A review by ruthypoo2
The Lake by Natasha Preston

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book is fine for a YA thriller and it reads very YA. There’s mystery and best friends with a secret and budding romances and new friends, all rolled up in a traditional summer camp setting. The story is a little slow to start as it takes its time establishing the characters’ backstories and evolving relationships. There are creepy sightings and hints about a past tragedy woven throughout the first couple of weeks as campers and their counselors arrive and get settled into the day-to-day camp activities.

Mid-point the pace picks up with more action and a various suspicious behavior occurring that causes the main character and narrator, Esme, to question who she can trust. The final act takes the reader down a dark and winding path, and for me, it didn’t entirely add up that the consequences for some of the characters was rightfully deserved. I liked the ending and while it probably wouldn’t hold up in the real world, it was calculated and twisted enough to fit the psyche of the culprit who engineered the events.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration by Lillie Ricciardi. Her voice is clear and she captured the youthful naïveté and banter of the teenage characters.
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