I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Camp Lanier is a spooky and atmospheric horror set at a haunted lake where many children and teens have gone missing.
We follow the POV of Taylor, who has moved from Georgia to West Virginia after the loss of her older brother. Taylor now goes to a private school on a scholarship but is surrounded by mostly white, rich, privileged kids. Taylor gets herself mixed up with a group of 'mean girls' who get her to go shoplifting then pin the whole thing on her when they get caught and poor Taylor gets a harsh punishment and is sent off to do community service at Camp Lanier for the whole of summer break as a Camp counsellor. Again, Taylor finds herself surrounded by rich, spoiled, white kids, and when she starts seeing strange and creepy things, she begins to question her sanity.
This was a fast-paced and really creepy book that has some gore but isn't overdone or too graphic. I was drawn to this book due to it being written based on true events at a real lake in Forsyth County in Georgia.
Do check trigger warnings as the book contains themes of racism.

The story of Lake Lanier is so horrifying and sad. I appreciated this books perspective and the conversation around race.

First of all, the cover is absolutely stunning. Now, onto the book.

The FMC Taylor is so annoying. I was screaming for her to use the slightest lick of common sense in the beginning chapters. She just kept making dumb decision after dumb decision. And I also thought some of the opening could’ve been parsed down a bit more because it felt like it took too long to get to the camp. Plus, the first chapter didn’t really add much to the story.

There’s also the mystery of Taylor’s family’s personal issues that get dragged out for a bit, but it didn’t really do anything to progress the story.

And also, being that the majority of this book is set at lake Lanier, which is a real lake with real racial history, this story does rely on the use of Black trauma, which I think that’s important to know going into this.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. There were just tweaks that could’ve made it better in the long run.

I loved the ghost story/urban legend aspect of this book. I also like books set at camp type settings. So this was right up my alley. I'm glad I was able to get an arc of it!

A tense, atmospheric horror tale that mixes campfire scares with a genuine sense of dread. Think summer camp meets supernatural terror, with plenty of suspense. Even better that I actually live on this lake!

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where to start.

Okay, so we're following Taylor, whose family is experiencing a loss, which made them move from the East Coast (VA, maybe West VA?) to Atlanta, GA. She receives a scholarship to play basketball at a prestigious high school and ends up befriending the popular three mean girls, who ultimately betray her when they get caught shoplifting. The rest of the story is set at a camp on Lake Lanier, where you find out the horrors of everything that happens there.

Pros:
It's a great concept, and I appreciate what the author worked to do.
I love Victoria so much, and a lot of the side characters were really enjoyable
It's an incredibly fast read with a really easy writing style.
The author note is a mini history lesson, which I loved (this is the only reason we got to 3 stars because it was sitting at 2.5 all book)
I love reading black horror. Not enough of it exists, and just having the representation makes me happy, especially for the youth who are the target audience.
The supernatural elements were kinda fun, I wasn't expecting them to be sprinkled throughout the book the way they were, and it was entertaining and a nice horror touch.
Spoiler: She doesn't make Jason the main love interest, thank god because I would have DNF'ed immediately

Cons:
The author tried so hard to make Taylor relatable that it was cringey. Saying she fainted like a gangsta literally made me put the book down for a few hours because I just couldn't.
The author's writing style gives you everything. You don't really have to think to get through the book and keep up with everything.
The author chooses blatant racism over nuanced racism, which is a real reality for us, but also made the book feel cartoon villian-y.
The loss of the brother does nothing to the story and is dragged out for really no other reason than to make sure people understand how broken Taylor and her family are.
The summer trio stayed friends after everything was over 💙

I did like the book for the most part, but I don't think this is the author for me based on the writing style. YA doesn't mean you have to be force-fed everything, and nuance doesn't exist. With that being said, I completely understand how some people would love this book. I am beyond the target demographic of the book, and maybe folks that in the YA group would appreciate the directness of the book, the issues, and the character development that did happen.

Again, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC and happy reading to anyone who picks up this book!

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzey is a gripping YA horror novel that blends supernatural elements with a haunting exploration of racial history. The story follows Taylor Johnson, a Black private school student who, after being caught shoplifting with her wealthy white friends, is sent to Camp Lanier for community service. At the camp, she encounters eerie occurrences, including mysterious crying at night, disappearances, and whispers of a serial killer named the Atlanta Ripper stalking the woods. As Taylor delves deeper, she uncovers the camp’s dark past and its connection to the urban legend of Lake Lanier, where an all-Black town was displaced to create the lake, leading to a curse that haunts the area.  

Barzey masterfully intertwines elements of horror with a poignant commentary on systemic racism and historical trauma. The novel’s pacing is swift, with suspenseful twists and a chilling atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. The characters are well-developed, and Taylor’s journey is both terrifying and empowering as she confronts the horrors of the past and present. 

For fans of horror that delves into real-world issues, Camp Lanier offers a compelling and thought-provoking read. Barzey’s storytelling is both entertaining and enlightening, making this novel a standout in the genre.

I didn't realize this was a young adult horror at first, but it certainly felt like one while reading. This book wasn't scary to me, but sad, especially when reading about the town and real stories that inspired the book in the author's notes. If you are looking for a book with a focus on social injustices, light horror with a touch of paranormal, Camp Lanier will make a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, Sterling & Stone and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Sterling & Stone for an ARC of this book.

As someone who has lived in the Greater Atlanta area for almost 20 years, I have always been weary about Lake Lanier.

We follow Taylor, who has recently moved to Atlanta and is learning to live life without her brother Ethan. When she has a basketball scholarship to a private school, she makes friends with the wrong crowd. When she is arrested for shoplifting, she is sent to Camp Lanier instead of prison.

This book went into great detail of Oscar ville and the history. I already knew the history. I love how Sylvester went into educating Taylor in this book. It was so good.

When Taylor is arrested for shoplifting, the teen is sent to a camp as part of community service (almost like a reform camp). The camp sits on a lake and there are lots of urban legends surrounding its location. Taylor starts to realize things might actually be haunted when she starts seeing ghosts. Oh and also there is a serial killer running rampant in the area.

There was so much going on in what was a relatively short book. I think in fact there was too much. Was this supposed to be a ghost story or a serial killer story? Turns out both. I also feel like it was so action heavy in the quarter of the book and I was like are we going to be able to wrap this up??? I think it would have been more successful if it had picked one focus (ghosts or murderer) OR was like 100 pages longer. There just wasn’t time to flesh out the story well and the ending was pretty meh. It had so much promise for me but was just disappointing.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Camp Lanier is a great summer read for teens. Everything you want in a camp horror is here; spooky nights with dead kids, creepy lakes, and spooky story around the campfire feelings. I would definitely say this book is better suited for JR High/YA however, this is a great read for adults who would like to try out the spooky horror genre. 3/5

I loved this book! It gave all the spooky vibes I was hoping for and had me hooked from the start. The suspense built beautifully around the eerie setting of Lake Lanier, which added an extra layer of tension I couldn’t get enough of.

The character development was definitely there—each person felt fully fleshed out, and I was invested in what happened to them. The pacing kept me turning the pages, and the horror elements were chilling without being overdone.

This was such a fun, creepy ride. If you're into suspenseful horror with a strong cast and an atmospheric setting, Camp Lanier delivers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sterling & Stone for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Taylor moves to a small town in Northern Georgia and, in order to try to make friends, she is convinced to shoplift at a store at the mall. She is sentenced to community service at the nearby Camp Lanier. [IYKYK - if you're from Georgia, you already know the legends surrounding Lake Lanier] Camp Lanier is based off a real lake in the northern part of Georgia and Taylor has heard all about the urban legends surrounding the lake - an all-Black town was forced to create this lake which thus buried the town and the people and the lake became cursed. Taylor isn't buying the rumors and ghost stories, though. She doesn't believe in ghosts.

When she is forced to work at Camp Lanier for the summer to fulfill her community service obligations, she starts experiencing strange occurrences on site - hearing children cry at night, campers going missing, seeing a little girl in a white dress walking around... She discovers that kids have been "running away" from the camp for the past 52 years and she's determined to find out why.

I enjoyed this book for the entertainment of horror. There were some good creepy/scary parts, but the ending fell a little flat for me. The writing wasn't the best, but it was an easy read. The ending actually bothered me a bit; it was insanely cliche, in my opinion.

I do recommend this as more of a Young Adult horror book as I found a lot of YA elements, but anyone can read this book.

This book was good! I liked it but didn’t love it. I definitely see potential in it and look forward to seeing what else the author does.

This book had everything...the good, the bad, the haunted, the horror and the hero. You wont put this down until you've finished it!

It was a fast-paced, quick read. I liked the main character, she was relatable and her character development was empowering. Victoria was very funny, definitely my favourite character.
I really liked the story, I had a great time reading this book. That being said, some of the pop culture references felt weird and the book was not horror (scary) enough for me.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Tag-lined as Get Out meets Friday the Thirteenth and in some ways it fit that mold.

However, all the characters felt very 2D. More so Taylor the main character, all the other characters felt like they meshed together as one. I could not tell who was who. Taylor was great and I was hooked until the 50% mark. Which is crazy because that is when the horror part of the story actually started......50%?!?!?! I really thought it would happen WAAYYY before that.

I also spent most of the 2nd half of the book confused. Confused about the setting, the reason there was missing people and spooky stuff happening. It felt like the book was missing pages and would drop me into a random scene.

This gave me Jordan Peele vibes and I like it!!! It was scary in more of an eerie way. I appreciated the setup of the story.

Really loved the concept going on here. Slasher mixed with paranormal. I tried to get into it but it ended up just reading a little too YA for me and my liking. However I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere & storytelling.
Felt the ending was a little messy and rushed.

Okay first of all....this COVER! I am definitely now kicking myself for waiting so long to pick this up, and look forward to my next read by this author! I really enjoyed my time with this one and it had so many elements that I love in YA horror: racial commentary, summer camp setting, a creepy lake, hauntings by dead kids, and characters that you couldn't help but like. I pretty much binged this in just a few sittings as the story moved along quickly and I was invested pretty much from the start to see what was happening at Lake Lanier.

Highly recommend picking this one up if you enjoyed any of these reads: You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron, The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager or,. Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez. Huge thank you to Sterling & Stone for my review copy!