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Crater Lake #1
Crater Lake: Schlaf NIEMALS ein
Eine höllisch gefährliche Klassenfahrt – mit Alien-Attacken und Grusel-Grinse-Garantie! Nur wer echte Freunde und gute Ideen hat, wird diesen Schultrip überstehen … Ein Ausflug zusammen mit Katja, Big Mak und Chets? Tolle Sache, findet Lance. Aber eine Klassenfahrt mit der fiesen Miss Hoche … eher gruselig! Und kaum erreicht ihr Bus Camp Crater Lake, geht der Horror richtig los: Da ist der brabbelnde, blutige Kerl, der über die Zufahrt stolpert. Und der Camp-Chef mit dem verdächtig fleckigen Hemd, der alle viel zu früh aufs Zimmer schickt. Als Lance und seine Freunde beim nächtlichen Geheimtreff dann lauter schlafwandelnde Schüler mit Wespen-Augen sichten, wird schnell klar: In Crater Lake passieren außerirdische und lebensgefährliche Dinge – vor allem wenn man sich schlafen legt. Jetzt heißt es: Pläne schmieden, das Unheil stoppen – und nie, nie, NIEMALS einschlafen! »Schwungvoller Grusel vom Feinsten, dazu jede Menge Humor.« The Bookseller
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2020
68 people are currently reading
1613 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 23, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Friends Lance, Chet, Maksym, and Katja have arrived at Crater Lake with all their year six classmates on a school vacation. As they get to the site a man covered in blood runs in front of their coach requiring medical attention.
Things take an even stranger turn when night falls as the students who have fallen asleep have become bug-eyed and brainwashed and are heading into the woods as workers for some aliens, including their teachers. Those who haven’t fallen asleep yet are still very much human.
Can Lance and his friends work out what is happening, stop the weird alien invasion, help their classmates, and remain awake for the next two days until the coach comes back to pick them up?
Crater Lake is an exciting sci-fi, mildly scary children’s book. From the beginning, the reader is told that when the pupils fall asleep they turn into bug-eyed victims of some alien race that is in Crater Lake.
The plot is full-on and the friends’ bravery and camaraderie really shows, even if there are a few tiffs along their journey. There is a lot of humour too which will give the reader a giggle now and again.
This is an amazing middle-grade novel that will have children glued to the pages wanting to follow all the action and find out how Lance and his friends can get the situation under control. Reminded me a little of the movie Toy Soldiers, where a group of kids has to save the rest of the pupils from the baddies – though they are saving them from aliens not terrorists in this book.
Friends Lance, Chet, Maksym, and Katja have arrived at Crater Lake with all their year six classmates on a school vacation. As they get to the site a man covered in blood runs in front of their coach requiring medical attention.
Things take an even stranger turn when night falls as the students who have fallen asleep have become bug-eyed and brainwashed and are heading into the woods as workers for some aliens, including their teachers. Those who haven’t fallen asleep yet are still very much human.
Can Lance and his friends work out what is happening, stop the weird alien invasion, help their classmates, and remain awake for the next two days until the coach comes back to pick them up?
Crater Lake is an exciting sci-fi, mildly scary children’s book. From the beginning, the reader is told that when the pupils fall asleep they turn into bug-eyed victims of some alien race that is in Crater Lake.
The plot is full-on and the friends’ bravery and camaraderie really shows, even if there are a few tiffs along their journey. There is a lot of humour too which will give the reader a giggle now and again.
This is an amazing middle-grade novel that will have children glued to the pages wanting to follow all the action and find out how Lance and his friends can get the situation under control. Reminded me a little of the movie Toy Soldiers, where a group of kids has to save the rest of the pupils from the baddies – though they are saving them from aliens not terrorists in this book.
April 30, 2020
A school trip ends with creepy aliens and oh yes, DON'T SLEEP! EVER.
I was so excited about a new Jennifer Killick book, I LOVE her books and I am always excited to see what she will write next. This time we have a group of kids going to a new activity center and having a great school trip... or well that is what it is supposed to be but strange things happen.
This will be a good/not so good review (though I only have one not so good).
Good:
-I loved our MC, he really reminded me of Alex Sparrow in the way he acted and talked. I did feel sorry for him that he had to endure bullying by Trent and also crappiness from Hoche. I knew he wasn't a bad apple, despite what Trent and Hoche were telling. You could just see it how he treated his friends, was there for them, put others before himself (not always good, but in this situation it is).
-I was curious about why he had to sleep alone and had several ideas but I hadn't expected that one to be it. I loved how the author wrote about it and I am glad we finally have a child character with this. I am sure there is a kid out there who is excited to see someone like them.
-Plus, what he had was helpful for the story.
-I loved the friendship and the dynamics between the kids.
-The aliens were awesome, and creepy, and disgusting. I had a couple of scenes that I was just NOPING (like when they removed their skin to show stuff, NOPE).
-The aliens plan was pretty fantastic and while they were evil bastards I do feel for them that they crashed on this planet and never could leave. OK, they ruined it by the whole taking over ideas instead of just going home, but hey, they must have been pissed. :P
-I loved Crater Lake, I would have loved to see it in action without the aliens as it seems there was plenty to do and explore.
-I want to play Geek, Robot, Overlord now!
-I loved seeing the kids that remained (well, with the exception of Trent who was just a lazy and scared doodoo) try to figure out how to stop the aliens and to save the world.
-The actual cure and how they implemented it was just fantastic.
-The cover is amazing! I just love how it has that whole creepy and spooky vibe.
-I loved that the story kicked off being creepy immediately when the kids arrive at Crater Lake. Bloody hands, creepy guy with mysterious messages. Oh yes!
-The whole don't sleep is perfect because you need sleep eventually. It all seems fun to stay up for long, but eventually your body just gives you a giant kick and demands sleep or else.
-I had such a big laugh near the end when they found out a cure and Chets said a certain thing.
-That we find out why Lance put Trent in a toilet and locked him up. Gee, I would have done the same. Though I would have been honest with my friend (s) why I did it.
-There were many other parts that I just loved to bits, I just flew through the book. Before I knew it it was over.
Not so good:
-That we already knew what the aliens/creepy stuff was before things actually happen. We learn about a certain critter and what it does. I just think it was a shame as I would rather have had them first meet the aliens/monsters/critters and then they see a tv somewhere with that documentary and find out what the aliens/monsters/critters are.
All in all, I loved this book and I cannot wait to see what Jennifer Killick will write next. I would highly recommend this creepy sci-fi book to all.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was so excited about a new Jennifer Killick book, I LOVE her books and I am always excited to see what she will write next. This time we have a group of kids going to a new activity center and having a great school trip... or well that is what it is supposed to be but strange things happen.
This will be a good/not so good review (though I only have one not so good).
Good:
-I loved our MC, he really reminded me of Alex Sparrow in the way he acted and talked. I did feel sorry for him that he had to endure bullying by Trent and also crappiness from Hoche. I knew he wasn't a bad apple, despite what Trent and Hoche were telling. You could just see it how he treated his friends, was there for them, put others before himself (not always good, but in this situation it is).
-I was curious about why he had to sleep alone and had several ideas but I hadn't expected that one to be it. I loved how the author wrote about it and I am glad we finally have a child character with this. I am sure there is a kid out there who is excited to see someone like them.
-Plus, what he had was helpful for the story.
-I loved the friendship and the dynamics between the kids.
-The aliens were awesome, and creepy, and disgusting. I had a couple of scenes that I was just NOPING (like when they removed their skin to show stuff, NOPE).
-The aliens plan was pretty fantastic and while they were evil bastards I do feel for them that they crashed on this planet and never could leave. OK, they ruined it by the whole taking over ideas instead of just going home, but hey, they must have been pissed. :P
-I loved Crater Lake, I would have loved to see it in action without the aliens as it seems there was plenty to do and explore.
-I want to play Geek, Robot, Overlord now!
-I loved seeing the kids that remained (well, with the exception of Trent who was just a lazy and scared doodoo) try to figure out how to stop the aliens and to save the world.
-The actual cure and how they implemented it was just fantastic.
-The cover is amazing! I just love how it has that whole creepy and spooky vibe.
-I loved that the story kicked off being creepy immediately when the kids arrive at Crater Lake. Bloody hands, creepy guy with mysterious messages. Oh yes!
-The whole don't sleep is perfect because you need sleep eventually. It all seems fun to stay up for long, but eventually your body just gives you a giant kick and demands sleep or else.
-I had such a big laugh near the end when they found out a cure and Chets said a certain thing.
-That we find out why Lance put Trent in a toilet and locked him up. Gee, I would have done the same. Though I would have been honest with my friend (s) why I did it.
-There were many other parts that I just loved to bits, I just flew through the book. Before I knew it it was over.
Not so good:
-That we already knew what the aliens/creepy stuff was before things actually happen. We learn about a certain critter and what it does. I just think it was a shame as I would rather have had them first meet the aliens/monsters/critters and then they see a tv somewhere with that documentary and find out what the aliens/monsters/critters are.
All in all, I loved this book and I cannot wait to see what Jennifer Killick will write next. I would highly recommend this creepy sci-fi book to all.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 29, 2020
What a creepy amazing book!! I really loved this! It was such a dark, but funny at times MG. I loved all the main kids. They were all amazing, & so important. They each had a role that was so needed for the kids to do what they had to do. Trent was a brat. I couldn’t stand him lol so glad he wasn’t a big part in the book. I loved the friendship dynamic though. I loved seeing Lance become more true to himself, becoming more honest w/himself & his friends. Chets was just the best. I loved seeing him become more strong & confident. The bad guys were super creepy!! Omg!! The story behind them & what they are doing was so creative & just genius. I was never bored or confused, & it was a fast paced page turner. Full of action, danger, mystery, & adventure. The sci-fi aspect & scientific explanations were also done so well. It didn’t drone on w/a bunch of technical terms I, or especially kids, wouldn’t even understand. Everything was explained & in a way where you understood & weren’t bored by it. Lance also has health issues, & problems at home. I think a lot of kids would be able to relate w/him & his feelings of dealing w/all of that. They can’t go to sleep at all, or something bad would happen-so that aspect added even more suspense, urgency, & just overall perfectness lol. Loved this! Beautiful cover too!!😍😍Highly recommend!!💜💜
July 15, 2020
This is the book that so many of my students need. It’s totally creepy and Jennifer keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It is sure to hook the most reluctant of readers and they won’t want to put the book down. It’s a spooky adventure story with a good dose of mystery.
A class goes on their school camp to a new camp ground called Crater Lake. It has been built in a huge crater from a meteor that crashed to earth many years ago. Things start off bad when their bus is stopped by a bloody, rambling member of the camp staff. He warns them to turn back but the kids and adults continue on foot to the camp. The place seems deserted until a weird camp leader turns up and shows them to their rooms. The situation starts to get really bizarre when the kids get locked in their rooms and some of them start acting really strange, with eyes like bugs. As things go from bad to worse it’s up to Lance and his friends to figure out what’s going on and stop the mysterious creatures from carrying out their plans. Oh and make sure you don’t fall asleep!
A class goes on their school camp to a new camp ground called Crater Lake. It has been built in a huge crater from a meteor that crashed to earth many years ago. Things start off bad when their bus is stopped by a bloody, rambling member of the camp staff. He warns them to turn back but the kids and adults continue on foot to the camp. The place seems deserted until a weird camp leader turns up and shows them to their rooms. The situation starts to get really bizarre when the kids get locked in their rooms and some of them start acting really strange, with eyes like bugs. As things go from bad to worse it’s up to Lance and his friends to figure out what’s going on and stop the mysterious creatures from carrying out their plans. Oh and make sure you don’t fall asleep!
January 28, 2022
3.75 étoiles — roman à proposer de la sixième année à la deuxième secondaire en plein mois d’octobre. un bon suspense et des personnages surprenants! 🙂
October 30, 2024
Combine a horror story and a comedy story and you get this book. It's awfully scary, but there are many, many jokes to make it funnier. My favourite bit was when (stop reading if you haven't read the book cause this is a spoiler) when they turned Chetan into a good guy again towards the end of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2020
Don't. Ever. Fall Asleep!
Crater Lake is a brilliantly funny sci fi / horror mash up. The tension is turned from the first page and doesn't stop. Splattered with sassy dialogue, as always with Jennifer Killick's work, the fantastic characters in never ending predicaments keep the reader firmly awake. Which is a good thing considering the consequences of falling asleep!
Another fabulous unputdownable book from Ms Killick.
Crater Lake is a brilliantly funny sci fi / horror mash up. The tension is turned from the first page and doesn't stop. Splattered with sassy dialogue, as always with Jennifer Killick's work, the fantastic characters in never ending predicaments keep the reader firmly awake. Which is a good thing considering the consequences of falling asleep!
Another fabulous unputdownable book from Ms Killick.
June 20, 2021
3.5 stars
Year 6 students are on a PGL trip to Crater Lake, a new activity centre built at in a meteor impact site. Unknown to the children, the meteor brought with it killer alien wasp spores which have finally escaped and infect everyone who falls asleep in the crater! Can Lance and his friends stop the aliens?
A fun book for those aged 10-13. A good mix of horror and comedy and very engaging.
Year 6 students are on a PGL trip to Crater Lake, a new activity centre built at in a meteor impact site. Unknown to the children, the meteor brought with it killer alien wasp spores which have finally escaped and infect everyone who falls asleep in the crater! Can Lance and his friends stop the aliens?
A fun book for those aged 10-13. A good mix of horror and comedy and very engaging.
July 25, 2021
I cannot get enough of middle grade horror, and Crater Lake is scifi horror! This book was a lot of fun, and I adored that it had a big scifi element to it. I need more of that in my life.
I already have a copy of the sequel. (It was a must read preorder for me.) I can't wait to check it out.
I already have a copy of the sequel. (It was a must read preorder for me.) I can't wait to check it out.
October 8, 2021
Am telling you - Goodreads deleted my reviews even if they're only slightly negative. All I said was it wasn't for me, I didn't feel attached to the characters.
Stop deleting my reviews, goodreads!!!
Stop deleting my reviews, goodreads!!!
March 28, 2020
You, or your child, may want to exercise caution when choosing to read this book.
Let's take the context first: it's a year 6 residential that goes very wrong. If a year 6 child reads this this year they are going to be super upset that because of COVID-19 they are most likely going to miss their summer residential. However, if a year 5 child reads this they will most likely want to avoid next year's residential like the plague. Simultaneously, Montmorency school's outward bound trip to Crater Lake is the stuff of nightmares and dreams come true.
Do you really want a distraught year 6 or a petrified year 5 on your hands?
Secondly, the events are pretty horrifyingly terrible - if this stuff really ever happened there would be no school trips ever again. There would be no amount of risk assessing that could convince a teacher to put children in such danger - forget risk assessing, teachers would need to be succession planning. However, the almost-nonchalant approach to averting crisis that the main character, Lance, takes, is most certainly likely to make any upper key stage 2 reader supremely confident in his or her own ability to casually battle parasitic aliens.
Do you really want to be scared out of ever running a residential again? Do you really want to give a child the confidence to take insanity-level risks?
I'm going to suppose the answers to the above questions are all affirmative and go on with this review.
'Crater Lake' is not one of those books where you wait around for ages for something to happen. Killick makes short work of introducing the characters - after a few pages you feel like you've been at school with the kids for 6 years and it's not long before their coach hits a bloodstained crazy dude who warns them not to go to Crater Lake. Inevitably the tropey evil assistant head pushes on with the visit and the children arrive at the world's weirdest outdoor residential centre.
With bags of humour (seriously) and never a dull moment, Lance guides his friends and the reader on a textbook how-to-evade-crazy-evil-non-humans mission to save year 6 and get out of the place. And this book has heart too: as the friends work together, they discover even more about each other than they ever knew before. As the plot thickens, their insecurities fade and as they trust each other in defeating their enemy together, they trust each other with their life stories. Sounds cheesy, but it isn't - in amongst the sci-fi horror there are brilliant moments of realism that all school children of a certain age will easily identify with.
I would suggest that anyone who wants to tear their way through a rip-roaring adventure story should read this book, but I have an even more specific recommendation: for reluctant readers who are fans of roleplay computer games and action movies, this might just be the book that turns them on to reading forever. Just as Point Horror and Goosebumps recruited swathes of cool kids to reading in the 90s, Jennifer Killick's latest novel could do the same in the 2020s - here's to hoping!
Let's take the context first: it's a year 6 residential that goes very wrong. If a year 6 child reads this this year they are going to be super upset that because of COVID-19 they are most likely going to miss their summer residential. However, if a year 5 child reads this they will most likely want to avoid next year's residential like the plague. Simultaneously, Montmorency school's outward bound trip to Crater Lake is the stuff of nightmares and dreams come true.
Do you really want a distraught year 6 or a petrified year 5 on your hands?
Secondly, the events are pretty horrifyingly terrible - if this stuff really ever happened there would be no school trips ever again. There would be no amount of risk assessing that could convince a teacher to put children in such danger - forget risk assessing, teachers would need to be succession planning. However, the almost-nonchalant approach to averting crisis that the main character, Lance, takes, is most certainly likely to make any upper key stage 2 reader supremely confident in his or her own ability to casually battle parasitic aliens.
Do you really want to be scared out of ever running a residential again? Do you really want to give a child the confidence to take insanity-level risks?
I'm going to suppose the answers to the above questions are all affirmative and go on with this review.
'Crater Lake' is not one of those books where you wait around for ages for something to happen. Killick makes short work of introducing the characters - after a few pages you feel like you've been at school with the kids for 6 years and it's not long before their coach hits a bloodstained crazy dude who warns them not to go to Crater Lake. Inevitably the tropey evil assistant head pushes on with the visit and the children arrive at the world's weirdest outdoor residential centre.
With bags of humour (seriously) and never a dull moment, Lance guides his friends and the reader on a textbook how-to-evade-crazy-evil-non-humans mission to save year 6 and get out of the place. And this book has heart too: as the friends work together, they discover even more about each other than they ever knew before. As the plot thickens, their insecurities fade and as they trust each other in defeating their enemy together, they trust each other with their life stories. Sounds cheesy, but it isn't - in amongst the sci-fi horror there are brilliant moments of realism that all school children of a certain age will easily identify with.
I would suggest that anyone who wants to tear their way through a rip-roaring adventure story should read this book, but I have an even more specific recommendation: for reluctant readers who are fans of roleplay computer games and action movies, this might just be the book that turns them on to reading forever. Just as Point Horror and Goosebumps recruited swathes of cool kids to reading in the 90s, Jennifer Killick's latest novel could do the same in the 2020s - here's to hoping!
January 17, 2021
A fun, fast-paced story about a group of friends as they try to stop alien entities from taking over the Crater Lake — and the world — all while making sure their minds are still functioning and their bodies are still moving because apparently sleep is not an option.
I'm positive middle grade kids would enjoy this book. It's packed with actions, the story kept on moving forward and the characters were all exciting to read and learn about. That plus the little messages sprinkled throughout the chapters. I liked the way the author captured and wrote Lance's character in this story. His voice popped up (yeah I don't know how to put it) and it was entertaining reading his narrative.
All in all, it was an enjoyable reading experience!
I'm positive middle grade kids would enjoy this book. It's packed with actions, the story kept on moving forward and the characters were all exciting to read and learn about. That plus the little messages sprinkled throughout the chapters. I liked the way the author captured and wrote Lance's character in this story. His voice popped up (yeah I don't know how to put it) and it was entertaining reading his narrative.
All in all, it was an enjoyable reading experience!
April 14, 2021
CRATER LAKE by Jennifer Killick is a middle grade horror novel bringing elements of Invasion of the Body Snatchers/The Faculty to a Year Six school trip. The book starts out with a crowded bus on the way to a camp that gets derailed by a bloody stranger in the middle of the road, takes a lot of twists and turns, and ends up with insect-like aliens/creatures, friends overcoming challenges, and a CPAP machine! As the tag line indicates, something bad happens when you fall asleep... but what? And why are people acting strangely and looking differently when they do? Crater Lake is a fun MG sci-fi horror book with loads of action and fun dialogue guaranteed to have you turning pages fast!
October 3, 2023
It was a really good read. It had me hooked from the start, and I really enjoyed slowly finding out about the characters like Dale and Digger. I also really enjoyed all of the adventures Lance and his friends went on. Overall, I would definitely recommend it to someone who enjoys action, adventures, or mystery.
January 1, 2020
Popular author Jennifer Killick (well known in schools for the Alex Sparrow books and Mo, Lottie and the Junkers) ventures into a new horror-inspired style without departing from her trademark style of easy-going humour.
The Year Six class at Lance's school are heading off for a residential trip that is supposed to create memories that will stay with them forever. Lance is happy to be alongside his friends Chet, Maksym and Katja and remains optimistic that they can ignore the mean taunts nemesis Trent. Excitement bubbles during the journey, but as soon as the coach draws near to Crater Lake, something feels amiss.
It's never a good sign to run into a blood-stained figure who looks like a zombie just outside the gates of your destination. Nor does it bode well to find the activity centre spookily low on staff or to discover that despite the sweltering heat the only meal on offer is tomato soup, which appears disconcertingly similar to the blood covering the man at the entrance. Matters quickly spiral from bad to worse when a number of classmates and teachers transform into bug-eyed zombies and seem as though they have been hypnotised into working on a secret project out in the woods. Lance and the few remaining classmates must pull together to save the day, but their only chance of success relies on one catch; they must not fall asleep!
The horror-humour balance in the narrative is skilfully manufactured to give the chill factor without leaving anybody traumatised; it has just the right amount of scare to quicken your heartbeat and make you double-check under the bed before you climb in but is not likely to give you nightmares (unless you happen to be reading it while you are on a Year 6 residential). Crater Lake is a super-fast read that will satisfy fans of Goosebumps or Point Horror as well as being likely to please Killick's already loyal fanbase who expect easy humour, sharp dialogue, relatable themes and a turbo-paced plot.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending mean advanced copy.
The Year Six class at Lance's school are heading off for a residential trip that is supposed to create memories that will stay with them forever. Lance is happy to be alongside his friends Chet, Maksym and Katja and remains optimistic that they can ignore the mean taunts nemesis Trent. Excitement bubbles during the journey, but as soon as the coach draws near to Crater Lake, something feels amiss.
It's never a good sign to run into a blood-stained figure who looks like a zombie just outside the gates of your destination. Nor does it bode well to find the activity centre spookily low on staff or to discover that despite the sweltering heat the only meal on offer is tomato soup, which appears disconcertingly similar to the blood covering the man at the entrance. Matters quickly spiral from bad to worse when a number of classmates and teachers transform into bug-eyed zombies and seem as though they have been hypnotised into working on a secret project out in the woods. Lance and the few remaining classmates must pull together to save the day, but their only chance of success relies on one catch; they must not fall asleep!
The horror-humour balance in the narrative is skilfully manufactured to give the chill factor without leaving anybody traumatised; it has just the right amount of scare to quicken your heartbeat and make you double-check under the bed before you climb in but is not likely to give you nightmares (unless you happen to be reading it while you are on a Year 6 residential). Crater Lake is a super-fast read that will satisfy fans of Goosebumps or Point Horror as well as being likely to please Killick's already loyal fanbase who expect easy humour, sharp dialogue, relatable themes and a turbo-paced plot.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending mean advanced copy.
dnf
May 10, 2023unfortunately not for me
January 4, 2020
Horror, humour & heart wrap around a plot that cranks up the tension from the start to heart-thumping effect. Don't ever fall alseep it warns. There was never any fear of that; I couldn't put it down!
April 28, 2020
A cracking, horror, sci fi adventure with lively funny dialogue as you follow Lance and pals as they try to defeat the baddies. Huge fun. Ideal for year 5 and 6.
February 1, 2024
Although this book was for a younger audience, it was really entertaining. Sweet characters & it was intense at times, an interesting sci-fi.
January 3, 2020
Don't ever fall asleep, it says. Ha! As if I could!
This book is completely thrilling from start to finish. I literally felt myself jump in the first chapter, and it just keeps going. It's not all jump-scares though there are a fair few of them. No, there's a beautifully constructed tension that builds and builds as the story develops. At first it's the mystery. We know from the opening sequence that there's something wrong, but we need to put the clues together with the book's protagonists to work out just what it is and how much trouble they are in. After that the peril feels very real as they chase around and are chased in turn.
This is sci-fi horror with scary monsters and a smattering of scientific explanation, without ever getting too bogged down in technical detail. And while it is undoubtedly thrilling, there shouldn't be anything in here that makes it unsuitably scary for its target audience of 9-12 year olds. It's a good scare, without ever crossing over into being too gruesome or haunting.
It is also funny. Very funny. Sitting in my chair cackling aloud to myself funny. A lot of the humour is in the language, some of the phrases used are just brilliant, and very fitting for the age range. But some of the sequences, particularly some of the stories the kids tell each other are just outright hilarious. There's less toilet humour than in Jennifer's earlier books, though there's still a smattering of poo references and a very funny fart, but I honestly think it's the funniest book she's written and one of the funniest books I've read in ages.
You know what I love about books like this? It's that it's not just about the humour, the silly jokes, it's not about the running around being chased by monsters peril. It's that they have all of that, and a lot of heart too. Crater Lake definitely doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's one of the book's absolute strengths. Lance, our hero, struggles academically, he's not sporty, he's not particularly popular, but he doesn't let that define him or what he's capable of. He also has underlying health issues and problems at home that have a significant impact on him socially.
This would be the perfect book for any children going through health related issues and feeling like it is starting to define them or impact on their relationships. There's a truly beautiful sequence where Lance realises that he isn't the only one with issues and secrets, and this is a book that really knows the importance of trust and friendship. It never simplifies it either. There are complex messages in there about when to stand back and let people by themselves, when and how to support, and how not everyone is going to be the cool people who support you no matter what. Every group has their bullies, I guess, and that reality is not ignored here.
Thrills, giggles and a whole lot of heart. Crater Lake might not be the best venue for a school trip, but it makes for a fantastic read.
This book is completely thrilling from start to finish. I literally felt myself jump in the first chapter, and it just keeps going. It's not all jump-scares though there are a fair few of them. No, there's a beautifully constructed tension that builds and builds as the story develops. At first it's the mystery. We know from the opening sequence that there's something wrong, but we need to put the clues together with the book's protagonists to work out just what it is and how much trouble they are in. After that the peril feels very real as they chase around and are chased in turn.
This is sci-fi horror with scary monsters and a smattering of scientific explanation, without ever getting too bogged down in technical detail. And while it is undoubtedly thrilling, there shouldn't be anything in here that makes it unsuitably scary for its target audience of 9-12 year olds. It's a good scare, without ever crossing over into being too gruesome or haunting.
It is also funny. Very funny. Sitting in my chair cackling aloud to myself funny. A lot of the humour is in the language, some of the phrases used are just brilliant, and very fitting for the age range. But some of the sequences, particularly some of the stories the kids tell each other are just outright hilarious. There's less toilet humour than in Jennifer's earlier books, though there's still a smattering of poo references and a very funny fart, but I honestly think it's the funniest book she's written and one of the funniest books I've read in ages.
You know what I love about books like this? It's that it's not just about the humour, the silly jokes, it's not about the running around being chased by monsters peril. It's that they have all of that, and a lot of heart too. Crater Lake definitely doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's one of the book's absolute strengths. Lance, our hero, struggles academically, he's not sporty, he's not particularly popular, but he doesn't let that define him or what he's capable of. He also has underlying health issues and problems at home that have a significant impact on him socially.
This would be the perfect book for any children going through health related issues and feeling like it is starting to define them or impact on their relationships. There's a truly beautiful sequence where Lance realises that he isn't the only one with issues and secrets, and this is a book that really knows the importance of trust and friendship. It never simplifies it either. There are complex messages in there about when to stand back and let people by themselves, when and how to support, and how not everyone is going to be the cool people who support you no matter what. Every group has their bullies, I guess, and that reality is not ignored here.
Thrills, giggles and a whole lot of heart. Crater Lake might not be the best venue for a school trip, but it makes for a fantastic read.
May 3, 2020
Year 6 residentials can be a tad scary at the best of times, but I think this one tops the lot. When Lance and his classmates arrive at Crater Lake for a few days of activity and fun, the last thing they expected was that they’d be thrown head first into a sinister mystery that they’d have to solve whilst making sure they never fall asleep. Using a combination of brains and braun, Lance and his friends must work together to uncover the mystery of Crater Lake before it’s too late.
With action kicking off from the get-go, you can’t help but get hooked. I read this book in a day. A cleverly designed plot is intertwined with the personalities of a group of children as we uncover more about each of them as the story unfolds. For me that’s what made this book so good, yes the mystery and danger were enticing and gripping, but the way we see the children develop as friends and in themselves is wonderful. Also, if you don’t love Chet then what’s going on.
The chapters are short but that works well here because it helps maintain the pace of the story and that pace is what creates the tension and drama. It keeps you guessing the entire time. Written from the point of view of Lance, we see the whole situation through his eyes. Whilst others are terrified, he seems to slightly enjoy the mystery solving, but why is that the case? That’s the question you find yourself asking.
What Killick has done here is give us a story that is predominantly about uncovering the secrets of Crater Lake but there’s much more too it than that; learning that you can confide in your friends and that you are always stronger together.
With action kicking off from the get-go, you can’t help but get hooked. I read this book in a day. A cleverly designed plot is intertwined with the personalities of a group of children as we uncover more about each of them as the story unfolds. For me that’s what made this book so good, yes the mystery and danger were enticing and gripping, but the way we see the children develop as friends and in themselves is wonderful. Also, if you don’t love Chet then what’s going on.
The chapters are short but that works well here because it helps maintain the pace of the story and that pace is what creates the tension and drama. It keeps you guessing the entire time. Written from the point of view of Lance, we see the whole situation through his eyes. Whilst others are terrified, he seems to slightly enjoy the mystery solving, but why is that the case? That’s the question you find yourself asking.
What Killick has done here is give us a story that is predominantly about uncovering the secrets of Crater Lake but there’s much more too it than that; learning that you can confide in your friends and that you are always stronger together.
April 11, 2021
I think this book was a case of, "It's not you, it's me".
I really just did not care for this story. I read it because it was short, and I figured I'd breeze through it in a couple of days, but it took over a week.
I love Middle-Grade books. They're my absolute favorite because they tend to be fanciful and light. When I read a book, I want to actually LIKE the place I'm escaping to, and Middle-Grade books are usually fun and adventurous.
This book? Well, this book reads like a vintage sci-fi paperback, which is pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing, so I would definitely recommend it for fans of that genre. I think my main beef was the story felt hollow. I didn't really like the main character, and while I was TOLD numerous times that he's a 'bad kid' and a trouble maker, I just didn't see or feel it. The characters are all cardboard, and the plot is thin.
That being said, I do think this is a great story for kids under 12. The overuse of the word 'hell' started to get a little old...it was like a child being told they could say this one 'bad' word, so they overuse it to the point of annoyance...but other than that, the overall message was a good one, and the story was creepy without being scary. Not my favorite, but a decent story for sci-fi lovers.
I really just did not care for this story. I read it because it was short, and I figured I'd breeze through it in a couple of days, but it took over a week.
I love Middle-Grade books. They're my absolute favorite because they tend to be fanciful and light. When I read a book, I want to actually LIKE the place I'm escaping to, and Middle-Grade books are usually fun and adventurous.
This book? Well, this book reads like a vintage sci-fi paperback, which is pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing, so I would definitely recommend it for fans of that genre. I think my main beef was the story felt hollow. I didn't really like the main character, and while I was TOLD numerous times that he's a 'bad kid' and a trouble maker, I just didn't see or feel it. The characters are all cardboard, and the plot is thin.
That being said, I do think this is a great story for kids under 12. The overuse of the word 'hell' started to get a little old...it was like a child being told they could say this one 'bad' word, so they overuse it to the point of annoyance...but other than that, the overall message was a good one, and the story was creepy without being scary. Not my favorite, but a decent story for sci-fi lovers.
Read
November 13, 2022Year Six are having a school trip - to Crater Lake Activity Centre. They are excited, there’s a heck of a lot of screaming and shrieking on the coach on the way there. But the excitement quickly turns to apprehension when the coach skids to a stop, and they discover someone lying in the road…
When they enter the activity centre, it soon becomes apparent that something is wrong. As the tension mounts, it becomes up to Lance and his friends to fight for survival and try and defeat the enemy – without ever falling asleep!
I read this book with my 11 year old son. He really enjoyed the adventure and the action scenes throughout. The characters in the story were interesting and down to earth, with their own back stories, which made them really relatable and gave the story that little extra.
Filled with suspense but also with a real sense of friendship and teamwork, this is a brilliant scary adventure story which will have you frantically turning the pages to see if Lance & his pals are going to make it out of Crater Lake alive!
When they enter the activity centre, it soon becomes apparent that something is wrong. As the tension mounts, it becomes up to Lance and his friends to fight for survival and try and defeat the enemy – without ever falling asleep!
I read this book with my 11 year old son. He really enjoyed the adventure and the action scenes throughout. The characters in the story were interesting and down to earth, with their own back stories, which made them really relatable and gave the story that little extra.
Filled with suspense but also with a real sense of friendship and teamwork, this is a brilliant scary adventure story which will have you frantically turning the pages to see if Lance & his pals are going to make it out of Crater Lake alive!
June 12, 2023
Overall it looks like either a completely awesomely fun place, or the perfect location for a Goosebumps book.
It’s been a weird day so far and something about Crater Lake just feels off.
‘Are you sure this is your first alien invasion?’ Big Mak asks. ‘You’re like a pro.’
I feel like the fate of the human race depends on me, and my brain and body are just shutting down.
There’s so much going on and things are looking pretty bad right now, as our only plan seems to have been dug up and thrown away, but it feels amazing to laugh like this.
‘It’s all or nothing now.’
This was really good!
It’s been a weird day so far and something about Crater Lake just feels off.
‘Are you sure this is your first alien invasion?’ Big Mak asks. ‘You’re like a pro.’
I feel like the fate of the human race depends on me, and my brain and body are just shutting down.
There’s so much going on and things are looking pretty bad right now, as our only plan seems to have been dug up and thrown away, but it feels amazing to laugh like this.
‘It’s all or nothing now.’
This was really good!
November 6, 2021
Great fun, but definitely not the book to encourage my son to read before his year 6 residential trip!
Lance and his friends aren’t convinced their school trip to Crater Lake will go well. Their teacher has it in for Lance, convinced he’s a troublemaker. Upon their arrival at the camp, they see a worker covered in blood muttering strange comments. It’s eerily quiet, and nothing seems to be quite what they were expecting. How bad could it get?
The answer is…pretty bad.
When the group realise there’s something up you will never have imagined the danger they face. They find themselves in a terrifying situation, but their good humour serves them well. They can only rely on themselves to escape, fighting for survival while learning a little more about each other.
Lance and his friends aren’t convinced their school trip to Crater Lake will go well. Their teacher has it in for Lance, convinced he’s a troublemaker. Upon their arrival at the camp, they see a worker covered in blood muttering strange comments. It’s eerily quiet, and nothing seems to be quite what they were expecting. How bad could it get?
The answer is…pretty bad.
When the group realise there’s something up you will never have imagined the danger they face. They find themselves in a terrifying situation, but their good humour serves them well. They can only rely on themselves to escape, fighting for survival while learning a little more about each other.
April 30, 2020
Loved it! A great adventure/survival story. When I read reviews and the blurb I thought it may be too dark or scary for children but I think it's great. It has great examples of how to build suspense by giving little away to make the reader want to read on, tense situations where the build up uses a range of sentences types and internal monologue of how the main character is feeling. It is really well written, easy and quick to read and great as a class read aloud or to recommend to children to build their pleasure in reading. I would highly recommend. I've read it on my kindle and it was really cheap to buy at the moment.
October 23, 2020
I chose Crater Lake as a class read, and it didn't disappoint. We found it exciting and well-paced, pitting the reader into the action right from the outset. The novel is very accessible even to more reluctant readers, with an informal tone that makes it relatable to middle graders. It carries an important message about being yourself, and about the power of friendship and tolerance - indeed, one student remarked on the emotional beats which obviously resonated with her! There were occasional hints at a blossoming romance which never quite reached fruition, so we'll be keeping an eye out for the follow-up to see what happens! Fun, and just the right amount of gore!
August 14, 2021
When I was 10 I absolutely loved reading scary stories and I was obsessed with Point Horror, so I've been looking for something similar for the 10 year old I know. This is a fantastic scary book which is perfect for that age group. The horror comes from something completely imaginary, so it's easy to cope with. The characters are diverse and the theme of everyone being a bit different will help lots of children feel represented in this book. I enjoyed the funny asides and the fact that the main character's voice is authentic for his age group. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel as I've heard it gets a bit scarier.
November 28, 2020
This book was fast paced and fun alien sci fi. Would recommend for younger teens up to age 14. Has some lovely self acceptance lessons and character growth. The morals were well thought out in this book and I feel it would be a nice read for this age group as I remember I found it hard to accept myself with things I may have been bullied for at that age when really I just needed to open up top like these characters.
March 31, 2020
Crater Lake is about courage, friends and finding strength in your vulnerabilities. But that makes it sound heavy, which it's totally not. This is the best spooky children's story I have ever read.
A perfect blend of creepy, adventure and danger with a lovely undercurrent about facing our fears and challenges and not being afraid to be ourselves.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
A perfect blend of creepy, adventure and danger with a lovely undercurrent about facing our fears and challenges and not being afraid to be ourselves.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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