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Camp Fear
Almost everyone at Camp Silverlake is afraid of something: creepy crawlies, snakes, swimming in the lake. But there is a much deeper, darker fear shared by some of the counselors… the fear that one terrible secret they share will be discovered.
For seven years they’ve kept it hidden – ever since the summer when they were campers themselves.
The summer one camper didn’t make it home alive…
Now someone is using their secret – and their fears – to play a terrifying game of vengeance.
A game that could turn deadly.
For seven years they’ve kept it hidden – ever since the summer when they were campers themselves.
The summer one camper didn’t make it home alive…
Now someone is using their secret – and their fears – to play a terrifying game of vengeance.
A game that could turn deadly.
214 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
7 people are currently reading
1044 people want to read
About the author
Carol Ellis
90 books92 followersCarol Ellis is an American author of young adult and children’s fiction. Her first novel, My Secret Admirer, was published in 1989 by Scholastic as part of their popular Point Thriller line.
She went on to write over fifteen novels, including a few titles in the Zodiac Chillers series published by Random House in the mid-1990s, and two titles in The Blair Witch Files series for young adults, published by Bantam between 2000 and 2001.
She went on to write over fifteen novels, including a few titles in the Zodiac Chillers series published by Random House in the mid-1990s, and two titles in The Blair Witch Files series for young adults, published by Bantam between 2000 and 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
July 10, 2020
Teenager Rachel Owens gets a job as a counselor at Camp Silverlake. For the first week it is just the counselors at the camp. Rachel discovers that a boy died at the camp seven years ago, when some of the current counselors were campers, and who were there at the time of the boy’s death. The counselors seem edgy and disturbed when Rachel brings this up. Now, strange things are happening. A snake is left in a cabin, a counselor almost drowns. Someone seems to be trying to get their revenge on the counselors who were at the camp seven years ago…
This was an enjoyable read, written for young adults. I liked the camp setting and the mystery surrounding the boy’s death. I was curious to find out who the culprit was. The characters were interesting and the storyline drew me in. A good read from the 90’s.
This was an enjoyable read, written for young adults. I liked the camp setting and the mystery surrounding the boy’s death. I was curious to find out who the culprit was. The characters were interesting and the storyline drew me in. A good read from the 90’s.
September 7, 2021
I’m really enjoying revising these teen favourites, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that some that I was expected to be awful from memory turned out to be great.
I’d never have thought Carol Ellis would become my favourite author of the range, this is her 4th book that I’ve now re-read and they’ve all been great!
This does have the typical Point Horror tropes as a revenge plot is central to the story, this time someone is plotting against those that were culpable to a death of a camper 7 years previously.
We learn of the death in the prologue, it’s a slight shame that wasn’t withheld. It would have made for a great mystery as the main protagonist Rachel starts to learn about those events whilst working at the camp for the first time.
The location is perfect and has that great middle of nowhere feel, the realisation that one of the other campers knows the secret intensifies.
With plenty of red herrings and being unable to recall who the culprit was, having previously read this 20+ years ago. The reveal came as a complete surprise!
I’d never have thought Carol Ellis would become my favourite author of the range, this is her 4th book that I’ve now re-read and they’ve all been great!
This does have the typical Point Horror tropes as a revenge plot is central to the story, this time someone is plotting against those that were culpable to a death of a camper 7 years previously.
We learn of the death in the prologue, it’s a slight shame that wasn’t withheld. It would have made for a great mystery as the main protagonist Rachel starts to learn about those events whilst working at the camp for the first time.
The location is perfect and has that great middle of nowhere feel, the realisation that one of the other campers knows the secret intensifies.
With plenty of red herrings and being unable to recall who the culprit was, having previously read this 20+ years ago. The reveal came as a complete surprise!
July 15, 2023
3.25 Stars
I love a summer camp story and mostly enjoyed this one. There were a lot of suspenseful moments and the mystery had me intrigued. However I was disappointed with the reveal, it was a very obvious choice and the point horror series on the hole usually does better then the obvious. The ending was also very rushed, but I would still recommend this one for the premise and initial intrigue.
Rachel and her fellow camp councillors are prepping for the upcoming summer season. But when a unknown figure starts exposing her fellow councillors to their fears, things start to escalate and she realises this person is willing to go to deadly lengths to seek revenge for an incident that happened 5 years ago at the camp. Can Rachel and her friends survive long enough to reveal the culprit? Or will they die to their greatest fears?
I love a summer camp story and mostly enjoyed this one. There were a lot of suspenseful moments and the mystery had me intrigued. However I was disappointed with the reveal, it was a very obvious choice and the point horror series on the hole usually does better then the obvious. The ending was also very rushed, but I would still recommend this one for the premise and initial intrigue.
Rachel and her fellow camp councillors are prepping for the upcoming summer season. But when a unknown figure starts exposing her fellow councillors to their fears, things start to escalate and she realises this person is willing to go to deadly lengths to seek revenge for an incident that happened 5 years ago at the camp. Can Rachel and her friends survive long enough to reveal the culprit? Or will they die to their greatest fears?
June 22, 2023
Scholastic Book Fairs...the three greatest words to any elementary or middle schooler.
That is where I got Camp Fear by Carol Ellis, my first experience with her work. The cover stood out with its bright lettering and a menacing rattlesnake I just had to have it. My mother gave me some money for the second day of the book fair and it was what I bought among others.
Good memories and still a pretty good story if it is more suspense/thriller than outright horror but it takes the concepts of fear, guilt and an isolated setting to make it just as terrifying.
We open with a prologue of six campers, between 10-11 years of age, and a counselor waking up from camping in the great outdoors. The cabins at Camp Silverlake are about to be empty for another year and a hike through the actual wilderness closes the season.
It had been a rainy night and one camper decides to slide on some wet pine needles while they are trying to find dry wood for a breakfast campfire. His stunt brings the others to a fallen tree and the discovery that he is okay...is marred by tragedy.
The body of another boy is on the tree, his neck broken...dead.
Seven years later, a few of the campers are now about to be counselors at Camp Silverlake. It is a week before the kids and older counselors arrive so the junior counselors are to check trails, repaint worn cabins and all that jazz. Tim and Michelle are in their early twenties but they are to supervise the group of eight teenangers with help from the caretaker, Mr. Drummond.
Rachel Owens is our main character and she has never been to Camp Silverlake before. Neither have two other counselors, Linda Dolan and Teresa "Terry" Montrose. All of the others use to be campers.
One other girl, Stacey Brunswick, and a quartet of boys: Jordan Hurley, Paul Sidney, Mark James and Steve Michaels.
Everything seems to be pretty normal at first glance with some joking and some crushing and Rachel not sure what to think of the others because all of the former campers-now counselors switch from hot to cold.
We as the readers know that it has something to do with the death of the boy in the prologue and dialogue from an unknown antagonist hiding amongst the group. Someone out for revenge as is the normal plot of almost any Point Horror YA novel.
Rachel, however, is completely unaware of the tragedy. It's made pretty clear when she is tasked with creating a bulletin board display to celebrate the camp's twentieth anniversary. She finds some pictures of Stacey, Paul, Mark, Jordan and Steve as campers to put up but Rachel can't help but being drawn to a picture of a lone boy looking out at the lake, it is sad and wistful yet beautiful that she makes it the centerpiece.
Different reactions in varying degrees result with unease from all except for Tim, Michelle, Linda and Teresa. Or could it just be great acting?
Boys being boys reveals that Stacey isn't fond of the lake...well at least not being thrown into it by Steve. Shallow water is fine but not being able to see the bottom makes her freak out and reveal Steve's crippling fear of snakes in retaliation.
When a hike reveals to Rachel that Mark is afraid of heights, this information makes it to our vengeance seeking mystery protagonist.
The boys against the girls in a normal prank war turns from a game of fun into just the first incident of terror and fear yet to come.
Not really any twists but some reveals that paint a picture of facing consequences for our actions and just how much it can take to push someone to their limits. Fear is a good motivator but compassion and acceptance are so much better yet we don't learn that until we have gotten much older...
Waxing philosophically aside, you get characters you like or hate or can't help but like despite the way they act. There seems to be this little love triangle between Rachel, Paul and Jordan but it clearly isn't a real triangle and leads to nothing really so I have no idea why it is even there except to maybe show some character building perhaps?
Ellis is good at providing some red herrings for us to guess at but it is is also very clear that a few characters can be ruled out right away beside Rachel. As we learn more of the backstory we were presented in the prologue, it becomes that much easier to figure out. In consolation, we still have an element of menace for those who are actually innocent and are left to wonder what their fate may be...mercy or is there really none to be given?
Camp Fear is an excellent summer read and if gore is not your thing but a good mystery with some thrills and chills is more your speed...I highly recommend this one.
That is where I got Camp Fear by Carol Ellis, my first experience with her work. The cover stood out with its bright lettering and a menacing rattlesnake I just had to have it. My mother gave me some money for the second day of the book fair and it was what I bought among others.
Good memories and still a pretty good story if it is more suspense/thriller than outright horror but it takes the concepts of fear, guilt and an isolated setting to make it just as terrifying.
We open with a prologue of six campers, between 10-11 years of age, and a counselor waking up from camping in the great outdoors. The cabins at Camp Silverlake are about to be empty for another year and a hike through the actual wilderness closes the season.
It had been a rainy night and one camper decides to slide on some wet pine needles while they are trying to find dry wood for a breakfast campfire. His stunt brings the others to a fallen tree and the discovery that he is okay...is marred by tragedy.
The body of another boy is on the tree, his neck broken...dead.
Seven years later, a few of the campers are now about to be counselors at Camp Silverlake. It is a week before the kids and older counselors arrive so the junior counselors are to check trails, repaint worn cabins and all that jazz. Tim and Michelle are in their early twenties but they are to supervise the group of eight teenangers with help from the caretaker, Mr. Drummond.
Rachel Owens is our main character and she has never been to Camp Silverlake before. Neither have two other counselors, Linda Dolan and Teresa "Terry" Montrose. All of the others use to be campers.
One other girl, Stacey Brunswick, and a quartet of boys: Jordan Hurley, Paul Sidney, Mark James and Steve Michaels.
Everything seems to be pretty normal at first glance with some joking and some crushing and Rachel not sure what to think of the others because all of the former campers-now counselors switch from hot to cold.
We as the readers know that it has something to do with the death of the boy in the prologue and dialogue from an unknown antagonist hiding amongst the group. Someone out for revenge as is the normal plot of almost any Point Horror YA novel.
Rachel, however, is completely unaware of the tragedy. It's made pretty clear when she is tasked with creating a bulletin board display to celebrate the camp's twentieth anniversary. She finds some pictures of Stacey, Paul, Mark, Jordan and Steve as campers to put up but Rachel can't help but being drawn to a picture of a lone boy looking out at the lake, it is sad and wistful yet beautiful that she makes it the centerpiece.
Different reactions in varying degrees result with unease from all except for Tim, Michelle, Linda and Teresa. Or could it just be great acting?
Boys being boys reveals that Stacey isn't fond of the lake...well at least not being thrown into it by Steve. Shallow water is fine but not being able to see the bottom makes her freak out and reveal Steve's crippling fear of snakes in retaliation.
When a hike reveals to Rachel that Mark is afraid of heights, this information makes it to our vengeance seeking mystery protagonist.
The boys against the girls in a normal prank war turns from a game of fun into just the first incident of terror and fear yet to come.
Not really any twists but some reveals that paint a picture of facing consequences for our actions and just how much it can take to push someone to their limits. Fear is a good motivator but compassion and acceptance are so much better yet we don't learn that until we have gotten much older...
Waxing philosophically aside, you get characters you like or hate or can't help but like despite the way they act. There seems to be this little love triangle between Rachel, Paul and Jordan but it clearly isn't a real triangle and leads to nothing really so I have no idea why it is even there except to maybe show some character building perhaps?
Ellis is good at providing some red herrings for us to guess at but it is is also very clear that a few characters can be ruled out right away beside Rachel. As we learn more of the backstory we were presented in the prologue, it becomes that much easier to figure out. In consolation, we still have an element of menace for those who are actually innocent and are left to wonder what their fate may be...mercy or is there really none to be given?
Camp Fear is an excellent summer read and if gore is not your thing but a good mystery with some thrills and chills is more your speed...I highly recommend this one.
July 4, 2019
Quite, quite dull.
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
September 29, 2024
Rachel Owens is a counsellor at Camp Silverlake. She doesn't know any of the other counsellors, but at least five of them were at the camp seven years earlier, as campers, when a tragedy occurred. Rachel eventually learns that a young boy died. Now, some of the campers are falling victim to incidents that seem to exploit their greatest fears. It seems somebody is out for vengeance!
I did a reread of this today, since I had a couple of hours to spare, and it's not one of Point Thriller's best. It is slowly paced and very, very, very mild. It just didn't work, because Rachel had no involvement in the triggering event. She's never in any danger, so there is no suspense. The other seven (!) teenagers are barely distinguishable, especially the boys, so there is also no suspense wondering what might happen to them. When the campers become targets, the incidents are so minimal they are practically snore-inducing. There is no tension or fun. Aside from a snake incident and a character stuck in a sinking canoe, this is just so surprisingly flat and uninteresting. Even the finale is a total fizzler.
A rare misfire from Ellis, who is usually one of the more engaging writers in this series.
I did a reread of this today, since I had a couple of hours to spare, and it's not one of Point Thriller's best. It is slowly paced and very, very, very mild. It just didn't work, because Rachel had no involvement in the triggering event. She's never in any danger, so there is no suspense. The other seven (!) teenagers are barely distinguishable, especially the boys, so there is also no suspense wondering what might happen to them. When the campers become targets, the incidents are so minimal they are practically snore-inducing. There is no tension or fun. Aside from a snake incident and a character stuck in a sinking canoe, this is just so surprisingly flat and uninteresting. Even the finale is a total fizzler.
A rare misfire from Ellis, who is usually one of the more engaging writers in this series.
December 17, 2018
I read this one when I was a kid but I couldn't remember the story when I picked it up to reread some years (more than 20!) later. The story follows Rachel who is joining several other teens as a counselor at Camp Silverlake. We find out that seven years ago a camper died and it seems that the past has come back to haunt Camp Silverlake.
This was a quick read and while it had some fun moments and some suspense, it was overall really sad! I had an inkling about where the story was going and while I was partially right I didn't guess who the culprit was so it still managed to surprise me. The circumstances surrounding the camper's death was really heartbreaking and I think it would be important for kids of the intended reading age to read it. Carol Ellis's writing was good and she did a good job setting the scene and making us feel for the characters.
This was a quick read and while it had some fun moments and some suspense, it was overall really sad! I had an inkling about where the story was going and while I was partially right I didn't guess who the culprit was so it still managed to surprise me. The circumstances surrounding the camper's death was really heartbreaking and I think it would be important for kids of the intended reading age to read it. Carol Ellis's writing was good and she did a good job setting the scene and making us feel for the characters.
June 6, 2022
This is one of my least favorite Point Horror books so far.
The pace is plodding, to say the least, and the majority of the time is spent within our narrator's headspace as she obsessively ruminates over every little nuance of each character and every minutely strange occurrence. To be fair, some of the events (later on) elicit such contemplation, but it never feels like anything is really happening and there's not much progression of the story; of what story there is, anyway.
The concept is one very reminiscent of a slasher film; dangerous incidents occur that seem to be tied to the death of a young boy 7 years prior at a summer camp. Only, there's never actually any death. No slashing. No blood. This book is not only tame, but quite dull as our main character, Rachel, tries to solve the mystery of who is playing mean tricks among the camp counselors. Not even the final act / "big reveal" of the villain could save this one for me. I was a bit bored by this book. Sorry, can't recommend this one.
Still, I'll give it a: 1.5⭐ (rounded down) because it's not quite the worst Point Horror entry that I've read.
The pace is plodding, to say the least, and the majority of the time is spent within our narrator's headspace as she obsessively ruminates over every little nuance of each character and every minutely strange occurrence. To be fair, some of the events (later on) elicit such contemplation, but it never feels like anything is really happening and there's not much progression of the story; of what story there is, anyway.
The concept is one very reminiscent of a slasher film; dangerous incidents occur that seem to be tied to the death of a young boy 7 years prior at a summer camp. Only, there's never actually any death. No slashing. No blood. This book is not only tame, but quite dull as our main character, Rachel, tries to solve the mystery of who is playing mean tricks among the camp counselors. Not even the final act / "big reveal" of the villain could save this one for me. I was a bit bored by this book. Sorry, can't recommend this one.
Still, I'll give it a: 1.5⭐ (rounded down) because it's not quite the worst Point Horror entry that I've read.
January 23, 2020
This is Rachel's first year as a counselor at Camp Silverlake for kids. Rachel and her fellow counselors Mark, Paul, Jordan, Steve, Theresa (Terry), Linda, and Stacey are at the camp early to get it ready for opening week, but weird things start to happen to the counselors one by one. Is there someone out there willing to hurt them by using their fears against them, or is the answer closer to home?
This is a re-read but I can't actually remember reading this one before, and it is definitely one of the better Point Horror books in the series. Rachel is your typical PH heroine who inexplicably goes off on her own at times and can't keep a secret. It's a quick read (read in under 24 hours) and not particularly scary, but it's entertaining to guess who it is.
This is a re-read but I can't actually remember reading this one before, and it is definitely one of the better Point Horror books in the series. Rachel is your typical PH heroine who inexplicably goes off on her own at times and can't keep a secret. It's a quick read (read in under 24 hours) and not particularly scary, but it's entertaining to guess who it is.
January 11, 2022
This book was a well written thriller it had a great set up and execution that told a story of a boy dying and someone wanting to make the people that accidently caused it pay. The characters were interesting with Rachel being the most interesting since she is the outsider that was not there seven years ago I like how she pieces together what happened. I really liked the plot it starts out as your typical set at camp teen thriller that slowly unravels and tells why these things are happening. so overall this was a great 90s thriller I will read more books by this author for sure.
September 7, 2025
I've not read a lot of Carol Ellis, but her Point Horror entries so far have been pretty solid. Both
My Secret Admirer
and
The Window
are entertaining thrillers, but I would've liked a little bit more horror. Camp Fear definitely feels like it's heading in the right direction with the horror elements, but I think Ellis could push things a little further.
I loved the summer camp setting of this book, which reminded me of Friday the 13th (1980), The Burning (1981), and Sleepaway Camp (1983). The characters were nicely portrayed, and the protagonist, Rachel, is likeable. I liked how Ellis handled the dynamics between the characters, and the concept here is perfect Point Horror (and slasher) material.
Forty (!) Point Horror books later and I'm still no good at guessing the big reveals, and I certainly enjoyed the climax here even if it does feel a little rushed in places. I found myself overall really liking Camp Fear - it doesn't try to do anything too wild or different, but Ellis once again delivers solid entertainment. She's shaping up to be one of the more reliable Point Horror authors, but that could be because I've read so few of her entries (so far). Regardless, I'm looking forward to my next Ellis Point Horror book.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Camp Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) April Fools - 3.5/5
12) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
13) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
14) Freeze Tag - 3/5
15) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
16) The Accident - 3/5
17) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
18) Funhouse - 3/5
19) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
20) The Window - 3/5
21) The Invitation - 2.5/5
22) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
23) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
24) The Perfume - 2.5/5
25) The Train - 2.5/5
26) The Waitress - 2.5/5
27) The Snowman - 2.5/5
28) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
29) Beach House - 2.5/5
30) The Mall - 2.5/5
31) The Boyfriend - 2/5
32) The Fever - 2/5
33) The Cemetery - 2/5
34) Mother's Helper - 2/5
35) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
36) The Phantom - 2/5
37) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
38) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
39) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
40) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
41) Beach Party - 1/5
I loved the summer camp setting of this book, which reminded me of Friday the 13th (1980), The Burning (1981), and Sleepaway Camp (1983). The characters were nicely portrayed, and the protagonist, Rachel, is likeable. I liked how Ellis handled the dynamics between the characters, and the concept here is perfect Point Horror (and slasher) material.
Forty (!) Point Horror books later and I'm still no good at guessing the big reveals, and I certainly enjoyed the climax here even if it does feel a little rushed in places. I found myself overall really liking Camp Fear - it doesn't try to do anything too wild or different, but Ellis once again delivers solid entertainment. She's shaping up to be one of the more reliable Point Horror authors, but that could be because I've read so few of her entries (so far). Regardless, I'm looking forward to my next Ellis Point Horror book.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Camp Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) April Fools - 3.5/5
12) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
13) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
14) Freeze Tag - 3/5
15) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
16) The Accident - 3/5
17) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
18) Funhouse - 3/5
19) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
20) The Window - 3/5
21) The Invitation - 2.5/5
22) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
23) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
24) The Perfume - 2.5/5
25) The Train - 2.5/5
26) The Waitress - 2.5/5
27) The Snowman - 2.5/5
28) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
29) Beach House - 2.5/5
30) The Mall - 2.5/5
31) The Boyfriend - 2/5
32) The Fever - 2/5
33) The Cemetery - 2/5
34) Mother's Helper - 2/5
35) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
36) The Phantom - 2/5
37) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
38) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
39) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
40) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
41) Beach Party - 1/5
July 23, 2022
Everything just seemed such low stakes. I finished it yesterday and I already can't remember who the baddie was.
August 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded down for Goodreads. This was a very simple but still overall fun read.
It isn't as action-packed as the other Point Horror book I read recently (Beach Party by R.L. Stine), but I still had a good time reading this one.
It definitely has a great summer feel. If you're looking for a basic summer camp read with a little mystery to it, then you may enjoy this book like I did.
For more of my thoughts on this book and twelve other summer camp horror books, then you can check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/FzmrY5PunM4?t=1935
It isn't as action-packed as the other Point Horror book I read recently (Beach Party by R.L. Stine), but I still had a good time reading this one.
It definitely has a great summer feel. If you're looking for a basic summer camp read with a little mystery to it, then you may enjoy this book like I did.
For more of my thoughts on this book and twelve other summer camp horror books, then you can check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/FzmrY5PunM4?t=1935
October 20, 2021
Solid spooky month book.
November 6, 2023
Firstly this book has a group of 8 main characters and I cannot tell you anything about any of them. I actually thought there were six until over half way through. they were all just one big, bland meld of nothingness. They have no personality, no distinguishing features and we never get any descriptive writing whatsoever to the point where, when we get the villain reveal I didn't even know which one they were😂. The stakes are so low here too, that every so often we start a chapter from the antagonists pov and the one scene that actually could have had consequences, they tell us that it was an accident and they had nothing to do with it but would take the credit. Sheesh.
September 15, 2022
I think without my love for the genre and the nostalgia I'd probably rate this one lower, but I have a soft spot for it even if I do prefer more action-orientated than train-of-thought storytelling.
December 3, 2017
I just re-read this so I could write a proper review, as it has been a good while since my last read! I honestly have no idea how many times I've read the one, but it wasn't one that I revisited often (unlike some other Point books I could name, like The Funhouse, The Lifeguard, Trick or Treat, and The Window.
Anyway, to give an overview of this book, it involved a bunch of characters I'd totally forgotten about, all with rather generic names that are easily forgotten. There wasn't much character development, which is interesting to me as that's obviously a big thing in writing novels nowadays. These books did really well and were a pretty big deal back in the day, despite hardly any character development or history. The main character is Rachel, and the only thing I know about her is that she's a counsellor at summer camp prior to heading off to college (she's finished school). Oh, and I know she's single, 'cause there are a couple of guys at camp she's maybe interested in to begin with. Oh, and unlike many of the other teen counsellors, she doesn't have any phobias.
At first I became a little confused between all the characters because there wasn't much to differentiate them, except for certain exhibitions of attitude traits, like Jordan being "wishy washy" and getting angry sometimes; Steve being obnoxious, the "class clown" I suppose; Stacey being a bit of an overdramatic bimbo (though admittedly none of the girls sounded dumb); Paul being mysterious and rather quiet, except for his rare smiles. Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah, Linda. Didn't really know much about her until we got to near the end of the story. I had also forgotten about Mr Drummond, the "possibly evil groundskeeper".
The dialogue is pretty dated, and doesn't really sound authentically 1993 to me, but then it doesn't sound completely old fashioned either.
THE BAD GUY
I was kept guessing during the read, and did not remember at all that Linda was the bad guy. So I guess that part of the story was done well, as it really could have been anyone. But maybe that's because of the lack of character development overall? I also felt sorry for poor little Johnny and what happened to him, and angry at kids for being such jerks. And I felt sorry for Linda being his sister who hadn't been able to help him back when the bullying was happening.
THE ROMANCE
I was definitely Team Paul, although we didn't really get to know much about him so it's hard to be Team Anyone. Unlike some other books, e.g. The Lifeguard, where you get more insight into the romantic lead's background and personality, in this case there wasn't much to go on with Paul. But I did think he was the best choice for Rachel!
Okay, that's it for this one! I've decided to include re-reads in my reading counts from now on, so next year any re-reads will be included in my Reading Goal for the year.
Anyway, to give an overview of this book, it involved a bunch of characters I'd totally forgotten about, all with rather generic names that are easily forgotten. There wasn't much character development, which is interesting to me as that's obviously a big thing in writing novels nowadays. These books did really well and were a pretty big deal back in the day, despite hardly any character development or history. The main character is Rachel, and the only thing I know about her is that she's a counsellor at summer camp prior to heading off to college (she's finished school). Oh, and I know she's single, 'cause there are a couple of guys at camp she's maybe interested in to begin with. Oh, and unlike many of the other teen counsellors, she doesn't have any phobias.
At first I became a little confused between all the characters because there wasn't much to differentiate them, except for certain exhibitions of attitude traits, like Jordan being "wishy washy" and getting angry sometimes; Steve being obnoxious, the "class clown" I suppose; Stacey being a bit of an overdramatic bimbo (though admittedly none of the girls sounded dumb); Paul being mysterious and rather quiet, except for his rare smiles. Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah, Linda. Didn't really know much about her until we got to near the end of the story. I had also forgotten about Mr Drummond, the "possibly evil groundskeeper".
The dialogue is pretty dated, and doesn't really sound authentically 1993 to me, but then it doesn't sound completely old fashioned either.
THE BAD GUY
I was kept guessing during the read, and did not remember at all that Linda was the bad guy. So I guess that part of the story was done well, as it really could have been anyone. But maybe that's because of the lack of character development overall? I also felt sorry for poor little Johnny and what happened to him, and angry at kids for being such jerks. And I felt sorry for Linda being his sister who hadn't been able to help him back when the bullying was happening.
THE ROMANCE
I was definitely Team Paul, although we didn't really get to know much about him so it's hard to be Team Anyone. Unlike some other books, e.g. The Lifeguard, where you get more insight into the romantic lead's background and personality, in this case there wasn't much to go on with Paul. But I did think he was the best choice for Rachel!
Okay, that's it for this one! I've decided to include re-reads in my reading counts from now on, so next year any re-reads will be included in my Reading Goal for the year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
One-Line Review: Just...be nice to people. Is that really so hard?
Full Review:
This is a really difficult one for me to review.
Rachel has a summer job as a counsellor at Camp Silverlake. For the first week, the camp is open to counsellors only as they prepare the place for the campers. Her fellow counsellors are an interesting bunch: three other girls and four guys from varying backgrounds, some of whom know each other from summers at the camp as children, others who are newcomers.
Things seem tense amongst some of the counsellors, and Rachel soon learns why: seven years ago, when five of them were campers, a boy died accidentally. There seems to be more to it, but Rachel doesn't know what. Soon nasty tricks start being played on the counsellors who were there that summer, and each one plays upon their worst fears. But who is doing it, and why?
I can't say that I actually liked the book. Yet I thought it was good. The writing was pretty smooth, as far as short teenage horror novels go. The horror mechanism - by which I mean the scary things that happened - was unique enough to hold my interest; scaring your victims by playing up to their fears and phobias is much more interesting than just slashing tires and leaving threatening notes. The characters were as deep as could be expected from a 200-odd page book aimed at teens that features eight main characters who all want page time, and none of them acted in a particularly irritating and / or unrealistic way, the way they seem to in a lot of books.
Why didn't I like it? It's hard to put my finger on a reason. It was sad, very sad. And lonely. Maybe it was the plotline, maybe it was the camp setting with its lack of tried-and-true friends and absence of parental figures. Either way, it wasn't a comfortable book for me to read. I like my teen novels set against a backdrop of familiarity: high school, parents, home, friends that the protagonist knows and trusts. Sometimes that trust is misplaced, but at least for most of the novel it's there. Camp Fear just left me feeling lonely and alone.
Possibly I should have left off a rating for this one. I've given it three stars within the context of teen horror, because it was written pretty nicely with an interesting plot, and I'm sure that not all readers are as emotionally affected by setting as I am.
Verdict: Bleak and sad, but worth a read.
Full Review:
This is a really difficult one for me to review.
Rachel has a summer job as a counsellor at Camp Silverlake. For the first week, the camp is open to counsellors only as they prepare the place for the campers. Her fellow counsellors are an interesting bunch: three other girls and four guys from varying backgrounds, some of whom know each other from summers at the camp as children, others who are newcomers.
Things seem tense amongst some of the counsellors, and Rachel soon learns why: seven years ago, when five of them were campers, a boy died accidentally. There seems to be more to it, but Rachel doesn't know what. Soon nasty tricks start being played on the counsellors who were there that summer, and each one plays upon their worst fears. But who is doing it, and why?
I can't say that I actually liked the book. Yet I thought it was good. The writing was pretty smooth, as far as short teenage horror novels go. The horror mechanism - by which I mean the scary things that happened - was unique enough to hold my interest; scaring your victims by playing up to their fears and phobias is much more interesting than just slashing tires and leaving threatening notes. The characters were as deep as could be expected from a 200-odd page book aimed at teens that features eight main characters who all want page time, and none of them acted in a particularly irritating and / or unrealistic way, the way they seem to in a lot of books.
Why didn't I like it? It's hard to put my finger on a reason. It was sad, very sad. And lonely. Maybe it was the plotline, maybe it was the camp setting with its lack of tried-and-true friends and absence of parental figures. Either way, it wasn't a comfortable book for me to read. I like my teen novels set against a backdrop of familiarity: high school, parents, home, friends that the protagonist knows and trusts. Sometimes that trust is misplaced, but at least for most of the novel it's there. Camp Fear just left me feeling lonely and alone.
Possibly I should have left off a rating for this one. I've given it three stars within the context of teen horror, because it was written pretty nicely with an interesting plot, and I'm sure that not all readers are as emotionally affected by setting as I am.
Verdict: Bleak and sad, but worth a read.
May 28, 2025
I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub
Tagline - Where your worst Fears Hide
Memorable For – Summer Camp/Pranks based on Fears!
Blurb -
The past can't hurt you, it can kill you. Almost everyone at Camp Silverlake is afraid of something but, there is a much deeper darker fear - the fear that one terrible, deadly secret will be discovered.
Some Thoughts -
Tucked away in a woody secluded mountain lies Camp Silverlake where six campers leave their tents in search of fire wood, but instead find a DEAD BODY wearing a royal blue shirt with silver letters saying CAMP SILVERLAKE.
Flashforward to seven years later …. It’s the 20th anniversary of the opening of Camp Silverlake and ten shiny new counsellors are prepping the camp a week before small little campers arrive for five weeks of summer fun and we find out that five of the counsellors all know each other and have stayed at camp before…..seven years ago…..and our story starts with an ominous threat for revenge…. snakes, potential drownings, cliff falls, wet leaves, targets being put on picture and lots of running around in the dark with no flashlights……….welcome to Camp Silverlake…..enjoy your stay!
Other highlights include lots of splitting up down trail tracks to confuse us readers, a lot of characters with very normal yet weird names, a proper summer camp feel and a serious concern over health and safety issues 😂
Tagline - Where your worst Fears Hide
Memorable For – Summer Camp/Pranks based on Fears!
Blurb -
The past can't hurt you, it can kill you. Almost everyone at Camp Silverlake is afraid of something but, there is a much deeper darker fear - the fear that one terrible, deadly secret will be discovered.
Some Thoughts -
Tucked away in a woody secluded mountain lies Camp Silverlake where six campers leave their tents in search of fire wood, but instead find a DEAD BODY wearing a royal blue shirt with silver letters saying CAMP SILVERLAKE.
Flashforward to seven years later …. It’s the 20th anniversary of the opening of Camp Silverlake and ten shiny new counsellors are prepping the camp a week before small little campers arrive for five weeks of summer fun and we find out that five of the counsellors all know each other and have stayed at camp before…..seven years ago…..and our story starts with an ominous threat for revenge…. snakes, potential drownings, cliff falls, wet leaves, targets being put on picture and lots of running around in the dark with no flashlights……….welcome to Camp Silverlake…..enjoy your stay!
Other highlights include lots of splitting up down trail tracks to confuse us readers, a lot of characters with very normal yet weird names, a proper summer camp feel and a serious concern over health and safety issues 😂
July 6, 2013
This book seemed to be very interesting to me. As you keep reading you find out more and more unexpected things which grabs the reader's attention. I thought that this book overall had a great plot and conclusion. I liked how the author, Carol Ellis was able to make so many events fit into a great horror story which is not too scary but scary enough, at least for the characters in the book anyway.
June 13, 2016
Four of five Point Horror Stars.
I read this a long time ago, so rereading it I knew what was happening (and why) but could not for the life of me remember who was the sibling. Also, I kept flashing back to that In Too DeepFear Street Seniors book with the ghost/possession storyline.
I read this a long time ago, so rereading it I knew what was happening (and why) but could not for the life of me remember who was the sibling. Also, I kept flashing back to that In Too DeepFear Street Seniors book with the ghost/possession storyline.
March 10, 2021
Classic stalker story with a revenge angle, and a group of camp counselors who share a shady secret. Pretty compelling up until the end. Ending was a letdown lol. The reveal was decent but the execution was lackluster and completely lacking of any drama (c’mon, it’s a teen thriller! Gimme something crazy in the end). Also, way too many characters to keep track of, and none of them had any unique characteristics or discernible personalities—just different hair colors.
August 23, 2021
This was such a great summer book!
You will find in it:
⛺️ Some counselors preparing the summer camp for the kids to come
☠️ A tragic secret from 7 years ago being revealed
🐍 Tricks being played on each other… or is this a revenge plan?!
🪓 Some AMAZING 80s slasher movies vibes!
In short, it was an extremely entertaining Point Horror book, even though I would have loved to see more blood 🩸
You will find in it:
⛺️ Some counselors preparing the summer camp for the kids to come
☠️ A tragic secret from 7 years ago being revealed
🐍 Tricks being played on each other… or is this a revenge plan?!
🪓 Some AMAZING 80s slasher movies vibes!
In short, it was an extremely entertaining Point Horror book, even though I would have loved to see more blood 🩸
June 6, 2018
Not the best (or scariest) Point Horror but I always love a camp setting.
August 4, 2019
Just re-read this for Teenage Scream podcast (lovingly dissecting the best and worst of 90s teen horror):
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
March 24, 2022
Loved this spooky book!
July 17, 2025
I just felt like I spent the whole book waiting for it to turn into a summer camp slasher and then it never happened. 🤷🏼♀️
August 24, 2024
THE WORKS OF CAROL ELLIS, 1945-2022
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
My mother, Carol Ellis, passed away on November 5th, 2022. While she'd been retired for some time, she spent years making her living as an author for children and young adults. When I was a kid, I was tremendously proud of her status as a writer, but she always seemed vaguely embarrassed by it. As I grew older, she told me she didn't enjoy the process of writing, and I'm sure that was part of the problem but there was also something deeper. My mother was an extremely self-deprecating person, inclined to critique herself to a fault. As such, I think she was uncomfortable with her public status. Also, as an avid reader herself, I think she decided early on she would never measure up to the books and authors she admired. It saddened and confused me to hear her dismiss her writing and, from time to time, even become cynical about the whole concept of telling stories. This never lasted very long because she enjoyed reading too much, but it was still depressing. Later on, I would occasionally try to change her perspective by pointing out the long and (in my view) proud tradition of popular fiction authors, people who, yes, wrote largely for money but gave years of joy to millions of readers. She would just shrug and say something like "Sure, but I wasn't even that good." Even in the past few years, when I would tell her how so many people online would respond with comments like "Oh wow, I LOVED your mom's books growing up!" if I mentioned her in a comment to a post or video, she would brush it off. "Doesn't it make you happy, knowing people still like your work?," I'd ask. She'd shrug or look away and reply, "Sure, I guess so."
Despite her indifference, my mother's career as a YA and children's author was substantial. A conservative estimate would put the number of books she wrote or co-wrote somewhere north of 50, and there were shorter works as well. She's best remembered as a fixture of Scholastic's Point Thriller line from the late 80s to the mid 90s, but her work ranged over several genres and publishers, her career lasting from the late 1970s till 2017; in the weeks following her death, I started discovering material she never even mentioned to me.
Through the years, despite sharing my mother's passion for reading, I rarely read her work. While she didn't exactly come out and say so, it was pretty clear she'd prefer I not. There were occasional exceptions and, towards the end of her career, I sometimes assisted her, both as a researcher and as an uncredited co-author. But her main body of work seemed like something she didn't want to get into much, so I largely avoided it. Now I've lost her forever and, partially to distract myself from the grief but also to try and create some sort of memorial to her, I've decided to read through her works and comment on them here.
As I mentioned, my mother's writing career was extensive. A large portion of her work was ghostwriting for others and even a fair amount under her own name were series works where she was more less told what to write. There were also nonfiction works which were pretty tightly controlled by the editors as well. While I know she gave every project her all (no matter how little she enjoyed some of them) and no doubt put her stamp on all she wrote, I'm primarily interested in the peak of her career, that is novels written under her own name and over which she had at least some degree of artistic control. This comes out to 20 or so books. While I have most of these works, there are still some I'll have to search for online and in used bookstores.
There's no point in pretending these "reviews" will be objective. All the books will get 5 stars, although I will be honest about elements of my mom's work I don't care for. Mixed in with my comments on the books will be memories of the creation of those I was old enough to be aware of, memories of my mother and her thoughts and comments on the books, and thoughts about the culture and industry that shaped her career.
I have no illusions that my mother was some sort of literary genius. But her work touched many readers nonetheless. She was also an incredible human being, one of the kindest people anyone could hope to meet. I will miss her terribly for the rest of my life. My hope is these commentaries will act as a tribute to her and bring back some good memories for those who grew up with her work, just as they preserve some cherished memories for me of a very cherished person.
CAMP FEAR
This is one novel of my mother's that I found myself intentionally avoiding as I went through this memorial project. I'm not totally sure why, but something about the title, the cover (the American version, with the snake on the bed), and the setting always put me off. I figured it was just a "scary stuff at camp" story, and those elements have never been among my favorite horror/thriller tropes. My memories of its composition are somewhat scarce, except that my mom seemed quite pleased with it. I also know that, along with "My Secret Admirer," "Camp Fear" was one of the most financially successful of my mother's Point thrillers for Scholastic. We got fan mail related to it very reliably for several years after its publication. Also, while I know "My Secret Admirer" sold somewhat better, "Camp Fear" seems to be better remembered. In addition to "The Window," it's the most common novel of my mother's mentioned to me by friends and acquaintances. Well, I'm happy to report all these people (including my mom herself) were right and I was dead wrong. This is really something!
However, while I absolutely loved "Camp Fear" and now consider in the first tier of my mother's work, there is something about it that causes me regret, although it's by way of something impressive. I may have mentioned this in previous reviews, apologies for the repetition if so, but I'm definitely going to mention it again because it has been on my mind a lot lately concerning my mother's work. About four or five years ago, I saw a social media posting about the Point Horror line and similar YA books of that era. I commented, mentioning my mom and, as usual in those situations, was bombarded with loving recollections from people who'd grown up reading her work and requests to tell her how much her books had meant to them. (I told her. She was moved, but also clearly embarrassed, but that was her.) On this occasion, one person responded to my comment by posting a photograph of his home reading den. Highlighted on a shelf were two of my mom's Point novels, one of which I can't remember but the other was "Camp Fear." The gentleman who posted this picture wrote something along the lines of: "These two of your mom's are some of the VERY few things I read as a kid that I keep with the 'grown up' books!"
I dwell on this because "Camp Fear," even as I loved it, made me lament more than ever that my mother never composed a novel for adults. While I know she cared deeply about creating good literature for young people, she didn't read a great deal of it herself, and I think her conception of YA and children's books was something that rarely found its proper outlet. That's something I'm going to talk about more in upcoming reviews but, for now, I just want to emphasize that "Camp Fear" really isn't a "teen thriller" in the way terms like that generally imply. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that type of book, quite the contrary but, and I fully own that I'm biased, "Camp Fear goes far beyond it and takes many more chances. It's remarkable to me that it was/is so well liked since, in it, my mother adamantly refuses to deliver what I'm sure many readers were expecting. Her artistry, however, was clearly enough to carry many reader along.
Putting aside my lazy dislike of summer camp stories, there is a more legitimate reason why the rich rewards of "Camp Fear" was hard to guess from the packaging. This book marks the last of my mom's "rip off" phase. The title is painfully obvious in its nod to the acclaimed 1991 Martin Scorsese film "Cape Fear," itself a remake of a classic 1962 film, both based on a John D. MacDonald novel. (Honestly, I've had to be VERY careful about not typing "Cape" instead of "Camp" in this review!) "Camp Fear" being published just two years after the Scorsese film was released, it's pretty obvious what Scholastic was going for. However, the plot of my mother's novel bears no resemblance to the "Cape Fear" story. But the scary summer camp genre had another fairly obvious nod: the (in)famous teen slasher film series, "Friday the 13th," the ninth entry in which (the first in four years), was released only a month after "Camp Fear." Also, horror movie fans may remember that the summer camp terrorized by Jason Vorhees (et al) in that series was Camp Crystal Lake. "Camp Fear" takes place at Camp Silverlake.
And here's where I hit a bit of a roadblock. I've deliberately avoided talking about much that's actually in "Camp Fear" because I really think it's best coming to it as fresh as possible. Let's just say the "Friday the 13th" connection seems FAR more than incidental to me. And yet I can guarantee, my mother never laid eyes on a single one of those movies, and would have avoided them like the plague, though she knew the broad strokes of the story. I don't know if the plot of "Camp Fear," or possibly parts of it, were dictated by Scholastic, but it wouldn't surprise me. However, the superficial connections to "Friday the 13th" are really beside the point. Aside from the obvious lack of sex and gore (a requirement, but one my mother didn't usually mind too much), the big difference is in emphasis. Imagine if "Friday the 13th" were not about violence and revenge, but about grief, justice, and a real hatred of cruelty and callousness. That would get you close to "Camp Fear" which, as a result, is about as far from "Friday the 13th" as possible.
All of this again makes me astonished the book did so well. It really isn't a thriller, though there are quite a few thrills within it, and it's just incredibly sad. It's grappling with some genuinely grown up themes, but in a way easily followed by younger readers. As such, while it's not at all didactic, it does seem to be aimed at trying to engage in a bit of soft touch instruction, but all of this is handled quite deftly. It's still deeply engaging, but it's the characters and what they're going through that one engages with above all. Many of the standard Point cliches are muted or absent and, even when present, everything feels much more organic than usual, and carefully pointed towards the book's ultimate goal. "Camp Fear" is, in my view, tied with "Silent Witness," which quickly followed it, as the best of my mom's Point Horror novels. Bottom line, my mother was really on during this period. Great job, Mommy! I'm sorry I was reluctant to read this one, but thank you for it! I hope you were proud, you deserved it!
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
My mother, Carol Ellis, passed away on November 5th, 2022. While she'd been retired for some time, she spent years making her living as an author for children and young adults. When I was a kid, I was tremendously proud of her status as a writer, but she always seemed vaguely embarrassed by it. As I grew older, she told me she didn't enjoy the process of writing, and I'm sure that was part of the problem but there was also something deeper. My mother was an extremely self-deprecating person, inclined to critique herself to a fault. As such, I think she was uncomfortable with her public status. Also, as an avid reader herself, I think she decided early on she would never measure up to the books and authors she admired. It saddened and confused me to hear her dismiss her writing and, from time to time, even become cynical about the whole concept of telling stories. This never lasted very long because she enjoyed reading too much, but it was still depressing. Later on, I would occasionally try to change her perspective by pointing out the long and (in my view) proud tradition of popular fiction authors, people who, yes, wrote largely for money but gave years of joy to millions of readers. She would just shrug and say something like "Sure, but I wasn't even that good." Even in the past few years, when I would tell her how so many people online would respond with comments like "Oh wow, I LOVED your mom's books growing up!" if I mentioned her in a comment to a post or video, she would brush it off. "Doesn't it make you happy, knowing people still like your work?," I'd ask. She'd shrug or look away and reply, "Sure, I guess so."
Despite her indifference, my mother's career as a YA and children's author was substantial. A conservative estimate would put the number of books she wrote or co-wrote somewhere north of 50, and there were shorter works as well. She's best remembered as a fixture of Scholastic's Point Thriller line from the late 80s to the mid 90s, but her work ranged over several genres and publishers, her career lasting from the late 1970s till 2017; in the weeks following her death, I started discovering material she never even mentioned to me.
Through the years, despite sharing my mother's passion for reading, I rarely read her work. While she didn't exactly come out and say so, it was pretty clear she'd prefer I not. There were occasional exceptions and, towards the end of her career, I sometimes assisted her, both as a researcher and as an uncredited co-author. But her main body of work seemed like something she didn't want to get into much, so I largely avoided it. Now I've lost her forever and, partially to distract myself from the grief but also to try and create some sort of memorial to her, I've decided to read through her works and comment on them here.
As I mentioned, my mother's writing career was extensive. A large portion of her work was ghostwriting for others and even a fair amount under her own name were series works where she was more less told what to write. There were also nonfiction works which were pretty tightly controlled by the editors as well. While I know she gave every project her all (no matter how little she enjoyed some of them) and no doubt put her stamp on all she wrote, I'm primarily interested in the peak of her career, that is novels written under her own name and over which she had at least some degree of artistic control. This comes out to 20 or so books. While I have most of these works, there are still some I'll have to search for online and in used bookstores.
There's no point in pretending these "reviews" will be objective. All the books will get 5 stars, although I will be honest about elements of my mom's work I don't care for. Mixed in with my comments on the books will be memories of the creation of those I was old enough to be aware of, memories of my mother and her thoughts and comments on the books, and thoughts about the culture and industry that shaped her career.
I have no illusions that my mother was some sort of literary genius. But her work touched many readers nonetheless. She was also an incredible human being, one of the kindest people anyone could hope to meet. I will miss her terribly for the rest of my life. My hope is these commentaries will act as a tribute to her and bring back some good memories for those who grew up with her work, just as they preserve some cherished memories for me of a very cherished person.
CAMP FEAR
This is one novel of my mother's that I found myself intentionally avoiding as I went through this memorial project. I'm not totally sure why, but something about the title, the cover (the American version, with the snake on the bed), and the setting always put me off. I figured it was just a "scary stuff at camp" story, and those elements have never been among my favorite horror/thriller tropes. My memories of its composition are somewhat scarce, except that my mom seemed quite pleased with it. I also know that, along with "My Secret Admirer," "Camp Fear" was one of the most financially successful of my mother's Point thrillers for Scholastic. We got fan mail related to it very reliably for several years after its publication. Also, while I know "My Secret Admirer" sold somewhat better, "Camp Fear" seems to be better remembered. In addition to "The Window," it's the most common novel of my mother's mentioned to me by friends and acquaintances. Well, I'm happy to report all these people (including my mom herself) were right and I was dead wrong. This is really something!
However, while I absolutely loved "Camp Fear" and now consider in the first tier of my mother's work, there is something about it that causes me regret, although it's by way of something impressive. I may have mentioned this in previous reviews, apologies for the repetition if so, but I'm definitely going to mention it again because it has been on my mind a lot lately concerning my mother's work. About four or five years ago, I saw a social media posting about the Point Horror line and similar YA books of that era. I commented, mentioning my mom and, as usual in those situations, was bombarded with loving recollections from people who'd grown up reading her work and requests to tell her how much her books had meant to them. (I told her. She was moved, but also clearly embarrassed, but that was her.) On this occasion, one person responded to my comment by posting a photograph of his home reading den. Highlighted on a shelf were two of my mom's Point novels, one of which I can't remember but the other was "Camp Fear." The gentleman who posted this picture wrote something along the lines of: "These two of your mom's are some of the VERY few things I read as a kid that I keep with the 'grown up' books!"
I dwell on this because "Camp Fear," even as I loved it, made me lament more than ever that my mother never composed a novel for adults. While I know she cared deeply about creating good literature for young people, she didn't read a great deal of it herself, and I think her conception of YA and children's books was something that rarely found its proper outlet. That's something I'm going to talk about more in upcoming reviews but, for now, I just want to emphasize that "Camp Fear" really isn't a "teen thriller" in the way terms like that generally imply. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that type of book, quite the contrary but, and I fully own that I'm biased, "Camp Fear goes far beyond it and takes many more chances. It's remarkable to me that it was/is so well liked since, in it, my mother adamantly refuses to deliver what I'm sure many readers were expecting. Her artistry, however, was clearly enough to carry many reader along.
Putting aside my lazy dislike of summer camp stories, there is a more legitimate reason why the rich rewards of "Camp Fear" was hard to guess from the packaging. This book marks the last of my mom's "rip off" phase. The title is painfully obvious in its nod to the acclaimed 1991 Martin Scorsese film "Cape Fear," itself a remake of a classic 1962 film, both based on a John D. MacDonald novel. (Honestly, I've had to be VERY careful about not typing "Cape" instead of "Camp" in this review!) "Camp Fear" being published just two years after the Scorsese film was released, it's pretty obvious what Scholastic was going for. However, the plot of my mother's novel bears no resemblance to the "Cape Fear" story. But the scary summer camp genre had another fairly obvious nod: the (in)famous teen slasher film series, "Friday the 13th," the ninth entry in which (the first in four years), was released only a month after "Camp Fear." Also, horror movie fans may remember that the summer camp terrorized by Jason Vorhees (et al) in that series was Camp Crystal Lake. "Camp Fear" takes place at Camp Silverlake.
And here's where I hit a bit of a roadblock. I've deliberately avoided talking about much that's actually in "Camp Fear" because I really think it's best coming to it as fresh as possible. Let's just say the "Friday the 13th" connection seems FAR more than incidental to me. And yet I can guarantee, my mother never laid eyes on a single one of those movies, and would have avoided them like the plague, though she knew the broad strokes of the story. I don't know if the plot of "Camp Fear," or possibly parts of it, were dictated by Scholastic, but it wouldn't surprise me. However, the superficial connections to "Friday the 13th" are really beside the point. Aside from the obvious lack of sex and gore (a requirement, but one my mother didn't usually mind too much), the big difference is in emphasis. Imagine if "Friday the 13th" were not about violence and revenge, but about grief, justice, and a real hatred of cruelty and callousness. That would get you close to "Camp Fear" which, as a result, is about as far from "Friday the 13th" as possible.
All of this again makes me astonished the book did so well. It really isn't a thriller, though there are quite a few thrills within it, and it's just incredibly sad. It's grappling with some genuinely grown up themes, but in a way easily followed by younger readers. As such, while it's not at all didactic, it does seem to be aimed at trying to engage in a bit of soft touch instruction, but all of this is handled quite deftly. It's still deeply engaging, but it's the characters and what they're going through that one engages with above all. Many of the standard Point cliches are muted or absent and, even when present, everything feels much more organic than usual, and carefully pointed towards the book's ultimate goal. "Camp Fear" is, in my view, tied with "Silent Witness," which quickly followed it, as the best of my mom's Point Horror novels. Bottom line, my mother was really on during this period. Great job, Mommy! I'm sorry I was reluctant to read this one, but thank you for it! I hope you were proud, you deserved it!
August 19, 2024
Point Horror and Fear Street are my first book loves and what got me into book collecting...I love the nostalgia and stepping back into the 90s. I also LOVE summer camp horror. PH, this one especially, I would classify as a little more "cozy horror." Since it is geared towards early teens, middle grade, etc...they tend to be very mild with the horror, and this one is one of the mildest that I have read. The horror in this one is just not really all that much. There's nothing super intense or creepy and the big reveal is just kinda bleh. Because it is PH, it makes me want to give it a slightly higher rating, but had this been just a random book, I would have been slightly disappointed with it. I actually thought I had read this book and had avoided picking it up for so long. I was going to just reread it when I realized I had never read it in the first place.
August 25, 2024
Una historia vista mil veces, predecible y con una venganza muy suave. Las dinámicas y rutinas de los monitores en los campamentos de verano están bien llevadas y la concienciación contra el acoso escolar también está bien planteada, pero el resto sabe a poco. Es un libro que solo te puede afectar si tienes fobia a las aguas profundas, a las serpientes o a las alturas.
El resumen sería 100% Campamento 0% Terror.
ENGLISH
A story seen a thousand times, predictable and with a very mild revenge. The dynamics and routines of the counselors in the summer camps are well managed and the awareness against bullying is also well raised, but the rest its just not enough. It is a book that can only affect you if you have a phobia of deep water, snakes or heights. The summary would be 100% Camp 0% Fear.
El resumen sería 100% Campamento 0% Terror.
ENGLISH
A story seen a thousand times, predictable and with a very mild revenge. The dynamics and routines of the counselors in the summer camps are well managed and the awareness against bullying is also well raised, but the rest its just not enough. It is a book that can only affect you if you have a phobia of deep water, snakes or heights. The summary would be 100% Camp 0% Fear.
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