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!

Y'all had me at 'Yellowjackets meets One of Us Is Lying'!!!
And this definitely has Yellowjackets vibe.

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst is a wild, pulse-pounding story!
First off, this cover is so intriguing. Gotta love it!

Here we meet Claire, who has obsessive-compulsive-disorder.
When her parents send her an of the grid summer camp arriving late they find the place has been burned down with no survivors. The only ones there are her Reyva and Mariana.
They soon discover a dead body deep in the woods, and realize this was no accident.
Someone wants them but they can not leave. Only way in and out is by a boat.
Something or someone is hiding and refuses to let them leave!

Woah! My first book read by Durst and I'm very impressed!
First time reading this author and I couldn’t put it down.
Suspense that will keep you hooked until the very last page.
Even when I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it…
I had to see what happened next!
Her writing is phenomenal and captivating.
Absolutely fantastic… had me hooked from page one and I tore through it as fast as I could.
I loved this story, these characters, and the storytelling generated in me.
I devoured every word. Exceptional.
A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller that completely hooked me.

Overall an absolutely addictive, mind blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

HarperTeen,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The cover is what drew me in and I'm glad I was able to read this. It does what I was hoping for in the mystery genre. I was glad I was able to go through this book as the plot was really well done and did everything I wanted it to. The characters were great and felt like real people. Another win for Sarah Beth Durst.

“Not negotiating,” Jack said. “And not joking. Give me the phone now, and then I’ll let her go.” Keeping the hand with the knife on Claire’s throat, he let go of her arm and reached out past her with his other hand. Reyva stepped forward, the phone held out. The second she was close enough, he grabbed it and held the phone to his ear. He didn’t move the knife from Claire’s throat. “Dad? Dad, are you there?”

The Lake House follows Claire, whose parents send her to a remote summer camp. So remote that the only way to get there is by boat. She arrives late to the camp with two other campers Reyva and Mariana. When they arrive at the camp the camp has been burned down. And they find dead bodies in the woods. The girls have no way to escape since the boat that dropped them off is long gone. Soon they realize that they are not the only ones on the island, and someone is out to get them. 

This book had action from the very start of the book to the very end of the book. This is one that I could not put down. I really enjoyed this one because you had no idea what was going to happen. I was a little confused in some parts though. But for the most part this was such a good read. It is perfect for the spooky season. If you like scary movies I think you will enjoy this one. I would suggest this one for sure. 

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and HarperColllins for the ARC of this book.

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!

I don’t usually read survival horror but this book drew me in right away and I couldn’t put it down! This book had fantastic atmosphere and the writing was superb, I would say to try to go in as blind as you can to this book and enjoy the ride!!!

If you’re anxiously awaiting the next season of Yellowjackets and looking for something to tie you over, look no further! A spooky, atmospheric read with genuinely twisty plot twists.

Yellowjackets but throw in an island that has a dark entity on it... and three girls must find a way to survive as a killer is on the loose. Claire has always been afraid of what could go wrong, always thinking of the worst case scenario, fear runs in her veins. Her parents have decided to send her off to an off-the-grid summer camp in order for her to make friends and have fun experiences. Joining her is Reyva and Mariana, all three of them discover that instead of a fun summer camp they arrive to a burned down house with no survivors... and the person who dropped them off won’t be back for a while. With nothing but the bags on their backs they’ll have to figure out who to survive... yet when they discover a body that appears to have been murdered rather they realize that they are not the only ones on the island and that there is also a killer here with them. With barely any survival skills they’ll have to find a way to trust each other to survive as well as find a way off the island. Yet they realize someone or something is hunting them down and that they were sent to this island for a particular reason. Can they escape the island before it’s too late or will they be trapped here forever. This was a fun read and the twist and turns were interesting. I liked the whole evil entity/haunted island meets survival girls storyline and it definitely was a fun spooky read!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for sending me an arc in exchange for na honest review*

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy of the Lake House in exchange for an honest review.

This book did a good job of adding that spooky eerie factor that you can get when you're left alone in the woods. However upon reading this, i didn't realize it was more of a survival thriller which was fine. I still enjoyed most of it and the characters were great however the ending felt like let down. I would still recommend this to someone who loves thrillers. it just didn't end up being for me.