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Camp Lanier
When Taylor, a Black private school student, gets tangled up shoplifting with her wealthy White classmates, their parents paid for them to stay out of jail. But Taylor's only option is a community service program that takes at-risk youths and employs them at Camp Lanier. The camp sits on a manmade lake the state constructed in the 50s. Urban legend says an all-Black town was forced out to create the lake and that deep in its waters lies homes, a school, and even a church, but that's just a story to scare kids, during swim class, right?
That's what Taylor thinks as she starts working as a camp counselor for the summer. The jobs are broken down by offenses or a thinly veiled class system. Since Taylor goes to private school, she's deemed good enough to work around the kids and main staff but offenders like Liam and Mia, who are from the College Park area, have grounds duty, picking up trash and fixing minor issues. Everything is fine except the crying that only Taylor hears at night. Then there's that one camper that no one seems to know, who is always sitting by the lake. And we can't forget the Atlanta Ripper, running around the woods looking for another victim. All totally random things, right?
When Mia goes missing and the owner reports her as one of the many runaways they've had throughout the years, Taylor and Liam start to think that maybe these stories are real and that maybe they'll be next if they're not careful. Taylor and Liam team up to solve a mystery from the past and figure out why have kids been "running away" from Camp Lanier for the past 52 years in a story that's like Get Out meets Friday the 13th, based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia.
That's what Taylor thinks as she starts working as a camp counselor for the summer. The jobs are broken down by offenses or a thinly veiled class system. Since Taylor goes to private school, she's deemed good enough to work around the kids and main staff but offenders like Liam and Mia, who are from the College Park area, have grounds duty, picking up trash and fixing minor issues. Everything is fine except the crying that only Taylor hears at night. Then there's that one camper that no one seems to know, who is always sitting by the lake. And we can't forget the Atlanta Ripper, running around the woods looking for another victim. All totally random things, right?
When Mia goes missing and the owner reports her as one of the many runaways they've had throughout the years, Taylor and Liam start to think that maybe these stories are real and that maybe they'll be next if they're not careful. Taylor and Liam team up to solve a mystery from the past and figure out why have kids been "running away" from Camp Lanier for the past 52 years in a story that's like Get Out meets Friday the 13th, based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia.
190 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2025
About the author
Sylvester Barzey
31 books134 followersHey Survivor! My name is Sylvester Barzey and I am a best-selling horror and fantasy author. I grew up in the Bronx, NY, lived in the smallest state in the country for a while, and then transplanted to Lawrence, GA.
I’m a military veteran with an addiction to all things horror. My overall goal is to shine a spotlight on BIPOC characters within the horror/fantasy genre. From a young age, I was obsessed with horror movies, mostly Slashers. The mythos of the “Final Girl” trope was always something that appealed to me. The act of taking someone and watching them overcome the greatest odds to be the ultimate survivor has been a strong attraction to the horror for me.
But, what I didn’t realize growing up was all these survivors were White. Seeing only one type of person rise, builds blocks within people’s minds, it causes them to think that surviving is a trait only in one race, which is far from the truth. The Black community (Black Women for sure) has survival built into their DNA. History has shown us that overcoming great odds is something Black people have always done.
Being that I couldn’t find the final girls I was looking for (There are some don’t get me wrong and they are amazing), I set out to create them. I want to produce Black heroes who overcome world-shattering events and rise above them. My goal is for people to say Catherine Briggs’ name in the same breath as they say, Sidney Prescott and Laurie Strode. It’s my mission to change horror so that my children can look at it and see themselves as survivors.
Random Facts:
I love The Golden Girls
I’m married and have one amazing little monster
I hate the snow
My Top Five Movies Are:
Scream, Candyman, Day of The Dead, Train To Busan & Mulan
I’m a military veteran with an addiction to all things horror. My overall goal is to shine a spotlight on BIPOC characters within the horror/fantasy genre. From a young age, I was obsessed with horror movies, mostly Slashers. The mythos of the “Final Girl” trope was always something that appealed to me. The act of taking someone and watching them overcome the greatest odds to be the ultimate survivor has been a strong attraction to the horror for me.
But, what I didn’t realize growing up was all these survivors were White. Seeing only one type of person rise, builds blocks within people’s minds, it causes them to think that surviving is a trait only in one race, which is far from the truth. The Black community (Black Women for sure) has survival built into their DNA. History has shown us that overcoming great odds is something Black people have always done.
Being that I couldn’t find the final girls I was looking for (There are some don’t get me wrong and they are amazing), I set out to create them. I want to produce Black heroes who overcome world-shattering events and rise above them. My goal is for people to say Catherine Briggs’ name in the same breath as they say, Sidney Prescott and Laurie Strode. It’s my mission to change horror so that my children can look at it and see themselves as survivors.
Random Facts:
I love The Golden Girls
I’m married and have one amazing little monster
I hate the snow
My Top Five Movies Are:
Scream, Candyman, Day of The Dead, Train To Busan & Mulan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
June 18, 2024
Yeah, this is my kind of horror book. When a black teenage girl is sentenced to work release at a summer camp after shoplifting some lip gloss, it soon becomes apparent that something supernatural is going on. But it gets even worse from there!
This is part chilling ghost story, part slasher, and part revenge tale all told with a great black protagonist that you'll want to get behind as the horrors of this camp keep getting worse and worse.
This book is shorter but has all the beats of a longer one, starting with the background of the protagonist and the trauma her and her parents have recently experienced. Once she gets to the camp all bets are off as the ghostly entities, the blood curdling screams (which only she seems to hear), and the terrifying legend about the Atlanta Ripper that might be making his presence felt even now all converge.
With the help of some unlikely friends, they'll have to get to the secrets of this place or wind up as victims. And the truth is more brutal than you could imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
This is part chilling ghost story, part slasher, and part revenge tale all told with a great black protagonist that you'll want to get behind as the horrors of this camp keep getting worse and worse.
This book is shorter but has all the beats of a longer one, starting with the background of the protagonist and the trauma her and her parents have recently experienced. Once she gets to the camp all bets are off as the ghostly entities, the blood curdling screams (which only she seems to hear), and the terrifying legend about the Atlanta Ripper that might be making his presence felt even now all converge.
With the help of some unlikely friends, they'll have to get to the secrets of this place or wind up as victims. And the truth is more brutal than you could imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
July 27, 2024
Get Out meets Friday the 13th, based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia? Sign me up!
First off, the cover of this book is stunning😍
Also give me all the campy slasher horror vibes💀🔪
The concept is intriguing, seamlessly blending urban legends, supernatural elements, and historical moments. It’s packed with all the campfire creepy vibes, eerie atmospheres, and ghostly sightings that make for a compelling read.
Teenagers as main characters can be tricky, but Taylor was a standout. She was well-written, felt real, and I found myself rooting for her the entire time. The other characters also resonated with me; they were well-crafted and added depth to the story.
While it’s a YA book and doesn’t delve too deeply into hardcore horror, and can be somewhat predictable, it’s still fast-paced and kept me hooked. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the opportunity to read this! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First off, the cover of this book is stunning😍
Also give me all the campy slasher horror vibes💀🔪
The concept is intriguing, seamlessly blending urban legends, supernatural elements, and historical moments. It’s packed with all the campfire creepy vibes, eerie atmospheres, and ghostly sightings that make for a compelling read.
Teenagers as main characters can be tricky, but Taylor was a standout. She was well-written, felt real, and I found myself rooting for her the entire time. The other characters also resonated with me; they were well-crafted and added depth to the story.
While it’s a YA book and doesn’t delve too deeply into hardcore horror, and can be somewhat predictable, it’s still fast-paced and kept me hooked. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the opportunity to read this! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 11, 2024
⭐️ 3 stars ⭐️
Interesting concept, and loved how the author mixed urban legend, supernatural elements and actual historical moments into the story.
That being said, it read too young for me.
YA Horror isn’t my preferred genre, so I did find the horror bits too.. PG? Not horror enough?
It was also way too predictable, and the ending a little messy.
I did enjoy the campfire creepy vibes, the eerie atmosphere, the ghostly sightings. I also found very interesting the actual history of Oscarville the author included at the end.
An overall different and somewhat captivating read, but more for the historical aspects than the fictional and horror ones.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
“Welcome to hell. Pick a bunk.”
Interesting concept, and loved how the author mixed urban legend, supernatural elements and actual historical moments into the story.
That being said, it read too young for me.
YA Horror isn’t my preferred genre, so I did find the horror bits too.. PG? Not horror enough?
It was also way too predictable, and the ending a little messy.
I did enjoy the campfire creepy vibes, the eerie atmosphere, the ghostly sightings. I also found very interesting the actual history of Oscarville the author included at the end.
An overall different and somewhat captivating read, but more for the historical aspects than the fictional and horror ones.
«Oh, and stay out of that lake… before it keeps you for good.»
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
October 18, 2024
Camp Lanier is a YA horror novel that, despite its potential, falls short in execution. While billed as YA, the story reads more like a middle-grade book, with *very* young-feeling characters who make frustratingly poor decisions. The protagonist, Taylor, is introduced as a passive participant in a vicious bullying incident and is later shocked when her so-called friends turn against her, targeting her with a prank that lands her in serious trouble. Her ongoing denial of her friends' true intentions and repeated defences of them, despite obvious evidence, made her a difficult character to root for.
I knew at this point that I was going to struggle with Taylor as a main character, but I pushed through, hoping that her arrival at Camp Lanier would turn it all around.
Unfortunately, it did not. While this novel had potential and explored interesting themes, it did so in such a chaotic, messy way with cartoonishly villainous bad guys and clichéd plot devices like the classic villain monologue. Taylor repeatedly makes the same poor choices ad nauseam with predictably disastrous results, and plot twists that were intended to be shocking instead felt telegraphed. The story's internal logic also falters, with changing rules about character abilities that seem to shift to serve the plot with little rhyme or reason.
I spent so much of this book incredibly frustrated and was honestly baffled by the too-perfect ending, which made it all feel like a poorly executed episode of Scooby Doo. What saddens me most is that I think there truly was so much potential for a fantastic story here and that with more time to develop it and with a lot of editing, this could have been something fantastic. The main character and some of the secondary characters are interesting, if somewhat juvenile, and the commentary on racism, specifically focusing on microaggressions and displacement, was handled with insight, but the writing just feels so incredibly rushed and unpolished, overshadowing everything else this novel has to offer.
Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, drowning, police brutality, racism, racial microaggressions, racially motivated violence and murder, murder, child murder, fire death
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Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I knew at this point that I was going to struggle with Taylor as a main character, but I pushed through, hoping that her arrival at Camp Lanier would turn it all around.
Unfortunately, it did not. While this novel had potential and explored interesting themes, it did so in such a chaotic, messy way with cartoonishly villainous bad guys and clichéd plot devices like the classic villain monologue. Taylor repeatedly makes the same poor choices ad nauseam with predictably disastrous results, and plot twists that were intended to be shocking instead felt telegraphed. The story's internal logic also falters, with changing rules about character abilities that seem to shift to serve the plot with little rhyme or reason.
I spent so much of this book incredibly frustrated and was honestly baffled by the too-perfect ending, which made it all feel like a poorly executed episode of Scooby Doo. What saddens me most is that I think there truly was so much potential for a fantastic story here and that with more time to develop it and with a lot of editing, this could have been something fantastic. The main character and some of the secondary characters are interesting, if somewhat juvenile, and the commentary on racism, specifically focusing on microaggressions and displacement, was handled with insight, but the writing just feels so incredibly rushed and unpolished, overshadowing everything else this novel has to offer.
Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, drowning, police brutality, racism, racial microaggressions, racially motivated violence and murder, murder, child murder, fire death
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 13, 2025
3.75/5 stars
September 2, 2024
Spooky Season is HERE. 👻😮💨 I’ve heard stories about Lake Lanier for years and this book did not disappoint me. Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this book. I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy.
———
Taylor is sent to spend the summer at Camp Lanier for a work release program after she is caught shoplifting and is thrown under the bus by her “friends”.
She is made an alternate counselor because she goes to a good school and is deemed more trustworthy than the other kids that are there for work release. She is paired up with the Victoria, a camper turned counselor who comes to the camp every year because she is a lesbian and wants to avoid her homophobic grandma. Soon she starts hearing screaming that only she can hear and seeing a little girl dressed in a white gown around the camp.
At first, she shakes it off as nothing but when she touches the strange little girl one night at the dock, she is taken into the water and shown Oscarville, the black town that was wiped out and its residents murdered by white men who were looking to build Lake Lanier. She is pulled out of the water by two other work release kids, Mia and Liam. They start talking about Oscarville, the lake, the family that owns it and all the deaths that happen at the camp.
After Mia goes missing and is reported as yet another runaway, Liam and Taylor and Victoria team up to find out what’s really happening to these kids and what’s really going on at Camp Lanier.
———
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ MILD SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
This book was SO SPOOKY. I was expecting there to be a more ghostly reason for the missing kids but honestly, it’s scarier the way it was written. One family and their enduring commitment to racism, violence and murder is fed by the government and is finally stopped by one Black girl and the ghosts of all the people who have been a victim of them.
I was expecting it from Rose and her father but Jason seemed so nice, he really snuck up on me. 😤 Their end was poetic. Jail would have been too good for them. I was kicking my feet and twirling my hair when the life was draining from their little beady eyes.
The bodies floating to the top of the water at the end was 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 so creepy and so perfect. The Hudsons were gone and the lake could stop holding its secrets.
I love that Taylor found herself with Liam and Victoria and they all stuck together to the end and past it. I will never accept ANY criticism on this book.
———
Taylor is sent to spend the summer at Camp Lanier for a work release program after she is caught shoplifting and is thrown under the bus by her “friends”.
She is made an alternate counselor because she goes to a good school and is deemed more trustworthy than the other kids that are there for work release. She is paired up with the Victoria, a camper turned counselor who comes to the camp every year because she is a lesbian and wants to avoid her homophobic grandma. Soon she starts hearing screaming that only she can hear and seeing a little girl dressed in a white gown around the camp.
At first, she shakes it off as nothing but when she touches the strange little girl one night at the dock, she is taken into the water and shown Oscarville, the black town that was wiped out and its residents murdered by white men who were looking to build Lake Lanier. She is pulled out of the water by two other work release kids, Mia and Liam. They start talking about Oscarville, the lake, the family that owns it and all the deaths that happen at the camp.
After Mia goes missing and is reported as yet another runaway, Liam and Taylor and Victoria team up to find out what’s really happening to these kids and what’s really going on at Camp Lanier.
———
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ MILD SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
This book was SO SPOOKY. I was expecting there to be a more ghostly reason for the missing kids but honestly, it’s scarier the way it was written. One family and their enduring commitment to racism, violence and murder is fed by the government and is finally stopped by one Black girl and the ghosts of all the people who have been a victim of them.
I was expecting it from Rose and her father but Jason seemed so nice, he really snuck up on me. 😤 Their end was poetic. Jail would have been too good for them. I was kicking my feet and twirling my hair when the life was draining from their little beady eyes.
The bodies floating to the top of the water at the end was 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 so creepy and so perfect. The Hudsons were gone and the lake could stop holding its secrets.
I love that Taylor found herself with Liam and Victoria and they all stuck together to the end and past it. I will never accept ANY criticism on this book.
June 21, 2024
4.5 stars! I'm all in for a camp slasher horror, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Can we also take a moment to appreciate that cover?
This book was so much more than I expected. I'm from England, so I wasn't aware of the horrifying history of Lake Lanier. This book inspired me to go and change that. I loved how the author included this within the story and held up a mirror to the horrors that people have actually committed as a contrast to the more supernatural elements within the book.
I loved the main character, Taylor, and I thought she was well observed by the author... it can be difficult to write from a teenager's perspective, but for me, she felt well developed and believable. I was rooting for her throughout!
I also enjoyed the story arc and how it all came together... it is so much more than just a slasher. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author and highly recommend this book to anyone who likes supernatural, slasher, camp horror with a little bit of history thrown in.
Thanks to Sylvester Barzey for providing an ARC for me to read. This is my honest opinion, which I'm leaving voluntarily.
This book was so much more than I expected. I'm from England, so I wasn't aware of the horrifying history of Lake Lanier. This book inspired me to go and change that. I loved how the author included this within the story and held up a mirror to the horrors that people have actually committed as a contrast to the more supernatural elements within the book.
I loved the main character, Taylor, and I thought she was well observed by the author... it can be difficult to write from a teenager's perspective, but for me, she felt well developed and believable. I was rooting for her throughout!
I also enjoyed the story arc and how it all came together... it is so much more than just a slasher. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author and highly recommend this book to anyone who likes supernatural, slasher, camp horror with a little bit of history thrown in.
Thanks to Sylvester Barzey for providing an ARC for me to read. This is my honest opinion, which I'm leaving voluntarily.
March 28, 2025
Okay first of all....this COVER! I am definitely now kicking myself for waiting so long to pick this up, and look forward to my next read by this author. I really enjoyed my time with this one and it had so many elements that I really love in YA horror: racial commentary, summer camp setting, a creepy lake, hauntings by dead kids, and characters that you couldn't help but like. At times I felt so incredibly frustrated by the racism our main character experienced that I just wanted to punch someone in the throat and burn it all down. I pretty much binged this in just a few sittings as the story moved along quickly, and I was invested pretty much from the start to see what was really happening to the campers at Camp Lanier.
Highly recommend picking this one up if you enjoyed any of these reads: You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron, The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager or Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez.
Highly recommend picking this one up if you enjoyed any of these reads: You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron, The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager or Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez.
July 10, 2024
Thank you @netgalley for an advance copy!
I'm going to get straight into this book. I couldn't put it down. Very much "Get Out" vibes. And even funny at times! A YA horror, but deeper. How deeper? The amount of Black history and just .... knowledge weaved into every aspect was very eye-opening.
As the mother of a POC child, I am constantly trying to digest his culture, his history, so that I can know him better. And that doesn't only happen in history books. It happens by reading literature written by other POC. This quick horror tale was no exception.
And not only in reading Black history, but also watching the strength in the FMC.
READ 👏 BIPOC 👏 ALL 👏 YEAR 👏
Gosh and I loved learning about the true history of the town of Oscarville at the end, very powerful.
I'm going to get straight into this book. I couldn't put it down. Very much "Get Out" vibes. And even funny at times! A YA horror, but deeper. How deeper? The amount of Black history and just .... knowledge weaved into every aspect was very eye-opening.
As the mother of a POC child, I am constantly trying to digest his culture, his history, so that I can know him better. And that doesn't only happen in history books. It happens by reading literature written by other POC. This quick horror tale was no exception.
And not only in reading Black history, but also watching the strength in the FMC.
READ 👏 BIPOC 👏 ALL 👏 YEAR 👏
Gosh and I loved learning about the true history of the town of Oscarville at the end, very powerful.
July 9, 2024
Ok so this book is great! And as someone who lives extremely close to Lake Lanier, it cut even deeper! Like, for real this lake is haunted/cursed and this book definitely explores that side of things (both fictionally as well as truthfully). It has a "Get Out" vibe and a representation of Black horror both in the past and the present. It also brings to light the Atlanta Ripper, which gives this story some slasher elements, too. Camp Lanier really does a great job at bringing together ghost/supernatural horror, slasher horror, psychological horror, and more! I think our main character was extremely fleshed out and had a lot of personal battles to overcome (and did!) and I am pretty impressed it was all handled in ~200 pages. For a shorter book, this story really pulls you in and keeps you hooked while also feeling like an even larger story.
AND THIS COVER?! Can we stare at the beauty of this for a little while longer?!
Stay out of the lake!
AND THIS COVER?! Can we stare at the beauty of this for a little while longer?!
Stay out of the lake!
June 28, 2024
This was probably one of the easiest 5* ratings I've ever given. When I say I was hooked, I mean it. I flew through this book so fast. I absolutely loved Taylor, the FMC. She was a badass girl who had never watched a horror movie and decided she had no interest in being in one. Some of her reactions and comments genuinely had me laughing because I kept thinking that's probably how I'd react in the same situation.
Having finished it, I have found out that it is loosely based on a real event, and I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole, reading about Oscarville and Lake Lanier. So today, I read a great story, and I was educated on a terrible moment in American history.
Having finished it, I have found out that it is loosely based on a real event, and I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole, reading about Oscarville and Lake Lanier. So today, I read a great story, and I was educated on a terrible moment in American history.
June 29, 2024
I thought this was done well. Not super scary but written in a believable way. It was fast paced and loosely based on historical events that happened at this lake. A girl will have to survive a week at this camp and people have been disappearing. What’s happening at this camp?? And will she be the next missing person?
I’ve heard a lot of terrible things about a lake like this near where I live and it’s all I thought about when I finished this.
Thanks Sterling & Stone via NetGalley.
I’ve heard a lot of terrible things about a lake like this near where I live and it’s all I thought about when I finished this.
Thanks Sterling & Stone via NetGalley.
October 29, 2024
Special thanks to the author, @netgalley #SterlingAndStonePublishing for my gifted e-ARC‼️
A book that said so much yet nothing at all. We’ve all heard the creepy and eerie stories about Lake Lanier and the horrific events that lead to the lake’s creation. So, I kinda expected the author to overly deliver in every aspect. Buuuuuut that wasn’t quite the case with this. It was entertaining nonetheless but horror wise I wanted more . . . . SCARE ME lol make me feel something . . . anything‼️
The girls Taylor was hanging with . . .didn’t like them. I knew from the beginning they’d be the cause of her downfall somehow.
When Taylor started hearing and seeing things at camp that would’ve been my queue to leave. Like sir can you call my parents and see how long the judge said I’d be in jail 😂 ghosts and a possible serial killer on the loose I’ll take my chances in the big house‼️
Campers disappearing but nobody seems worried because they left a note 😐 A NOTE?
The basketball game SCRATCH IT OUT.
Taylor having flashbacks of the past was the most interesting part to me it helped us understand why she kept seeing the little girl and what was here before the lake.
The plot twist was not what I was expecting although I had assumptions. Things would’ve flowed better if we stuck to the plot and focused more on the lake because I could’ve done without the serial killer.
Overall, the book was meh it had potential but fell short for me. There’s a lot of horror, trauma, and pain surrounding this lake and the drowned town beneath it. So, there are so many ways the author could’ve developed this story. The pacing was really quick though and again I was entertained so I think it’s still a decent read and some may enjoy it more than I did.
A book that said so much yet nothing at all. We’ve all heard the creepy and eerie stories about Lake Lanier and the horrific events that lead to the lake’s creation. So, I kinda expected the author to overly deliver in every aspect. Buuuuuut that wasn’t quite the case with this. It was entertaining nonetheless but horror wise I wanted more . . . . SCARE ME lol make me feel something . . . anything‼️
The girls Taylor was hanging with . . .didn’t like them. I knew from the beginning they’d be the cause of her downfall somehow.
When Taylor started hearing and seeing things at camp that would’ve been my queue to leave. Like sir can you call my parents and see how long the judge said I’d be in jail 😂 ghosts and a possible serial killer on the loose I’ll take my chances in the big house‼️
Campers disappearing but nobody seems worried because they left a note 😐 A NOTE?
The basketball game SCRATCH IT OUT.
Taylor having flashbacks of the past was the most interesting part to me it helped us understand why she kept seeing the little girl and what was here before the lake.
The plot twist was not what I was expecting although I had assumptions. Things would’ve flowed better if we stuck to the plot and focused more on the lake because I could’ve done without the serial killer.
Overall, the book was meh it had potential but fell short for me. There’s a lot of horror, trauma, and pain surrounding this lake and the drowned town beneath it. So, there are so many ways the author could’ve developed this story. The pacing was really quick though and again I was entertained so I think it’s still a decent read and some may enjoy it more than I did.
September 13, 2024
Another book I was so intrigued to read because of a beautiful cover. This is a YA horror book. It was easy to read and can easily be read in a sitting or two.
I enjoyed this. I didn’t have high expectations knowing it was a YA and would be a little on the juvenile side. But to me it was not bad at all. I think this can definitely still read by adults of all ages.
It was nostalgic in the best ways. Summer camp, backstabbing friends, deeper meanings beyond the little things and undertones of greater world issues going on as well. It was also Ghosty, creepy and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this. I didn’t have high expectations knowing it was a YA and would be a little on the juvenile side. But to me it was not bad at all. I think this can definitely still read by adults of all ages.
It was nostalgic in the best ways. Summer camp, backstabbing friends, deeper meanings beyond the little things and undertones of greater world issues going on as well. It was also Ghosty, creepy and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2025
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Camp Lanier is a spooky and atmospheric horror set at a haunted lake where many children and teens have gone missing.
We follow the POV of Taylor, who has moved from Georgia to West Virginia after the loss of her older brother. Taylor now goes to a private school on a scholarship but is surrounded by mostly white, rich, privileged kids. Taylor gets herself mixed up with a group of 'mean girls' who get her to go shoplifting then pin the whole thing on her when they get caught and poor Taylor gets a harsh punishment and is sent off to do community service at Camp Lanier for the whole of summer break as a Camp counsellor. Again, Taylor finds herself surrounded by rich, spoiled, white kids, and when she starts seeing strange and creepy things, she begins to question her sanity.
This was a fast-paced and really creepy book that has some gore but isn't overdone or too graphic. I was drawn to this book due to it being written based on true events at a real lake in Forsyth County in Georgia.
Do check trigger warnings as the book contains themes of racism.
Camp Lanier is a spooky and atmospheric horror set at a haunted lake where many children and teens have gone missing.
We follow the POV of Taylor, who has moved from Georgia to West Virginia after the loss of her older brother. Taylor now goes to a private school on a scholarship but is surrounded by mostly white, rich, privileged kids. Taylor gets herself mixed up with a group of 'mean girls' who get her to go shoplifting then pin the whole thing on her when they get caught and poor Taylor gets a harsh punishment and is sent off to do community service at Camp Lanier for the whole of summer break as a Camp counsellor. Again, Taylor finds herself surrounded by rich, spoiled, white kids, and when she starts seeing strange and creepy things, she begins to question her sanity.
This was a fast-paced and really creepy book that has some gore but isn't overdone or too graphic. I was drawn to this book due to it being written based on true events at a real lake in Forsyth County in Georgia.
Do check trigger warnings as the book contains themes of racism.
July 11, 2024
This was my first book from NetGalley to review, and wow, what I way to start!!
Y'all, if you love a good, fast-paced spooky ghost and slasher story, you're going to love this!
Taylor is one of very few Black students at her private school and when the girls she thinks are her friends show their true colors, she pays for it by being sent to do a summer work release program at a camp set up right by Lake Lanier. Weird things start happening right off the bat, and you're immediately sucked in all the way to the end!
I loved Taylor. She was smart, funny, and genuine. It was so easy to root for her and rage with her. All the characters were well written and described, in my opinion. And I can't recommend this enough!
Y'all, if you love a good, fast-paced spooky ghost and slasher story, you're going to love this!
Taylor is one of very few Black students at her private school and when the girls she thinks are her friends show their true colors, she pays for it by being sent to do a summer work release program at a camp set up right by Lake Lanier. Weird things start happening right off the bat, and you're immediately sucked in all the way to the end!
I loved Taylor. She was smart, funny, and genuine. It was so easy to root for her and rage with her. All the characters were well written and described, in my opinion. And I can't recommend this enough!
September 12, 2024
**Netgalley ARC Review**
I love me a good ghost story. Camp Lanier is definitely that. I only recently moved to GA myself but I've heard all the stories about Lake Lanier and it was fun knowing a bit about the lake going into this story. I feel like I devoured this book it was written so well. I will definitely be watching for more from Sylvester Barzey.
I absolutely loved a specific line "Let the world see your rage" That's going to stick with me
I love me a good ghost story. Camp Lanier is definitely that. I only recently moved to GA myself but I've heard all the stories about Lake Lanier and it was fun knowing a bit about the lake going into this story. I feel like I devoured this book it was written so well. I will definitely be watching for more from Sylvester Barzey.
I absolutely loved a specific line "Let the world see your rage" That's going to stick with me
October 14, 2024
This started out as a page turner but fell flat in the end for me.
June 29, 2024
Thank you to the author for sending me the e-arc!
Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzay is a young adult horror book perfect for summerween! We follow Taylor, a black girl who avoids jail by going to a summer community service program at Camp Lanier. The camp helps other at-risk youths, but quickly we find some spooky supernatural things happening.
I loved how relatable the dynamic was between Taylor and her family. While working as a counselor at the camp, we are introduced to several other characters. Victoria really stood out and even though this was horror, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times! It definitely had its comedic moments and I enjoyed all the pop culture horror references!
I will be honest and say that I didn’t personally vibe with the writing style, but besides that I found I really enjoyed this! I was also nervous about how this book would be wrapped up since it’s only 200 pages, but I was impressed with that last act. Even though it was a little predictable, I was still on the edge of my seat and found the story impactful. This was originally going to be 3⭐️, but several lines really stood out to me and made it 4⭐️! While this book was supernatural, the real horror it focused on was racism.
If you liked You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron and slashers like Scream, I think this would be for you!
Camp Lanier by Sylvester Barzay is a young adult horror book perfect for summerween! We follow Taylor, a black girl who avoids jail by going to a summer community service program at Camp Lanier. The camp helps other at-risk youths, but quickly we find some spooky supernatural things happening.
I loved how relatable the dynamic was between Taylor and her family. While working as a counselor at the camp, we are introduced to several other characters. Victoria really stood out and even though this was horror, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times! It definitely had its comedic moments and I enjoyed all the pop culture horror references!
I will be honest and say that I didn’t personally vibe with the writing style, but besides that I found I really enjoyed this! I was also nervous about how this book would be wrapped up since it’s only 200 pages, but I was impressed with that last act. Even though it was a little predictable, I was still on the edge of my seat and found the story impactful. This was originally going to be 3⭐️, but several lines really stood out to me and made it 4⭐️! While this book was supernatural, the real horror it focused on was racism.
If you liked You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron and slashers like Scream, I think this would be for you!
June 22, 2024
Camp Lanier is a YA horror with supernatural elements. As far as YA horror goes, it was entertaining though somewhat predictable. I did like Taylor's character, and the history of lake Lanier, but all in all the writing style was a little young for me.
Taylor is a black student in an affluent private school, who is befriended by a group of white girls who convince her to hang out and steal. Though wary she eventually joins in but when they are caught Taylor is the one thrown under the bus. When confronted with jail or community service at Camp Lanier she takes the later. But once there Taylor begins seeing a ghost, hearing cries at night, and when a girl named Mia goes missing and is brushed off as a runaway her and another camper team up to get to the truth. Are the missing kids of Lake Lanier do to runaways or is there a killer running around taking girls that won't be missed.
I give this book a 3.5⭐'s rounded down, but for me it is because the writing is more for a younger audience.
Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Taylor is a black student in an affluent private school, who is befriended by a group of white girls who convince her to hang out and steal. Though wary she eventually joins in but when they are caught Taylor is the one thrown under the bus. When confronted with jail or community service at Camp Lanier she takes the later. But once there Taylor begins seeing a ghost, hearing cries at night, and when a girl named Mia goes missing and is brushed off as a runaway her and another camper team up to get to the truth. Are the missing kids of Lake Lanier do to runaways or is there a killer running around taking girls that won't be missed.
I give this book a 3.5⭐'s rounded down, but for me it is because the writing is more for a younger audience.
Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 5, 2024
THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOD! At first I was a little offset because it seemed like a copy and paste of Holes by Lous Sachar. However, this was so much better than that. The author takes the outline of Holes and American Horror story Camp Redwood with the historic events of African American Church massacre by burnings and Willow Grove flooding. I was glued to this novel from start to finish. The way that everything is intertwined and continuously building but yet unfolding makes it a complete masterpiece. Very well done.
The story of a "troubled girl" aka a girl dire for acceptance is sent to a camp for her behavioral issues. While she is at this camp her and the "work residents" are treated much harsher than the rest. While she is there she starts having visions and starts to see the reasoning for mysterious disappearances and the dark history of the land, camp, and the family who owns it all.
The story of a "troubled girl" aka a girl dire for acceptance is sent to a camp for her behavioral issues. While she is at this camp her and the "work residents" are treated much harsher than the rest. While she is there she starts having visions and starts to see the reasoning for mysterious disappearances and the dark history of the land, camp, and the family who owns it all.
June 22, 2024
What a great story this was. Firstly, I have to talk about Taylor. She was a very easy main character to connect with. You wanted her to succeed in everything and you felt for her when she was knocked back down. I physically yelled at my phone when I read about how her so-called friends did her dirty and got her sent to this bogus camp. This started out as a creepy ghost story. The image is truly got under my skin. Then it took a hard turn into a slasher novel towards the end. I loved how the novel blurred horror genres, and showed a little bit of each. Overall, this was a great ghost story mixed with some awesome slasher elements.
July 13, 2024
“I know Black history. It’s not my fault it reads like a horror novel. I’m surprised ya’ll never heard about all this.” (Quote)
I enjoyed this and would highly recommend it to horror readers. I could not put it down once I started reading.
It was creepy, mysterious, and based on historical events and urban legends surrounding Lake Lanier in Georgia, which are horrible and fascinating to learn about.
It was a short, quick read with great pacing and fantastic characters (I loved the friendships that developed).
Thank you to Sterling & Stone and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
I enjoyed this and would highly recommend it to horror readers. I could not put it down once I started reading.
It was creepy, mysterious, and based on historical events and urban legends surrounding Lake Lanier in Georgia, which are horrible and fascinating to learn about.
It was a short, quick read with great pacing and fantastic characters (I loved the friendships that developed).
Thank you to Sterling & Stone and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
July 1, 2024
When I saw this book was based on the legends about the real Lake Lanier, I had to read it. It’s a short and engaging read. I loved this fictional and scary YA take on the legend with the idea of a summer camp. Taylor’s character is flawed but she comes across as a real teenager struggling to fit in and she’s loyal to her friends to a fault. The plotting blended a slasher story and a haunting while touching on real world issues. I definitely recommend this one for fans of YA and horror.
December 24, 2024
I enjoyed this! It's got a creepy atmosphere and a unique storyline and characters. It's pacing is perfect and I liked the writing style. It's not overly gory or scary and would be a perfect light horror book. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Sylvester Barzey, Sterling and Stone and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2024
Great book
As I was reading this book I thought it was going to be am amateur read. It definitely wasn't. From the middle of the book towards the end the story twists and turns and as the story goes on the plot thickens. A must read!
As I was reading this book I thought it was going to be am amateur read. It definitely wasn't. From the middle of the book towards the end the story twists and turns and as the story goes on the plot thickens. A must read!
August 5, 2024
I was looking for an easy horror summer read when I came across this one which immediately grabbed my attention.
The story is simple, a black teen is sent to summer camp to do community service after she is caught shoplifting and her “friends” put all the blame on her.
Said summer camp is built next to Lake Lanier, a real place in Georgia with its own deep-rooted history. And while I had no prior knowledge of the legend of lake Lanier, after looking it up beforehand I got even more excited to start this book and see how Barzey incorporated this into his story.
And it definitely didn’t disappoint.
The book starts out a bit slow. We get to know our main girl Taylor, her “friends” and learn how she ended up at camp Lanier. While all of this is important to the story, it took up 25% of the story and I felt like this would’ve worked equally well with a few shorter scenes. Especially considering the book is only around 200 pages in total.
But despite this, I kept wanting to pick this up and continue reading and I’m glad I did. Once we’re past the 25% mark and the story at the camp starts, everything really gets going. What follows is a fast-paced story which can be best described as part ghost story, part slasher in which the lines between what is real and what isn’t start to blur.
Taylor starts to see and hear things other people don’t and while reading I was just as confused as she was at certain moments. What is real? What is in her head? And even then, did that specific event she's seeing really happen at one point or is she making everything up? The story keeps you guessing in that regard and that adds to the overall spookiness of the story.
The history told through Taylor's experiences is really interesting. The whole legend of Oscarville and Lake Lanier works really well as the setting for this story. Barzey does a great job of incorporating the history into the story without it becoming too much of a history lesson or info dumping. Seeing that I didn’t really have any prior knowledge, I love how much I learned from just reading this book. There’s even an author’s note at the end going into more detail on how this is a fictionalised version of these events.
These vision-like experiences Taylor has are also where the horror comes in. I went into this without any expectations on how scary this was going to be as I’ve seen other people complain about the lack of horror. But after reading I have to say I disagree. There’s a lot of degrees to horror and the use of it and this falls into one of the lower categories. To me this story contains just the right amount of gore and scares for a YA novel. There is some blood, but nothing over the top and I found the story to be very eerie and atmospheric at times. Enough to make you wanting to keep reading all the time.
While we’re at the subject of horror, I also loved the many horror references. Some of them are so sneaky you might not even pick up on them if you’re not an avid horror fan. I thought this was very nicely done and clearly shows Barzey knows his horror, which I always love to see. I think I got most of the references, but some are a bit more obvious than others. I won’t go into detail as it’s more fun to figure it out by yourself, but one of my favourites was a podcaster named Gale Prescott.
Even though this is a horror story, the real horror isn't the scares or the ghosts or the blood and gore. No, the real horror here is the racism interwoven throughout the whole book. It reminded me of the movie Get Out in a way and even the author has made the same comparison, showing how it has been one of his inspirations in writing this.
The racism is always present in the story in some way. Even if not overtly stated at all times, it’s very clear the black people are treated differently from the white people. At camp Lanier there is a separate place for all the delinquents. Almost unsurprisingly, they’re all black kids. They are forced to work, live and sleep under bad conditions while all wearing the same red jumpsuit. It is very clear what Barzey is going for here without actually saying the words.
The subtle racism and not so subtle racism was very eye-opening to me as a white reader. It wasn’t just Taylor who picked up on it while it was happening, I did too. To me, this all felt very well done and very realistic and it helped me see and experience what it must be like for black people to constantly have to deal with these experiences when I don’t have to worry about any of this. This definitely added another deeper layer and made it so much more than just a fun slasher/ghost story.
At only 200 pages this is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a quick, fun, spooky summer read and I definitely recommend it. While it has some darker themes, it was never handed too heavily. This being based on actual events gave the story an extra dimension. The characters are likeable and even the ones that aren’t have their reasons and that makes them real. To me Taylor very much has a teen voice which made her feel like a real teenager and her snarky humour made me chuckle quite a few times. The story was a bit predictable as I guessed who the killer was about 80% in, but this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.
I will definitely pick up more of Barzey’s work in the future.
*Thanks to NetGalley for this copy. I leave this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
The story is simple, a black teen is sent to summer camp to do community service after she is caught shoplifting and her “friends” put all the blame on her.
Said summer camp is built next to Lake Lanier, a real place in Georgia with its own deep-rooted history. And while I had no prior knowledge of the legend of lake Lanier, after looking it up beforehand I got even more excited to start this book and see how Barzey incorporated this into his story.
And it definitely didn’t disappoint.
The book starts out a bit slow. We get to know our main girl Taylor, her “friends” and learn how she ended up at camp Lanier. While all of this is important to the story, it took up 25% of the story and I felt like this would’ve worked equally well with a few shorter scenes. Especially considering the book is only around 200 pages in total.
But despite this, I kept wanting to pick this up and continue reading and I’m glad I did. Once we’re past the 25% mark and the story at the camp starts, everything really gets going. What follows is a fast-paced story which can be best described as part ghost story, part slasher in which the lines between what is real and what isn’t start to blur.
Taylor starts to see and hear things other people don’t and while reading I was just as confused as she was at certain moments. What is real? What is in her head? And even then, did that specific event she's seeing really happen at one point or is she making everything up? The story keeps you guessing in that regard and that adds to the overall spookiness of the story.
The history told through Taylor's experiences is really interesting. The whole legend of Oscarville and Lake Lanier works really well as the setting for this story. Barzey does a great job of incorporating the history into the story without it becoming too much of a history lesson or info dumping. Seeing that I didn’t really have any prior knowledge, I love how much I learned from just reading this book. There’s even an author’s note at the end going into more detail on how this is a fictionalised version of these events.
These vision-like experiences Taylor has are also where the horror comes in. I went into this without any expectations on how scary this was going to be as I’ve seen other people complain about the lack of horror. But after reading I have to say I disagree. There’s a lot of degrees to horror and the use of it and this falls into one of the lower categories. To me this story contains just the right amount of gore and scares for a YA novel. There is some blood, but nothing over the top and I found the story to be very eerie and atmospheric at times. Enough to make you wanting to keep reading all the time.
While we’re at the subject of horror, I also loved the many horror references. Some of them are so sneaky you might not even pick up on them if you’re not an avid horror fan. I thought this was very nicely done and clearly shows Barzey knows his horror, which I always love to see. I think I got most of the references, but some are a bit more obvious than others. I won’t go into detail as it’s more fun to figure it out by yourself, but one of my favourites was a podcaster named Gale Prescott.
Even though this is a horror story, the real horror isn't the scares or the ghosts or the blood and gore. No, the real horror here is the racism interwoven throughout the whole book. It reminded me of the movie Get Out in a way and even the author has made the same comparison, showing how it has been one of his inspirations in writing this.
The racism is always present in the story in some way. Even if not overtly stated at all times, it’s very clear the black people are treated differently from the white people. At camp Lanier there is a separate place for all the delinquents. Almost unsurprisingly, they’re all black kids. They are forced to work, live and sleep under bad conditions while all wearing the same red jumpsuit. It is very clear what Barzey is going for here without actually saying the words.
The subtle racism and not so subtle racism was very eye-opening to me as a white reader. It wasn’t just Taylor who picked up on it while it was happening, I did too. To me, this all felt very well done and very realistic and it helped me see and experience what it must be like for black people to constantly have to deal with these experiences when I don’t have to worry about any of this. This definitely added another deeper layer and made it so much more than just a fun slasher/ghost story.
At only 200 pages this is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a quick, fun, spooky summer read and I definitely recommend it. While it has some darker themes, it was never handed too heavily. This being based on actual events gave the story an extra dimension. The characters are likeable and even the ones that aren’t have their reasons and that makes them real. To me Taylor very much has a teen voice which made her feel like a real teenager and her snarky humour made me chuckle quite a few times. The story was a bit predictable as I guessed who the killer was about 80% in, but this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.
I will definitely pick up more of Barzey’s work in the future.
*Thanks to NetGalley for this copy. I leave this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
July 13, 2024
Esta es, de hecho, una historia fabulosa. Se escurre de las cinco estrellas solo porque mi conexión con los personajes no fue tan profunda y para mí poder conectar con los protagonistas siempre es un requisito, así me siento parte del relato y no solo una espectadora. Por lo demás, qué genio. Está buenísima.
Reseña larga en construcción
Reseña larga en construcción
September 4, 2026
For the Culture ‼️✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽
This was my first read by this author but it won't be my last. It hooks you from the beginning, then the storyline keeps you reading til the very end. What happened at this camp was horrific, and what's even more horrific is that the true life events that inspired the story are worse than the story. Can't wait to read another book by this author.
This was my first read by this author but it won't be my last. It hooks you from the beginning, then the storyline keeps you reading til the very end. What happened at this camp was horrific, and what's even more horrific is that the true life events that inspired the story are worse than the story. Can't wait to read another book by this author.
September 9, 2024
This is a fun read.
Very suitable for older MG or younger YA readers.
I liked the diversity and the social issues that were brought out - and I didn't think the author sacrificed story for messaging. The story was definitely there!
It's a little creepy and I liked our MC.
A good spooky yarn!
Very suitable for older MG or younger YA readers.
I liked the diversity and the social issues that were brought out - and I didn't think the author sacrificed story for messaging. The story was definitely there!
It's a little creepy and I liked our MC.
A good spooky yarn!
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