This is the perfect book for those who are looking a book set around camping and solving a mystery. Three girls shares their secrets and strengths as they survive the mystery of the Lake House.

I had a lot of fun with this novel once we got to the middle of the book. The first half sets up the scene and allows you to get to know the characters while building toward the onslaught the girls will ultimately face. The supernatural elements are a great touch and help give that extra edge of desperation and anticipation of what will happen next. Thriller and Horror aside this book is also about coming into one's own and building lasting bonds, even if those bonds are trauma bonds.

I loved the growth and character development. The trials these girls faced naturally bring each character into their own to become more confident women and lose the insecurities that had helped them back during their formative years.

While this may be another modernization of slasher sleepaway summer camp it's unique enough to keep you on edge of your seat and desperate to know what happens next.

I found the middle part / end of the book to really pick up the pace of the story. At first I was having a harder time getting into the story / characters but it really picked up once the middle part of the story hit. Overall I felt like it was really well done and kept me on my toes and I didn’t put it down until I was done. I also really like the cover design of this book as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I was drawn into this book by the comparison to yellowjackets, and unfortunately this fell short of that goal. It was a lofty comparison, to be fair, but the Lake House is, at its heart, a survival thriller. Which is fine! But the extra bits - the supernatural and crime elements - felt thrown in as garnish to me. The pacing was so slow at the beginning that it was difficult to be invested in the peril - the tension just wasn't built. The characters were likable, if a bit over detailed. Overall, a good read for fans of survival thrillers that focus more on the survival and less on the thriller aspect.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three teen girls banding together to survive the wilderness and maybe a murderer? For a YA thriller this one kept me interested. The action started from the first chapter which I always appreciate in thrillers. The distinct personalities between the three girls was very entertaining. I didn't love this one but I didn't hate it either. It would probably be more enjoyable for an actual YA reader.

Loved this ARC of Lake House! Had everything I needed: loveable characters, diversity in characters, great twists and turns, and representation. LGBTQIA+, anxiety, and chronic pain representation was included. I also loved how the characters didn’t turn on each other, instead they leaned on one another. Overall, phenomenal book!

Star Rating: —> 5 FULL Stars!!
[ Actually all the stars, but you know, technicalities… *eye roll* PSH. 🤷🏼‍♀️😉😂 ]

ARC was given by NetGalley & HaperTeen in exchange for an honest review.

Ummm, firstly, LOOK AT THAT COVER?! Stunnnnning!!!

More importantly, I LOVEEEDDDD THIS! I was/AM SO IMPRESSED with Durst’s newest YA novel!

So this is categorized as a survival thriller/ suspense/ horror novel & uh, it definitely lived up to allllll of that description. WHEW!

This book truly evokes every single emotion in the book (no pun intended 😉)! It has EXCELLENT anxiety rep (which personally, I feel like its SO hard to find amazing anxiety representation in YA thrillers/horror & this book warmed my heart with its rep!), LGBTQIA+ rep, chronic pain/disability rep, & boasts SUCH an intriguing, diverse cast of characters!

And OH MY LORD IS THIS ONE A WINNER . It was SO FUN! So much amazing ride or die energy with these girls (our MCs) !!! I LOVE IT when characters in bad situations are still there for each other no matter what! And holy lord is that “no matter what” extreeeeemely pertinent here, because sh*t gets DAMN REALLLL BONKERS!

I read this book in ONE SITTING! I laughed, I cried, & was scared out if my mind at times, & It literally kept me up all night long reading until the end!…

More comprehensive RTC closer to pub date!

Thank you again HarperTeen!!!

Thanks to netgalley and she published/author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed the cover. It’s very ominous and pretty. This did not go any way I thought it would. This turned out to be a straight survivalist story about three girls being trapped in the woods trying to hide from a killer with a gun. Or is it?

Things didn’t make sense until the end. I thought things were way too random until it got explained and now I think it was really well done. The twist at the end I did not see coming at all. I had my own ideas that didn’t line up at all. As a debut book, I thought this was super well done.

We see a lot of character development between the three girls as well. Claire is able to open up and be a much stronger and confident person from what we see in the beginning. All of the others girls are also able to break out a bit from their reserved personas. There is also some casual bi-rep with one of the characters.

This book just went from weird to wild so fast. I got heavily invested at the end. What I just thought was some kids trekking through the woods hoping to be rescued turned out to be so much more. I’m looking forward to seeing what else the author comes out with!

Quick, atmospheric, and action driven with great characters - Yellowjackets vibes mixed with Survivor. And the cover is like an early 80s horror throwback. Each character had a distinct personality and it was great to see their friendship blossom and their instincts kick in under the pressure of this creepy survival story.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy and a chance to read this early in exchange for my honest review.

I'm pretty sure this is Sarah Beth Durst's first YA horror (although Conjured comes close to horror), and I enjoyed it, though not as much as I enjoy her fantasy. One thing I really liked was how Claire's anxiety was characterized. It was one of the most realistic examples of severe anxiety I've seen in fiction. I also liked how Reyva's and Mariana's characters were developed throughout the story. I felt like Reyva didn't quite have the depth that Claire and Mariana did, but I still liked her.
Going into this book, for some reason I thought it was going to be more of a slasher summer camp story, but I was pleasantly surprised that it went the route of 'creepy island.' It reminded me a lot of The Depths by Nicole Lesperance, which I also enjoyed. I liked this a lot more than The Depths, though.
I do wish the book had included a little more about the evil entity on the island: Durst seems to have wanted to combine the supernatural/horror aspect with wilderness survival elements, but overall I was a lot more interested in what was going on in the cave than the girls overcoming obstacles that were more mundane in comparison.

I don't remember requesting The Lake House, but after I saw it was on my list, I figured it was worth checking out, if only to keep my Netgalley stats up. Plus, the synopsis sounded interesting. Sounded like a win-win.

First off, its a little YA in its simplistic writing style, but not necessarily in a bad way. I genuinely liked the 3 female main characters, tolerated Jack. I kept picturing Justin Long as him in a movie...not sure why.

I thought this was just going to be your average murder/mystery with inexperienced young girls taking on a killer...and it was...sort of. Not going to drop any spoilers, but it's NOT what you think.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sarah Beth Durst and HarperCollins Publishers for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s books for this eARC.

I was drawn to this book bc of the cover. Another that I will likely purchase for my “the cover made me do it” shelf.

A quick read, cool. Predictable, eh. It reminded me of a series of so-called scary books I read when I was a kid. The nostalgia made me quite happy.

There is more to OCD than what Claire experiences.

Okay I have to admit, I had high expectations for this book, but it completely took me by surprise! I loved it!

-Tense, just spooky enough, and surprisingly heartfelt.
I- went in thinking it was something more twisted and psychological, but it turned out to be kind of a grown-up Goosebumps book? Which still managed to be a pleasing experience.
-It starts off, from the very first chapters, scary, but as the girls bond it grows into something sweet. The three central characters are distinct and interesting.
-I also loved the anxiety representation with the main character, Claire. And the other girls help her through it which <3.
-I kinda wish it had a different cover because it just does not reflect the contents of the book to me. A lot of it was "we're trying to survive and fighting ancient evil" but also "we're bonding and mentioning chipped nails and talking about pizza". I wish the cover would have represented this juxtaposition (also I'm imagining a Totally Spies!-esque cover. Also would have liked if the Latina and Indian secondary characters were on the cover but alas)
-Overall, a lot of fun! And scares! It also seems to be on the lower YA side, which is nice.

This was the perfect spooky book for the Halloween season. The characters were well built but the ending was a little lack luster for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The cover delivers the vibes and so does the storytelling. A lake house, a mad man on an island, an ancient evil spirit... a great recipe for a creepy book! I loved how the author eluded to *something* the entire book without giving away too many details, it definitely kept me reading ~ I had to know! And the end, I had so many chills. I loved Claire, Revya, and Mariana. They were tough as nails and I adored how well they paired together but having their own, distinct personalities. I cannot wait for this come out, definitely picking up a physical copy!

Can i say this might be one of the best books ive gotten from netgalley. It made my hear rush so much it felt like it was beating out of my chest. Because this book had me wanting more. This book was so good and well written i felt like i was watching a movie instead of reading a book. It was creepy. Thrilling a definitely 5 stars

Thank you, Harper Collin's Children's Books. for allowing me to read The Lake House early.

I didn't particularly like and dI din't particularly hate this thriller/horror story. I just found it okay. I enjoyed reading it but will probably forget what it was about soon. Hopefully others will like the book more than I did.

I think I mentioned in previous reviews that I love a good survival story. Whether it be a book or movie. With that being said, this book was blurbed as “Yellowjackets” meets “One of Us is Lying.” So, obviously I was intrigued, because I absolutely love the series Yellowjackets. I was not disappointed.

“The Lake House” follows Claire, a somewhat neurotic individual who is sent to camp. Not just any camp mind you, this camp is only accessible by boat! Talk about remote! Unfortunately, she arrives rather late, along with two other Campers, only to find the camp charred and smoldering as it was burned down! The trio, Claire, Reyva, and Mariana find a body in the woods to boot!? Well, if that isn’t bad enough, they are trapped on the island as the boat dropped and rolled them.

Now, it becomes a fight for survival as someone else is in the woods with them, hunting them. Durst, does an excellent job with the atmospheric element. The woods are creepy. This is a wonderful twisty thriller, with the reader questioning almost everything, as the mystery and pace ramp up! What is is about this remote camp, is it even real? And who is hunting them? In addition, the book speaks to the power of friendship and survival.

I was really engrossed in this thriller/horror like story. The book did a good job picking the combination of Yellowjackets and One of Us is Lying as part of the blurb!

The cover is awesome! Very eye catching.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and HarperColllins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The character development was great and I was genuinely creeped out by the set up. I love survival horror, especially when it's set in the woods. The blurb is correct - if you are a fan of the TV series Yellowjackets or The Wilds you will enjoy this story. A solid 4 star YA thriller!