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While the strong buildup of action comes late, it leads to a shockingly satisfying finale. Discussions of adulthood, trauma, and recovery are subtle and realistic, but acts of sexism and machismo aren’t fully analyzed. Similarly, Esme’s first-person point of view allows for increased tension and action as well as offering insight into her emotional and mental well-being. The slow buildup of suspense and the use of classic horror elements contrast with lighthearted camp activities, bonding with new friends, and budding romance. Paranoia and fear soon cause Esme and Kayla to revisit their ominous secret and realize that nobody in the camp can be trusted. But when a threatening message appears, Esme and Kayla realize the secret they’ve kept hidden for nearly a decade is no longer safe. An intuitive 17-year-old, Esme is ready to jump in and teach her cute little campers. Even Andy, their straight-laced supervisor, can’t dampen their excitement, especially after they meet the crushworthy Olly and Jake. Two teens with a dark secret return to their old summer camp.Ĭhildhood friends Esme and Kayla can’t wait to return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, ready to try everything they couldn’t do when they were younger: find cute boys, stay up late, and sneak out after hours. She is on a solitary journey-a quest not for treasure but for survival-that demands all her strength, each day a test of endurance, patience, and hope.Ī taut, gripping page-turner with a strong female hero to root for. Presumably white, as are other characters, Jess is believable, her setbacks realistic, her successes earned. To obtain ammunition for Carl’s rifle, Jess makes a desperate but pivotal decision. Raph might return for the crate, and winter’s approaching. Yet small mistakes, moments of inattention, nearly prove lethal. With brains and ingenuity compensating for her physical weakness, Jess finds shelter, makes fire, and feeds and protects herself and Bo.
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Only Carl’s friend Griff, who flew her in, knows Jess is there, but he won’t return for a year. Burying him with the mysterious crate he’s safeguarded for them, they burn the cabin and fly off. Hiding with Carl’s dog, Bo, Jess watches her dad ask for more time.
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Still battered from the car crash that took her mother’s life, Jess is sent to live in the remote Canadian wilderness with Carl, the father she barely remembers-and then he’s murdered.Ĭarl’s lessons in living off the grid (no phone, electricity, or running water) and hesitant attempts at connecting with Jess end abruptly when associates from his unsavory past arrive to collect money he doesn’t have.