I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 38%
The concept of this could’ve been great, but I just could not deal with the writing in this book. Maybe it’s just written too young for me??

"Welcome to hell. Pick a bunk."

When a Black teenager is arrested for shoplifting lipgloss (after being thrown under the bus by her white "friends"), instead of jail time, she is sentenced to a work release program at a summer camp. But soon after Taylor arrives, she quickly finds out there is something not quite right about the camp.

This book had all the makings for a great YA horror read: a camp setting, an urban legend, supernatural elements, and even actual historical facts. And it definitely delivered!

I loved so many things about this book but I think the thing that stuck out the most to me was the diversity!
Especially in the horror genre, that can sometimes be hard to come by. Most of the characters are Black, and quite a few are LGBTQ+ ❤️

I loved the way the characters were written and how they expressed themselves. Taylor's struggles with racism in everyday situations and how she chose to handle them are important highlights that add to her character. Also, she is hilarious. She was obviously taking what was going on at Camp Lanier seriously, but still managed to find humor in things (a great example: "because then I fainted, but like a gangsta.")

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! It didn't necessarily scare me, but it is YA and I am hard to scare. But it definitely has a creepy atmospheric vibe to it! It was a very fun and quick read!

Big thanks to netgalley for this ARC! I will def be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

An enjoyable fun and fast paced book that feels like a camp fire story. I throughly plan to do some research now after reading this.

Spooky Season is HERE. 👻😮‍💨 I’ve heard stories about Lake Lanier for years and this book did not disappoint me.

———

Taylor is sent to spend the summer at Camp Lanier for a work release program after she is caught shoplifting and is thrown under the bus by her “friends”.

She is made an alternate counselor because she goes to a good school and is deemed more trustworthy than the other kids that are there for work release. She is paired up with the Victoria, a camper turned counselor who comes to the camp every year because she is a lesbian and wants to avoid her homophobic grandma. Soon she starts hearing screaming that only she can hear and seeing a little girl dressed in a white gown around the camp.

At first, she shakes it off as nothing but when she touches the strange little girl one night at the dock, she is taken into the water and shown Oscarville, the black town that was wiped out and its residents murdered by white men who were looking to build Lake Lanier. She is pulled out of the water by two other work release kids, Mia and Liam. They start talking about Oscarville, the lake, the family that owns it and all the deaths that happen at the camp.

After Mia goes missing and is reported as yet another runaway, Liam and Taylor and Victoria team up to find out what’s really happening to these kids and what’s really going on at Camp Lanier.

———

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


⚠️ MILD SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

This book was SO SPOOKY. I was expecting there to be a more ghostly reason for the missing kids but honestly, it’s scarier the way it was written. One family and their enduring commitment to racism, violence and murder is fed by the government and is finally stopped by one Black girl and the ghosts of all the people who have been a victim of them.

I was expecting it from Rose and her father but Jason seemed so nice, he really snuck up on me. 😤 Their end was poetic. Jail would have been too good for them. I was kicking my feet and twirling my hair when the life was draining from their little beady eyes.

The bodies floating to the top of the water at the end was 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 so creepy and so perfect. The Hudsons were gone and the lake could stop holding its secrets.

I love that Taylor found herself with Liam and Victoria and they all stuck together to the end and past it. I will never accept ANY criticism on this book.

I was hesitant when I first started reading this since it's centered around YA. But, I was pleasantly surprised at this creepy, vibey, supernatural story! It's campfire tales, amplified. No disappointment here! Than you for the ARC!

Sylvester Barzey’s "Camp Lanier" is a gripping horror novel that intertwines racial history with supernatural terror. The story follows Taylor Johnson, a Black student at a predominantly white private school who, after being unfairly implicated in a shoplifting incident with her wealthy White classmates, is sentenced to community service at Camp Lanier. Her summer quickly turns nightmarish as she experiences unsettling hallucinations, hears mysterious cries at night, and uncovers the camp’s dark past. Driven to uncover the truth, Taylor learns about the horrors linked to the camp and its connections to the eerie urban legend of Lake Lanier. Her interactions with other camp members, especially Liam and Mia, reveal the chilling present-day realities of Camp Lanier. "Camp Lanier" is a must-read for horror and supernatural fiction enthusiasts, offering a chilling narrative that explores both historical and modern-day fears with a unique twist.

A nice little horror/ ghost story to keep you entertained.

Knowing the history and myths around Lake Lanier, I was very interested to read this book. And it did not disappoint. Although I'm sure it's meant as a YA or NA (Young Adult or New Adult) level read... I (48 year old) still found it a held a powerful message about past, current, and future actions within society, and how we're all caught up in a ripple affect they cause, unless we find a way to stop it. It's a message people of any age (or nationality - Aussie here) should hear and act positively upon.

Sorry if I got to arty farty there, it's what I do when strongly impacted byvthe signs and symbolism of a well written book.

Okay, to plain speak it - this is a great summer camp ghost / horror story for all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life... IF you like summer camp ghost / horror stories. And who doesn't? But it is told from a perspective not often shown, and one I hope to see more of.

Totally enjoyable, highly recommend.

The characters are very relatable but could use a little rounding, and the plot is clean and easy to follow, but I would live to see a little more tension building. I dont just want to read what the characters are feeling but to feel it with them. Thank you for sharing!

Camp Lanier is a blend of supernatural horror and a touch of urban legend.. The cover alone sets the tone with its stunning visuals, promising all the campy slasher horror vibes.

The novel dives deep into the chilling urban legends surrounding Lake Lanier, seamlessly weaving supernatural elements with historical facts. It’s packed with campfire creepy vibes, ghostly sightings, and an atmosphere that keeps you on edge throughout.

The protagonist, Taylor, stands out as a well-written character who feels real and relatable. Her journey from skepticism to uncovering dark truths at Camp Lanier is gripping, making her someone you root for from start to finish. The supporting cast adds depth, each contributing to the eerie atmosphere and unfolding mystery.

While the book stays true to its YA roots and doesn’t delve into hardcore horror, it maintains a fast-paced narrative that hooks readers till the end. Though somewhat predictable, it remains an enjoyable ride for anyone into ghost stories and urban legends.

Overall, "Camp Lanier" is a must-read for fans of YA horror looking for a spooky summer escape. It blends fam

CAMP LANIER – by Sylvester Barzey

First, I want to say how much I LOVE the cover! Second, I want to talk about story wherein, Taylor Johnson—the main character and narrator—due to her poor choice of ‘friends’, finds herself facing two years in jail or spending her Summer at CAMP LINIER.

From the opening scene, Johnson comes off as an unlikable character as she aligns herself with bullies for friends at her new school, and seems perfectly fine with their actions.

It isn’t until Johnson arrives at camp—when the setting, along with a few characters, make their intentions known that I begin to root for her.

Barzey does an excellent job bringing the creep factor to various scenes, though at times they feel clipped as we move from one scene to the next, especially with the repetition using fade-outs.

‘Urban legends say that an all Black town was forced out to create the lake, and it has been cursed ever since….’

‘But if the ghosts aren’t real, why is she the only one who can hear someone crying at night?’

CAMP LINIER is what I would call a Young Adult Horror Story, a fictional tale set in a real location historically steeped in racism—Oscarville, in Forsyth County, Georgia.

Recommend!

Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end, which explains a bit of the history regarding the setting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sterling & Stone Publishing, for providing me with an eBook of CAMP LANIER at the request of an honest review.

I actually DNF around 36%. I did not like the writing and I found some of the characters to be juvenile and problematic. However, I do appreciate the Author’s Note and highlighting the history of Oscarville. If this is what the author was trying to do, it just needed to be better executed.

Living in Georgia, I knew I had to read this book. I love it, felt like I was watching a horror film. I love the history the author adds a the end. Definitely will look more into Lake Lanier and the town of Oscarville.

This was a nice quick and easy read. I thought it would be a bit more thrilling, but it was still good.
It touches on racism and ghost stories surrounding Lake Lanier. You hear so many stories about this infamous lake in Georgia. I like the concept of the book. It would fit to be a YA thriller book.

Good, fun YA read.

This had a mix between slasher horror and mystery as well as some paranormal sightings. Good story with themes and content warnings of racism, white supremacy, death, and drowning.

Thank you Sterling & Stone, Netgalley and Sylvester Barzey for the eArc of Camp Lanier.

Firstly, I loved the cover illustration, it drew me in and inspired me to read the blurb, What can go wrong with a camp for teens and urban legends?! Taylor is about to find out after being a little light fingered.

Camp Lanier is a really fun read for those who love a bit of everything. It has creepy vibes, sinister, a bit of teen angst, slasher moves and based around urban legends of Camp Lanier and its lake, I found it a really easy read, it just flowed and before I knew it, I was approaching 2/3 of the book . I was say it's a medium paced and it picks up speed through the second half of the book. I loved the characters Taylor and Vicky were my favourite badass female roles but everyone had their own voices/characterisations. Underlaying the slasher/supernatural vibes of this book, lays an important message that Sylvester gets across. That the systemic racism is still at large in our world. Past and present and to be honest, it's more horrifying than any horror movie. As a personal note to myself, I really need to read more BIPOC authors and Sylvester inspires me to do so because if you pick up on the underlaying message like I did, it invokes some pretty strong emotions!

4.5 stars for Storygraph and 5 stars for Netgalley, Amazon and Goodreads.

This was my first book from NetGalley to review, and wow, what I way to start!!
Y'all, if you love a good, fast-paced spooky ghost and slasher story, you're going to love this!
Taylor is one of very few Black students at her private school and when the girls she thinks are her friends show their true colors, she pays for it by being sent to do a summer work release program at a camp set up right by Lake Lanier. Weird things start happening right off the bat, and you're immediately sucked in all the way to the end!
I loved Taylor. She was smart, funny, and genuine. It was so easy to root for her and rage with her. All the characters were well written and described, in my opinion. And I can't recommend this enough!

Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzey is a thrilling mix of horror and adventure that follows a group of teens at a summer camp where things take a dark turn. The story is fast-paced and keeps you on edge with its eerie atmosphere and unpredictable twists. Barzey does a great job of blending supernatural elements with relatable characters, making it an engaging read for fans of horror and suspense. The book is a fun, creepy escape that's perfect for a quick read.

Taking place in a fictionalized camp around the real Lake Lanier, this fun summer slasher incorporates elements of real history of the lake into its mystery. With a diverse cast of characters and pop culture references it would be a fun, quick read for a budding teenage horror fan. I recognize I am not the target audience however, I did enjoy it as a quick "popcorn" read.
Let's start with some positives. The main character is witty and relatable, the struggles she has with grief and finding a place with peers were well done. I enjoyed the slight historical fiction touches. It truly felt like the vibes of a Friday the 13th movie mixed with modern touches like Get Out, which the book references. To get into some criticisms however, I think the messaging is a little heavy handed but for he demographic I do think it works. Just wasn't my taste per se. Same with the pop culture references. I also thought the reveal was easy to guess with very obvious bad guys.
In the end I think it would be an entertaining read at least for younger teenage horror fans, especially if they are familiar with the real setting. I have read a book for a similar demographic that I think does a similar premise and theme better however so I would have a hard time recommending it.

Actual rating of 3.75

Taylor is basically the only POC student at her prestigious private school, she works hard, and she's determined to make a go of it with her basketball skills. When she gets caught shoplifting with her wealthy "friends", they let her take the fall for it. She ends up being given community service working at a summer camp for rich kids. It won't be so hard, will it? When she arrives, she's deemed acceptable enough to work with the main staff, while the rest of the work release kids live in tents and are responsible for maintenance and cleaning duty. She begins to see things that others can't and is being haunted by a little girl. This leads her to uncover the history of the land and the manmade lake. When one of the work release kids disappears and is marked as a runaway, Taylor and her new friend Liam work together to find out the truth. It seems kids have been disappearing and running away for years, but they don't think that's the truth. As they dig deeper into the past of the Camp Lanier land, they'll uncover something much darker than they anticipated. Will they survive to get the truth out there? Or will they just become runaways as well?

I'm a sucker for a summer camp horror, and this one was no exception. From the get-go, Taylor endeared herself to me as she was such a hard worker and she just wanted to be a part of something, have some close friends and do good in life while trying to heal from a loss. I hated her "friends" from the get-go and just knew that they were up to no good, however, they play a super small role in this story, so I didn't have to put up with them for too long. I really enjoyed the characters of Taylor's parents too, we only see them for a brief stint in the beginning, but I really loved them, which is saying a lot because they're honestly not in the story that much at all.

This was a super quick read, and the story flowed really well. I did find that there were a couple of continuity issues, for example, when Taylor and V are getting their food on the first night, is says that they both bypassed the meatloaf, however when they're at the table, it mentions that they "stab the slabs of meat with their fork" this didn't affect my rating at all, it was just something I noticed, it only happened maybe once or twice and is something that could be fixed super quickly in an editing sweep. It was something that stuck out though and I wanted to mention it. This story had a deeper message to it, and one that I feel Barzey did a fantastic job at illustrating. At its core, this story deals with racism in all different facets, and it's so important because this is something that is still so prevalent today as it was 50 years ago. Barzey did a fantastic job at really making you feel the caged in hopelessness of someone who just knows they won't be listened to because of the colour of their skin. Barzey really made me feel that trapped, isolated, ostracised and just all-around hopeless feeling and I applaud them for it. The horror aspect of the story was done well, and I feel that this is a good gateway book for people looking to dip their toes into the horror genre without going full pelt, headfirst into it. The different ghost scenes were creepy, and the author did an awesome job at making me curious about the lake and its history, how it tied into everything.

The characters were wonderful, and I enjoyed all of them, except for Taylor's friends in the beginning, but that's to be expected. For an author to make me truly dislike a character in such a short time is a testament to their skill and I'll definitely be checking out more of their back catalogue. I did have part of it picked probably a bit sooner than we were meant to, but I've read and watched a lot of horror, so I tend to be able to put the pieces together pretty quick. It didn't detract from the story at all, and I still enjoyed every second of it.

This was a short and sweet one, but I don't want to say too much and risk giving anything away. I read this book really quickly, yes, it's not super long, but when you've been having difficulty putting books away for the last 2 years, it's refreshing to have a book that you can't put down and just fly through. This is a great book to segue into horror, so if you're looking for something spooky, with a touch of gore yet a great message with wonderful characters. Give this one a go!