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With Friends Like These
Girls camp can be hell.
Camp Red Moon was supposed to be a fresh start for Kenzie — a summer of fun and new friendships — but the remote camp has quickly turned into a waking nightmare. When the camp leader heads into town, leaving the group isolated in the high Uintah Mountains, a seemingly harmless prank to summon a demon unleashes a terror beyond their worst fears.
As tensions boil over and the bodies begin to pile up, Kenzie finds herself questioning who to trust. But the deeper the campers descend into chaos, the closer Kenzie comes to uncovering a truth more horrifying than anything she could have imagined — one that will leave no soul at Camp Red Moon untouched.
Camp Red Moon was supposed to be a fresh start for Kenzie — a summer of fun and new friendships — but the remote camp has quickly turned into a waking nightmare. When the camp leader heads into town, leaving the group isolated in the high Uintah Mountains, a seemingly harmless prank to summon a demon unleashes a terror beyond their worst fears.
As tensions boil over and the bodies begin to pile up, Kenzie finds herself questioning who to trust. But the deeper the campers descend into chaos, the closer Kenzie comes to uncovering a truth more horrifying than anything she could have imagined — one that will leave no soul at Camp Red Moon untouched.
Unknown Binding
Published April 15, 2025
150 people are currently reading
789 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Lawrence
9 books102 followersV.S. Lawrence grew up in Utah being scared of everything. Now, she puts her fears on paper, writing spooky books that feel like Scooby Doo chase music. When not writing, she can be found buried in a horror novel, wandering aimlessly, or cuddling her dog, Rigby. She is still scared of everything.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
June 22, 2025
this was a fun read! i liked the vibes of it all – the slasher, camp setting, and i enjoyed v.s. lawrence’s writing. it was easy to read and get through, albeit a bit simple. it was definitely a young adult horror/thriller, but it was still a lot of fun regardless.
the plot ↠ for the most part, i really did enjoy the plot overall. it was obvious where the story was going, and while lawrence lost me by the end, the build up was enjoyable to read. while i don’t mind those type of stories, i don’t think it was done super well here and ended up feeling really over the top.
the characters ↠ on the other hand, i loved the characters. except for the overuse of like and literally in a very stereotypical teenage girl way, the characters were really well written. i liked kenzie (despite how naïve and sheltered she was, which did get on my nerves a bit) and hannah, and i thought their friendship was sweet. the other characters sufficiently got on my nerves like they were supposed to. the characters definitely carried the story in their own ways.
all in all, a good little YA horror. i’m interested in getting to more of v.s. lawrence’s books soon.
3.5 stars
the plot ↠ for the most part, i really did enjoy the plot overall. it was obvious where the story was going, and while lawrence lost me by the end, the build up was enjoyable to read. while i don’t mind those type of stories, i don’t think it was done super well here and ended up feeling really over the top.
the characters ↠ on the other hand, i loved the characters. except for the overuse of like and literally in a very stereotypical teenage girl way, the characters were really well written. i liked kenzie (despite how naïve and sheltered she was, which did get on my nerves a bit) and hannah, and i thought their friendship was sweet. the other characters sufficiently got on my nerves like they were supposed to. the characters definitely carried the story in their own ways.
all in all, a good little YA horror. i’m interested in getting to more of v.s. lawrence’s books soon.
3.5 stars
February 12, 2025
Ahhh Camp Red Moon. That alone doesn’t sound sinister, right? 😂
I never had the (dis)pleasure of going to a sleep away camp. Maybe my mom watched too many horror movies and decided it wasn’t the best choice? So I missed out on that fun but this read made up for it!
VS Lawrence has an incredible knack for writing the most believable characters. From dialogue to inner thoughts to subtle nuances, each character in this book was fleshed out and reminded me of someone I’ve met in real life. I personally loved Kenzie, our main character, the most because I felt like her inner dialogue is something most of us can resonate with.
But enough of the mushy stuff! We want blooooood! And damn does this book deliver. Once the bodies start piling up, they don’t stop. And the carnage at the end? So satisfying in the sickest way.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
I never had the (dis)pleasure of going to a sleep away camp. Maybe my mom watched too many horror movies and decided it wasn’t the best choice? So I missed out on that fun but this read made up for it!
VS Lawrence has an incredible knack for writing the most believable characters. From dialogue to inner thoughts to subtle nuances, each character in this book was fleshed out and reminded me of someone I’ve met in real life. I personally loved Kenzie, our main character, the most because I felt like her inner dialogue is something most of us can resonate with.
But enough of the mushy stuff! We want blooooood! And damn does this book deliver. Once the bodies start piling up, they don’t stop. And the carnage at the end? So satisfying in the sickest way.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
July 28, 2025
I enjoyed this one! Even though I saw it coming, it was still a super fun Summerween read! I adored Kenzie and Hannah's friendship—I’ll be thinking about these two (or should I say three? Bahaha!) forever!
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June 15, 2025
An okay read with a bit too much religion for me.
July 21, 2025
gives that camp nostalgia
Nothing like a creepy camp ghost story turned into a book!! Kenzie is home schooled and just wants to make friends for the first time . But now people are being killed and no adults are at the camp!! Perfect for a spooky summer read.
Nothing like a creepy camp ghost story turned into a book!! Kenzie is home schooled and just wants to make friends for the first time . But now people are being killed and no adults are at the camp!! Perfect for a spooky summer read.
August 2, 2025
The prologue of this story draws you right in. A dying girl.
Kenzie’s off to Camp Red Moon for the summer. She’s worried about fitting in. But that soon dissolves.
A camp councillor takes kenzie under her wing and shows her something on a hike that no one else knows about. She shows her bunk mates and awakes the next day looking like sh*t.
Things start to take a turn. The camp leader doesn’t come back from town. The phone lines go down and a girl goes missing!
Things heat up even more when that missing girl winds up dead! Fitting in was the last of Kenzie’s worries.
If you’re looking for a light summerween slasher then this is the book for you!
August 7, 2025
I went into this thinking it was literally just a slasher, WOW WOW WOW. The religious cult of teenagers forming together really had me seething. I loved some characters and really hated others. I was holding my breathe waiting to see my most despised character die, with fingers crossed it was going to happen. I of coarse was racking my brain with all these assumptions on who is behind it all. I personally think this is a perfect summer horror read if you're looking for one!
May 2, 2025
this was a bloody good time from start to finish! your perfect summer-ween read and Lawrence delivers
November 7, 2025
This one has everything you could ever hope for in a horror book set at a summer camp—archery, canoeing, marshmallow-roasting, and one murder after another. I was pleased to find that there were some creatively gruesome kills; one of which will make you see the cover of the book in a new light.
It has what makes the Scream series so appealing—a sense of whodunnit throughout until finally the penny drops. It will keep you turning the pages until the very end, wanting, nay needing, to find out with lots of nice surprises along the way. I found it delightfully descriptive and most of all a great example of the many complexities of social navigation. The insight within was clearly gathered by someone who has experienced the many quirks of friendship and communication from authority figures to our best friends. In that way it’s not unlike our past at school. Where there may well be fond memories, there are also undoubtedly a number of challenges that made the experience difficult at times and all of that comes through in vivid clarity.
There are many charming and amusing aspects to Camp Red Moon from the friendship between Kenzie and Hannah to the sense of humor throughout. But like so many things, there’s something dark lurking beneath the congenial, pine-scented surface; reminding us that the true horrors of life stem from those around us and whatever odious motives drive them. There was a pleasing sense of nostalgia in a way that’s seamlessly woven into the story. You almost forget when it is set until there is mention of a Discman or one character tells another to “Chillax.” There was also, to my ever-present alacrity, an aspect of religious horror to it that meshed well with the rest of the story. It’s rife with themes of mob mentality and the power of suggestion in a way that reminds me of stories like The Crucible or The Mist. Don’t want to spoil things by saying too much but there were lots of layers to things, especially in the climax.
This may make for a perfect summer read, but there’s no point in the year in which it wouldn’t fit. For anyone looking to start out with horror this would be a great place to start. I think you’ll find it both familiar and fresh all at once.
It has what makes the Scream series so appealing—a sense of whodunnit throughout until finally the penny drops. It will keep you turning the pages until the very end, wanting, nay needing, to find out with lots of nice surprises along the way. I found it delightfully descriptive and most of all a great example of the many complexities of social navigation. The insight within was clearly gathered by someone who has experienced the many quirks of friendship and communication from authority figures to our best friends. In that way it’s not unlike our past at school. Where there may well be fond memories, there are also undoubtedly a number of challenges that made the experience difficult at times and all of that comes through in vivid clarity.
There are many charming and amusing aspects to Camp Red Moon from the friendship between Kenzie and Hannah to the sense of humor throughout. But like so many things, there’s something dark lurking beneath the congenial, pine-scented surface; reminding us that the true horrors of life stem from those around us and whatever odious motives drive them. There was a pleasing sense of nostalgia in a way that’s seamlessly woven into the story. You almost forget when it is set until there is mention of a Discman or one character tells another to “Chillax.” There was also, to my ever-present alacrity, an aspect of religious horror to it that meshed well with the rest of the story. It’s rife with themes of mob mentality and the power of suggestion in a way that reminds me of stories like The Crucible or The Mist. Don’t want to spoil things by saying too much but there were lots of layers to things, especially in the climax.
This may make for a perfect summer read, but there’s no point in the year in which it wouldn’t fit. For anyone looking to start out with horror this would be a great place to start. I think you’ll find it both familiar and fresh all at once.
July 17, 2025
In a sleepaway camp of nightmares, where mean girls and cabin politics and demonic possession intersect in a summer-time slasher, the girls of Camp Red Moon are in for a bloody, hellish ride they will never forget. V.S Lawrence perfectly captures what it means to be a teenage girl desperate to fit in, creating her distinct, well-rounded characters in a unique and compelling voice. There were so many unexpected twists and turns and uses of popular horror tropes that underscored the plot - between religious, cultish thrills and obscene, gory kill counts, all building up to a dramatic third-act climax. With Friends Like These was an unputdownable, heart-racing read, perfect for the summertime, fusing mean girls social hierarchies and all of the nostalgic, pulse-pounding terror of Friday the Thirteenth. The first 85% of the novel was a solid 4 stars, but it was the ultimate reveal and lacklustre ending that lost me; I was hoping for a far more satisfying twist true to the summer camp slasher sub-genre and felt that the set-up didn’t quite meet the shocking turn the author decided to take in the last twenty pages. Nevertheless, a fun and exciting read with plenty of gut-punching gore! 3.5 stars.
August 12, 2025
A very quick and fun read. The writing is addicting.
Camp slasher vibes with a hint of demon possession. 👌
Camp slasher vibes with a hint of demon possession. 👌
July 24, 2025
Wow this book had me hooked from the very beginning. Following the journey of Kenzie a home school girl going to Camp Red Moon for the first time. Nothing goes as expected to say the very least. Her #1 mission was to find new friends and after all the mind blowing twists and turns she leaves with just that and says she feel like for the first time she feels like she is not alone. You have to read this book to see what happens but I’m telling you now to buckle up!!
March 23, 2025
I went to Summer Camp once growing up in the 80s. Reminiscent of old school slasher movies, Camp Red Moon brought back memories and ignited nightmares!
Get your campfire roaring and grab the s’mores! Mean girls, revenge, bloodshed and horror. So much horror!! This was a fast paced, thrilling, gruesome and bloody story of Summer camp gone horribly wrong. And ironically about true friendships…’you accept the whole person - demons and all.” Sometimes that is literally true!
I thoroughly loved this book!! Definitely recommend if you want all the gory Summer Camp vibes with vibrant characters, evil twists and of course, a serial killer on the loose!
Get your campfire roaring and grab the s’mores! Mean girls, revenge, bloodshed and horror. So much horror!! This was a fast paced, thrilling, gruesome and bloody story of Summer camp gone horribly wrong. And ironically about true friendships…’you accept the whole person - demons and all.” Sometimes that is literally true!
I thoroughly loved this book!! Definitely recommend if you want all the gory Summer Camp vibes with vibrant characters, evil twists and of course, a serial killer on the loose!
April 24, 2025
Thank you VS Lawrence for this read!
This was everything my camp slasher heart needed. Perfect for fans of Friday the 13th where one by one people begin to be picked off! The deaths are gory and the friendships of our characters begin to bloom as everything else starts to fall apart!
There were lots of suspects in this and the ending truly surprised me! I didn't expect the author to take the plot this way but it was such a great finish.
Add this one to your TBR if you are anything like me and crave a super fast paced, gory, camp based slasher any day of the week!!
4.5/5
This was everything my camp slasher heart needed. Perfect for fans of Friday the 13th where one by one people begin to be picked off! The deaths are gory and the friendships of our characters begin to bloom as everything else starts to fall apart!
There were lots of suspects in this and the ending truly surprised me! I didn't expect the author to take the plot this way but it was such a great finish.
Add this one to your TBR if you are anything like me and crave a super fast paced, gory, camp based slasher any day of the week!!
4.5/5
May 27, 2025
Another new author for me, and another pleasant surprise. I first heard her name when her debut novel 80s ghosts showed up in basically every single one of my book recommendations, and yet I somehow never got around to grabbing it. Then, through a mutual, I was offered an ARC of this one, which I accepted and never read. Once I discovered it was on Kindle Unlimited, I finally gave it a shot and I am so glad I did.
The main character, Kenzie, is a sheltered girl who seriously lacks friends thanks to being homeschooled growing up. She yearns for that missing piece of social connection and receives it in the form of an all-girls summer camp. Upon making those friends she always wanted, she tries to scare them as one does at summer camp, and things go wrong from there.
I loved the way each character was written, especially the counselor Robin, who did very well at pissing me off. This book has a very well-done helpless, almost claustrophobic vibe about it that is done so well. Oh, and it's a summer camp slasher, which obviously just gives it bonus points. The camp setting was well depicted, and the kills were great. Heavily recommend this one, and I cannot wait for her to write more.
The main character, Kenzie, is a sheltered girl who seriously lacks friends thanks to being homeschooled growing up. She yearns for that missing piece of social connection and receives it in the form of an all-girls summer camp. Upon making those friends she always wanted, she tries to scare them as one does at summer camp, and things go wrong from there.
I loved the way each character was written, especially the counselor Robin, who did very well at pissing me off. This book has a very well-done helpless, almost claustrophobic vibe about it that is done so well. Oh, and it's a summer camp slasher, which obviously just gives it bonus points. The camp setting was well depicted, and the kills were great. Heavily recommend this one, and I cannot wait for her to write more.
July 31, 2025
Camp Red Moon, high in the mountains and isolated, it’s Kenzie’s first camp and she is excited to make new friends. But when a prank to summon a demon goes wrong all hell breaks loose and you really find out who your friends are.
A camp based slasher in the woods with no way to escape and with the phone lines down, I mean, what can go wrong right! This is a fast paced horror with a supernatural twist that ups the gore to eleven (a showing my age reference there lol).
It’s a story of teenage friendships and finding yourself with a dose of zealous christian righteousness from one of the counsellors thrown in to amp up the paranoia. The kills are pure feral brutality and the fear from the girls and the counsellors is palpable.
Honestly why were these camps so popular? Bitchiness, rivalry, forced fun, uncomfortable beds and crap food, so glad these were never a thing in the UK, sounds horrific without the serial killer stalking the campers!
But has a read, this is set in the 90’s and is fabulous slasher nostalgia, a blood soaked summer horror that is such fun!
A camp based slasher in the woods with no way to escape and with the phone lines down, I mean, what can go wrong right! This is a fast paced horror with a supernatural twist that ups the gore to eleven (a showing my age reference there lol).
It’s a story of teenage friendships and finding yourself with a dose of zealous christian righteousness from one of the counsellors thrown in to amp up the paranoia. The kills are pure feral brutality and the fear from the girls and the counsellors is palpable.
Honestly why were these camps so popular? Bitchiness, rivalry, forced fun, uncomfortable beds and crap food, so glad these were never a thing in the UK, sounds horrific without the serial killer stalking the campers!
But has a read, this is set in the 90’s and is fabulous slasher nostalgia, a blood soaked summer horror that is such fun!
March 4, 2025
4.5 stars.
I’ve been to camp twice in my life. I went to a very small primary school (one class per grade) so I was lucky when, in Year 6, I was able to go to “writer’s camp” for budding young writers; the only student from my school. My mum was a volunteer parent helper so rather than camp out with the other kids, she and I slept in the back of our station wagon. And then again in Year 10, we had a school camp where I made good use of the flying fox and we all slept in a nice secure cabin.
After reading this, I DEFINITELY didn’t miss out on anything.
This was a fantastic read!! It was fast paced and engaging – I was immediately invested and didn’t want to stop reading. VS Lawrence is great at building characters and atmosphere, and the horror in this, did not hold back. Chanting Latin in the woods at night, GIRL.
I don’t want to spoil any plot points or twists (but let’s just say, if there WAS a twist, omg it was good) and there was a particular kind of mania that spread through the camp that was unexpected, creepy, and a thrilling touch by the author. Not just a camp slasher, it was unique and exciting. I really liked Kenzie, and several of the other characters. The ending was a little too neatly wrapped in my opinion but it was still done well.
Thank you so much to the author for sending the ARC - I had a lot of fun reading this, and I highly recommend it to anyone after 90s-slasher-camp goodness with bonus music playlist at the end (fun!).
I’ve been to camp twice in my life. I went to a very small primary school (one class per grade) so I was lucky when, in Year 6, I was able to go to “writer’s camp” for budding young writers; the only student from my school. My mum was a volunteer parent helper so rather than camp out with the other kids, she and I slept in the back of our station wagon. And then again in Year 10, we had a school camp where I made good use of the flying fox and we all slept in a nice secure cabin.
After reading this, I DEFINITELY didn’t miss out on anything.
This was a fantastic read!! It was fast paced and engaging – I was immediately invested and didn’t want to stop reading. VS Lawrence is great at building characters and atmosphere, and the horror in this, did not hold back. Chanting Latin in the woods at night, GIRL.
I don’t want to spoil any plot points or twists (but let’s just say, if there WAS a twist, omg it was good) and there was a particular kind of mania that spread through the camp that was unexpected, creepy, and a thrilling touch by the author. Not just a camp slasher, it was unique and exciting. I really liked Kenzie, and several of the other characters. The ending was a little too neatly wrapped in my opinion but it was still done well.
Thank you so much to the author for sending the ARC - I had a lot of fun reading this, and I highly recommend it to anyone after 90s-slasher-camp goodness with bonus music playlist at the end (fun!).
July 19, 2025
3.75 stars! honestly better than expected!! it’s very true to the time period it’s set in, and i mean that in a good way. it just has those 90s camp slasher horror movie/teen girl movie vibes that’s very nostalgic and kinda feel good in a weird way. the ending was a pretty easy to see coming but i contribute that more to it being very 90s horror movie-esque rather than the writing
July 12, 2025
Very fun campy read. Thought it had a summer feel to it.
There was loads to like about this including the main character Kenzie. We’ve all been in Kenzie’s shoes before. There was the Camp Red Moon, maybe it’s just me but it sorta reminded me of Camp Crystal Lake. Gotta love Summer horror.
Although, not incredibly scary. The story offered a lot. Plus themes of friendship were apparent in the story. I read this in one setting, and I just loved the dialogue between Kenzie and the other campers. Knew something horrific was going to happen and the mystery of the story kept me reading. At the end, I was not disappointed.
There was loads to like about this including the main character Kenzie. We’ve all been in Kenzie’s shoes before. There was the Camp Red Moon, maybe it’s just me but it sorta reminded me of Camp Crystal Lake. Gotta love Summer horror.
Although, not incredibly scary. The story offered a lot. Plus themes of friendship were apparent in the story. I read this in one setting, and I just loved the dialogue between Kenzie and the other campers. Knew something horrific was going to happen and the mystery of the story kept me reading. At the end, I was not disappointed.
June 6, 2025
4.5⭐️ woah i loved this!!
November 14, 2025
Girls Camp meets Lord of the Flies with a demon! A group of girls at girl camp descend into religious hysteria when campers start turning up dead!
October 28, 2025
I loved this book so much. It kept me guessing throughout—just when I thought I figured it out, it took a swerve. It was super fun and I couldn’t wait to pick it back up after I had to take a break. Also, if that’s how teen girls are irl, I’m glad I grew up a boy haha
April 7, 2025
When Kenzie, a lonely, home-schooled girl decides to get out of her shell and make some friends by attending summer camp, she never could have imagined it would be so difficult. She feels like an outsider. She's constantly making mistakes that the experienced campers laugh at her for. All she wants is to belong. That is, until campers start dropping like flies. Now all she wants to do is survive.
Someone, or something, is hunting the girls of Camp Red Moon, leaving a growing trail of blood in their wake. Fear quickly takes a hold of the campers and counselors when it becomes obvious that no one is safe. Darkness stalks Camp Red Moon, and when the truth comes out, it will eclipse even their most vivid nightmares.
With Friends Like These is another five star thriller from author V.S. Lawrence. Summer camp, especially a girls summer camp, has always been a particularly perfect setting for horror. V.S. Lawrence takes the summer camp trope and refreshes it, leaving the reader with a fresh but familiar tale that is impossible to put down.
I'll admit, I pride myself on being an observant reader but all my assumptions about the ending of this novel didn't even come close to the truth. I loved all the twists and turns as Kenzie, Hannah, and the other girls of Camp Red Moon try their best to survive the slasher fest their summer has turned out to be.
Lawrence does a particularly good job of capturing the dynamic of teenage girls. Let's face it, teenage girls are mean. They are clicky and will ban together and prey on the weak to make themselves feel better. One single slip up can leave a person ostracized and on the outside. These social behaviors are front and center of this tale, and are arguably the real horror.
I'm pretty sure I just added another auto-buy author to my list. At this point, if Lawrence writes it, I'm going to read it.
Someone, or something, is hunting the girls of Camp Red Moon, leaving a growing trail of blood in their wake. Fear quickly takes a hold of the campers and counselors when it becomes obvious that no one is safe. Darkness stalks Camp Red Moon, and when the truth comes out, it will eclipse even their most vivid nightmares.
With Friends Like These is another five star thriller from author V.S. Lawrence. Summer camp, especially a girls summer camp, has always been a particularly perfect setting for horror. V.S. Lawrence takes the summer camp trope and refreshes it, leaving the reader with a fresh but familiar tale that is impossible to put down.
I'll admit, I pride myself on being an observant reader but all my assumptions about the ending of this novel didn't even come close to the truth. I loved all the twists and turns as Kenzie, Hannah, and the other girls of Camp Red Moon try their best to survive the slasher fest their summer has turned out to be.
Lawrence does a particularly good job of capturing the dynamic of teenage girls. Let's face it, teenage girls are mean. They are clicky and will ban together and prey on the weak to make themselves feel better. One single slip up can leave a person ostracized and on the outside. These social behaviors are front and center of this tale, and are arguably the real horror.
I'm pretty sure I just added another auto-buy author to my list. At this point, if Lawrence writes it, I'm going to read it.
August 20, 2025
Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe. It’s what friends do.
Well, that was a fun, solid 4-star read. Very light especially at first but very realistic with good character development, even if that meant that some of those characters wound up being really, really unbearable. Still, it can't be a terrible sign for a horror story when you're already picking out those players that you hope wind up disemboweled, beheaded, or otherwise dispatched - and no, in the latter case, we're not talking about sending out letters back home. No, this is just about a nice camp where no fires are permitted (too dry and you can still smell the not terribly far away forest fires), there's only one set of toilets (please! For all those girls? As if!!), and the lake is contaminated with something that despite what Wikipedia says, I was utterly convinced was responsible for all the mayhem. Yeah, I admit it: I was expecting zombies (come on: "Murder is upsetting!"). Oh well, better luck next time…
Something’s gone wrong with the phone lines. It’s absolutely nothing to worry about…
But if you'll excuse me for saying so, you're not going to get a lot more details that what I've already given in terms of this review of V.S. Lawrence's "With Friends Like These". Well, except for the delicius irony of a girl named "Destiny" being the first to be unalived! Anyway, in terms of spoilers, that's simply for the reason that this is one of those delicious wee books where you need all of the surprises to be, well, surprising! Which is particularly the case once we get past all the "introductions" and the real carnage begins. Oh yeah, trust me on this: the last 15 to 20% or so of this book might have you standing up like audiences did during the big fight scene in "Avengers: Endgame", you know when Captain Thor Odinamerica was doing his bit and all. Only this time, I definitely joined in because I got to pull for this book's version of Thanos (who didn't have a bad idea if you take the time to think about it!!). But I digress…
You’re going to freak out. But try not to freak out for long…
Ah, summer camp. I went so, so many times, which I'm pretty sure was more for my parents' relief than anything I really wanted to do or hoped to gain from the experiences. Noting I only really enjoyed it… hang on, I'm doing the math… once. And even then I got some horrid illness (not giardia, thank goodness! Wait: that was the early 70s, did they know about it then?) including a very high fever and nausea and had to be quarantined for a huge chunk of my stay. But no, like Lawrence makes all too clear here, whether you're at an all-girl or all-boy camp or a camp for "AP" students (read: nerds) or whatever, it's not the overstated field of dreams and rainbows folks would have us believe it is. And be honest: you definitely don't come away from it with lifetime friends in your back pocket (I guess they would be very tiny friends in that case, huh?).
You’re a mouse. You’re a weak minded, spineless little mouse.
No, it never worked out that way and my only good memories really stem from seeing "Meatballs" around 20 times during those summer months my parents were willing to pay for something other than camp. Hey, don't knock it as I always imagined that Bill Murray and his cohorts - especially the ones with tiny bikinis and big bouncy bits - were indeed my best buddies. But no, Lawrence's depiction is again, so realistic that it's shocking, both from how innocent it all starts out and how quickly things get really, REALLY ugly. And that's with all the Camp Crystal Lake comparisons you could possibly want ("no phone, no transportation, and no goddamned help?"), which is just an added bonus to all this girlish shenanigans we run into. But do note that I would say be a little patient with it all, because there's no "you know" or any "come on don't make me say it" to raise this anywhere near to a level that would take this from a distinct Young Adult flavoring. Oh did I mention that's only really valid for around the first 80% or so?
There was something unsettling, something deeply wrong, about the entire situation…
One thing I did not expect but seems to be a recurring theme in my reading for 2025 is that there is enough religious lunacy - my words, not the author's, though I daresay she makes her opinions known (thumbs up all around, kids!) - to raise anyone's pulse to a dangerous level. But lo and behold brothers and sisters, when the excrement makes solid physical contact with a hydro-electric powered oscillating air current distribution device, we immediately get one of the patented "holier than thou" types setting up her pulpit and trying to get the masses to abide by her words and her beliefs and her drooling idiocy. Which she naturally insists are "like, totally Christian because I am telling YOU that's the way HE wants it!"… but! if you have any knowledge of how the man named Jesus operated - which doesn't require belief if you take it simply at its historical potential - well, it's no wonder then what comes of all of that. All I know is that'll teach you to spend your arts & crafts sessions making something a little more practical now, won't it, girls?
If you had prayed with us, none of this would have happened.
Oh I do wish I could tell you more about some of those last moments and the big reveals - maybe we'll get a sequel he squealed in a totally girlish way! (especially as I'm still totally convinced the Camp Boss and even the Nurse were up to something nefarious) - but again, this is one you have to enjoy for yourself. I will say that for what transpires here, it's one of my favorite reads of this type - I hate calling things "YA horror" but what else is there? - since "My Best Friend's Exorcism" including the true friendship that arises from tragedy between two young ladies. There's even some wonderful scenes that you may be asked to call "foreshadowing" by your teachers (remember: High School English - keeping kids from enjoying reading for centuries!), but you should just chillax and take them at their silliest!
The sheer carnage. The bodies, the blood. It was overwhelming.
But if you're looking for just buckets and buckets of gore and offal being flung about, well, I hate to disappoint you. OK, yeah, there's that bit I just quoted that sends a bunch of professionals out the door to go hornk in the parking lot… Still, if those sandwiches and soggy eggs they keep having to choke down don't have you hurling chunks all over the place, well, your stomach is stronger than mine!
Well, that was a fun, solid 4-star read. Very light especially at first but very realistic with good character development, even if that meant that some of those characters wound up being really, really unbearable. Still, it can't be a terrible sign for a horror story when you're already picking out those players that you hope wind up disemboweled, beheaded, or otherwise dispatched - and no, in the latter case, we're not talking about sending out letters back home. No, this is just about a nice camp where no fires are permitted (too dry and you can still smell the not terribly far away forest fires), there's only one set of toilets (please! For all those girls? As if!!), and the lake is contaminated with something that despite what Wikipedia says, I was utterly convinced was responsible for all the mayhem. Yeah, I admit it: I was expecting zombies (come on: "Murder is upsetting!"). Oh well, better luck next time…
Something’s gone wrong with the phone lines. It’s absolutely nothing to worry about…
But if you'll excuse me for saying so, you're not going to get a lot more details that what I've already given in terms of this review of V.S. Lawrence's "With Friends Like These". Well, except for the delicius irony of a girl named "Destiny" being the first to be unalived! Anyway, in terms of spoilers, that's simply for the reason that this is one of those delicious wee books where you need all of the surprises to be, well, surprising! Which is particularly the case once we get past all the "introductions" and the real carnage begins. Oh yeah, trust me on this: the last 15 to 20% or so of this book might have you standing up like audiences did during the big fight scene in "Avengers: Endgame", you know when Captain Thor Odinamerica was doing his bit and all. Only this time, I definitely joined in because I got to pull for this book's version of Thanos (who didn't have a bad idea if you take the time to think about it!!). But I digress…
You’re going to freak out. But try not to freak out for long…
Ah, summer camp. I went so, so many times, which I'm pretty sure was more for my parents' relief than anything I really wanted to do or hoped to gain from the experiences. Noting I only really enjoyed it… hang on, I'm doing the math… once. And even then I got some horrid illness (not giardia, thank goodness! Wait: that was the early 70s, did they know about it then?) including a very high fever and nausea and had to be quarantined for a huge chunk of my stay. But no, like Lawrence makes all too clear here, whether you're at an all-girl or all-boy camp or a camp for "AP" students (read: nerds) or whatever, it's not the overstated field of dreams and rainbows folks would have us believe it is. And be honest: you definitely don't come away from it with lifetime friends in your back pocket (I guess they would be very tiny friends in that case, huh?).
You’re a mouse. You’re a weak minded, spineless little mouse.
No, it never worked out that way and my only good memories really stem from seeing "Meatballs" around 20 times during those summer months my parents were willing to pay for something other than camp. Hey, don't knock it as I always imagined that Bill Murray and his cohorts - especially the ones with tiny bikinis and big bouncy bits - were indeed my best buddies. But no, Lawrence's depiction is again, so realistic that it's shocking, both from how innocent it all starts out and how quickly things get really, REALLY ugly. And that's with all the Camp Crystal Lake comparisons you could possibly want ("no phone, no transportation, and no goddamned help?"), which is just an added bonus to all this girlish shenanigans we run into. But do note that I would say be a little patient with it all, because there's no "you know" or any "come on don't make me say it" to raise this anywhere near to a level that would take this from a distinct Young Adult flavoring. Oh did I mention that's only really valid for around the first 80% or so?
There was something unsettling, something deeply wrong, about the entire situation…
One thing I did not expect but seems to be a recurring theme in my reading for 2025 is that there is enough religious lunacy - my words, not the author's, though I daresay she makes her opinions known (thumbs up all around, kids!) - to raise anyone's pulse to a dangerous level. But lo and behold brothers and sisters, when the excrement makes solid physical contact with a hydro-electric powered oscillating air current distribution device, we immediately get one of the patented "holier than thou" types setting up her pulpit and trying to get the masses to abide by her words and her beliefs and her drooling idiocy. Which she naturally insists are "like, totally Christian because I am telling YOU that's the way HE wants it!"… but! if you have any knowledge of how the man named Jesus operated - which doesn't require belief if you take it simply at its historical potential - well, it's no wonder then what comes of all of that. All I know is that'll teach you to spend your arts & crafts sessions making something a little more practical now, won't it, girls?
If you had prayed with us, none of this would have happened.
Oh I do wish I could tell you more about some of those last moments and the big reveals - maybe we'll get a sequel he squealed in a totally girlish way! (especially as I'm still totally convinced the Camp Boss and even the Nurse were up to something nefarious) - but again, this is one you have to enjoy for yourself. I will say that for what transpires here, it's one of my favorite reads of this type - I hate calling things "YA horror" but what else is there? - since "My Best Friend's Exorcism" including the true friendship that arises from tragedy between two young ladies. There's even some wonderful scenes that you may be asked to call "foreshadowing" by your teachers (remember: High School English - keeping kids from enjoying reading for centuries!), but you should just chillax and take them at their silliest!
The sheer carnage. The bodies, the blood. It was overwhelming.
But if you're looking for just buckets and buckets of gore and offal being flung about, well, I hate to disappoint you. OK, yeah, there's that bit I just quoted that sends a bunch of professionals out the door to go hornk in the parking lot… Still, if those sandwiches and soggy eggs they keep having to choke down don't have you hurling chunks all over the place, well, your stomach is stronger than mine!
April 17, 2025
This was such a fun, campy book!!! The vibes were all there! The girls in this story acted exactly like I would've imagined a bunch of girls would act at a summer camp (unfortunately). I absolutely despised Robin, but the also felt like her representation of a God loving Christian was spot on!!! Those who preach about God and acting on his behalf and beliefs, a lot of times are the most vile, horrible and cruel people. Shoving their beliefs down everyone's throat and ostracizing them if they don't 'drink the Kool-aid'. I hate to say it but I've experienced many people like this and my blood really boiled with Robin, I wanted someone to really put her in her place sooooo bad!!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all Christians are like this, but I mean, if the shoe fits 🥸
This line stuck out to me a lot...
“Truth is, you’re one of our favorite kind of people, you know? Running around, being hateful and horrible, all while screaming to anyone who’ll listen that it’s what the big guy upstairs would want you to do.” She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. “You’re doing a great job making Him look bad. You’re basically doing our work for us.” (Demon to Robin)
Anyway, overall I did really enjoy this book. It had campy, slasher, YA vibes and I love that!!! My only complaint, and reason for the 4 star rating, was the conversation with the Demon and Hannah at the end, it felt weird and unrealistic to the point of silly... Still recommend!!!
Will definitely read more of her work!!
Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This line stuck out to me a lot...
“Truth is, you’re one of our favorite kind of people, you know? Running around, being hateful and horrible, all while screaming to anyone who’ll listen that it’s what the big guy upstairs would want you to do.” She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. “You’re doing a great job making Him look bad. You’re basically doing our work for us.” (Demon to Robin)
Anyway, overall I did really enjoy this book. It had campy, slasher, YA vibes and I love that!!! My only complaint, and reason for the 4 star rating, was the conversation with the Demon and Hannah at the end, it felt weird and unrealistic to the point of silly... Still recommend!!!
Will definitely read more of her work!!
Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2025
what the hell is everyone else reading to be giving this 5 stars
March 1, 2025
Wow! I read 80s ghosts by this author back in October and enjoyed it. It wasn't a 5 star for me but it was good. The minute I saw she had a new release coming out I HAD TO HAVE IT.
Thank you to the author for the ARC and I look forward to reading all of your upcoming works.
This book was so fun! At first it read kind of like YA to me (Not a bad thing), but that changed later in the story. This did not go in the direction I thought it was going in. Again. Not a bad thing! This is different than any other camp thriller I've read and that's one of my favorite tropes.
In this book we follow Kenzie who is headed to this new summer camp. Camp Red Moon. She hopes to meet new friends and have the best summer ever! As she meets her bunk mates, she feels a bit left out at first. Hannah and Mel leave her out, while Stephanie doesn't. Then all of the sudden a girl comes up missing. They searched together to find her, and unfortunately found her dead in the bathroom.
Things go crazy! Their camp counselor Robin goes 100% crazy Christian on the girls! She starts forcing them into prayer circles. Etc.
She's legit off the wall.
Hannah and Kenzie don't agree with Robin's beliefs so distance themselves from her.
More dead bodies.
The ending. 🤌 so good! I will 100% be recommending this to all of my friends to read!
Thank you to the author for the ARC and I look forward to reading all of your upcoming works.
This book was so fun! At first it read kind of like YA to me (Not a bad thing), but that changed later in the story. This did not go in the direction I thought it was going in. Again. Not a bad thing! This is different than any other camp thriller I've read and that's one of my favorite tropes.
In this book we follow Kenzie who is headed to this new summer camp. Camp Red Moon. She hopes to meet new friends and have the best summer ever! As she meets her bunk mates, she feels a bit left out at first. Hannah and Mel leave her out, while Stephanie doesn't. Then all of the sudden a girl comes up missing. They searched together to find her, and unfortunately found her dead in the bathroom.
Things go crazy! Their camp counselor Robin goes 100% crazy Christian on the girls! She starts forcing them into prayer circles. Etc.
She's legit off the wall.
Hannah and Kenzie don't agree with Robin's beliefs so distance themselves from her.
More dead bodies.
The ending. 🤌 so good! I will 100% be recommending this to all of my friends to read!
March 20, 2025
Oh boy. This novel is a kick-ass bloody ride, and cultish nightmare.
Despite the prologue, it starts off giving a campy feel-overly cheerful counselors, wilderness vibe, excited campers-and quickly pivots. What started out as harmless fun for Kenzie and her bunk mates may have been more than it seemed. Things turn bloody fast, and the campers start forming ranks-deciding that those who do not follow the new norms are the cause of their misfortune.
What I love about this book is about Lawrence leans into the “summer camp gone horribly wrong” storyline, and through some religious extremism/cult tactics in there. It gets tense, and you start feeling an array of emotions as Kenzie and her new friend, Hannah, start slowly getting iced out by the rest of the camp. It’s also clear that they have fallen prey to groupthink and anger-wanting someone to blame for what is caused the danger at their camp.
What really has be screaming is the ending. Holy crap; talk about a twist and blood bath. It was, quite frankly, an amazing way to end this book.
This was a really fun and horrifying read. I love campy nostalgic books, and this one was one of the best I have read in that regard. I highly recommend it!
A big thank you to the author for my ARC. My opinion is my own.
Despite the prologue, it starts off giving a campy feel-overly cheerful counselors, wilderness vibe, excited campers-and quickly pivots. What started out as harmless fun for Kenzie and her bunk mates may have been more than it seemed. Things turn bloody fast, and the campers start forming ranks-deciding that those who do not follow the new norms are the cause of their misfortune.
What I love about this book is about Lawrence leans into the “summer camp gone horribly wrong” storyline, and through some religious extremism/cult tactics in there. It gets tense, and you start feeling an array of emotions as Kenzie and her new friend, Hannah, start slowly getting iced out by the rest of the camp. It’s also clear that they have fallen prey to groupthink and anger-wanting someone to blame for what is caused the danger at their camp.
What really has be screaming is the ending. Holy crap; talk about a twist and blood bath. It was, quite frankly, an amazing way to end this book.
This was a really fun and horrifying read. I love campy nostalgic books, and this one was one of the best I have read in that regard. I highly recommend it!
A big thank you to the author for my ARC. My opinion is my own.
April 16, 2025
Kenzie goes to summer camp for the first time, determined to make the best and most of this experience. She’s met with typical struggles until something is wrong, a campers gone missing and now more bad things are happening. Who can be trusted and what is happening, no one will truly expect the truth.
Asa lover of all things 80s and 90s slashers, VS Lawrence takes all the things we love about them and threw them in this book! An all girls summer camp in the 90s, mean girls, cliques, counselors, trying to fit in. It’s all there in campy glory but oh are you in for a twist! I did not see the end coming and I know her style is not to take things too seriously but I very seriously messaged her “bro wait what?!?” as soon as I finished!
The teen girls are realistic and relatable in their own ways. The counselors are typical for camp, too young, too inexperienced! The adults, who cares about them, like always never there or unhelpful. There was soooo much to love about how the author carefully crafts and evolves all the characters. I loved it and was so impressed.
Chaos, confusion, and a collective craziness breaks out and it felt like a roller coaster of whiplash and me saying what!?! It was tense, it was messy (literally), it was a twist I didn’t actually see coming.
I highly recommend this book, especially to the horror movie fans from the 80s-90s, you’re gonna love it!
Asa lover of all things 80s and 90s slashers, VS Lawrence takes all the things we love about them and threw them in this book! An all girls summer camp in the 90s, mean girls, cliques, counselors, trying to fit in. It’s all there in campy glory but oh are you in for a twist! I did not see the end coming and I know her style is not to take things too seriously but I very seriously messaged her “bro wait what?!?” as soon as I finished!
The teen girls are realistic and relatable in their own ways. The counselors are typical for camp, too young, too inexperienced! The adults, who cares about them, like always never there or unhelpful. There was soooo much to love about how the author carefully crafts and evolves all the characters. I loved it and was so impressed.
Chaos, confusion, and a collective craziness breaks out and it felt like a roller coaster of whiplash and me saying what!?! It was tense, it was messy (literally), it was a twist I didn’t actually see coming.
I highly recommend this book, especially to the horror movie fans from the 80s-90s, you’re gonna love it!
May 4, 2025
There is nothing quite like a peaceful summer spent in the woods by a tranquil lake. The girls of Camp Red Moon are in for a summer like no other.
Kenzie is the new girl to the camp, and she struggles to make connections with her cabin mates Mel,Stephanie, and Hannah. However, after one of the girls in the camp (a particularly mean girl) named Destiny goes missing, the camp must pull together as one to survive. By the end of the summer, no soul at the camp is left untouched and the battle for survival will force counselors and campers together to try to find a way forward before it’s too late.
The storytelling in this novel pulled me in and I felt like I was one of the campers in Kenzie’s cabin. The author is very good at building tension in the book and wrapping several layers of tension and dread together to the point where you almost wince when certain characters show up. As the climax hits, the author throws a twist that made me gasp and wonder how I had missed it. The signs were there!
I found this to be a fun read that I would heartily recommend to anyone who enjoys books with tension where the characters are cut off from the outside world. Just be sure you don’t go swimming in the lake.
Kenzie is the new girl to the camp, and she struggles to make connections with her cabin mates Mel,Stephanie, and Hannah. However, after one of the girls in the camp (a particularly mean girl) named Destiny goes missing, the camp must pull together as one to survive. By the end of the summer, no soul at the camp is left untouched and the battle for survival will force counselors and campers together to try to find a way forward before it’s too late.
The storytelling in this novel pulled me in and I felt like I was one of the campers in Kenzie’s cabin. The author is very good at building tension in the book and wrapping several layers of tension and dread together to the point where you almost wince when certain characters show up. As the climax hits, the author throws a twist that made me gasp and wonder how I had missed it. The signs were there!
I found this to be a fun read that I would heartily recommend to anyone who enjoys books with tension where the characters are cut off from the outside world. Just be sure you don’t go swimming in the lake.
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