Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

If you are an adult, you've likely read or watched a blueprint for this story before. And that's okay! A middle grade reader will likely enjoy this modern twist on the "ghostly friend" story (though as I note below, the conclusion felt more YA to me than MG, so keep that in mind if the distinction is important to you). Parker is a loner and has never been able to make any friends. She is bullied and cyberbullied, and her school district sends her to Camp Care as a consolation prize for not being able to give her bullies any consequences. Parker is determined to have a fresh start at camp - only to find out she is bunking with someone who knows the "old" Parker. Nothing happens the way Parker had hoped. Her only bright spot in camp is a mysterious friend named Jenny. Camp Care isn't all that it seems, either. Something happened in 1988, and Parker is determined to figure out why people refuse to discuss it. and why the old camp was deserted and rebuilt that year.

Friendship bracelets, mysterious accidents, and a look at the ripple effects of bullying make for a story that young readers will find suspenseful. The conclusion felt like it belonged more in a YA book for older readers to me, though, as it was pretty dark.

CN: Blood, discussion of suicide, intense bullying, cyberbullying, injuries

3.5/5 books

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. It's definitely YA but mature. It's nearly impossible to put down. The injustice that Parker faces is rage-inducing. The adult responses are almost as bad as the actions by the mean girls in this book. This could be titled Mean Girls at Summer Camp. Parker is relentlessly bullied and you become angry on her behalf. The Gory Tori secret was very creepy and sad. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this digital book.

#CampScare #NetGalley Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion.

This book was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be more of a horror / scary book plot. But it wasn't. The main driving force was bullying.
That being said, it was an eye-opening read. The subtle snide remarks, the exclusion, and the lack of adult support were very real. But somehow the author kept giving you hope so you'd keep reading, waiting for things to get better.
I really liked this book a lot. But beware of the bullying. It can be hard to read about.