Name: Priscilla Stanfield's review of The Counselors by Jessica Goodman
Item: The Counselors
Rating: 3
Author: Priscilla Stanfield

Jessica Goodman

From bestselling author Jessica Goodman comes a twisty new thriller about three best friends, one elite summer camp, and the dark secrets that lead to a body in the lake. Camp Alpine Lake is the only place where Goldie Easton feels at home. As the daughter of the camp nurse and shop instructor, plus the honorary granddaughter of the camp's owners, she's always had a special connection to Alpine Lake, even before she was old enough to attend. Now she's back as a counselor, desperate for summer to start and her camp friends to arrive. Because with the dark secret she's been keeping, she's more in need of the comfort of home than ever. But with everything she's been holding back from her best friends, Ava and Imogen, things might not be as simple as she'd hoped--and Goldie's not the only person at camp who has been lying. When a local boy turns up dead in the lake, she knows that his death couldn't have been an accident. She also knows that Ava went down to the lake that night. But Ava's her best friend, and despite everything that happened this past year, Goldie dives into the mystery surrounding the boy's death. But asking questions offers no answers, only danger and betrayals deeper than Goldie ever imagined.

The Counselors

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

So my overall thoughts I had when I finished this was this book was “so-so.”  I at one point didn’t think this was a mystery thriller. It took 30% of setting up for something to happen that I thought I was just reading some tween drama story at first. But it was okay once things started happening. But the whole plot was so glaringly obvious that my entertainment came from how the author tried to hide what was obvious before the reveal. So like I said it was so-so but if you are interested in it be ready for some teen dram that’s actually quite toxic for these high schoolers to be going through but they also lacked a good amount of maturity so that didn’t help the situation. 

Priscilla Stanfield

3/5⭐️

So my overall thoughts I had when I finished this was this book was “so-so.”  I at one point didn’t think this was a mystery thriller. It took 30% of setting up for something to happen that I thought I was just reading some tween drama story at first. But it was okay once things started happening. But the whole plot was so glaringly obvious that my entertainment came from how the author tried to hide what was obvious before the reveal. So like I said it was so-so but if you are interested in it be ready for some teen dram that’s actually quite toxic for these high schoolers to be going through but they also lacked a good amount of maturity so that didn’t help the situation. 

From bestselling author Jessica Goodman comes a twisty new thriller about three best friends, one elite summer camp, and the dark secrets that lead to a body in the lake. Camp Alpine Lake is the only place where Goldie Easton feels at home. As the daughter of the camp nurse and shop instructor, plus the honorary granddaughter of the camp’s owners, she’s always had a special connection to Alpine Lake, even before she was old enough to attend. Now she’s back as a counselor, desperate for summer to start and her camp friends to arrive. Because with the dark secret she’s been keeping, she’s more in need of the comfort of home than ever. But with everything she’s been holding back from her best friends, Ava and Imogen, things might not be as simple as she’d hoped—and Goldie’s not the only person at camp who has been lying. When a local boy turns up dead in the lake, she knows that his death couldn’t have been an accident. She also knows that Ava went down to the lake that night. But Ava’s her best friend, and despite everything that happened this past year, Goldie dives into the mystery surrounding the boy's death. But asking questions offers no answers, only danger and betrayals deeper than Goldie ever imagined.

Leticia Leal

This book was not as bloody as the cover made it out to be, but if you're interested in tax evasion and off shore accounts, then this is the book for you!

Geoffrey Froggatt

This book was so disappointing. I love horror movies set at summer camps. It might be the Friday the 13th nostalgia, but I love every cheesy slasher story set at summer camp. I love the retro and classic premise and the usual homages to summer camp slasher classics. I’m usually not drawn to adolescent high school stories (horror or not), but there’s something about teen summer settings that has always appealed to me, especially in horror stories. I think it has something to do with summer nostalgia and how romanticized adolescent summer memories have become to me. When summer arrives, 18-year-old townie Goldie Easton can’t wait for Ava and Imogen, her two best friends, to return to Alpine Lake. Goldie’s parents work at the camp every summer, so Goldie has always been able to attend for free, something that sets her apart from the rest of the uber-wealthy campers, including Ava and Imogen. This year, the summer before they’re supposed to head off to college, they’re working as counselors and lifeguards. The girls have an unbreakable bond, but they’ve all been keeping secrets: Goldie’s never told them that she took the rap for a car accident that killed one of her classmates in order to protect Heller, her boyfriend, who’d been driving drunk. But just before the campers arrive, Heller is found dead in the lake, and as the weeks unfold, Goldie begins to believe someone killed him. I liked how this book discussed class and the difference between kids who can attend summer camp because they’re rich enough and those who struggle to make it there, with both groups in love with summer camp and the memories made there. Despite enjoying this theme, I disliked how much of the narrative revolved around it. I picked this up expecting Friday the 13th, only for this book to be more like Nancy Drew tries to solve a financial murder/mystery at summer camp. I was expecting a thrilling slasher or a mystery thriller, but instead this book was a rumination on class differences with a murder mystery in the background. In a book like this, I was expecting the big secret to be something shocking or scary, only for one of the counsellor’s parents and their shady business deals to be a central focus. The top book review of this book on Goodreads says, “I genuinely could not care less about off-shore accounts and embezzlement and whatever other financial tomfoolery this book’s plot was trying to throw at me.” and I think that says everything that needs to be said about this book. My eyes glazed over at the reveal, and I only pushed through because I was so close to the finish line. What should have been a subtle theme running throughout a slasher/mystery story became the central focus and overtook the story to the point it became boring. This book could have been so many different and far more interesting things, but it instead chose the most boring possibility that falls incredibly flat. The worst books for me are those that have incredible potential but squander it, and this is that kind of book for me. Disappointing.

I liked this one. I genuinely did not guess the mystery, and Goodman does write a good twist. That being said, I disliked a lot of the characters. Ava and Imogen acted like Goldie signing an NDA and taking the blame for a driving accident that left a boy paralyzed and Ava's dad committing financial crimes were equally as bad. I disliked that Ava put a lot of blame on Goldie, and there was a brief discussion of classism, but it never went anywhere beyond pushing the three to talk to each other. I also wasn't a huge fan of the Heller posthumous redemption arc. He let Goldie take the blame for his actions, let her get bullied and harassed for something she didn't even do, all to protect his reputation. She threw everything away to protect him (which was a reckless and idiotic move, but teenagers), and he repaid her by abandoning her. He was the guilty one. He should have had to face the consequences. Sure he was ready to come clean in the end, but that doesn't undo the months of torture and emotional agony Goldie had to deal with.

Holly

I loved this book reminded me of if the parent trap went wrong 

Eliza adkins 

This YA summer camp thriller is a great summer beach read — packed full of summer camp nostalgia set in New England, mystery, complex female friendships, razor-sharp commentary, class division, the perfect teen voice. intrigue. and murder! Kept me guessing til the very end. 

Jenna

This YA summer camp thriller is a great summer beach read — packed full of summer camp nostalgia set in New England, mystery, complex female friendships, razor-sharp commentary, class division, the perfect teen voice. intrigue. and murder! Kept me guessing til the very end. 

Satisfying, nostalgic. 

kendall p

the queen of ya thriller has done it again! 
jessica goodman delivered a beautiful tale of friendship, grief, and the secrets we keep to keep others safe. 
we follow goldie throughout this story as it shifts between past memories to recent day. we see the build of her relationship with heller, and also the downfall. 
the friendships are so pure in this book. the girls would do anything for each other, and i loved getting to know them. 
the vivid imageries of summer camp made me so happy, and nostalgic. i love love love reading books about summer camp and this hit every bit. it felt like i was right there inside camp alpine lake. 
i did figure out one of twist, and had a feeling the second one was coming but it was still a very good twist that i enjoyed. 
i really enjoyed this book, i think goodman is a fantastic writer and i’m always excited for her books! 
 -- i was given an earc of this book in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are my own.

A cosy murder set at a summer camp, fierce friendships, intrigue, first love, campfires, songs and much more. A really enjoyable read. 

Giulia

Courtney Passio

I’m a sucker for the sleep away camp trope when it comes to a murder mystery and The Counselor’s definitely delivered the vibes for me, making it my favorite Goodman book so far! To be honest, her first two books were meh to me so when I was sent a copy of this one, I was nervous because it sounded amazing and I wanted to love it. 

From the first page though, I could tell this was written better and had potentially and I was immediately sucked into the plot. I genuinely didn’t start guessing about what was happening until the very end and was still wrong when it came down to it haha. 

The Counselors made me wish I had the chance to attend summer camp when I was a kid. The food, the laughter and the friendships made definitely seem unbeatable and the friendships that were made at this particular camp are the focal point of this story. It’s about camp, but also about long standing friendships, secrets and what someone would do to cover up their very own secrets. This story is told through out “now” and “then” point of view, which I genuinely enjoyed and felt like we got a well rounded out story because of it. 

I definitely feel like The Counselors is the perfect murder mystery for summer to just pick up and binge! 


Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

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Join the club

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Counselors by Jessica Goodman