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The Lake
Seventeen-year-old best friends Esme and Kayla return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors in training, but the dark secret they have been hiding for nine years is back to haunt them.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2021
1788 people are currently reading
39471 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Preston
49 books16.2k followers#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,833 reviews
April 11, 2021
This was one of the shittiest endings I’ve ever read.
July 12, 2021
That ending made me want to put my head through a wall.
June 16, 2021
This was lowkey a huge waste of my time.
March 2, 2023
Bleak, creepy camp setting meets I know what you did last summer movie storyline provides us intriguing YA thriller premise! And when a skillful thriller author like Ms. Preston on board, you may dive into this promising mystery without thinking any further!
Two close friends did something really bad at the same location a few years ago, return back as CTs! The storyline is simple and interesting. Esme, more observant, smart, quiet one as Kayla is more pretentious, social, animated : two best friends returned back where everything started, forming new friendships, hanging out with hotties but when they start to get threatening message tell them they knew what they did: alarm bells start to blare! The girls are in danger and somebody is in their close circle is after them!
I was so hopeful about this book after reading the blurb, being mesmerized by powerful and eerie cover but unfortunately it was too slow at the beginning and I had hard time to connect with the characters and concentrate on the story. When I reached the middle, things finally got heated but the ending was awkward and dissatisfying.
Normally I love the author’s action packed, gripping thrillers but this one was a little mediocre reading for my taste. I didn’t hate it but I was expecting more.
I’m giving my solid three mysterious, whodunnit, young adult, dark, creepy lake stars!
I keep my hopes high! I’m so sure I’m gonna love the next book of the author more than this one!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House’s Children/ Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Two close friends did something really bad at the same location a few years ago, return back as CTs! The storyline is simple and interesting. Esme, more observant, smart, quiet one as Kayla is more pretentious, social, animated : two best friends returned back where everything started, forming new friendships, hanging out with hotties but when they start to get threatening message tell them they knew what they did: alarm bells start to blare! The girls are in danger and somebody is in their close circle is after them!
I was so hopeful about this book after reading the blurb, being mesmerized by powerful and eerie cover but unfortunately it was too slow at the beginning and I had hard time to connect with the characters and concentrate on the story. When I reached the middle, things finally got heated but the ending was awkward and dissatisfying.
Normally I love the author’s action packed, gripping thrillers but this one was a little mediocre reading for my taste. I didn’t hate it but I was expecting more.
I’m giving my solid three mysterious, whodunnit, young adult, dark, creepy lake stars!
I keep my hopes high! I’m so sure I’m gonna love the next book of the author more than this one!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House’s Children/ Delacorte Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
August 2, 2025
wanted to drown myself in the lake while reading this.
March 19, 2021
The only shock I've received in terms of Natasha Preston has been when I found out she is in her thirties, and not 14.
The juvenile writing is just... so laughable that the only way I managed to get through it was to treat it the way I treat B horror movies: allowing myself to laugh out loud at the poor dialogue writing and shake my head and laugh at everything else, predictable cliches and all.
The juvenile writing is just... so laughable that the only way I managed to get through it was to treat it the way I treat B horror movies: allowing myself to laugh out loud at the poor dialogue writing and shake my head and laugh at everything else, predictable cliches and all.
February 20, 2021
Best friends Esme and Kayla are back at Camp Pine Lake as counselors in training, and Esme is delighted to be back in a place where she loved being a camper. But Esme and Kayla have a secret. The last time they were at Camp Pine Lake, something terrible happened. Something they never told anyone about. But there is one person out there who knows what they did, and they want Esme and Kayla to come clean. They want them to suffer for what they did. They might even want them to die. The lake never forgets. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Random House/Delacorte Press. Trigger warnings: character death (on-page), animal death (on-page), some blood/gore, abduction, fire, guns, severe injury, ableism, gaslighting, threats.
I didn’t care for The Cabin, but after The Lost had some minor improvements, I thought I might learn to like Preston’s novels, but no. I’m pretty done with them, and I can’t believe I read this many. The Lake commits one of the biggest sins of a horror novel in being totally, relentlessly boring. It’s hamstrung by its very premise, which is that creepy things are happening at camp–but they can’t be too threatening or dangerous because then they’d send the kids home! Urgh. That prevents anything interesting from happening for 95% of the book. The gaslighting is pedestrian, and even the worst slasher movie probably has more suspense (or at least corny special effects). Just as bad, we’re told right from the beginning who the antagonist is and what their motivation is, and there are no twists whatsoever on that premise.
I don’t know Esme well enough to hate her, and she’s just as boring as everything else about this book. Her main personality trait seems to be anxiety and conspiracy theories, and her best friend relationship with Kayla is as underdeveloped and underused as they are in the rest of Preston’s novels. (Since when are best friends just, like, placeholders instead of people we actually know well and trust?) Sad attempts at romance. Sad attempts at making new friends. Sad attempts at gaslighting a bunch of vapid camp counselors. Vaguely offensive/ableist attempts at providing a believable backstory for a villain, who was both abused and disfigured in a fire. Pathetic excuse for a shock ending with no effort to work through any of the issues. It’s like Preston is ripping off all the campy paperback horror novels of the 90s without actually learning anything from their missteps.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I didn’t care for The Cabin, but after The Lost had some minor improvements, I thought I might learn to like Preston’s novels, but no. I’m pretty done with them, and I can’t believe I read this many. The Lake commits one of the biggest sins of a horror novel in being totally, relentlessly boring. It’s hamstrung by its very premise, which is that creepy things are happening at camp–but they can’t be too threatening or dangerous because then they’d send the kids home! Urgh. That prevents anything interesting from happening for 95% of the book. The gaslighting is pedestrian, and even the worst slasher movie probably has more suspense (or at least corny special effects). Just as bad, we’re told right from the beginning who the antagonist is and what their motivation is, and there are no twists whatsoever on that premise.
I don’t know Esme well enough to hate her, and she’s just as boring as everything else about this book. Her main personality trait seems to be anxiety and conspiracy theories, and her best friend relationship with Kayla is as underdeveloped and underused as they are in the rest of Preston’s novels. (Since when are best friends just, like, placeholders instead of people we actually know well and trust?) Sad attempts at romance. Sad attempts at making new friends. Sad attempts at gaslighting a bunch of vapid camp counselors. Vaguely offensive/ableist attempts at providing a believable backstory for a villain, who was both abused and disfigured in a fire. Pathetic excuse for a shock ending with no effort to work through any of the issues. It’s like Preston is ripping off all the campy paperback horror novels of the 90s without actually learning anything from their missteps.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
April 13, 2021
2 ☆ rating bc of the ending!!! HUHHH?? they all just die at the end boomboomboomboom & lillian throws the gun at esme to frame her over.an.accident?? home girl is PSYCHO. and what was with her killing all those deer and people.. i love listening to true crime podcasts and lillian definitely has all the traits of a serial killer😭 i didn’t like the ending at all though, it felt too rushed and random
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2023
Okay I think I just need to accept that this author is not for me. This book had no tension which is pretty crazy in what is meant to be a 'scary and suspenseful thriller'. Zero thrills people. The writing wasn't great and the characters underdeveloped and quite frankly, annoying. There were no carefully placed breadcrumbs leading to the big reveal. There was a short trail of whole slices of bread leading to the conclusion that was 'revealed' from pretty much the beginning of the novel. Speaking of the ending, it was ridiculous and obviously one of Natasha's trademark style bombshell endings that in my opinion are an easy way to end a book with no resolution.
September 22, 2024
Not to be dramatic, but The Lake made me wish I was illiterate.
Firstly, IS THERE A CHAPTER MISSING? No??? Then this is honestly the worst book ending I have ever read. Okay, maybe that's a bit extra - but it seriously made me want to chuck this book into a lake.
The beginning of The Lake was slow, and the build-up felt underwhelming. I don’t know why, but I thought the secret Esme and Kayla had would be… bigger? Like yes, Having all this occur because of this one event seemed unrealistic, for lack of a better word.
There was some hope of things picking up halfway through the book, which makes it so much more cruel. Things really begin to happen; the dead deer was found and“pranks” became more serious. And when Esme and Olly started to form a relationship, we learn that Olly and Jake were also there that night, and also didn’t help Lillian.
And the end? I genuinely, actually thought I was missing pages because how could that be the end???? Did anyone, and I mean anyone at all, consider that it was a crappy ending? Author, editor, proofreaders, publishers, agents, literally anyone???? Who made the executive decision for Lillian to kill Jake, and shoot Kayla, Olly, and Rebekah, only to drop the gun and run off into the woods? And then, Esme picks up the gun to defend herself, sirens come, and the cops show up. The last line of the book reads:
Excuse me, what?
The ending went all-in for shock value but delivered no answers or satisfaction, at all. It almost felt lazy to me, and after such a slow build-up, I would have hoped there would be a better ending than that. It’s been 10 minutes since I finished and I’m still mad about it. Not because I loved the book and the ending ruined it, but just because it’s cheap and I feel ripped off.
#TheLake #NatashaPreston #YA #YABooks #YoungAdult #TeenBooks #Mystery #Thriller #SuspenseThriller
Firstly, IS THERE A CHAPTER MISSING? No??? Then this is honestly the worst book ending I have ever read. Okay, maybe that's a bit extra - but it seriously made me want to chuck this book into a lake.
The beginning of The Lake was slow, and the build-up felt underwhelming. I don’t know why, but I thought the secret Esme and Kayla had would be… bigger? Like yes, Having all this occur because of this one event seemed unrealistic, for lack of a better word.
There was some hope of things picking up halfway through the book, which makes it so much more cruel. Things really begin to happen; the dead deer was found and“pranks” became more serious. And when Esme and Olly started to form a relationship, we learn that Olly and Jake were also there that night, and also didn’t help Lillian.
And the end? I genuinely, actually thought I was missing pages because how could that be the end???? Did anyone, and I mean anyone at all, consider that it was a crappy ending? Author, editor, proofreaders, publishers, agents, literally anyone???? Who made the executive decision for Lillian to kill Jake, and shoot Kayla, Olly, and Rebekah, only to drop the gun and run off into the woods? And then, Esme picks up the gun to defend herself, sirens come, and the cops show up. The last line of the book reads:
“Kayla, Rebekah, Olly, and Jake are dead, Lillian is gone…and I’m holding the gun” (356).
Excuse me, what?
The ending went all-in for shock value but delivered no answers or satisfaction, at all. It almost felt lazy to me, and after such a slow build-up, I would have hoped there would be a better ending than that. It’s been 10 minutes since I finished and I’m still mad about it. Not because I loved the book and the ending ruined it, but just because it’s cheap and I feel ripped off.
#TheLake #NatashaPreston #YA #YABooks #YoungAdult #TeenBooks #Mystery #Thriller #SuspenseThriller
April 22, 2022
What the heck was that?
Hands down one of the worst books I’ve read in a while. The writing was juvenile and read like it was written by an unskilled teenager. The characters weren’t all that great. The way-too-current pop culture references will date this book almost immediately. The plot was vaguely interesting but got dumber as the book went on. The fact that the police didn’t get called almost right away is laughable and stupid.
And the ending is atrocious. If I hadn’t read an e-copy of the book, I’d assume the last 20 pages were missing. I’m ALL for having ambiguous/alternative endings but this was on another level.
Easy contender for the worst book I’ve ever read. Yikes.
Hands down one of the worst books I’ve read in a while. The writing was juvenile and read like it was written by an unskilled teenager. The characters weren’t all that great. The way-too-current pop culture references will date this book almost immediately. The plot was vaguely interesting but got dumber as the book went on. The fact that the police didn’t get called almost right away is laughable and stupid.
And the ending is atrocious. If I hadn’t read an e-copy of the book, I’d assume the last 20 pages were missing. I’m ALL for having ambiguous/alternative endings but this was on another level.
Easy contender for the worst book I’ve ever read. Yikes.
May 23, 2023
The end was amazing.👍
Review to come.
Review to come.
October 27, 2021
I hated it. The ending was terrible. What a waste. The picture on the cover was the only good thing about this book. I’m at a loss as to what to do with it now that I finished reading it. I hate to donate it and some poor soul is as dumb as I was and adds it to their collection. I just can’t do it! Maybe a door stop.
December 6, 2025
Summer camp, secrets, and mysterious stalkers — what could go wrong? 😅
I picked up The Lake because I’m a sucker for creepy camp settings and unresolved childhood drama. Esme and her best friend Kayla return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, but there’s one small problem: when they were younger, something happened at this very camp, and now someone seems determined to remind them of it. Notes, warnings, strange noises, unexplained sightings — let’s just say nobody is enjoying their s’mores in peace this summer.
The setup is deliciously eerie, and I loved the atmospheric tension, but once I was hooked, the pacing slowed way down. I felt like I spent a LOT of time waiting for answers while the camp routine continued as if unexplained knives-in-doors were just quirky decoration choices. 😂
Still, it’s a solid YA thriller with a fun premise, good mood, and enough suspicion to keep you guessing. A little slow, but not a bad time at all. ⭐⭐⭐
I picked up The Lake because I’m a sucker for creepy camp settings and unresolved childhood drama. Esme and her best friend Kayla return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, but there’s one small problem: when they were younger, something happened at this very camp, and now someone seems determined to remind them of it. Notes, warnings, strange noises, unexplained sightings — let’s just say nobody is enjoying their s’mores in peace this summer.
The setup is deliciously eerie, and I loved the atmospheric tension, but once I was hooked, the pacing slowed way down. I felt like I spent a LOT of time waiting for answers while the camp routine continued as if unexplained knives-in-doors were just quirky decoration choices. 😂
Still, it’s a solid YA thriller with a fun premise, good mood, and enough suspicion to keep you guessing. A little slow, but not a bad time at all. ⭐⭐⭐
May 16, 2021
Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book!
This is my first book by Preston, and unfortunately, I was ultimately disappointed. I was hoping for a quick, spooky romp down memory lane - I used to love RL Stein's horror/thriller books as a kid/teen, as formulaic and predictable as they were, and I was anticipating something similar. Either RL Stein's works wouldn't age well, or I myself have aged out of that demographic (or, most likely, both).
I found The Lake lacking in both plausibility and scares, and overly heavy-handed with exposition and what passes for foreshadowing. Nothing much happens in the first half of the book - I think the slow build-up of creepy things is meant to build tension, but instead I was just bored. While the action did pick up in the second half, it also suffered greatly from purposeful stupidity and lack of communication, which is just lazy writing disguised as plot drivers. When the story resorts to keeping secrets and poor decision-making to get where it needs to go, I lose all interest and respect.
And, frankly, living in Esme's head was exhausting. She was high-strung and anxious throughout the book, paranoid and jumping at shadows, lying to people and withholding information. Reading her constant paranoid thoughts tired me out, and it only got worse as the harassment escalated and her fears deepened. AND ANOTHER THING - Esme and Kayla accidentally set a fire in the woods that burned a small clearing. That's it. That's their biggest darkest secret that they swore a blood oath to never tell a living soul. The way they were going on about it at the beginning of the book, I thought they'd committed murder or something actually egregious, but no, they burned down a few bushes. AND NO ONE MUST KNOW or else, I don't know, they might get a slap on the wrist or something.
This book is silly, and the zero-to-one-hundred ending just makes it even more so. Perhaps this would be more suitable for a younger reader who is less discerning and might enjoy the silliness more. I didn't care for it.
This is my first book by Preston, and unfortunately, I was ultimately disappointed. I was hoping for a quick, spooky romp down memory lane - I used to love RL Stein's horror/thriller books as a kid/teen, as formulaic and predictable as they were, and I was anticipating something similar. Either RL Stein's works wouldn't age well, or I myself have aged out of that demographic (or, most likely, both).
I found The Lake lacking in both plausibility and scares, and overly heavy-handed with exposition and what passes for foreshadowing. Nothing much happens in the first half of the book - I think the slow build-up of creepy things is meant to build tension, but instead I was just bored. While the action did pick up in the second half, it also suffered greatly from purposeful stupidity and lack of communication, which is just lazy writing disguised as plot drivers. When the story resorts to keeping secrets and poor decision-making to get where it needs to go, I lose all interest and respect.
And, frankly, living in Esme's head was exhausting. She was high-strung and anxious throughout the book, paranoid and jumping at shadows, lying to people and withholding information. Reading her constant paranoid thoughts tired me out, and it only got worse as the harassment escalated and her fears deepened. AND ANOTHER THING - Esme and Kayla accidentally set a fire in the woods that burned a small clearing. That's it. That's their biggest darkest secret that they swore a blood oath to never tell a living soul. The way they were going on about it at the beginning of the book, I thought they'd committed murder or something actually egregious, but no, they burned down a few bushes. AND NO ONE MUST KNOW or else, I don't know, they might get a slap on the wrist or something.
This book is silly, and the zero-to-one-hundred ending just makes it even more so. Perhaps this would be more suitable for a younger reader who is less discerning and might enjoy the silliness more. I didn't care for it.
March 17, 2021
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I picked this book up because the cover and the synopsis sounded really enticing and I was itching for a good thriller! However, the moment I opened the ebook and read the first few chapters, I knew this was a bad decision.
My first and biggest gripe with this books is that it's very poorly written. The writing is way too juvenile, in my opinion, and doesn't do a good job of either creating a good atmosphere or giving the characters a certain depth. It was just a lot of "this happened, then this happened. Also this happened." It felt like it was devoid of emotion, completely. And that doesn't work well with a thriller. At all!!
The characters are also very flat and do a lot of stupid things. They don't feel real at all, and I wasn't rooting for any of them. Also that romance came out of nowhere and existed for the sake of existing and I was not interested in all that heterosexual activity.
I was going to rate this book two stars, but that ending make me knock one off. It was so....unfitting? not good? dare I say, stupid, almost?? Like I didn't mind the way the mystrey was set up. It was part of the reason why I kept reading even though I knew this book wasn't it for me. I just kept hoping something decent will happen and then I could rate this book three stars and justufy the time I spent on it. But noooo that ending did not feel developed at all! Also the "mystrey" gets solved pretty early on and from there it's just them trying to find the person who they know the identity of. Which, like, really takes the fun out of it for me.
Anyway, try this one if you want to, sure, but I would not recommend it. WASTE OF MY TIMEEEEE
I picked this book up because the cover and the synopsis sounded really enticing and I was itching for a good thriller! However, the moment I opened the ebook and read the first few chapters, I knew this was a bad decision.
My first and biggest gripe with this books is that it's very poorly written. The writing is way too juvenile, in my opinion, and doesn't do a good job of either creating a good atmosphere or giving the characters a certain depth. It was just a lot of "this happened, then this happened. Also this happened." It felt like it was devoid of emotion, completely. And that doesn't work well with a thriller. At all!!
The characters are also very flat and do a lot of stupid things. They don't feel real at all, and I wasn't rooting for any of them. Also that romance came out of nowhere and existed for the sake of existing and I was not interested in all that heterosexual activity.
I was going to rate this book two stars, but that ending make me knock one off. It was so....unfitting? not good? dare I say, stupid, almost?? Like I didn't mind the way the mystrey was set up. It was part of the reason why I kept reading even though I knew this book wasn't it for me. I just kept hoping something decent will happen and then I could rate this book three stars and justufy the time I spent on it. But noooo that ending did not feel developed at all! Also the "mystrey" gets solved pretty early on and from there it's just them trying to find the person who they know the identity of. Which, like, really takes the fun out of it for me.
Anyway, try this one if you want to, sure, but I would not recommend it. WASTE OF MY TIMEEEEE
June 13, 2021
The Lake by Natasha Preston is a young adult thriller with perhaps a touch of horror. Seeing that this was set at a summer camp and being a horror fan I had images of Jason stalking Crystal Lake and was excited to pick this up to see just what this one was about.
Off we go to Camp Pine Lake where Esme and Kayla are now, at seventeen, returning to the camp to train to become counselors. The girls once attended Camp Pine Lake themselves but those are days they prefer to not think about as they promised one another to never speak of what happened the last time they were there. The fun in the sun at camp however comes crashing to a halt when Esme and Kayla find a note that reads “THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS” and they know they need to find out if someone knows their secret.
I have to say that this is one of those books that while reading I couldn’t decide if I was liking it or not, if that makes sense. Perhaps my love of this type of setting was what was more engaging to me than the actual story because at times it felt fast then at others it felt as if it was dragging a bit. When finished I wasn’t overly sold on the entire wrap up either so my thought was I suppose it passed the time but I wouldn’t return to it or brag either.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Off we go to Camp Pine Lake where Esme and Kayla are now, at seventeen, returning to the camp to train to become counselors. The girls once attended Camp Pine Lake themselves but those are days they prefer to not think about as they promised one another to never speak of what happened the last time they were there. The fun in the sun at camp however comes crashing to a halt when Esme and Kayla find a note that reads “THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS” and they know they need to find out if someone knows their secret.
I have to say that this is one of those books that while reading I couldn’t decide if I was liking it or not, if that makes sense. Perhaps my love of this type of setting was what was more engaging to me than the actual story because at times it felt fast then at others it felt as if it was dragging a bit. When finished I wasn’t overly sold on the entire wrap up either so my thought was I suppose it passed the time but I wouldn’t return to it or brag either.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 2, 2021
⭐⭐
This was just not my jam.
I should probably preface this: Anyone who is working on tag lines for their novels needs to be careful about giving your readers expectations and then not delivering on them. When this author is described as "the undisputed queen of YA thriller" and someone like Karen McManus is under the same publisher — that is kind of a lot to tout, and definitely makes someone like me, who reads a lot of the genre, look at things more critically because I want to be wowed.
Because here is me. Disputing.
The Lake is indeed a YA thriller as it claims, but it wasn't an easy one to connect to. It was oddly paced, and frankly, I couldn't find a character to attach myself to the entire time. The characters barely had relationships between themselves, let alone anything for me to cling to as a reader. This honestly made it an odd and stilted experience.
Upsetting, as I thought the cover was both eerie and beautiful and set an entirely different tone than the one that is created at the beginning of the book. The limits placed upon the actual danger left any of the potential risings of stakes to fall flat.
This ending was truly bizarre. It did not feel like an ending. The "reveal" that is the bread and butter of any good thriller was so intensely disappointing I almost put the book down entirely. (but I have had many a thriller redeem itself at the end, so I pressed on) and instead, I was left completely bereft. I won't leave spoilers here, but all we are left with is implications and half-formed resolutions.
My thanks to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was certainly an interesting ride.
This was just not my jam.
I should probably preface this: Anyone who is working on tag lines for their novels needs to be careful about giving your readers expectations and then not delivering on them. When this author is described as "the undisputed queen of YA thriller" and someone like Karen McManus is under the same publisher — that is kind of a lot to tout, and definitely makes someone like me, who reads a lot of the genre, look at things more critically because I want to be wowed.
Because here is me. Disputing.
The Lake is indeed a YA thriller as it claims, but it wasn't an easy one to connect to. It was oddly paced, and frankly, I couldn't find a character to attach myself to the entire time. The characters barely had relationships between themselves, let alone anything for me to cling to as a reader. This honestly made it an odd and stilted experience.
Upsetting, as I thought the cover was both eerie and beautiful and set an entirely different tone than the one that is created at the beginning of the book. The limits placed upon the actual danger left any of the potential risings of stakes to fall flat.
This ending was truly bizarre. It did not feel like an ending. The "reveal" that is the bread and butter of any good thriller was so intensely disappointing I almost put the book down entirely. (but I have had many a thriller redeem itself at the end, so I pressed on) and instead, I was left completely bereft. I won't leave spoilers here, but all we are left with is implications and half-formed resolutions.
My thanks to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was certainly an interesting ride.
February 12, 2021
I went into this book pretty blind and came out with my eyes opened to a new-to-me author whose books I want to binge read.
The Lake tells the story of Kayla and Esme, two teen girls who are returning to their childhood camp, but this time as counselors. They attended this camp when they were 7 and 8 years old, but never returned because of something horrible that happened. What unfolds as they get reacquainted with the camp is the stuff nightmares are made of.
Kayla and Esme vowed never to talk of the horrible thing that happened when they were kids, but it seems that someone else knows their secret and is trying to get them to talk. The mystery person goes sneaking around camp leaving creepy notes, causing damage to the cabins, and flat out scaring the campers and counselors alike. Kayla and Esme are torn on leaving camp, confessing, and trying to confront the creepy camp stalker. What happens is they confess? Will they go to jail? What if they leave? Do they put other counselors and campers at risk? And what if they confront the stalker? Is he out for revenge? Does he want to hurt them? What does he want? And why ten years later?
This book had me hooked from pretty early on. I loved that the chapters were short, like 10 pages or less, which I always think makes a book fly by. Each chapter also felt like it was a cliffhanger, which of course made me want to read another one... and another one... and another one...
The great thing about YA thrillers is that I get to feel like a detective. I always think I have it figured out, who did what, etc. and I had many theories this time too. One theory was so glaringly obvious it couldn’t possibly have been right. Or could it? I went back and forth on who the camp stalker was so many times that at one point I thought every single character was somehow involved. While I had one theory that was partially right, I was way off on a lot of other things that happened in this story. I couldn’t believe the twists and turns this book took, and I was pretty surprised at the ending. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting to happen, which made it even better in my opinion.
You need to pick this one up! It’s a quick read, has plenty of twists and turns, lots of surprises, and just overall a tense and heart pounding tale.
5 stars from me, recommended to anyone who loves fast paced YA thrillers!
December 31, 2022
All I’ve gotta say is: 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
June 4, 2022
THIS BOOK WAS CRAPPY FOR SO MANY REASONS:
1. “Kayla and I weren’t part of the popular group. Well, she could have been, but she stuck with me. We were somewhere in the middle. It was the best place to be. We didn’t have to pretend the way the popular people did, and we didn’t have to fear anyone like the unpopular people did” WE DIDNT NEED THIS EXPLANATION OF THE STUPID CHARACTER AND HER ANNOYING FRIEND BEING UNLIKE OTHER GIRLS
2.”I’m not even going to pretend I’m not interested in tall, dark anne handsome. I would have to tilt my head up to talk to him, but I have to do that with almost everyone” EVERY SINGLE SECOND SHE REFERENCES HER SELF BEING SHORT WE GET IT ESME YOUR SHORT AND “PETITE” YOU HAVE TO LOOK UP AT EVERYONE
3. THE LOVE TROPE IS SO PREDICTABLE FROM THE START AND SUPRISE SUPRISE HER LOVER IS SUPER WELL BUILT AND INSANELY TALL AND SUPRISE HE PLAYS STUPID FOOTBALL
4. THE NAMES IN THE BOOK ARE SO ATROCIOUS AND BORING (if your name is in this don’t take offense” THE MAIN CHARACTERS NAME IS ESME- THATS A NAME FOR A FOURTY YEAR OLD. The boys name is OLLY like ew no. THE OTHER NAMES ARE LIKE KAYLA ANF TIA AND LILLAIN HOW UNORGINAL.
5. i also hate this book bc the main character esme is just so boring. she’s so dry and i just can’t stand her.
6. this is probably a really harsh review but this book was just such a waste of time and to be honest the writing was not good
1. “Kayla and I weren’t part of the popular group. Well, she could have been, but she stuck with me. We were somewhere in the middle. It was the best place to be. We didn’t have to pretend the way the popular people did, and we didn’t have to fear anyone like the unpopular people did” WE DIDNT NEED THIS EXPLANATION OF THE STUPID CHARACTER AND HER ANNOYING FRIEND BEING UNLIKE OTHER GIRLS
2.”I’m not even going to pretend I’m not interested in tall, dark anne handsome. I would have to tilt my head up to talk to him, but I have to do that with almost everyone” EVERY SINGLE SECOND SHE REFERENCES HER SELF BEING SHORT WE GET IT ESME YOUR SHORT AND “PETITE” YOU HAVE TO LOOK UP AT EVERYONE
3. THE LOVE TROPE IS SO PREDICTABLE FROM THE START AND SUPRISE SUPRISE HER LOVER IS SUPER WELL BUILT AND INSANELY TALL AND SUPRISE HE PLAYS STUPID FOOTBALL
4. THE NAMES IN THE BOOK ARE SO ATROCIOUS AND BORING (if your name is in this don’t take offense” THE MAIN CHARACTERS NAME IS ESME- THATS A NAME FOR A FOURTY YEAR OLD. The boys name is OLLY like ew no. THE OTHER NAMES ARE LIKE KAYLA ANF TIA AND LILLAIN HOW UNORGINAL.
5. i also hate this book bc the main character esme is just so boring. she’s so dry and i just can’t stand her.
6. this is probably a really harsh review but this book was just such a waste of time and to be honest the writing was not good
January 8, 2023
1.5 STARS
STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. I’m spoiling the plot to save you the trouble of wasting your time and money. I had such high hopes for THE LAKE, but I’ve never liked Natasha Preston’s story execution. What I wanted to be a fast-paced, heart-thumping read was a slow book with a ridiculous ending.
Ten years ago, at age eight, Esme and her best friend Kayla started a bonfire at camp that got out of hand and burned another little girl, Lillian. Now, everyone reading this book has been eight years old at some point and for THE LAKE to work, I would have had to buy into the idea these children did something so horrible it caused another little girl to not only blame those girls, but harbor homicidal ideation and set a plan into fruition a decade later. No, just no.
Did I mention that I REALLY wanted to love this book? I love camp stories. Esme is an okay enough narrator, not particularly honest or forthright, good with the kids, an okay friend to Kayla. I never got a real feel for Kayla or what made her relationship with Esme so special.
Preston does a fairly good job throwing in some red herrings.
THE ENDING SPOILERS
Lillian kills a bunch of people including Kayla, runs away and leaves Esme holding the gun, then the book stops. It. Just. Stops.
I didn’t hate reading THE LAKE which is why I rounded up to two stars. I hated the ending and reason for the murders. I wonder if Preston ended so abruptly to set up a sequel, but with so many characters dead I doubt it.
Skip this book.
STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. I’m spoiling the plot to save you the trouble of wasting your time and money. I had such high hopes for THE LAKE, but I’ve never liked Natasha Preston’s story execution. What I wanted to be a fast-paced, heart-thumping read was a slow book with a ridiculous ending.
Ten years ago, at age eight, Esme and her best friend Kayla started a bonfire at camp that got out of hand and burned another little girl, Lillian. Now, everyone reading this book has been eight years old at some point and for THE LAKE to work, I would have had to buy into the idea these children did something so horrible it caused another little girl to not only blame those girls, but harbor homicidal ideation and set a plan into fruition a decade later. No, just no.
Did I mention that I REALLY wanted to love this book? I love camp stories. Esme is an okay enough narrator, not particularly honest or forthright, good with the kids, an okay friend to Kayla. I never got a real feel for Kayla or what made her relationship with Esme so special.
Preston does a fairly good job throwing in some red herrings.
THE ENDING SPOILERS
Lillian kills a bunch of people including Kayla, runs away and leaves Esme holding the gun, then the book stops. It. Just. Stops.
I didn’t hate reading THE LAKE which is why I rounded up to two stars. I hated the ending and reason for the murders. I wonder if Preston ended so abruptly to set up a sequel, but with so many characters dead I doubt it.
Skip this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2021
This was a fast paced YA mystery, centered on Esme and Kayla, who attended a summer camp years ago and left when something bad happened, then returned as counselors in training (CITs) at 17 years old.. The story is told friends Esme’s POV.
There were a lot of red herrings in this book and I found myself suspecting everyone at some point. The messages that were left around the camp made for a super creepy setting.
On the other hand, I never did understand why they would choose to return to this camp where something bad happened, or why they didn’t come clean when they were only 8 years old (or at least done additional research later into what really happened).
Overall, this was a fast paced read that I finished over a few hours. I was a little disappointed in the backstory as well as the revealing of the villain, but I was engaged throughout the book and found the ending interesting. I’d recommend for those who like YA mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There were a lot of red herrings in this book and I found myself suspecting everyone at some point. The messages that were left around the camp made for a super creepy setting.
On the other hand, I never did understand why they would choose to return to this camp where something bad happened, or why they didn’t come clean when they were only 8 years old (or at least done additional research later into what really happened).
Overall, this was a fast paced read that I finished over a few hours. I was a little disappointed in the backstory as well as the revealing of the villain, but I was engaged throughout the book and found the ending interesting. I’d recommend for those who like YA mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2021
A super creepy summer camp, the teens in charge who all have something to hide, and the sinister something that is haunting them from the surrounding woods, all combined to make this an intriguing and eerie, yet overly dramatic, horror story.
I had a few minor issues, such as the lack of adults running or children attending the camp, and I did feel events spiralled crazily fast in the second half, but I can't deny that I had a fun time here nor that the final page left me open-mouthed and eager for more.
I had a few minor issues, such as the lack of adults running or children attending the camp, and I did feel events spiralled crazily fast in the second half, but I can't deny that I had a fun time here nor that the final page left me open-mouthed and eager for more.
August 19, 2023
well it’s a good thing the characters are so unlikeable because they all die
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2021
I won’t lie, this book kept me hooked while reading because I wanted to figure out how they could resolve it in the end. Unfortunately, the ending is so disappointing and I was honestly shocked at how poorly it wrapped up the book. It honestly kind of sets it up for a sequel but I don’t think that’s the intention of the book so it just leaves you disappointed. Also, you find out who’s behind it all pretty soon in the book, it’s just a matter of confirming it and confronting them.
July 23, 2025
It wasn't terrible, it felt like a B-rated Blumhouse level of horror.
It was more suspense and camp life than anything.
Very character-driven, the events were good up until the chaotic ending.
That ending was such crap I almost want to remove 2 stars.
3 stars.. I guess
It was more suspense and camp life than anything.
Very character-driven, the events were good up until the chaotic ending.
That ending was such crap I almost want to remove 2 stars.
3 stars.. I guess
November 17, 2020
Holy mother of mercy! What did I just read?!? I love how Scooby-Doo-esque this book is. Is the bad guy that person, or this person? I'm one of those people that have it solved pretty early on in the book, and I was shocked by the antagonist. And the ending?!? I won't spoil anything, but I was NOT expecting that! Best NP book I've read since The Lost.
June 20, 2024
This is a hot steaming pile of dog crap. And I have even more complaints about this than some dog feces.
I'll make it quick cause this book sucks.
The writing was very meh.
The characters were dumb.
Andy was the only character I liked.
The story was horrible.
The whole thing could've been avoided if they decided to tell the truth to everyone and evacuated the camp.
Of course there had to be stupid conflict and drama, so how did this author decide to cause it? Miscommunication. The characters were all like" Uh... um.. uh... I'm not going to tell you/them." Even though it could've settled the whole thing.
Their secret was dumb, they were just little 8 year olds, they're not going to be sent anywhere if people found out what they did. It was a very stupid guilt from almost TEN YEARS AGO. All they did was accidently set fire to three trees in a clearing that was surrounded by rocks and a little other thing that I'll get to.
SPOILERS BEYOND! DON'T CONTINUE TO READ!
SPOILERS
Lillian's motive was stupid. She was burned in the fire by being pushed by Kayla. Why did Kayla push her? Lillian showed them a deer head that she cut off, then proceeded to get aggressive with them.
So now she has burns on like 40% of her body, and took it to herself to somehow find and stalk 4 people because of her stupid actions.
Also, how did she successfully cyber stalk these 4 people when the incident was at night and she could hardly see the kids? She only talked with Esme and Kayla for like 5 minutes.
Um, Olly and Kayla would not die that quickly. That was so dumb
The police seriously didn't immediately hear the gunshots and see the ACTUAL shooter? They only see it by the time Lillian somehow discards her gun near Esme?
That ending is worse than even a steaming pile of HORSE crap.
I'll make it quick cause this book sucks.
The writing was very meh.
The characters were dumb.
Andy was the only character I liked.
The story was horrible.
The whole thing could've been avoided if they decided to tell the truth to everyone and evacuated the camp.
Of course there had to be stupid conflict and drama, so how did this author decide to cause it? Miscommunication. The characters were all like" Uh... um.. uh... I'm not going to tell you/them." Even though it could've settled the whole thing.
Their secret was dumb, they were just little 8 year olds, they're not going to be sent anywhere if people found out what they did. It was a very stupid guilt from almost TEN YEARS AGO. All they did was accidently set fire to three trees in a clearing that was surrounded by rocks and a little other thing that I'll get to.
SPOILERS BEYOND! DON'T CONTINUE TO READ!
SPOILERS
Lillian's motive was stupid. She was burned in the fire by being pushed by Kayla. Why did Kayla push her? Lillian showed them a deer head that she cut off, then proceeded to get aggressive with them.
So now she has burns on like 40% of her body, and took it to herself to somehow find and stalk 4 people because of her stupid actions.
Also, how did she successfully cyber stalk these 4 people when the incident was at night and she could hardly see the kids? She only talked with Esme and Kayla for like 5 minutes.
Um, Olly and Kayla would not die that quickly. That was so dumb
The police seriously didn't immediately hear the gunshots and see the ACTUAL shooter? They only see it by the time Lillian somehow discards her gun near Esme?
That ending is worse than even a steaming pile of HORSE crap.
May 2, 2022
Say whatever you want about Preston books, but the endings... I love how fcked up they are 😳😳😳
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