Camp Murderface

March 15, 2020
Two kids team up to unravel a sinister, supernatural summer-camp mystery in 1983. Corryn's at Camp Sweetwater while her parents work on the divorce they think she doesn't know about. She bonds with Tez when they see eerie faces in the bonfire after a strange stick is added to it during their first night there. In their alternating first-person, present-tense narration, scares come fast and furious, with only the duo seeing (or, at least, acknowledging) that something's wrong. As the scares grow into physical dangers, action-oriented Corryn and scientifically minded Tez unearth the history of the camp. In a neat subversion of an oft-used trope, they learn that in the 1700s, the lake was cursed by the actions of a nefarious French trapper, leading the resident Miami Nation to abandon the area. Since the 1880s, the summer camp has opened and closed in 20-year cycles marked by disappearances--the first being the three girls whose faces the duo saw in the fire. Tez faces extra risks in physical scenes, as he has Marfan syndrome--only the staff knows; he's enjoying having his peers treat him like a "regular kid." Corryn presents white, and Tez is biracial, identifying as "half Chamorro" (his father is from Guam); other campers are diverse. While the main storyline resolves, a tantalizing ending suggests there are more chills to come in a planned sequel. A ghastly good time. (Horror. 8-14)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 24, 2020

Gr 3-7-Tez and Corryn are about to spend their summer at Camp Sweetwater and become indispensable to one another-they just don't know it yet. Tez wants to be at camp more than anything after a lifetime of worried parents concerned about his heart condition; Corryn wants to be anywhere but camp. She knows that she is being sent away so her parents can work through their divorce. Ghost stories, crafts, swims in the freezing lake, and bullying counselors do little to break up the monotony of summer. Everything changes when the ghost stories become more than tall tales. Tez and Corryn seem to be the only ones aware of the mysterious happenings and how these events connect to a murder one hundred years prior. VERDICT Recommended for upper middle grade based on content. This horror title may not be suitable for younger readers. The pacing is well done and the main characters are relatable. However, the book leaves many unanswered questions that relate directly to the plot and character development.-Sarah Voels, Cedar Rapids Public Library, IA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 Scoff if you dare, but this tale of a cursed summer camp lives up to its title as two campers determine to crack the mystery surrounding the lakeside retreat. Corryn had to be bribed by her soon-to-be-divorced parents to come to Camp Sweetwater (its official name), whereas chronically ill Tez begged to attend, excited for the chance to be a normal kid. The two hit it off and quickly begin noticing strange things that can't be logically explained, such as three ghostly faces screaming in a campfire, a murderous shower curtain, and an impossibly ancient lifeguard patrolling the lake's banks. As Tez and Corryn snoop around between mandatory square dancing lessons and craft sessions, they discover the camp's unsettling history and undertake a risky mission to put things right. Taking full advantage of its ramshackle, wooded setting, this 1980s horror romp will elicit laughs and chills as its characters carry out their ill-advised sleuthing. Gross-out elements, wit, and rule breaking keep the entertainment value high on this spooky summer story, which leaves room for a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)