Book Review: The Camp by Nancy Bush

The Camp by Nancy Bush

Mystery, Thriller

eBook, Paperback, 432 pages

June 27, 2023 by Zebra Books

Blurb:

Friday the 13th meets Yellowjackets at a summer sleepaway camp isolated in the woods of Oregon, as New York Times bestselling author Nancy Bush puts a diabolical modern twist on the classic 1980s slasher film trope!

There are always stories told around the fire at summer camp—tall tales about gruesome murders and unhinged killers, concocted to scare new arrivals and lend an extra jolt of excitement to those hormone-charged nights. At Camp Luft-Shawk, nicknamed Camp Love Shack, there are stories about a creeping fog that brings death with it. But here, they’re not just campfire tales. Here, the stories are real.

Twenty years ago, a girl’s body was found on a ledge above the lake, arms crossed over her heart. Some said it was part of a suicide pact, connected to the nearby Haven Commune. Brooke, Rona, and Wendywere among the teenagers at camp that summer, looking for fun and sun, sex and adventure. They’ve never breathed a word about what really happened—or about the night their friendship shattered.

Now the camp, renamed Camp Fog Lake, has reopened for a new generation, and many of those who were there on that long-ago night are returning for an alumni weekend. But something is stirring at the lake again. As the fog rolls in, evil comes with it. Those stories were a warning, and they didn’t listen. And the only question is, who will live long enough to regret it?

My Review:

This was my most anticipated release of the summer… and it kind of let me down. It’s described as Friday the 13th meets Yellowjackets and I’m afraid I might have missed something.

The first thing I will point out is this listed as a stand-alone (at least on Goodreads) but as soon as I started reading it the character names and the name of the town Emma is from stood out to me from the only other Nancy Bush book I’ve read – The Babysitter. Yep. Same characters, same town, apparently not a part of that series? That was the first thing that kind of put me off… if I hadn’t read The Babysitter and known Emma’s backstory a new reader might not know or understand what caused Emma to be the way she is as an adult.

The camp/outdoorsy setting was the only connection I can make to Friday the 13th as The Camp devolves more into a nearby cult and religious zealots which I found a bit predictive and boring compared to what I assumed the book would be from the description.

I recently read another upcoming release with Friday the 13th vibes that I felt hit it out of the park but this one let me down big and left me confused and asking if I missed something in comparison.

My Rating:

1 of 5 Stars (I’d Rather Poke My Eye Out)