Ooooh I love me a haunted camp read!! This was such a good summer thriller. I also love that it was named "Lanier" which gives me thoughts of Lake Lanier which is likely haunted with how many bodies that washed up!

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzey uses its premise well: a summer camp for the uber-rich built near a reservoir that displaced hundreds of Black citizens, and how that history haunts the present. Taylor doesn't belong at this camp, but when she's charged with crimes she didn't commit it's her only option to avoid jailtime. She even lands a somewhat cushy alternative counselor position instead of being forced to cook and clean and take care of the camp. However, as soon as she arrives, Taylor begins to uncover the dark secrets of Lake Lanier...and she'll have to avoid drowning in them.

I struggled at times with the book, but, after reading positive reviews, it may have just been a miss for me personally. Taylor felt overly naïve as a modern teen and often fell into thoughts or actions that I knew would lead to terrible consequences. Then she seems surprised by that. Taylor is also self-admittedly scared of almost everything, but it mostly works. While I was absorbed by the mystery of the camp and what was happening, I couldn't fully stay connected because most of the twists were predictable - and very Get Out. The climax was a bit too messy for me, but wasn't unsatisfying. I also wish the backstory/subplot with Taylor's brother was a little more on the page because it does affect much of what's going on.

I liked the relationship Taylor had with her parents most. Her friendship with Veronica has some nice banter. The camp itself was a good, familiar setting and a nice way to play with metaphors about race, class, and gender. The novel had some good moments of tension and scares, and figuring out which was the bigger threat (the living or dead) was a good back and forth. I'd recommend this for readers who are marathoning summer camp horrors, those who love spooky lakes, and anyone who wants a little sweet justice served.

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barsey is a team camp sleep away horror story about a haunted lake in the middle of Forsyth County. Taylor comes from a good family but since they’ve moved to Georgia from West Virginia she was granted a scholarship to go to the elite prep school in Atlanta her new friends put pressure on Taylor to do things she wouldn’t ordinarily do and one of those things is shoplift from the mall despite the fact all she took was a lip gloss the girls claimed that she bullied them into shoplifting as well because she was black and they were white she’s the one who had to pay the price. Ultimately Taylor would find out the price is two years in prison or being sent to Camp Lanier a summer camp run by a family of races. Before it’s over Taylor will be wishing she picked the two years in prison. This was a really good book a great teen horror did the story is based off of real Events Forsyth county Georgia that has a savage uncivilized history of racism I found the author made the book fun to read with LOL moments surrounding a fun horror story. It is always a delicate dance when setting something wistful on a real tragic event but I think Mr. Bharzy has done it do justice.#NetGalley, #SylvesterAndStone, #SylvesterBarzey, #CampLanier,

I think this is a case of wrong book wrong time. For me I couldn’t connect with the characters which made me not care about their story. I have read many great reviews for this book so I think it was just the wrong book for me. I would give the author another try in the future.

Sylvester Barney's "Camp Lanier" is a perfect summer read, capturing the essence of the season with its vivid setting.This four-star novel delves into the complexities of racism while maintaining relatable and believable characters. Its engaging storyline and fast pace make it a quick and enjoyable read that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

If you enjoy horror novels and are looking for a story that’s unique and scary, then look no further. Sylvester Barzey has you covered!

Taylor Johnson is a teenage girl going through a lot. After the loss of her brother, her parents picked up and moved them to Atlanta Georgia. But the family is under a lot of financial stress after her dad lost his job.

Meanwhile, Taylor is one of the few black students at her private school and has to work so much harder than everyone else to feel involved and like part of the group. So when peer pressure gets the best of her and she winds up in a sticky situation, she’s given two choices. Go to jail or spend the summer at a work placement camp. So off to camp she goes.

I loved Taylor as the main character. She was very sweet and caring and I really felt for her struggles at both school and at camp. As a white person, I’ve never dealt with a lot of the things Taylor deals with. And I think the author explained it in a way that really made me reflect on what a privilege it is to not know those feelings.

The horror story that unraveled in this book was delightfully creepy. As things were uncovered little by little and the history of the camp was revealed, I was so impressed by the originality of this story. It was also really cool to read the author’s note at the end which had more information about the town and the people that inspired this story. History can be really sickening though.

The author mentions the horror movie Get Out quite a few times which felt very appropriate. Maybe it’s just me but I was also kind of getting Holes by Louis Sachar vibes. I felt like Taylor and Stanley were very similar in that they were both basically innocent of their crimes. Well, Taylor did actually steal. But barely.

Sylvester Barzey’s writing style was right up my alley. The conversation flowed so naturally and the characters were all interesting without being overly described. Victoria made me laugh so many times. Her and Taylor were an epic duo as cabinmates.

Like I said in the beginning, if you’re looking for a unique and scary story that will keep you guessing, this book’s for you. Just make sure you aren’t spending any time alone in the near future. I am super glad that I do not have any upcoming camping trips planned.

For a longer & more in depth book discussion, please visit my full Camp Lanier book review here.
https://mariankrick.com/camp-lanier-book-review/

THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOD! At first I was a little offset because it seemed like a copy and paste of Holes by Lous Sachar. However, this was so much better than that. The author takes the outline of Holes and American Horror story Camp Redwood with the historic events of African American Church massacre by burnings and Willow Grove flooding. I was glued to this novel from start to finish. The way that everything is intertwined and continuously building but yet unfolding makes it a complete masterpiece. Very well done.

I was drawn to this book because it's based on a local legend in Georgia and I am a fan of aquatic horror and ghost stories. This novel did not disappoint!

What I loved about this book:
- Creepy ghosts, aquatic horror
- You don't know whether horror is because of ghosts or humans
- Explores racism, grief, and loss in a way that adds depth to the characters and horror
- Funny and believable characters, Barzey captures the perspective of a teenager through their language and humor accurately
- Immersive horror and setting

Even though I was reading this during the day, I kept looking up from the book to make sure there were no specters creeping up on me and no ghostly children watching me from afar. The scares made it so much fun to read!! If you like aquatic horror, creepy ghosts, and stories with Black heroes, this book is for you. It is a perfect summer horror read, especially if you’re camping, at the cottage, or on the beach.

Thank you to Net Galley, Sterling and Stone, and most of all Sylvester Barzey for granting me the opportunity to read a copy of this story ahead of publication. It was such a fun read!!

This book was published on July 16, 2024, please check it out!!

It took me some time to get to this book but once I started reading I had a hard time putting ut down.

I really liked this one! The story was really intriguing and I cared enough about the characters to want them to win!

4/5 stars from me

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6727634880?book_show_action=false

Camp Lanier is a compelling tale of justice, racism and determination.

Taylor is a star basketballer but falls in with the wrong crowd at her private school, and as the only Black girl becomes the scape goat. In exchange for a conviction, she chooses to spend her summer as a counsellor at Camp Lanier, a camp for rich kids but a place with a dark history.

As teenaged Taylor begins to see the harsh reality of the world, she sees visions of a tragedy from 100 years ago and digs into the history of Camp Lanier. But as she uncovers the truth, she finds darkness in the present as well as in the past.

Camp Lanier is the camp that no one really knows about on the outside it looks
like they are helping troubled youth however there is so much to this camp. I
think that there was a lot of build up to the story and it definitely made this one worth the read. It was more for a ya audience though it still was a great read for older fans of thrillers.

Stars: 3.5
Format: E-Book
Review: Let me be honest. I am a white 40-something-year-old woman reading a book that doesn’t necessarily relate to any experience I have been through, but I sincerely appreciate the insight into a world and family dynamic unlike my own. At the surface level, this book is an entertaining YA horror set in a summer camp background. How could that not be a fun ride? I loved the family dynamic and how relatable it all felt. I was also someone who experienced the sleepaway camp, and I would have been coming unglued if I had read this before going. The creep factor was there and I can imagine having some of the same thoughts as Taylor if I was having the same experience. At a much deeper level, it was an insight into the every day "horrors" experienced by an entire community of individuals. I don’t have the right words to articulate my appreciation for those aspects of the story other than to say I am glad that I read it.
Pros: A unique premise and enjoyable storytelling. This was a quick and creepy read.
Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): Yes! Absolutely
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me the opportunity to review the title.

3 stars

Unfortunately this book missed the mark for me. It felt like a regular summer camp story with a horror subplot. All of the characters were very one dimensional and I had a hard time rooting for them.
The actual horror aspects themselves also felt a little underdeveloped and I really wanted more from that. It felt like anytime something interesting happened it just jumped back to camp activities.
It was a short book so the story moved pretty fast but I feel like the author could’ve built the story up a little more and it would’ve been more interesting

Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling and Stone for the Arc!

I normally really enjoy a supernatural twist on history and the premise of this didn't disappoint. The writing style was what held me back from rating it higher. It felt like at times there was too much information and at others not enough. I'm interested to read something else by this author to see if this book was a one off for me, or if I'm just not a fan of the way they write.

If you're looking for an easy read with a supernatural twist I recommend giving it a chance.

Horror is a genre I'm still discovering. I know that a story that lies heavily on supernatural stuff and evil spirits of a sort is probably a miss for me. Although there are exceptions. Not only that, but I'm learning that I can enjoy a story that uses supernatural elements. It's how they are used that matters. And in Camp Lanier, it was a great mix.

When Taylor arrives at camp, she quickly realises some strange things are happening. No one can go swimming in the lake. No one can walk alone around camp. Last year, a girl went missing at camp, leaving behind a very desperate mother. And there's one creepy little girl in a white dress walking around alone. Taylor's first impressions of camp are not the best. And things only go downhill from there.

Camp Lanier is actually based on the true story behind Lake Lanier. A past filled with racism, injustice, destruction and brutality. The book brings to life a reality in which everything comes back to the present as a curse to Camp Lanier. That's the primary point of the supernatural. To be a bridge between the past and the present. To set an ambient. Although, they aren't the danger of camp. That's why I enjoyed this book so much. There's no need for supernatural beings when the Man is capable of such heinous crimes, both in the past and the present.

And speaking of ambient, the story developed too quickly. I like a fast-paced story, and the writing grabbed me from the first page, although I wish it was longer. To build more suspense. Give more time to know the other characters. Getting a better feeling of being at camp, and also populate it more. For a summer camp (which I've never been to), it felt a little empty. Taylor spent a lot of time alone or with just one other character. And while there are other people around, it's just momentary, and then they sort of disappear. They don't even exist in the background. Maybe Camp Lanier is too big for the people that attend it. Although since one of the rules was no one walks around alone, Taylor has a lot of opportunities to deal with creepy little girls on her own.

Despite that, I had a great time. I was pleasantly surprised with the path the story took. I enjoyed the occasional social commentary still very much needed nowadays. And it was a very enjoyable horror. Creepy enough, not exactly scary, but I could feel the thirst for revenge. Taylor is a great main character, keeping the story moving and not letting go when things get creepy. Pursuing justice above all, and I love those types of stories. The world is already too unjust, and it’s always good to read an alternate reality in which justice is made. Even if it takes years for a determined black teenager to arrive and a ghostly little girl to pair up and take down camp.

This was a very interesting read. I enjoyed it and loved it.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this in advance

This started off really, really bad. Taylor was clearly an idiot. How horrifying to consider yourself friends with girls who are shoving a kids head in a toilet. To help them, to continue to hang with them and call them friends. And to allow them to peer pressure you into shoplifting. So incredibly stupid. Barzey tries to make it a race thing but it's not. It is stupidity--no race involved. These "friends" throw her under the bus when she is caught shoplifting and she STILL DOESN'T GET IT! The book gets good once Taylor gets to Camp Lanier. It's like a completely different story. Victoria is a great character. Full of spitfire and I loved her immediately. The racist behavior of the Hudson crew is evident and rage-inducing--this is where the actual racism comes into play. The visions Taylor has, the ghosts, the bodies in the lake. It's all creepy and fantastic. Great end to book as well. Just wish the first 20-30% could have been improved because I almost DNF'd. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

This was mostly good but honestly it really doesn't read like horror. It has a couple of moments that one my classify as horror but the majority of the book is more of a drama. I also felt like the book couldn't decide what type of horror it wanted to be. Too many tropes and none of them properly explored. I also dislike the attitude of the main character most of the time. I think it's great to be proud of oneself and to know one's own strengths, but Taylor's attitude was a bit much in this area. She comes off as conceited and full of herself quite often. I did enjoy the ending quite a bit though. It was very satisfying.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I really enjoyed this book.

I went back and forth for so long about how much was supernatural and how much was real that was happening. For that reason this really made me think and wonder what I believed was happening as a reader. I really enjoyed the story having so many layers, the camp and the history of the town and adjacent towns. I found that very fascinating!

I love complicated characters and challenging characters which this book had. I also really enjoy groups of friends and found family as a trope. I really appreciated the themes and delicate topics discussed and addressed in this story and the way they were approached.

Overall this was a good read and a fun horror/Thriller novel! I will definitely recommend it to my friends!

I really love the cover! I think that is what stuck out immediately.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

Oh wow!!! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! Such a good story! I needed a good horror book and this one hit the spot!! Great job!!