The Counselors

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Jul 13

The Counselors - Jessica Goodman

my review : ✮✮✮✮

Kick off your summer by transporting yourself to sun-soaked Camp Alpine Lake. The summer camp for the wealthiest children in the northeast is filled with endless days of friendship bracelets, s’mores, and this year… a murder!?

Yes... this was a YA thriller... but it is always such a treat to watch a teenage girl solve a crime a la Nancy Drew. I will admit I did not realize this was a YA thriller beforehand (I saw the cover, thought it was cute, and did virtually no research!), so a few aspects of the book gave me pause. But once I figured it out, I suspended my disbelief and had fun!

Our Goldie girl is back at her favorite place on earth this summer, this time as a camp counselor. Unlike the rich and famous children who travel to Alpine Lake to get away from home, Goldie is from the area and grew up attending the camp for free as a perk of her parents being Alpine Lake employees. Despite the huge economic gap between her and her fellow campers, she has made lifelong friends, especially with her “chosen-sisters” Ava and Imo. This year Goldie is more excited than ever to start sunny camp life, as the dark secret she’s been keeping weighs her down. When the boy who broke Goldie's heart turns up dead in the lake, Goldie learns that she’s not the only person at camp who has been lying.

If you’re a thriller-loving adult, I would skip, as this is definitely YA. If you have a teen in your life who wants to read thrillers, this seems like a safe one to start with - no rape and no creepy kidnappers - a murder that won’t keep them awake at night.

This book had me wishing I went to sleep away camp.

Skip the drink and pair this with a campfire and a s’more!!