by @sylvesterbarzey is a summer camp horror book for young adults that packs a powerful history lesson. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @sterlingandstonepgh for the e-ARC.

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Taylor Johnson is one of the resident IT girls of Curtis, Academy in Atlanta, Georgia until her three white "besties" throw her under the bus after they seemingly set her up to take the fall for a shop-lifting spree they begged her to participate in. Missing out on summer basketball camp in California, Taylor is mandated to participate in a summer work-release program at Camp Lanier in lieu of the threat of jail-time. After arriving at camp

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A summer camp mystery steeped in systemic racism, classism and white washing. This is definitely a solidly YA book and the tropes and secrets are pretty readily understood, but the message is an important one and the paranormal additions added that much more scare factor. Every place has a history, and sometimes it is darker than you expect. This book was based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia.

If you have a spooky teen or new adult in your life that also likes social justice themes, this would be an excellent choice for a Christmas gift!🎄

Did you attend Summer camp as a kid? If so, where at?

I went to Camp Reed in the Spokane, WA area but I think for just one summer.

💚SMASHBOT💚

I love when a book sends you down a rabbit hole of research. I used to live about an hour away from Lake Lanier and still reside in the state of Georgia, so any historical fiction about this state is interesting to me. I loved the elements of a slasher/ghost story/historical fiction in the plot. It was equal parts tragic/suspenseful/spooky and I enjoyed the revenge. This was great to read during spooky season but would also be great for the summer.

Camp Lanier was a bit of a struggle for me as I couldn’t seem to find a lasting hold in finishing it. Still reviving 3 stars because I do believe many will enjoy it, it just wasn’t for me, unfortunately!

Camp Lanier
Sylvester Barzey

3.25 / 5

A revenge slasher with a supernatural twist, this YA horror was a lot of fun.

It would make a good intro into horror for those wanting to dip their toes into the genre. It's more creepy than scary, but entertaining nonetheless.

I recommend checking out this YA horror novel for yourself, and seeing what you think.

3.25 / 5

In my honest opinion this was absolutely terrible. Just why make the characters talk like that it ruined the whole vibe I had to dnf I could not stand it any longer

Camp Lanier is about a young school girl Taylor who is trying to fit in her new school among rich and privileged kids and she is the scholarship kid. From the very first page, I liked her humour. She is funny and sassy and typical teenager. Normally I do not like YA but this was really good to read.

Overall my rating is lower than what I would have given for few reasons

* I expected more horror in this story. It isn't really horror if you ask me coz there were very few horror elements and jump scares in the story.

* Also I didn't like the ending, it didn't make much sense to me also it didn't have any shock or surprise. So it just felt meh.

* There were few scenes in the book which made no sense like <spoiler> when first time the killer is shown and they get rid of him, in real people would have chased the man, I don't know but there were few scenes in the book that made me go really? </Spoiler>

Apart from the few points mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I definitely going to pick up some other works by the author if they are this hilarious. There were many laugh a loud moments for me, some were too smart to not dwell on it.

Thank you Netgalley and sterling and stone for the wonderful ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Star rating : 3.5 stars

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.