I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Penguin Teen and Razorbill.

Sisters by choice. That’s how Goldie and her best friends, Ava and Imogen (Imo), define their friendship, which formed years ago at Camp Alpine Lake. This year, Goldie is back at camp as a counselor, desperate for summer to start and for Ava and Imo to arrive. With the dark secret Goldie’s been keeping, she’s more in need of their comfort than ever. When the boy who broke Goldie's heart, turns up dead in the lake, this last summer before college is completely upended—and Goldie learns that she’s not the only person at camp who has been lying. Asking questions offers Goldie no answers, only danger and betrayals deeper than she ever imagined.

The Counselors is a YA mystery thriller that is rich in nostalgia for those who spent their summers at sleep away camp. I think Goodman does such a great job of immersing us into the summer camp atmosphere, and the fun and thrilling adventures of the campers and counselors, that we did kind of lose the mystery aspect of the book. The first half of the book was very slow and the book just felt underwhelming for me. The synopsis promised a dead body and a mystery, but really the story was about the girls and the secrets they’re keeping from each other. There was so much details about the camp and the setting and not enough out into making the plot more compelling. If you’re looking for a nostalgic summery mystery and friendship story, this is an easy and light read that is only if you don’t mind suspending belief and overlooking a few details.

I'm a huge fan of Jessica Goodman but this is probably my least favorite of her books. However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I did figure out the ending and who was behind the murder early on but that didn't prevent me from turning the pages as I wanted to know how it would all unfold. I liked the girls, Goldie, Imo, and Ava, and their friendship felt real. The camp sections were fun. Overall, I'd recommend to thriller / mystery fans or those who like stories set in the outdoors.

I love Jessica Goodman! She writes yet another great YA thriller—a perfect atmospheric teenage story set at a summer camp.

I’ve noticed the author’s excellent ability to write about teenage girl friendships is a recurring theme among her books. I also love her descriptive writing—your truly feel like you’ve got a good grasp on the atmosphere and environment, pulling you straight in to the mystery at hand. Every page I felt like I was mentally checking off clues, yet I was still surprised by the ending.

I have to also mention that I’m obsessed with the cover!

I definitely recommend this to all lovers of YA. I look forward to reading ALL of the author’s future books as well!

Thank you to @penguinteen @razorbill and #netgalley for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a camp thriller worthy of a binge, this could be it. While the plot is a tad predictable, it's still a fun read to get lost in. I didn't find that I cared much about any of the characters, but that's been pretty typical with Goodman's past books as well. I will always pick up Goodman when I'm looking for something quick that I don't have to think too much about. So if you're looking for a slump buster this may be it!

Small town, meets summer camp vibes, meets murder mystery. While some of the parts were kinda predictable (or maybe I waych too many crime shows 😅) overall it's a really good book and a quick read. Good if you like mystery, secrets, and a good crime style book.

4.5/5!

Raise your hand if you love a good thriller or horror story that takes place at a summer camp. Yep, same! There is something just iconic about the setting and Jessica Goodman has served up a fresh and exciting take on the summer camp world.

From the start I bonded with our main character, Goldie, and as Goodman alternatated the timeline from present and past that connection grew stronger. Not only is Goldie a fantastic main character, but she has a solid crew of secondary characters to back her up and bring this story to life. Everyone seems to have a secret lurking behind the surface and I had an absolute blast trying to figure out everything in this book. While this may fall into the Young Adult genre, I think it’s a perfect read for all ages because it touches on relatable topics throughout.

What else is left to say? Go snag your copy now because THE COUNSELORS is the ultimate summer read!

A huge thank you to Razorbill and Bookish First for my free copy!

I love a good YA thriller, especially one set at a summer camp. This was a fun read that kept my attention, however I found it a little slow at times and thought it to be slightly predictable. I would still recommend this for someone looking for a quick and fun YA book.

Yes--this one was excellent. A summer camp, three friends who are counselors and lifeguards and then the fun ends when a murder takes place! This one hooked me from the first page and I adored all the flawed characters and their thrilling journey throughout the summer.

Well, well done!!! Thank you Netgalley.

Jessica Goodman does it again! A quick, intriguing read with the perfect amount of mystery and character growth. I loved the main character and her life at camp.

It was pretty good story, but I felt like it dragged on a hit too much to get to the resolution. And I honestly would’ve loved to I see more camp life with all the activities. Because that’s stuff I love.

Jessica Goodman has also become an auto-buy/read author for me. Her mystery/thrillers have been solid so far and I've really enjoyed each of the plot/concepts she's featured. I'll be honest: one of my Goodreads friends had a one-line review at the top of the page that I accidentally read while reading the book that gave away the main mystery-related spoiler, which was frustrating. I've been trying to determine if I would have liked this book more if I DIDN'T suspect what the spoiler review said, or if it doesn't really matter.

The writing and overall mystery in this one were both not up to the standard I've come to expect from Goodman, if I'm being honest. I thought some parts were a bit repetitive from a writing perspective. The friendship group of Goldie, Imogen, and Ava was a little meh to read about as well - they rely on the fact that their bond from so many summers at this camp would carry them through AND help the reader root for them. I was annoyed by them for most of the story so that didn't really work for me, but it didn't dampen my overall enjoyment of the book either.

The mystery surrounding the "body in the lake" was kind of lame for a while and it FELT like it took a long time to get rolling. I emphasize the word "felt" because it was a slower read at the beginning - I was often shocked to learn I was only 40% of the way through the book and barely anything had kicked off. I couldn't figure out how the person who died was connected to what that spoilery review said so obviously there was still some mystery for me while reading, plus the overall mystery and who was involved in general. Things were MORE obvious to me at the very end when pieces were coming together because of what I saw in the review. I don't think I would have really put it together on my own but I guess I can't tell at this point.

Overall, I'll for sure keep reading Goodman's books - she's doing a better job out there than many others in the YA mystery genre, IMO.

overall this was decent! the second half i enjoyed a lot more than the first half. it went in a direction i wasn’t expecting ! the beginning was VERYY YA but generally a fun summer read with the summer camp setting!

What could be better than a summer camp mystery?

While I did enjoy The Counselors, I was somewhat less impressed by the reveal at the end. Many reviews mention this so I won't give it away here, but I think there was a bit of a disconnect from the idea of a creepy camp murder and the reality of what was really going on. I'd been set up to think something crazy about the three BFFs that feature predominately in the story, but it wasn't done in the way I'd hoped.

I did enjoy the camaraderie between characters, the summer camp feel (though WOW I never had a camp experience like this bogey one!), and the mystery surrounding it all. It was told in a "then" and "now" format and I liked that BUT I had one issue with it. There was a part that mentioned something that happened in the "now" and yet the MC didn't react (at all) to *this thing* and then two chapters or so later a *then* moment happens which totally makes *this thing* come to mind, but the MC never even thought of it. I think the issue with doing a back and forth style like this is that you can miss things like this. You miss her reaction (because you don't want to give too much away in a "then" moment) but it comes back to bite you when you realize it doesn't make sense that she didn't think about that moment from her past.

Okay, if I haven't totally confused you, I'd recommend this to older YA readers due to some themes in it, but would likely appeal to readers of Karen M. McManus and other 'less suspenseful' readers of mystery/thrillers.

! Underaged drinking and smoking. Quite a bit of language.


My rating: 3.5*

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Thanks to the publisher for this gifted copy via NetGalley.

I liked this thriller although what happened bummed my romance loving heart haha. I like how things wrapped up in the end and I really wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. I was surprised. The book kept me engaged from beginning to end. The camp setting is a great setting for a book like this.

Gripping story. I am a big fan of Jessica Goodman and this did not disappoint. Will be recommending at the bookstore.

I am sorry, I wish I would have liked this book more as it seems to have a wide audience, but I did not like it.

Writing was weird and pacing was sooooooo slow.

3.5 rounded up because I genuinely liked the story until the end, which fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed the relationships in this book, particularly the complicated friendship between Goldie, Ava and Imogen. And while I didn’t necessarily love seeing Goldie’s lingering feelings for Heller, I understood it. I think Goodman did a great job portraying complex feelings and dynamics between people.

I pretty much guessed where the twist was going to go and who was going to be villainized. I wasn’t sure of the exact details, and when everything was uncovered, that’s where I thought the story fell flat. The reasoning was a little too boring, the confession a little too easily made.

However, I did enjoy following Goldie around as she uncovered more clues and lived at Alpine camp. I don’t personally enjoy camping or the outdoors, but sleep away camp settings are always atmospheric and interesting to me. Goodman did a great job encompassing the spirit and nostalgia Goldie felt at Alpine (though sometimes the descriptions were a little dramatic). The story didn’t move at a fast pace, and looking back, I’m not sure THAT much happened in between camp activities/distractions. But I think that’s a testament to how much I liked Goldie and her story.

Camp has always been Goldie’s favorite part of the year; this summer, she needs the escape more. Reunited with her best friends, she does her best to focus on her new counselor duties and puts the past behind her. But when a body appears in the lake at camp and no one seems to be too concerned, Goldie realizes she isn't the only one keeping secrets.

The Counselors was a delightful thriller full of twists and turns! Throughout the narrative, Goodman expertly crafted a rising tension as flashback memories interspersed the present narrative, slowly revealing more insight and clues into multiple characters. Goldie is generally a very aware narrator and I loved that while the focus was on her personal struggles and secrets, readers get real insights into other characters through her eyes. With every character portrayed with flawed complexities, this story is no cut-and-dry murder mystery thriller, nor is it a “horror summer camp” cliche. It instead uses a seemingly closed-case crime to dive deeper into relationship dynamics, human imperfections, and explores/challenges black-and-white thinking. The thriller premise and mystery drew me in, but the dynamic characters and intricately revealed details kept me hooked to the end. If you’re someone who loves thrillers or want to branch out and try the genre, read this book!

I don't know what it was but I wasn't feeling this book at all.

This story is about three girls Goldie, Ava, and Imogen who all met at a summer camp years prior and they have been attached at the hip every since. Now that they are older, they have returned to the same summer camp that brought them all together as camp counselors. After many lies, one dead body, and realizing that it's every man for himself, Goldie plans to get to the bottom of things.

Yea....no. This book was like every other teenage thriller novel/tv show I've seen to date. Maybe I wasn't in the right head space when I read it but I didn't find myself connecting to or caring about any of the main characters or the story line. Maybe one day I'll go back and reread this story.

Thank you so much to @prhaudio and @penguinteen for my audio and digital copies. I have really enjoyed Jessica Goodman’s previous two books so I was really excited to start this one. I liked the camp background in this story and I’m used to reading camp stories based on the campers so I liked that this was basing it through the eyes of the counselors instead.

I been struggling with some of reads lately in staying engaged and been dnfing a lot. I did make it through this one, but I didn’t love it as much as her previous two. It could just be my reading mood lately, but the audio never really grabbed my attention.

I do think a lot of YA fans will enjoy this one based on the camp scenery and the twists were enjoyable as well.