What do you think?
Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon #1
The Girl in the Lake
A young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery in a haunting novel of suspense by
New York Times
bestselling author Lauren Oliver.
Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl’s alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.
Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate’s friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again—presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley’s memories of her “other life” are ones that could only belong to Becca.
For Kate, Henley’s recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley’s uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets—each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake.
Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl’s alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.
Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate’s friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again—presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley’s memories of her “other life” are ones that could only belong to Becca.
For Kate, Henley’s recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley’s uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets—each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake.
Audible Audio
First published June 1, 2026
About the author
Lauren Oliver
62 books118k followersLauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (June 1, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 674 reviews
October 12, 2025
Reincarnation stories are catnip for me, and this one had me from the first ripple: a haunted New England lake, a local legend of a gray lady, a vanished teenage girl, and a six-year-old who might be carrying someone else’s memories. I’ve read Lauren Oliver before (and even sought out the screen adaptations), so I came in excited—and this premise sealed it.
The novel follows Kate Willis, a consultant with UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, sent to evaluate Henley Haskell, a child describing a “past life” that lines up—unsettlingly—with the disappearance of Kate’s own camp friend, Becca, twenty-four years ago at Lake Sauquamet. As Kate toggles between clinical skepticism and the ache of old grief, Oliver layers present-day investigation with summer-camp flashbacks, and the effect is deliciously eerie: damp docks at twilight, a legend that won’t die, and children who see what adults refuse to name. Henley’s nightmares and drawings carry an uncanny charge, and Kate’s return to Stockbridge unspools a tangle of secrets that feel both intimate and inevitable.
What worked best for me is the atmosphere—Oliver nails that specific New England ghostliness where fog feels like a memory pressing back. The structure hums: short, propulsive chapters; a steady drip of clues; and a moral tension I love in paranormal mysteries—how do you separate belief from wish, and which one is more dangerous? Thematically, it’s rich: grief as an unfinished conversation, the ethics of testing a child’s story, and the question of whether a “past life” can be a map out of the present.
Why not higher than 3.5? A few craft choices held me back. The middle stretch circles some beats (interviews, intel drops) that blunt the momentum, and the final explanations click into place a bit too neatly for a story that otherwise thrives on ambiguity. I also wanted deeper shading for some adults orbiting Kate and Henley; when the core premise is this strong, the supporting cast needs to meet it halfway. Still, the pages turned themselves—and I kept the lights on.
Bottom line: a moody, compulsively readable blend of psychological and paranormal suspense with a premise I couldn’t resist. If the idea of a haunted lake, a gray-lady legend, and a child who might be the echo of a girl long gone makes your spine tingle, you’ll swim through this in a night.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this intriguing paranormal thriller’s digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
The novel follows Kate Willis, a consultant with UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, sent to evaluate Henley Haskell, a child describing a “past life” that lines up—unsettlingly—with the disappearance of Kate’s own camp friend, Becca, twenty-four years ago at Lake Sauquamet. As Kate toggles between clinical skepticism and the ache of old grief, Oliver layers present-day investigation with summer-camp flashbacks, and the effect is deliciously eerie: damp docks at twilight, a legend that won’t die, and children who see what adults refuse to name. Henley’s nightmares and drawings carry an uncanny charge, and Kate’s return to Stockbridge unspools a tangle of secrets that feel both intimate and inevitable.
What worked best for me is the atmosphere—Oliver nails that specific New England ghostliness where fog feels like a memory pressing back. The structure hums: short, propulsive chapters; a steady drip of clues; and a moral tension I love in paranormal mysteries—how do you separate belief from wish, and which one is more dangerous? Thematically, it’s rich: grief as an unfinished conversation, the ethics of testing a child’s story, and the question of whether a “past life” can be a map out of the present.
Why not higher than 3.5? A few craft choices held me back. The middle stretch circles some beats (interviews, intel drops) that blunt the momentum, and the final explanations click into place a bit too neatly for a story that otherwise thrives on ambiguity. I also wanted deeper shading for some adults orbiting Kate and Henley; when the core premise is this strong, the supporting cast needs to meet it halfway. Still, the pages turned themselves—and I kept the lights on.
Bottom line: a moody, compulsively readable blend of psychological and paranormal suspense with a premise I couldn’t resist. If the idea of a haunted lake, a gray-lady legend, and a child who might be the echo of a girl long gone makes your spine tingle, you’ll swim through this in a night.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this intriguing paranormal thriller’s digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
June 26, 2026
The Girl in the Lake by Lauren Oliver ✍🏻
Narrated by Shannon McManus 🎙️
Listening length: 10 hours 17 minutes at 1x or 6 hours 51 minutes at 1.5x 🎧
And look 👀 at that GORGEOUS, HAUNTING book cover!
3.5 stars ⭐️
From the prologue:
Past Life Memory Claims have been extensively researched in almost every country and culture, with the cases recorded revealing many patterns. On average, children begin making statements about a past life when they are 35 months old. 20% of such children claimed to recall the interval between two lives. 75% describe the mode of death with 35% displaying phobias related to the circumstances of these unnatural deaths.
At present, this phenomenon remains unexplained.
As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it as it reminded me a favorite show from the Past-The X Files-which ran from 1993 to 2018. Two FBI agents-Mulder (who believed) and Scully (the skeptic) were teamed up to investigate cases that couldn’t be explained.
In this book, the first in the “Department of Unexplained Phenomenon series”- we have a psychologist named Kate Willis who is consulting for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. She is interviewing a six-year-old child, named Henley Haskell, who at age 3, began claiming to remember a PAST life-that of a girl named Becca McGuire, who disappeared 26 years ago in Lake Sauquamet-a lake where “The Gray Lady” (a local myth) has been known to claim lives…
Kate is a skeptic like Scully, but coincidentally, she was a friend of Becca’s and with her the night she went missing so she knows that what Henley is claiming to remember is eerily accurate…But, she can’t be credible, can she?
And, if she is, will Kate finally learn the truth of what happened that night?
This was one of those books where I liked the premise a bit more than the execution. I enjoyed the descriptive writing but…
Kate often came across as condescending and because she was so determined to prove that Henley was not Becca reincarnated, she didn’t protect the child’s privacy as she should-putting Henley in harms way. This and a couple of other things (spoilers) made her an unlikable lead.
AND-The story alternates between the PAST (the Summer when Kate and Becca were at Camp together) and the PRESENT, with too many chapters in the past for me, since I don’t enjoy angsty teen narratives. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
This was an immersion read-and I preferred reading this one as opposed to listening, as sometimes the diction of the narrator wasn’t always crisp.
I first discovered this author’s work when I read her CLEVER short story-“A Fatal Delivery” which was part of Amazon’s Deadly Ambitions collection but this was the first of her full length novels that I have tried.
I do enjoy reading about the “unexplained” so I may consider the next in the series to see where it goes next despite my ambivalence towards Kate. (Due out May 2027)
This is available now for purchase or you can read it for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
A buddy read with Marilyn and Mary Beth so be sure to watch for their reviews! 💞
Narrated by Shannon McManus 🎙️
Listening length: 10 hours 17 minutes at 1x or 6 hours 51 minutes at 1.5x 🎧
And look 👀 at that GORGEOUS, HAUNTING book cover!
3.5 stars ⭐️
From the prologue:
Past Life Memory Claims have been extensively researched in almost every country and culture, with the cases recorded revealing many patterns. On average, children begin making statements about a past life when they are 35 months old. 20% of such children claimed to recall the interval between two lives. 75% describe the mode of death with 35% displaying phobias related to the circumstances of these unnatural deaths.
At present, this phenomenon remains unexplained.
As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it as it reminded me a favorite show from the Past-The X Files-which ran from 1993 to 2018. Two FBI agents-Mulder (who believed) and Scully (the skeptic) were teamed up to investigate cases that couldn’t be explained.
In this book, the first in the “Department of Unexplained Phenomenon series”- we have a psychologist named Kate Willis who is consulting for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. She is interviewing a six-year-old child, named Henley Haskell, who at age 3, began claiming to remember a PAST life-that of a girl named Becca McGuire, who disappeared 26 years ago in Lake Sauquamet-a lake where “The Gray Lady” (a local myth) has been known to claim lives…
Kate is a skeptic like Scully, but coincidentally, she was a friend of Becca’s and with her the night she went missing so she knows that what Henley is claiming to remember is eerily accurate…But, she can’t be credible, can she?
And, if she is, will Kate finally learn the truth of what happened that night?
This was one of those books where I liked the premise a bit more than the execution. I enjoyed the descriptive writing but…
Kate often came across as condescending and because she was so determined to prove that Henley was not Becca reincarnated, she didn’t protect the child’s privacy as she should-putting Henley in harms way. This and a couple of other things (spoilers) made her an unlikable lead.
AND-The story alternates between the PAST (the Summer when Kate and Becca were at Camp together) and the PRESENT, with too many chapters in the past for me, since I don’t enjoy angsty teen narratives. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
This was an immersion read-and I preferred reading this one as opposed to listening, as sometimes the diction of the narrator wasn’t always crisp.
I first discovered this author’s work when I read her CLEVER short story-“A Fatal Delivery” which was part of Amazon’s Deadly Ambitions collection but this was the first of her full length novels that I have tried.
I do enjoy reading about the “unexplained” so I may consider the next in the series to see where it goes next despite my ambivalence towards Kate. (Due out May 2027)
This is available now for purchase or you can read it for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
A buddy read with Marilyn and Mary Beth so be sure to watch for their reviews! 💞
June 5, 2026
I enjoyed this book overall, particularly its atmospheric setting, paranormal elements, and the mystery at the center of the story. The pacing was strong, and I found myself eager to keep reading to uncover the truth. Kate was also more complex than I expected, which made her perspective engaging to follow.
Speaking of Kate, I sometimes struggled with her characterization. There were times she didn’t feel fully aligned with someone with her level of education and professional background, which pulled me out of the story a bit. I found myself wishing her intelligence and expertise had been portrayed more consistently throughout.
My other main issue was that I would have preferred a bit less ambiguity by the end. While I understand open-ended conclusions can be intentional, I personally wanted more clarity and resolution for the central mystery.
I also felt that certain characters and storylines had more potential than was ultimately explored. There were a few moments where I wanted to spend more time digging into particular perspectives and motivations, but the story moved on instead.
Anyway, I was invested throughout and appreciated how the mystery unfolded even if some of the biggest moments didn’t have the impact on me that I was hoping for. I’m still glad I chose this as my Amazon First Reads book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Speaking of Kate, I sometimes struggled with her characterization. There were times she didn’t feel fully aligned with someone with her level of education and professional background, which pulled me out of the story a bit. I found myself wishing her intelligence and expertise had been portrayed more consistently throughout.
My other main issue was that I would have preferred a bit less ambiguity by the end. While I understand open-ended conclusions can be intentional, I personally wanted more clarity and resolution for the central mystery.
I also felt that certain characters and storylines had more potential than was ultimately explored. There were a few moments where I wanted to spend more time digging into particular perspectives and motivations, but the story moved on instead.
Anyway, I was invested throughout and appreciated how the mystery unfolded even if some of the biggest moments didn’t have the impact on me that I was hoping for. I’m still glad I chose this as my Amazon First Reads book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
April 13, 2026
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an eARC to read and review before publishing.
Is The Girl in the Lake my new favorite paranormal/supernatural thriller? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Lauren Oliver has written a banger of a book with the perfect balance of the exploration of psychology, logical reasoning, and supernatural suspense. Like our main character, Kate, I tend to look for what is rooted in the science of our known world when faced with the unknown. However, through her engaging storytelling Lauren was able to make me suspend my beliefs and wonder if maybe, just maybe, there are situations or encounters that don't have scientific/logical explanations. And to me, that is the power of The Girl in the Lake.
If you are a fan of Yellowjackets, True Detective, The Outsider, or any of Lauren Oliver's other books and television projects, then I HIGHLY recommend you read The Girl in the Lake.
4.5 stars
Is The Girl in the Lake my new favorite paranormal/supernatural thriller? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Lauren Oliver has written a banger of a book with the perfect balance of the exploration of psychology, logical reasoning, and supernatural suspense. Like our main character, Kate, I tend to look for what is rooted in the science of our known world when faced with the unknown. However, through her engaging storytelling Lauren was able to make me suspend my beliefs and wonder if maybe, just maybe, there are situations or encounters that don't have scientific/logical explanations. And to me, that is the power of The Girl in the Lake.
If you are a fan of Yellowjackets, True Detective, The Outsider, or any of Lauren Oliver's other books and television projects, then I HIGHLY recommend you read The Girl in the Lake.
4.5 stars
October 11, 2025
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My Vibe Check
* My emotional state while reading: 🥱🤔🍿🙄
* If this book were a snack, it'd be... a tofu burger posing as a hamburger.
The Good Stuff
1. Vivid descriptions. You can easily imagine the setting.
2. Mental disorders and resurrections are two of my favorite subjects. This book has both. It feels like a treat. 🍬
3. Ghost and mysterious deaths add more to the intrigue.
4. Camp nostalgia.
5. Struggling between the truth and self-preservation. 🩶 morally grey.
Things That Made Me Go Meh
1. This is just a personal preference, but I don’t like lush writing. I don’t like metaphors in prose. The first chapter irked me so much with its attention to the trees that I almost DNFed. It was so hard to settle into.
2. I feel like the delivery didn’t do the story enough justice. The story is very interesting, but the writing not so.
3. The walls of text are putting me off. I feel like only old books should be like this, since readers then had longer attention spans. I like my paragraphs digestible. And I can’t even adjust this on my Kindle to put spaces after paragraphs to give my eyes rest.
4. The camp girls remind me of Pretty Little Liars girls for some reason.
5. The Gray Lady aesthetic was giving Viola Lloyd (The Haunting of Bly Manor). Also, her tale/legend is somewhat lame.
6. A typo in Chapter 14. “Becca looked at her sideways”. Should’ve been Emily.
7. In the end, it’s just 40 chapters of whodunnit. And I’m pretty underwhelmed because the breadcrumbs weren’t breadcrumbing.
My Overall Thoughts
* Would I recommend this book? Well, I wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it. But I’m personally not obsessed, which is sad because I wanted to be.
* Who should read this? Whodunnit fans.
* My super-scientific rating: 3.5. Solid read, but I’m not obsessed.
—MAJOR SPOILERS START HERE.—
The Gist (or else I’ll forget)
The story opens with a flashback: fourteen-year-old Becca and thirteen-year-old Kate promise to be best friends forever.
Twenty-six years later, Kate—now a divorced psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies—drives back to Massachusetts to interview a child named Henley, who claims to remember a past life.
On her way, Kate stops for coffee and notices an ad from an old camp friend, Mari. The ad stirs memories of the summer they spent together nearby as kids.
At the Haskells’ home, Henley’s mother, Emily, shows Kate her daughter’s drawings before Kate meets the child herself. Henley recoils at the sight of her, refusing to engage.
Seeking closure, Kate visits the site of their old camp but can’t make herself go in. Instead, she reconnects with Mari. Their reunion quickly turns tense as talk of Becca’s death resurfaces. Through Kate’s recollections, we see that Becca, once her best friend, was manipulative and cruel. Kate storms out, furious that Mari seems to have forgotten their shared guilt in Becca’s death.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate studies Henley’s drawings. One depicts a yellow house resembling Becca’s grandparents’ home; another shows an underwater graveyard, reminiscent of Fair Isle—the legendary island at the center of the “Gray Lady” ghost stories. The final drawing unsettles Kate so deeply that she decides to visit the lake again. There, she meets a kind stranger named Matt.
That night, Kate dreams of Becca, recalling how she, Becca, Mari, and Lennie once planned to visit Fair Isle to find the Gray Lady.
When Kate meets Henley again, the girl suddenly claims that her name used to be Becca.
A flashback shows the night young Kate and Becca saw the eerie, grinning face of the Gray Lady.
Disturbed, Kate visits Becca’s old house, then confronts Emily, who insists she never knew Becca. Emily adds that Henley has said she’s met Kate before—and that Kate was there the night she went to the graveyard and never came back.
Haunted, Kate researches Becca’s case online and contacts Becca’s mother, who confirms that many of Henley’s “memories” are frighteningly accurate.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate reads Emily’s notes and recalls the night she, Mari, and Lennie left Becca trapped and screaming.
The next day, Kate borrows an old camp yearbook from Mari and shows it to Henley. The girl recognizes herself as Becca and reveals she didn’t drown—Kate locked her in a dark place, and the Gray Lady took her.
In flashback, we see how Becca’s cruelty drove her friends to the breaking point.
Still skeptical, Kate suspects Mari has somehow planted the idea in Henley’s mind. She convinces Mari to meet at the old camp, where we find out what happened. Becca had bullied Mari into entering the mausoleum. Mari snapped and pushed Becca inside; Kate and Lennie locked the door. When they returned, Becca was dead. They put her body in a canoe and sank it in the lake. But her body was never found.
Later, Kate learns from Jenny Lin—another former camp counselor—that three canoes were missing from the boathouse that night, though the girls only used two. Meanwhile, she discovers Matt is actually a lieutenant who has reopened Becca’s case.
Kate visits Henley, who identifies who were there that night—Mari, Lennie, and Natalie, Becca’s enemy. Kate tracks down Natalie, who confesses she tried to scare the girls by posing as the Gray Lady. But Becca already knew and wanted to use Natalie to frighten her friends. Natalie never killed Becca; she only felt guilty, realizing she had been mistaken for the Gray Lady that night.
Kate consults Martin, a local historian, who connects the Gray Lady legend to past mysterious deaths on Fair Isle—including that of a boy whose body resembled Becca’s in death.
Soon after, Henley attacks a playmate, disturbing Emily, who cuts ties with Kate and the DOPS.
Kate’s memories resurface: the frantic search for Becca, the guilt, and Cameron—the camp boy who once comforted her. Investigating further, she discovers a link between Cameron and someone we’ll call “Fireball whiskey boy”.
When Kate confesses her involvement to Matt, he advises her not to leave the country. Back in Virginia, she consults a toxicologist friend, learning about sodium nitrate poisoning—a possible cause of Becca’s death.
Emily calls again: Henley has received a note reading, “Remember we had an agreement.” Meanwhile, the “Fireball whiskey boy” is identified as the real Cameron, proving the camp’s Cameron was an impostor.
Kate realizes Mari keeps a Becca shrine containing the same lighter described in the case. Visiting Mari’s house, she meets Mari’s son, who reveals he had babysat Henley and told her the Fair Isle story—explaining part of Henley’s knowledge.
Mari and Kate piece together the truth: the fake Cameron—actually Gregory Owens’ stepbrother Richie—killed the real Cameron, assumed his identity, and murdered Becca because she knew him and used it for leverage.
When Richie kidnaps Henley, Kate tracks them down. The confrontation ends in supernatural chaos: the Gray Lady appears, saving Kate and Henley—perhaps with Becca’s help.
My Vibe Check
* My emotional state while reading: 🥱🤔🍿🙄
* If this book were a snack, it'd be... a tofu burger posing as a hamburger.
The Good Stuff
1. Vivid descriptions. You can easily imagine the setting.
2. Mental disorders and resurrections are two of my favorite subjects. This book has both. It feels like a treat. 🍬
3. Ghost and mysterious deaths add more to the intrigue.
4. Camp nostalgia.
5. Struggling between the truth and self-preservation. 🩶 morally grey.
Things That Made Me Go Meh
1. This is just a personal preference, but I don’t like lush writing. I don’t like metaphors in prose. The first chapter irked me so much with its attention to the trees that I almost DNFed. It was so hard to settle into.
2. I feel like the delivery didn’t do the story enough justice. The story is very interesting, but the writing not so.
3. The walls of text are putting me off. I feel like only old books should be like this, since readers then had longer attention spans. I like my paragraphs digestible. And I can’t even adjust this on my Kindle to put spaces after paragraphs to give my eyes rest.
4. The camp girls remind me of Pretty Little Liars girls for some reason.
5. The Gray Lady aesthetic was giving Viola Lloyd (The Haunting of Bly Manor). Also, her tale/legend is somewhat lame.
6. A typo in Chapter 14. “Becca looked at her sideways”. Should’ve been Emily.
7. In the end, it’s just 40 chapters of whodunnit. And I’m pretty underwhelmed because the breadcrumbs weren’t breadcrumbing.
My Overall Thoughts
* Would I recommend this book? Well, I wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it. But I’m personally not obsessed, which is sad because I wanted to be.
* Who should read this? Whodunnit fans.
* My super-scientific rating: 3.5. Solid read, but I’m not obsessed.
—MAJOR SPOILERS START HERE.—
The Gist (or else I’ll forget)
The story opens with a flashback: fourteen-year-old Becca and thirteen-year-old Kate promise to be best friends forever.
Twenty-six years later, Kate—now a divorced psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies—drives back to Massachusetts to interview a child named Henley, who claims to remember a past life.
On her way, Kate stops for coffee and notices an ad from an old camp friend, Mari. The ad stirs memories of the summer they spent together nearby as kids.
At the Haskells’ home, Henley’s mother, Emily, shows Kate her daughter’s drawings before Kate meets the child herself. Henley recoils at the sight of her, refusing to engage.
Seeking closure, Kate visits the site of their old camp but can’t make herself go in. Instead, she reconnects with Mari. Their reunion quickly turns tense as talk of Becca’s death resurfaces. Through Kate’s recollections, we see that Becca, once her best friend, was manipulative and cruel. Kate storms out, furious that Mari seems to have forgotten their shared guilt in Becca’s death.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate studies Henley’s drawings. One depicts a yellow house resembling Becca’s grandparents’ home; another shows an underwater graveyard, reminiscent of Fair Isle—the legendary island at the center of the “Gray Lady” ghost stories. The final drawing unsettles Kate so deeply that she decides to visit the lake again. There, she meets a kind stranger named Matt.
That night, Kate dreams of Becca, recalling how she, Becca, Mari, and Lennie once planned to visit Fair Isle to find the Gray Lady.
When Kate meets Henley again, the girl suddenly claims that her name used to be Becca.
A flashback shows the night young Kate and Becca saw the eerie, grinning face of the Gray Lady.
Disturbed, Kate visits Becca’s old house, then confronts Emily, who insists she never knew Becca. Emily adds that Henley has said she’s met Kate before—and that Kate was there the night she went to the graveyard and never came back.
Haunted, Kate researches Becca’s case online and contacts Becca’s mother, who confirms that many of Henley’s “memories” are frighteningly accurate.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate reads Emily’s notes and recalls the night she, Mari, and Lennie left Becca trapped and screaming.
The next day, Kate borrows an old camp yearbook from Mari and shows it to Henley. The girl recognizes herself as Becca and reveals she didn’t drown—Kate locked her in a dark place, and the Gray Lady took her.
In flashback, we see how Becca’s cruelty drove her friends to the breaking point.
Still skeptical, Kate suspects Mari has somehow planted the idea in Henley’s mind. She convinces Mari to meet at the old camp, where we find out what happened. Becca had bullied Mari into entering the mausoleum. Mari snapped and pushed Becca inside; Kate and Lennie locked the door. When they returned, Becca was dead. They put her body in a canoe and sank it in the lake. But her body was never found.
Later, Kate learns from Jenny Lin—another former camp counselor—that three canoes were missing from the boathouse that night, though the girls only used two. Meanwhile, she discovers Matt is actually a lieutenant who has reopened Becca’s case.
Kate visits Henley, who identifies who were there that night—Mari, Lennie, and Natalie, Becca’s enemy. Kate tracks down Natalie, who confesses she tried to scare the girls by posing as the Gray Lady. But Becca already knew and wanted to use Natalie to frighten her friends. Natalie never killed Becca; she only felt guilty, realizing she had been mistaken for the Gray Lady that night.
Kate consults Martin, a local historian, who connects the Gray Lady legend to past mysterious deaths on Fair Isle—including that of a boy whose body resembled Becca’s in death.
Soon after, Henley attacks a playmate, disturbing Emily, who cuts ties with Kate and the DOPS.
Kate’s memories resurface: the frantic search for Becca, the guilt, and Cameron—the camp boy who once comforted her. Investigating further, she discovers a link between Cameron and someone we’ll call “Fireball whiskey boy”.
When Kate confesses her involvement to Matt, he advises her not to leave the country. Back in Virginia, she consults a toxicologist friend, learning about sodium nitrate poisoning—a possible cause of Becca’s death.
Emily calls again: Henley has received a note reading, “Remember we had an agreement.” Meanwhile, the “Fireball whiskey boy” is identified as the real Cameron, proving the camp’s Cameron was an impostor.
Kate realizes Mari keeps a Becca shrine containing the same lighter described in the case. Visiting Mari’s house, she meets Mari’s son, who reveals he had babysat Henley and told her the Fair Isle story—explaining part of Henley’s knowledge.
Mari and Kate piece together the truth: the fake Cameron—actually Gregory Owens’ stepbrother Richie—killed the real Cameron, assumed his identity, and murdered Becca because she knew him and used it for leverage.
When Richie kidnaps Henley, Kate tracks them down. The confrontation ends in supernatural chaos: the Gray Lady appears, saving Kate and Henley—perhaps with Becca’s help.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2026
This wasn’t even on my radar. My first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be looking for more. This was my Amazon First Reads pick this month - and y’all. If you haven’t picked one yet, pick this one!
Kate and Becca were best friends until one summer, Becca vanished from summer camp. Assumed drowned, everyone has moved on. Now, Kate is a psychologist interviewing a six year old girl who says she remembers a past life - Becca’s life.
The cases of children involving reincarnation have always fascinated me. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I got really excited and downloaded it right away. If you liked Riley Sager’s “The Last Time I Lied”, this book gives similar vibes. Dual timelines as we jump back and forth between friends at summer camp and present day. Paranormal tones. Lots of back and forth and whodunnit suspense.
The gore was kept to a minimum. No spice. Pacing was a little slow in the beginning, really ramping up towards the end. It read like a movie 🍿 It got a little repetitive in some places, but I think it just helped to build that suspense and questioning. The medical jargon was a bit… smarter-than-thou from time to time, but that was my only real complaint. For that I should probably rate this one 4.5-4.75, but I had such a good time reading it, I just don’t care.
So like I said, if you haven’t grabbed your Amazon First Reads book this month, you can get this one. Or buy it next month when it’s officially released.
Kate and Becca were best friends until one summer, Becca vanished from summer camp. Assumed drowned, everyone has moved on. Now, Kate is a psychologist interviewing a six year old girl who says she remembers a past life - Becca’s life.
The cases of children involving reincarnation have always fascinated me. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I got really excited and downloaded it right away. If you liked Riley Sager’s “The Last Time I Lied”, this book gives similar vibes. Dual timelines as we jump back and forth between friends at summer camp and present day. Paranormal tones. Lots of back and forth and whodunnit suspense.
The gore was kept to a minimum. No spice. Pacing was a little slow in the beginning, really ramping up towards the end. It read like a movie 🍿 It got a little repetitive in some places, but I think it just helped to build that suspense and questioning. The medical jargon was a bit… smarter-than-thou from time to time, but that was my only real complaint. For that I should probably rate this one 4.5-4.75, but I had such a good time reading it, I just don’t care.
So like I said, if you haven’t grabbed your Amazon First Reads book this month, you can get this one. Or buy it next month when it’s officially released.
October 13, 2025
This was such a haunting, eerie read that totally pulled me in. I loved the mix of psychological suspense and the whole past-life angle—it made the mystery feel so unique. The setting by the lake added to the creepy vibe, and I was hooked trying to figure out what really happened to Becca.
Kate was such an interesting main character, and Henley’s parts honestly gave me chills. It slowed down a bit in the middle, but the ending definitely made up for it. Overall, it was a chilling, emotional story that kept me on edge the whole time.
Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for this arc!
Kate was such an interesting main character, and Henley’s parts honestly gave me chills. It slowed down a bit in the middle, but the ending definitely made up for it. Overall, it was a chilling, emotional story that kept me on edge the whole time.
Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for this arc!
January 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this novel.
You need to read this, trust me. Such a fast paced, engaging, atmospheric thriller with an interesting twist. I loved the investigation aspect and the way the story played out in dual timelines. If you love being on the edge of your seat as you read a thriller, this is for you.
You need to read this, trust me. Such a fast paced, engaging, atmospheric thriller with an interesting twist. I loved the investigation aspect and the way the story played out in dual timelines. If you love being on the edge of your seat as you read a thriller, this is for you.
July 9, 2026
The Girl In the Lake immediately captivated me, I was totally immersed in this story.
I loved the dual timelines, eerie vibes and the supernatural, other worldly vibes.
What I thought Lauren Oliver did incredibly well is to fully develop a character who appears minimally only in the "then" timeline. She developes her so well through current conversations and the MCs reflections. Wow! So well done.
Although this one wraps up nicely, she set it up with a nice volley for another book.
I loved the dual timelines, eerie vibes and the supernatural, other worldly vibes.
What I thought Lauren Oliver did incredibly well is to fully develop a character who appears minimally only in the "then" timeline. She developes her so well through current conversations and the MCs reflections. Wow! So well done.
Although this one wraps up nicely, she set it up with a nice volley for another book.
June 22, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A dual timeline narrative along with the concept of reincarnation build the foundation for The Girl in the Lake, the first book of the new mystery series Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon. Join Kate Willis, psychologist, consultant and skeptic on her journey to deal with a secret from her past in the form a little girl who has the memories of Kate's best friend from camp, dead for the last twenty four years.
I read one of Lauren Oliver's young adult series years ago and enjoyed it, so I was eager to give a new very different adult story a try. Kate is a recovering alcoholic who is carrying around a lot of guilt from a trauma in her childhood. She and her camp friends were obsessed with the legend of the gray lady. One fateful night four girls travelled to the Island rumored to house her ghost and only three came back. Everyone believes Becca drown in lake, but Kate knows the truth. Henley a six year old girl talks about her other life and remembers dying. Kate is trying to figure out how this child knows so much, is it the reincarnation of her friend or did someone coach a child and for what purpose.
This was a decent mystery. I had a pretty good idea of who I thought the killer probably was early in the story but the how and why I didn't get until the end along with Kate. I chapters in the past with Kate and her friends was so nostalgic for me having grown up in that time. Kate was likable enough. She is the nonbeliever, she is Skully with no Mulder, always looking for a rational explanation for the irrational things happening in front of her eyes. Even though a few colleges and her ex-husband played devils advocate I think the story may have worked better as a duo or if she had one person to bounce dialog off of more consistently.
Overall it was an interesting story of the uncanny and a good intro to Kate and some of her potential team in future stories. With a little hint at the end of what is to come I will probably continue on with the series.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Shannon McManus was a new to me narrator. She did great at the single PoV with Kate telling us the story. The dialog sections with the girls in the past, was not quite as good for me but I was able to follow along with who was talking. The present section with adult voices seemed to roll better for me. I enjoyed Shannon McManus's voice overall and was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A dual timeline narrative along with the concept of reincarnation build the foundation for The Girl in the Lake, the first book of the new mystery series Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon. Join Kate Willis, psychologist, consultant and skeptic on her journey to deal with a secret from her past in the form a little girl who has the memories of Kate's best friend from camp, dead for the last twenty four years.
I read one of Lauren Oliver's young adult series years ago and enjoyed it, so I was eager to give a new very different adult story a try. Kate is a recovering alcoholic who is carrying around a lot of guilt from a trauma in her childhood. She and her camp friends were obsessed with the legend of the gray lady. One fateful night four girls travelled to the Island rumored to house her ghost and only three came back. Everyone believes Becca drown in lake, but Kate knows the truth. Henley a six year old girl talks about her other life and remembers dying. Kate is trying to figure out how this child knows so much, is it the reincarnation of her friend or did someone coach a child and for what purpose.
This was a decent mystery. I had a pretty good idea of who I thought the killer probably was early in the story but the how and why I didn't get until the end along with Kate. I chapters in the past with Kate and her friends was so nostalgic for me having grown up in that time. Kate was likable enough. She is the nonbeliever, she is Skully with no Mulder, always looking for a rational explanation for the irrational things happening in front of her eyes. Even though a few colleges and her ex-husband played devils advocate I think the story may have worked better as a duo or if she had one person to bounce dialog off of more consistently.
Overall it was an interesting story of the uncanny and a good intro to Kate and some of her potential team in future stories. With a little hint at the end of what is to come I will probably continue on with the series.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Shannon McManus was a new to me narrator. She did great at the single PoV with Kate telling us the story. The dialog sections with the girls in the past, was not quite as good for me but I was able to follow along with who was talking. The present section with adult voices seemed to roll better for me. I enjoyed Shannon McManus's voice overall and was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
August 25, 2026
Do you believe in past lives or reincarnation? That is the question that Kate, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, must find out. Kate has been sent back to where she spent summers as a young girl and interview a young girl who claims to know what happened to a young girl. The girl in question was one of Kates BFF's from camp that "disappeared" 26 years ago one summer night.
We have some twisty turns throughout the story that will keep you guessing till the end. Well it did me, but I just might be dumber than a turnip 🤷♀️🤷♀️ It was a fun mystery that kept me wanting to know more.
We have some twisty turns throughout the story that will keep you guessing till the end. Well it did me, but I just might be dumber than a turnip 🤷♀️🤷♀️ It was a fun mystery that kept me wanting to know more.
October 25, 2025
The perfect read for a stormy night like this one.
What a story! It was “I Know What You Did Last Summer” meets “Pretty Little Liars” meets the paranormal. And it did not disappoint!
The story follows Kate, a psychologist, studying a little girl who claims to have memories of someone else’s life…someone who is no longer alive and hasn’t been for decades. Someone who Kate is connected to in a big way. Kate gets thrown into her past that she has long run from for the sake of facing and discovering the truth.
I didn’t start figuring out the mystery until the latter part of the book, which meant this was a wild ride and such a good book for me! I’m stoked to read more in this series and this author because she knew how to write the eerie vibes and draw you into a haunting story.
Highly recommend if you enjoy mystery with a touch of the unexplainable.
Thank you to the author and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
What a story! It was “I Know What You Did Last Summer” meets “Pretty Little Liars” meets the paranormal. And it did not disappoint!
The story follows Kate, a psychologist, studying a little girl who claims to have memories of someone else’s life…someone who is no longer alive and hasn’t been for decades. Someone who Kate is connected to in a big way. Kate gets thrown into her past that she has long run from for the sake of facing and discovering the truth.
I didn’t start figuring out the mystery until the latter part of the book, which meant this was a wild ride and such a good book for me! I’m stoked to read more in this series and this author because she knew how to write the eerie vibes and draw you into a haunting story.
Highly recommend if you enjoy mystery with a touch of the unexplainable.
Thank you to the author and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
May 30, 2026
This was really promising at first. Eerie legend, mysteries death, possibly reincarnation. But it quickly became so repetitive. We would be told what happened at camp and then have a chapter from the past rehashing what we were already told. It should have been one or the other. By 60% I just kept thinking "get on with it already!"
It was interesting how it all connected and would have been more exciting if it was tightened up and not so repetitive
It was interesting how it all connected and would have been more exciting if it was tightened up and not so repetitive
October 19, 2025
Kate is back in Maine.
26 years ago she spent her summer in a camp there - for the last time - at 14 years old. Becca - one of her best camp friends disappeared that year.
Kate became a psychiatrist and she's now being called in for a case close to the old camp.
A little girl seems to remember a life she lived before. And the more Kate talks to six year old Henley and the more research she does about the old camp case... could Henley be talking about Becca? Kate doesn't believe in 'those kinds of things'. What is happening? READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
I really enjoyed reading this. I'm just like Kate - I do not believe in anything supernatural.
This was a really great suspensy mystery with a great mood. Kind of sad and heartbreaking.
What should be amazing memories of childhood summers spent at that camp are forever bad memories now for Kate. And now she's back and it all connects back to that last summer. But how?
I loved reading it.
And I can already see the TV show! Gimme!
Can't wait to see what will happen in book #2 - Kate already got a phone call from a lawyer for a new case!
If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!
💜
💜
November 26, 2025
The setting of the lake and camp was very chilling. The ghost of the lake was also scary and I like how well it mixed in with Becca’s situation. I really enjoyed the constant POV switch between past and present.
Even though the past life story line was what drew me in I was skeptical of Henley’s portrayal of her supposed past life. I had predicted the outcome of the situation with Henley early on in the story but it was still so interesting to see Kate trying to fix a mistake she deeply regrets. It gets emotional during the moments of Kate’s grief. The lack of police help made me believe that this story was heading in a different direction. The culprit of who was killed Becca was also predictable.
I disliked how some things were over explained. Especially the things that didn’t need an explanation for. Still liked the story though!
I loved this authors other book Before I Fall.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Even though the past life story line was what drew me in I was skeptical of Henley’s portrayal of her supposed past life. I had predicted the outcome of the situation with Henley early on in the story but it was still so interesting to see Kate trying to fix a mistake she deeply regrets. It gets emotional during the moments of Kate’s grief. The lack of police help made me believe that this story was heading in a different direction. The culprit of who was killed Becca was also predictable.
I disliked how some things were over explained. Especially the things that didn’t need an explanation for. Still liked the story though!
I loved this authors other book Before I Fall.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2026
doesn't anybody proofread a book before publishing it?
Hard to believe this is from a best selling author. So many inconsistencies throughout the book that I almost didn't bother to finish it. A boathouse lock is a padlock in one chapter and then combination lock in another. Part of the book takes place on an island in the middle of a lake that contains a mausoleum, graveyard, and the remains of a building that was once a large home or sanitarium. There's also discussion of getting lost in the woods on the island. Kind of funny considering that in the beginning of the book it said that the island is only 2 acres.
The heroine ends up, going out to the island alone and in the rain without a weapon and doesn't even bother to let the POLICE know where she is going. Totally unbelievable. This whole book sounds like it was written using ChatGPT.
Hard to believe this is from a best selling author. So many inconsistencies throughout the book that I almost didn't bother to finish it. A boathouse lock is a padlock in one chapter and then combination lock in another. Part of the book takes place on an island in the middle of a lake that contains a mausoleum, graveyard, and the remains of a building that was once a large home or sanitarium. There's also discussion of getting lost in the woods on the island. Kind of funny considering that in the beginning of the book it said that the island is only 2 acres.
The heroine ends up, going out to the island alone and in the rain without a weapon and doesn't even bother to let the POLICE know where she is going. Totally unbelievable. This whole book sounds like it was written using ChatGPT.
May 19, 2026
Ooo I loved this one! Easy book to read but also not a predictable mystery, had me wondering what happens next!
June 23, 2026
I was sold on the premise of this story and for the most part, I enjoyed it. The first half was a little slow, but once the plot started picking up I found myself more invested. I enjoyed the eerie summer camp vibes and the supernatural elements woven into the story. The mystery kept me intrigued and I liked the dual timelines showing both the past and present. There were some good reveals along the way and I ultimately liked where the story ended up.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review
June 17, 2026
For a big old dummy like myself, there were so many characters flying around to keep track of but somehow none of them were important???? Also, we HATE to see an unresolved ending. No.
July 23, 2026
Started off slow, but got better. I guessed the ending
June 11, 2026
There’s just something extra special about reading a book set around a lake while you’re actually at the lake. It made the whole story feel even more atmospheric and fun to sink into.
4.5 stars. Amazon First Reads - May ‘26 // Book 1 in the “Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon” series. This was super bingeable, and my kind of mystery that had me needing answers from the start. It’s layered with a mix of past-life mystery, small-town secrets, and a cold case tied to a long-ago summer camp disappearance.
Kudos to Lauren Oliver(!!) as I loved the eerie lake setting, psychological suspense, and just enough “wait… what is happening?” energy to keep me hooked. Would rec! Pub. 6/1/26
4.5 stars. Amazon First Reads - May ‘26 // Book 1 in the “Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon” series. This was super bingeable, and my kind of mystery that had me needing answers from the start. It’s layered with a mix of past-life mystery, small-town secrets, and a cold case tied to a long-ago summer camp disappearance.
Kudos to Lauren Oliver(!!) as I loved the eerie lake setting, psychological suspense, and just enough “wait… what is happening?” energy to keep me hooked. Would rec! Pub. 6/1/26
July 25, 2026
Great read!
Kate Willis is a troubled psychologist who has been sent by the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies to investigate a young girl's claims of reincarnation. Kate soon finds Henley's memories of a past life may have a link to Kate's own past.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me quickly turning those pages to discover the answers to both Kate's and Henley's stories. It is well written and gives a little teaser at the end for book two. I'll definitely be reading that one as well.
Kate Willis is a troubled psychologist who has been sent by the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies to investigate a young girl's claims of reincarnation. Kate soon finds Henley's memories of a past life may have a link to Kate's own past.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me quickly turning those pages to discover the answers to both Kate's and Henley's stories. It is well written and gives a little teaser at the end for book two. I'll definitely be reading that one as well.
July 5, 2026
Wondering why it is so hard for authors writing in this genre to create characters I care about. Cookie cutter mystery, overdone “I Know What You Did Last Summer” vibe with none of the campiness that makes those stories fun. Not terrible writing, and decent atmospheric summer camp creepiness.
November 8, 2025
I really loved this twisty, atmospheric mystery that constantly had me questioning whether the ghost was real, a ruse, or something in between. Really loved the back-and-forth perspectives between the present and the past, and although all the clues were cleverly laid out, the ending still managed to surprise me. Very much a "just one more chapter" book that keeps the pages turning until all of a sudden it's two in the morning and you've accidentally finished the whole thing.
Want to Read
September 14, 2025The synopsis gave me chills & if Lauren Oliver is pouring, I am bringing my biggest mug
June 6, 2026
Well written, creepy, intriguing mystery. Could have been a bit shorter.
June 22, 2026
This is a review of the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook is performed by Shannon McManus.
This is the author’s adult mystery debut. It is a psychological thriller, but also deals with memories and the possibility of reincarnation.
The book features a past/present timeline. In the past 26 years earlier Becca vanishes. Now in the present a 6 year old girl, Henley, claims to have Becca’s memories.
The main character is Kate Willis (a psychologist). She is an author and a consultant for the University of Virginia. Her newest assignment is to interview Henley. She is trying to discover if the girl actually has memories of a past life.
I really enjoyed Kate’s interactions with the girl’s mother Emily. And everything about Henley was fascinating. It's interesting that Kate’s past and present collide. There are THEN chapters two decades earlier at summer camp where something happens with Kate’s best friend, Becca.
This is the first book in a new series. But even though this is a series the mystery in this case is solved in this book.
The idea of past memories is interesting. I’m fascinated by the fact that the author has studied research about children who remember past lives. I find it so interesting that Lauren Oliver has been obsessed with learning about past life experiences. And I liked how she included that in this book.
This is my first time listening to Shannon McManus. She is very good and I enjoyed listening to this book. She really made the story very interesting to listen to.
Overall this book is eerie, spooky and quite different from anything that I’ve read. Very interesting read!
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook and Amazon Publishing for the ebook.
This is the author’s adult mystery debut. It is a psychological thriller, but also deals with memories and the possibility of reincarnation.
The book features a past/present timeline. In the past 26 years earlier Becca vanishes. Now in the present a 6 year old girl, Henley, claims to have Becca’s memories.
The main character is Kate Willis (a psychologist). She is an author and a consultant for the University of Virginia. Her newest assignment is to interview Henley. She is trying to discover if the girl actually has memories of a past life.
I really enjoyed Kate’s interactions with the girl’s mother Emily. And everything about Henley was fascinating. It's interesting that Kate’s past and present collide. There are THEN chapters two decades earlier at summer camp where something happens with Kate’s best friend, Becca.
This is the first book in a new series. But even though this is a series the mystery in this case is solved in this book.
The idea of past memories is interesting. I’m fascinated by the fact that the author has studied research about children who remember past lives. I find it so interesting that Lauren Oliver has been obsessed with learning about past life experiences. And I liked how she included that in this book.
This is my first time listening to Shannon McManus. She is very good and I enjoyed listening to this book. She really made the story very interesting to listen to.
Overall this book is eerie, spooky and quite different from anything that I’ve read. Very interesting read!
Thanks to Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook and Amazon Publishing for the ebook.
July 29, 2026
3.5 Kate meets 6yo Henley who claims to have past life memories.
What I took issue with: Kate waiting 26 years to care about what really happened to Becca. Becca was not a good friend. Teasing the crap out of a “friend” as a way to keep her away from a guy with a secret past is not really very redeeming. I also don’t find Cameron being worried about his past life a compelling reason to kill Becca. So what if Becca knew Cameron/Greg by a different name? As far as we know, Becca didn’t know he’d killed people. A random ex husband that seemed irrelevant to plot. I also got annoyed by the interruptive writing style. (ex: “But who, she wondered, was it?”; “‘why,’ he said quietly, ‘do you think that?’”) 🙄
What I liked: Unravelling of Henley’s memories. Pacing of the second half. Reality of past-life memories being left open to the reader to decide. Mostly, it was predictable, but I don’t mind being right about my guesses.
So now, does Henley really have past life memories or was it a hoax?
What I took issue with: Kate waiting 26 years to care about what really happened to Becca. Becca was not a good friend. Teasing the crap out of a “friend” as a way to keep her away from a guy with a secret past is not really very redeeming. I also don’t find Cameron being worried about his past life a compelling reason to kill Becca. So what if Becca knew Cameron/Greg by a different name? As far as we know, Becca didn’t know he’d killed people. A random ex husband that seemed irrelevant to plot. I also got annoyed by the interruptive writing style. (ex: “But who, she wondered, was it?”; “‘why,’ he said quietly, ‘do you think that?’”) 🙄
What I liked: Unravelling of Henley’s memories. Pacing of the second half. Reality of past-life memories being left open to the reader to decide. Mostly, it was predictable, but I don’t mind being right about my guesses.
So now, does Henley really have past life memories or was it a hoax?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2026
3.5. / 5.0
Great book from start to finish, it took a while to click with the pacing, the slow nature but once you’re invested it’s hard to stay away from the book. I also love how the book ties in the next book, which is subtle but great to hear that book number 2 is on its way. The book is a unique story, I found the story telling unique, the writing was subtle not boring but not in your face. It’s written with a sense of mystery built in. I did find the central part like 50% of the book to be a tad too slow, but it does pick up you just have to be patient with this one.
The book centres around Kate Willis who is a psychiatrist and researcher for unexplained extraordinary human experiences - she is called to investigate the case of a 6 year old girl who claims to remember vivid details of her past life. This means that Kate must return to Stockbridge, Massachusetts and to dark memories of her own, where 24 years ago her friend Becca disappeared there without a trace. As Kate begins her research and search for answers she’s shocked to discover that the child can recall memories that could only belong to Becca herself. This means that Kate has to go back into her past to find answers for today.
Overall it’s an interesting read, if you can grab your hands on it it’s definitely worth the time investment!
Great book from start to finish, it took a while to click with the pacing, the slow nature but once you’re invested it’s hard to stay away from the book. I also love how the book ties in the next book, which is subtle but great to hear that book number 2 is on its way. The book is a unique story, I found the story telling unique, the writing was subtle not boring but not in your face. It’s written with a sense of mystery built in. I did find the central part like 50% of the book to be a tad too slow, but it does pick up you just have to be patient with this one.
The book centres around Kate Willis who is a psychiatrist and researcher for unexplained extraordinary human experiences - she is called to investigate the case of a 6 year old girl who claims to remember vivid details of her past life. This means that Kate must return to Stockbridge, Massachusetts and to dark memories of her own, where 24 years ago her friend Becca disappeared there without a trace. As Kate begins her research and search for answers she’s shocked to discover that the child can recall memories that could only belong to Becca herself. This means that Kate has to go back into her past to find answers for today.
Overall it’s an interesting read, if you can grab your hands on it it’s definitely worth the time investment!
September 22, 2026
*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Mystery, Thriller
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Girl in the Lake is Lauren Oliver’s adult-thriller debut and the first book in her Dept. of Unexplained Phenomenon series: a dual-timeline mystery that sits right on the fault line between skepticism and the uncanny. The story follows 40-year-old Kate Willis, a psychologist who consults for the University of Virginia’s real-life Division of Perceptual Studies. She is sent to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, to interview six-year-old Henley Haskell, who talks about an “other life” with startling specificity.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Mystery, Thriller
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Girl in the Lake is Lauren Oliver’s adult-thriller debut and the first book in her Dept. of Unexplained Phenomenon series: a dual-timeline mystery that sits right on the fault line between skepticism and the uncanny. The story follows 40-year-old Kate Willis, a psychologist who consults for the University of Virginia’s real-life Division of Perceptual Studies. She is sent to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, to interview six-year-old Henley Haskell, who talks about an “other life” with startling specificity.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 674 reviews