The Last Summer at Feather River: A Novel

by Karen Nelson

Ten years after an accident that forced her family to close Camp Feather River, Brooke must return to the ranch to care for her grandfather and face the repercussions of their decision. Brooke once loved spending every summer at Feather River, riding horses, swimming in the lake, and helping her grandfather, Charlie, run the youth camp. But she has not set foot on the property since she and her mother abruptly left that night. Once back at the ranch, Brooke discovers that her family has been hiding more than she knew. While struggling to come to terms with what happened—and her part in it—Brooke realizes the accident might not have been an accident at all.

Part coming-of-age, part suspense, and part a story of redemption, The Last Summer at Feather River is a novel about damage done, secrets kept, sacrifices made, and whether it can be put back together after it all unravels.

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Karen Nelson is the author of the novels The Last Summer at Feather River and The Sunken Town, and she is the co-founder of the nonprofit Writing By Writers where she hosts writing workshops taught by nationally-known, award-winning authors. Her travel writing has appeared in Coast Magazine, Premium, The Orange County Register, and various other publications nationwide. She holds a degree in creative writing from Colby College and teaches writing at the local high school. When not organizing writing workshops, she can be found hiking with her dog, reading, traveling, experimenting in the kitchen, and hosting dinner parties. She lives in the Silicon Valley.

Reviews

[Dawn Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the second book by Karen Nelson. She writes good characters and i become invested in the stories.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised as this is not my usual genre. The plot is enticing from page one. The whole book kept me guessing yet I felt a part of the story. It is about love, lost, regrets and secrets, yet it is simple family protection which is the foundation.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kiara Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Net Gallery ARC review ♡♡♡

The Last Summer at Feather River by Karen Nelson
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


This book completely pulled me in and did not let me go. I went into The Last Summer at Feather River thinking I was getting a summer mystery… but what I got was something so much deeper—emotional, raw, tense, and layered with secrets that slowly unravel until everything hits you all at once.

I read this in one sitting because I had to know what happened that summer.

And when it all came together? It honestly left me sitting there just processing everything.


⚠️ FULL SPOILERS – EVERYTHING ⚠️


From the very beginning, there’s this heavy feeling that something went horribly wrong.
You don’t know exactly what yet—but you feel it.
The tone is tense. There’s grief, silence, things left unsaid. It’s clear that whatever happened at Feather River didn’t just end the summer… it changed these people forever.


Then we’re taken back.

Back to that last summer.

And at first, it feels almost normal.
Friends spending time together.
Moments that feel warm, familiar, even safe.
But underneath it all, there’s tension building.
Small cracks:
Awkward silences
Unspoken feelings
Little moments of jealousy or mistrust
Nothing huge at first… but enough to make you feel uneasy.


💥 The friendships

This is what makes the story hit so hard.
The friendships feel REAL.
Not perfect. Not idealised.
Messy. Emotional. Complicated.
You can feel the love between them—but also the strain. And that’s what makes everything that happens later so much more painful.
Because these aren’t just characters… they feel like real people making real choices.

💥 The shift

Then slowly, everything starts to change.
The tone darkens.
The tension rises.
And you can feel that something is coming.
The turning point—the moment everything changes—is built up so well.
It doesn’t come out of nowhere… but when it hits, it still shocks you.
Because of how real it feels.


💥 What actually happened

As the story unfolds, we start to understand that this wasn’t just a “bad summer.”
Something serious happened.
Something traumatic.
Something that the characters have been carrying ever since.
Without dumping it all at once, Karen Nelson slowly reveals the truth piece by piece:
What led up to that moment
Who was involved
What decisions were made
And the consequences that followed
And when it all comes together…
It’s heavy.


💥 The trauma and aftermath


This book doesn’t just focus on the event—it focuses on what comes after.
The guilt.
The silence.
The way people cope differently.
Some try to move on.
Some shut down.
Some carry it with them every single day.


💭 This is what hit me the hardest.


Because it shows how one moment can change everything.
How something that happens in a single night can follow you for years.

💥 The secrets

Everyone is hiding something.
That’s what keeps the tension so high.
As the story unfolds, you realise:
Not everyone is telling the full truth
Some people know more than they’re saying
And some secrets were buried on purpose
💥 The twists

There are multiple moments where everything shifts.
Just when you think you understand what happened…
You don’t.
New information comes out.
Perspectives change.
And suddenly you’re questioning everything again.


💥 The emotional weight

This isn’t just about mystery—it’s about:
Friendship
Trust
Betrayal
Survival
And living with the consequences of your choices


💥 The ending

The ending is emotional and bittersweet.
The truth finally comes out.
Things are finally said.
But not everything can be fixed.
Not everything can go back to how it was.
And that’s what makes it feel so real.


💭 Final thoughts

This book is:
Emotional
Tense
Layered
Heartbreaking
Completely addictive


The Last Summer at Feather River by Karen Nelson is one of those stories that stays with you.
It’s not just about what happened—it’s about how people live with it after.

A powerful, raw, and unforgettable ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read.
And honestly… I’m still thinking about it.

[Lorraine Devon Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a narrative that is both achingly nostalgic and sharply contemporary, THE LAST SUMMER AT FEATHER RIVER takes the reader into the world of horses and camps and friends and grandfathers and early love and golden summer memories, bringing all that rich life into the present when protagonist, Brooke, back at the ranch to help her ailing grandfather, is forced to face the truth of certain events that happened in that earlier time.

Weaving both timelines in and around each other throughout, author Karen Nelson expertly builds to the slowly revealed tragedy that demands Brooke face exactly what happened, why, and what her part in it was. There’s pain and regret, familial tensions that need reconciliation, plus longing that’s rekindled when an early love from that time reappears to stir her heart and complicate her life. The many and often conflicting emotions pull the reader in the journey, and Nelson’s skill at creating time and place, particularly elements related to the ranch and its horses (I swear, I could almost smell them!), are specific and detailed, lending the story rich authenticity.

I’ve been a fan of Nelson’s since I read her first, quite brilliant, novel, THE SUNKEN TOWN, so I had high expectations for this one and wasn’t disappointed. It’s a touching, engaging, very moving read I heartily recommend.

[Shrushti · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Karen Nelson's story splits its story across two timelines — and it mostly works.

Young Brooke is the beating heart of this novel. A tomboy more comfortable with horses than people, she carries the 1993 summer camp storyline with quiet maturity and a girl-power energy that never feels forced. Charlie, her grandfather, is equally well-written — fierce, tender, and deeply rooted in his land. Their relationship is genuinely moving.

But here's my honest take — the secondary characters needed more room to breathe. Jocelyn, Tanya, Ethan — they're introduced like they matter and then quietly sidelined. I kept wondering: what was Tanya's actual point? Why was Ethan's storyline cut so short? What happened between Brooke's mom and Jake's dad?

Some teen relationship scenes felt exaggerated and a little unnecessary. And if you're not a horse person, be prepared to skim some barn descriptions.

The thriller element though? Genuinely gripping. The mystery of what happened that summer and watching adult Brooke return to face it — that part works beautifully.

As a summer camp coming-of-age story it sits well. Flawed but gripping. Worth picking up if you love character-driven mysteries with a nostalgic summer setting.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years ago the Feather River ranch closed down for good to campers, and now Brooke is back to help her grandfather who broke his leg. She’s afraid to see Charlie, her grandfather, because of what happened ten years ago, but she hopes to make things right. Brooke feels responsible for the camp closing down, and she sees that finances aren’t good for the ranch. She starts helping Charlie by doing chores and fixing things. Brooke runs into Jake who was also at the camp during that time, and he doesn’t know what happened. Brooke tells him what happened to Tommy, another camper, and she feels responsible even though her grandfather said it wasn’t her fault. Brooke realizes coming back to the ranch was right, and it has been healing for her. She even has an idea to help Charlie build a business.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Katie Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This was such a refreshing read for me. There’s a touch of mystery, but nothing heavy or convoluted—just old-fashioned, solid storytelling with beautiful descriptions that let you really sink into the setting and characters.

My favorite TV show as a kid was HEY DUDE, and honestly, this gave me that same cozy, nostalgic feeling. Like being back somewhere familiar and comforting, where you just want to linger a little longer.

I read this as an ARC through NetGalley and wasn’t paying close attention to the percentage left, so the ending caught me a bit off guard and felt abrupt at first. I think that’s something I would’ve anticipated better with a physical copy in my hands—but that’s more a reading experience thing than a flaw in the story.

This is one of those rare books I genuinely didn’t want to end. I would’ve happily stayed in this world for another hundred pages.

[Christina McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a case where a dual timeline (and switching back and forth between timelines) was done really well. I was never confused about what timeline we were in because the characters were really well fleshed out in both timelines. There were limited characters in this book but it really didn’t need more because these characters held the story up in their own. I liked the subtle mystery element to it as well.

The only thing that brought it down for me was that I felt like the ending was too abrupt. I wish there had been a little bit more once we finally got to the ending of the story.

Overall a quick and enjoyable read!

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decade after a tragic accident leads to the closure of the ranch camp run by her family, Brooke returns to the scene of events - which, it now increasingly seems, may have been more sinister than she had earlier believed - because her uncle has plans to reopen the camp.

Since the ranch originally belonged to her grandfather, Brooke has a deep emotional investment in this, and the writer does a great job rendering the rural setting, the joy of working with the horses, and weaving the dual timelines together.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Maddy Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Summer at Feather River by Karen Nelson was a fun and quick read that focused on family, friendship and growing up, while also including a slight mystery element that kept me wanting to know what happened. Nelson creates a heartfelt story with vivid characters and emotional moments that make the setting feel real and memorable. Although I enjoyed the book, the storyline wasn’t as engaging as I initially thought it would be, and it didn’t grip me in the same way other books have. Even so, I still found it to be an enjoyable and touching read overall.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sibylline Press and Karen Nelson for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kees Vissers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel into a girl's view on horse camp and misterious events

This book reminded me strongly of the life of my younger daughter. Attending horse camp for a summer that confirms the lifelong love of horses and animals. The writing is descriptive and sets the scene for a jump several years back on an unfortunate event that had then and now significant consequences. The setting of young girls with boys at a horse camp is setting up the scene for later drama. The later part of the book turns into revelations that were hinted at but turn out to be more involved than what a reader might be thinking in the beginning. The charm of this book is that you are really taken into the mind of the main character with all her love, doubts and unknowns. A pleasure to read with good suspense till the end.

[Kathleen Reidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a big-hearted novel with a wonderful sense of place across its two timelines. It tells the story of a young woman returning to her family's horse farm after an extended absence. She spent summers there at a horse camp when she was young, and we experience that time as well, and the difficult events that led to the closure of the camp. This is a great novel for anyone who might enjoy the nostalgia of summer camp in the nineties, the world of horse farms, or a contemporary family drama / love story.

[Lora Chilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Summer at Feather River: A Novel by Karen Nelson is a nostalgic look back in time at summer camp, in this case Feather River. Also in this case, along with the fond memories, there is a tragedy that has been covered up for ten years. Karen Nelson is an experienced writer, deftly moving the story between the present and the last fateful summer at camp.
A thoroughly enjoyable book. Thank you to the publisher, Sibylline Press, for the ARC.

[Sbatdorf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of Last Summer at Feather River. Ten years ago the Feather River ranch closed down for good to campers, and now Brooke is back to help her grandfather who broke his leg. She’s afraid to see Charlie, her grandfather, because of what happened ten years ago, but she hopes to make things right. Good read.

[Carol Swink · Rating 5 out of 5]

From page one we are immersed in the smells and teenage intrigue of a summer horse camp in the Northern California mountains. Ten years after some incident at summer camp caused the camp to close and Brooke to abruptly leave the ranch, Brooke returns to help her injured grandfather. The detailed descriptions of the campers, the horses and the teenage summer camp experience evoke strong memories of my own camp experience. There is intrigue too, and a mystery as we meet the campers of the fateful year and re-live with Brooke the events of that summer. The suspense grows as we learn more about the events of the last summer and the impact on Brooke, her grandfather and her mother. This is a book about perception, guilt, atonement, and acceptance. The horses are important characters in the story plot are involved in both the incident and redemption in the story. There is a wealth of detail about horses, horse care, and camps that adds to the texture of the story. The ending was satisfactory and slightly unexpected.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Fabrizio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this dull. I kept waiting for something significant to happen, wading thru flowery descriptions of Feather River. The 'mystery' revealed is obvious and not at all mysterious. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal Tipton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Special thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was just ok, not a whole lot happened and the mystery they were alluding to had no twist or anything involved.

[Shawna Briseno · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last thing Brooke wants to do is return to Feather River. After all, she’s spent the last several years trying to forget the tragedy that occurred. And she’s pushed her part in that tragedy to the back of her mind. But when her aging grandfather breaks his leg, she’s the only one available to help take care of the ranch and horses while he recovers. She tells herself that she can handle it. That turns out to be easier said than done. As soon as she’s back on the ranch, the memories come rushing back. All those years spent swimming, camping, riding horses. And then the memories about what actually happened that night, her last night at Camp Feather River. This was an outstanding story. Lots to unravel with the characters and kept me wondering until the very end!

[kotfuhrera · Rating 1 out of 5]

i love summer camp aesthetic. i love complicated family dynamics. i love the idea of a prodigal child returning home. i even like the idea of romance with a school crash that somehow is inevitable after such a return.

so why didn't all of this work for me? maybe i just like my books a little more realistic.

first of all, the summer camp in question is a weird place with 20 children without any staff at all. we have Brooke's grandfather who shows children their chores; Brooke's mother as a riding teacher; women from town as a cook; and unnamed counselors (exchange students from Europe) who don't do anything remotely similar to a counselor's job. does people pay real money to get their children in such a camp where they would do all farm jobs? america must be a joke.

basically, children are left to themselves without any supervising and no one cares where they are and what they do. no wonder something bad (child death) is going to happen, and what bothers me most is that no one suffers from any repercussions. like the sheriff is a close friend and the camp is just closed by the owners!

but even if it wasn't, there also could be a possibility of a teen pregnancy as there is a description (thankfully not graphic) of sexual actions between a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, and a mention of sexual actions between a 13-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy who was actually one of the counselors.

content warning: sexual actions between minors (12/13; 13/16)