The Lake by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 0593124979
Pages: 384
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

The Lake is dark, deep, and full of secrets way beyond the physical body of water.  Two teens return to their childhood resident camp as CIT’s for a summer of fun but not everything happens as it was planned.   Esma and kayla arrive with a secret that is about to turn the camp upside down.  The plot thickens as other secrets are made known and personal interactions undergo lots of twists and turns.   There is budding  romance, lots of suspense and  some horror which all adds up to a tantalizing and thrilling read.

Although most of the book is fast paced there are areas where this reader wanted to move on.  It is worth noting that the ink on page 298 is so faint that it is nearly unreadable.  Preston’s two major characters are well defined but other staff members are less revealed; readers are left with questions.   While the storyline occasionally makes readers sit on the edge of their chair it is the surprise ending that is a true thriller.

Public libraries who collect thrillers and other works by Preston should add this to their collections.  Middle school students who follow the author will be waiting for this title to hit their media center shelves.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME