Review--The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

 

Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired – her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge – and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows. Something that refuses to let them leave.

 

 

 

 

I finally picked up Sarah Beth Durst's The Lake House and it was a bone-chilling read that is absolutely perfect for this time of year! This is a thriller that will keep you guessing long after the final page and you'll wonder, just where was Claire at this remote lake house...?

It was suppose to be a summer for the better, a camp where she would go and meet other teens and "refine" herself. But all Claire ever saw were the problems with everything. She wasn't exactly what you would call negative, she just worries, a lot. She has an anxiety disorder that just makes her fret about the odds of something bad happening with just about everything she does. Her parents don't quite understand her, but just want what's best for her, hence sending her to this camp that they attended when they were her age and they want her to have the same wonderful experience.

Sadly, Claire is arriving a day late from when the camp officially started, but luckily, two other girls, Reyva and Mariana were late for their own reasons too, so they are all dropped off by the cute boat boy, Jack, who delivers the campers on the far side of the isle that surrounds the lake. But when the three girls step off the boat and head towards the main house where they would be staying they encounter a scene straight from a nightmare. Fire. The house has recently burned down and there's not a soul in sight and before they can reach Jack, he's gone. Leaving them alone. With no food or shelter.

The girls are left to get into survival mode, help would come...eventually. They just needed to wait it out a day or two. Someone had to come, but it's as they are exploring the ruins of the lake house they discover a gruesome sight...a dead body. They find the body of who they believe was their camp director and it becomes quite clear that she didn't die of natural causes or anything to do from the fire as there are bullet holes in her body. The girls are quickly aware that they may not be as alone on the island as they think!

Cue the dramatic, bone chilling music because omg, this read will throw you through a wild loop! This was a very intense and creepy read! I almost don't like these kinds of "survival" books mainly because I feel like I would be the one who dies within hours of being stranded! Lol! I am not outdoorsy, I have zero survival skills...the only thing that would be in my favor is that I likely would've have packed a bag full of protein bars and snacks as I am a notoriously picky eater and I would have at least wanted to have something for myself to eat should the "provided meals" not be to my liking! Lol. So maybe I'd last a little longer than a few hours that way!

But yes, this was a very intense read as we watch these three teenage girls fight to survive in unfamiliar wilderness territory. They have no food, no fresh water source, and very little materials to work with but they manage to work together and help one another and figure out ways to survive.

Naturally, the three girls are all very different. They come from different backgrounds and walks of life and probably normally wouldn't be friends had this been the camp they were expecting, yet when it's life or death circumstances the girls are able to bond over time.

What really drew me in was the mystery! While survival does play a huge role in this story, there was still the matter of the burned down house and dead body that was awaiting them. They then find other clues that something very odd was happening on this island and then things take a deadly turn. This had all the makings of classic cult thriller where the girls must outwit a killer, but there will be a few curve balls tosses into the mix that will shake up this novel and that had me all kinds of breathless!

I don't want to get into too many details as I felt like this came as a huge surprise! But yeah, just be prepared for a thriller unlike any other kind of thriller! This was a most spectacular and spine-tingling read that I could not get enough of!

It wasn't completely without flaws though. I will admit at times I felt like things did get a little slow, mostly when some of the "survivor mode" scenes took a little longer to get through. There was a turning point in the story where you could practically hear the "danger" music in the background and that is when my interest really piqued and I could not get enough of the story. There was also a particular plot thread that I felt, while thoroughly interesting, wasn't quite explained well enough. I think, as I sit here analyzing over things as I write this review, that we weren't really meant to get answers on the why or how of it all...but at the same time, I kind of wanted to know more. There was a history embedded into the story and we don't really get the background knowledge of that. Again, I totally think we're meant to be in the dark on this. But as someone who likes concrete answers, I did not enjoy the not knowing! Lol.

This was most definitely a creepy read that is perfect for this year's Spooky Season! I found it to be very creepy and mysterious and chilling. I have a healthy appreciation and fear of the woods. I find them to be both beautiful and sinister. They are dark and mysterious. If fairy tales have taught us anything it's that both good and evil live inside them and that's why I feel like I have said healthy fear and appreciation of them! This book will definitely solidify the latter!

If you need a new reason to fear camping, then look no further than The Lake House! It's a read that will make you think twice about going away to camp...or probably camping in general! Glamping anyone? 

 

Overall Rating 4/5 stars