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The instant New York Times bestseller!

Hot on the heels of The Twin, the undisputed queen of YA thrillers is back with a scary and suspenseful read about a summer camp filled with dark secrets.

Esme and Kayla once were campers at Camp Pine Lake. Now they’re back as counselors-in-training. Esme loves the little girls in her cabin and thinks it’s funny how scared they are of everything—the woods, the bugs, the boys...even swimming in the lake. It reminds her of how she and Kayla used to be. Before...

Because Esme and Kayla did something terrible when they were campers. Something they’ve kept a secret all these years. They vow that this summer will be awesome. Two months of sun, s’mores, and flirting with the cute boy counselors. But then they get a message:
THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS.

The secret they’ve kept buried for so many years is about to resurface.

“[T]he strong buildup…leads to a shockingly satisfying finale. An eerie thriller reminiscent of summer horror movies that will keep readers on edge.”—Kirkus

"Pays homage to classic summer camp slasher films...horror fans will likely appreciate this paranoia-fueled tale."—Publishers Weekly

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Best friends Esme and Kayla are excited to return to their childhood summer camp, Camp Pine Lake, as counselors-in-training for the next six weeks. Pale, petite Esme and tanned, curvy Kayla hit it off with their fellow CITs: pale and bullied Rebekah; Black and gay Tia; blond-haired, blue-eyed, football player Jake; and tall, dark, and handsome Olly. Everyone is looking forward to swimming, s'mores, and campfires by the lake, but only a few days into their stay Esme and Kayla find a creepy note. Then an ominous message is written on a cabin. Could someone at camp know Esme and Kayla are keeping a secret? The setting will instantly appeal to readers who are nostalgic for outdoor activities by day and ghost stories by a lake at night. But the pace is choppy; some chapters stall on repetitive conversations while others fly by swiftly, alive with action. The characters are flat: While Esme is anxiety personified, Kayla is frightened to the point of unpleasantness. Both girls are dithering and overdramatic, while Jake and Olly are stereotypical athletes, Rebekah is a perpetual victim, and Tia-a token minority character-is used solely to further the plot. The ending abruptly turns away from the eerie threats peppered throughout the narrative to pages of sudden violence. The ultimate cliffhanger, however, is one readers won't see coming. VERDICT For libraries where Preston's previous works are popular.-Maggie Mason Smith, Clemson Univ., SCα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Praise for THE LAKE:

A New York Times bestseller
A USA TODAY bestseller
A Publishers Weekly bestseller

“[T]he strong buildup…leads to a shockingly satisfying finale. An eerie thriller reminiscent of summer horror movies that will keep readers on edge.”—Kirkus

"Pays homage to classic summer camp slasher films...horror fans will likely appreciate this paranoia-fueled tale."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Natasha Preston:

"This fast-paced thriller will be a hit."–SLJ, on The Twin

"A deeply disturbing tale that explores what can push someone to kill and what people will do to survive. . . . keeps tensions high to the final page." –PW, on The Lost

"Preston weaves a terrifying tale. . . . A fast-paced, plot-driven page-turner." –Kirkus, on The Lost

"Keeps readers on edge. . . . A great addition to the thriller shelves. Recommended for fans of Stephen King, Jennifer Barnes, and Ally Carter." –SLJ, on You Will Be Mine

"Preston is skilled in building an atmosphere of paranoia and claustrophobia." –PW, on You Will Be Mine

"Preston's latest mystery reads like an homage to a nostalgic Fear Street novel. . . . An enjoyable blend of mystery and horror." –Booklist, on You Will Be Mine

"A fresh take on a murder mystery thriller. Rich with plot twists and suspense, readers will not want to put it down." –VOYA, on You Will Be Mine

"Will keep readers intrigued." –SLJ, on Awake

"Ripped-from-the-headlines." –SLJ, on The Cellar

About the Author

Natasha Preston is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cellar, The Cabin, Awake, You Will Be Mine, The Lost, and, her latest, The Twin. A UK native, she discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online--and hasn't looked back. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer. Visit Natasha online at natashapreston.com and follow @AuthorNPreston on Twitter and @authornatashapreston on Instagram.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

We’re returning to camp, to new friendships, to songs and s’mores around the campfire . . . and to the scene of our crime.

I lean between the front seats to get a better look out the windshield. “There it is,” I say as we drive under the large camp pine lake sign. It’s exactly as I remember it, the name carved into the wood.

Glancing down, I trace one finger across identical bold lettering on the pamphlet I received earlier this year. Kayla and I both got letters asking us to consider becoming counselors-in-training.

We’re back.

My best friend of fifteen years glances at me as the cab crawls to a stop. She pouts her glossy lips, which makes her eyebrows pull together. “Does it seem, I don’t know, smaller to you?”

“Everything seems bigger when you’re a kid, Kayla,” I remind her. The last time we were here was nine years ago.

Compared to the other camps nearby, which really aren’t that near, we’re the smallest. But the best. Camp Pine Lake takes girls and boys ages seven to ten. Kayla and I spent two epic summers here when we were seven and eight.

We didn’t come back when we were nine or ten.

We didn’t dare.

But we’re seventeen now. It’s time.

Kayla squeals as she opens the cab door. “Yes! This summer is going to be amazing.” She winks at me. “We can even stay up late this time.”

“We stayed up late when we were campers.”

The very second I open the other passenger door and we lose the AC, I feel like I’m going to melt. At least our uniforms are shorts and T-shirts. Texas summers can be brutal. I forgot how insane the heat is.

“Yeah, but this time we’re actually allowed to.”

Kind of. “We have to stay in the same cabin as the kids,” I remind Kayla. It feels like more of a lateral move.

Kayla grins. “Esme, we’ll be in our own teeny room, though. A bedroom in a bedroom. We’ll have some privacy.” Her eyes flit over the grounds. “I hope they have some cute counselors here.”

There’s my bestie. Kayla is boy crazy, loves pink and heels, and falls in love about every three minutes.

We thank the cabdriver, then pay and tip him as he removes our bags for us.

I lick my lips, swallowing as I take a look around. I’m really back. I feel a little ping in my stomach. I reach for Kayla’s arm as she goes to pick up her pink camo suitcase. “Kay . . . are we doing the right thing coming back?”

She groans. “Don’t overthink it. We’re going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine.”

Nodding, I pretend to agree. “We’re not kids anymore.”

“Exactly. No one here knew us back then, so no one knows what happened. Chillax.”

“Do people still say ‘chillax’?” I let go of her and smile as she glares. “All right. I’ll chillax. We’ll be fine. The last of my nerves have officially gone, I promise.”

What a stupid promise.

“I did not miss the Texas heat,” she says, her shoulders slumping.

I wave my hand in front of my face like a lunatic. “Can air be on fire? Because I think it is. Why has no one put more research into outdoor AC? . . . Look, there they all are. The counselors and the other CITs.”

Kayla squeals and we drag our suitcases across the grass to the group gathered outside a cabin. How can they stand to be exposed in this heat?

“We need to find Andy,” Kayla tells me.

Andy Marson is our boss. His name is on all the starter paperwork we were sent. He’s the one in charge. Kayla and I have been paired together and assigned a counselor we’ll do most of our activities with, along with our small group of campers.

“Which one do you think is Andy?” she asks.

I scan the group. “My money is on the redheaded guy with the clipboard.”

He lifts his chin as we approach, and his pale eyes light up. “Ah, our final CITs are here. Kayla Price and Esme Randal?”

“Kayla,” she says, lifting her hand.

“I’m Esme,” I say.

Andy scribbles something on his clipboard. “Glad everyone is here. We’re going to have a blast this summer, but first we need to get to know each other. Then I want to run through some rules and safety information.”

He motions to two girls behind him. “This is Rebekah and Tia. And over there are Olly and Jake. They’re all CITs too. You’ll have your free evenings with them.” Andy then rattles off some rules, but I know Kayla isn’t listening. Her eyes are firmly on the two very cute guys standing behind Andy. Olly and Jake.

Camp just got a lot more interesting.

Rebekah and Tia step up to us with identical toothy smiles. That’s the only thing similar about them. Rebekah is tall, with pale skin and shoulder-length ash-brown hair. She looks kind and a little bit lost, with her gentle, nervous blue eyes. Tia is petite, with black skin and large brown eyes. Her silky dark hair is so long it almost touches her butt.

“Hi,” Rebekah says with a Southern twang.

“We’re going to have the best summer,” Tia says.

“Absolutely. Do you know which cabin is yours yet?” I ask.

“Rebekah and I are in Verbena. You’re in Bluebonnet, the one right next to the food hall.” Tia leans in, and I realize we’re about the same height. “They’re kind of small, but the beds look comfortable enough. Me and Rebekah are sharing a cabin with those two, and they’re a little scary.”

Tia points at two older girls who are full counselors. They both have dark heavy bangs and short bobs. One is pale like me, and the other has a gorgeous olive tan, the kind that Kayla pays for every six weeks.

“Mary and Catalina,” Tia tells me. “Otherwise known as the Buttercups. Like the Powerpuff Girls.”

I laugh. That’s exactly who they look like. “Why are they scary?” I ask.

“Kind of intense when they’re talking to you. You’ll see what I mean.”

“I wonder who we’ll report to,” I ask, looking around.

“Oh, I heard Andy talking. You guys report to Cora. She seems supernice. I think she just went into the food hall. It’s kind of a mess in there, with a lot of equipment that needs sorting before the campers arrive. Final checks apparently.”

“You get the impression that this is, like, the tenth final check?” I ask, watching Andy rushing from cabin to cabin with his clipboard.

Tia laughs. “Oh, for sure.”

Rebekah and Kayla are chatting, having a similar conversation to ours, but Kayla is doing all the talking. My bestie can talk. Rebekah seems kind of overwhelmed, with her arms curled around her body and her eyes darting everywhere like she’s trying to figure out all the escape routes.

Tia laughs and pulls me to the side. “Rebekah’s from Kansas and applied to be a CIT because she wants to gain confidence before college. She’s so sweet I feel like I’m getting a cavity just talking to her.”

“Well, we can definitely help her out,” I say. “We get our evenings off together. I wonder if we’ll be allowed to leave camp.”

Tia groans. “Apparently not. But I did a little research before I arrived, and there’s a shortcut through the forest, right by the bramblebush at the side of the lake. It takes you to the edge of town, and there are no lights up that way.”

I remember the shortcut. . . . But I don’t want Tia to know I was a camper here. My eyes widen. “I have heart palpitations already.”

“You don’t want to come?” she asks.

“Oh no, I’ll come.”

She smirks. “Do you scare easily?”

“No, but it’s not often that I walk through an unfamiliar forest at night. Kayla is going to freak out.”

“We’ll be fine. Why is Kayla going to freak out?”

“Shh,” I hush Tia, and tug her closer. “I’ll tell you another time.”

Review:

4.7 out of 5

93.85% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Good suspenseful read

A.J. · April 24, 2023

5.0 out of 5 stars 1st book of hers I read.

s. · January 4, 2025

I was told her books were good, and I was not disappointed. Natasha Preston created a suspenseful plot where I was surprised at the endings twist and turns. I could imagine how the camp was set up and felt I was there in the camp at times.

4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it but had also hoped for better

C. · March 18, 2021

So unlike The Twin, I was able to get into this book much like the others. It wasn't a could not put down kind of book but at least I didn't get bored reading it.I have read all of the author's books (excluding finishing The Twin) and I thoroughly enjoy them for the most part and expected to with this one.As we reached farther into the climax, I really expected it to get good and started plotting out some awesome twists that might be thrown in there but overall the story was rather predictable. Nothing was too unexpected with how it happened.In true Natasha fashion, you finish the book with a giant WTF and it has worked for a few other books like The Cabin and The Lost but I feel like with this one, it just fell flat. All stories don't have to have a happy ending, but I at least prefer to feel satisfied. I thought the end of The Lost was the rough one for me, but this one takes the cake.Looking forward to the next one but keeping my expectations low as this seems to be the new trend. I really hope The Fear lives up to its name.

5.0 out of 5 stars The gift

A.B. · January 16, 2025

This was a Christmas gift for my granddaughter. She liked it very much. Read it so fast it was over before she started.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not her best book.

A. · March 31, 2025

This book took me right back to summer camp, both as a child/camper and as a counselor. It took a little while to really get going, and then the ending really leaves you hanging. I thought I was going to love it, but the unanswered questions with the ending kind of ruined it for me.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lake by Natasha Preston

J. · March 7, 2021

THE LAKE NEVER FORGETS. When Esme and Kayla receive an anonymous message, fear fills them immediately. Someone knows what they did and they aren't going to let them get away with it.Esme and Kayla have returned to Camp Pine Lake as Counselors In Training (CIT) at the camp they went to as children. They're excited to enjoy a summer filled with hiking, swimming in the lake, and lots of s'mores! Being back is a little difficult at first as memories of the bad thing they did come rushing back, but they push those thoughts away and gear up for a fun-filled summer! After all, they do have a blood oath to never mention it. But what happens when it turns out they aren't the only two in on their little secret? Who else knows and what do they want from them?Here we have another great Young Adult Thriller by Natasha Preston. I read this book in a day as I could not put it down, itching to know more. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I was blown away and was not disappointed. It was well worth the wait! I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend it to other Thriller lovers! So excited to see what her next YA Thriller will bring!I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read

A.E. · January 25, 2025

Was given as a gift.

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy mackerel!! Great read!!

A.A. · October 18, 2024

I am addicted to this author!! I love her cliffhanger and keepYou on the edge of your seat books, but the endings are killing me!!

Good book

J.O. · November 26, 2023

Unputdownable

L. · January 24, 2025

Could not stop reading this book. Nobody can predict what happens next as the situation constantly becomes more threatening and complex. So Many secrets have been hidden for a decade and the past is revealed in the tiniest detail only which frustrates the reader who struggles to understand what is happening and how the main characters can survive.

Nice story

Z.k. · September 16, 2023

Ending is very bad, it should have atleast one more chapter. Or may be a sequel. Not fair ending.

Page Turner

Y. · September 16, 2022

Loved it!

Another fab Natasha Preston thriller

A. · April 8, 2022

I absolutely loved reading The Lake. The suspense throughout kept me hooked and desperate to know more!There was nothing I didn’t enjoy about this narrative. The Lake has a great storyline, fabulous characters and I loved that I never knew what was coming next. There were some seriously creepy happenings at Camp Pine Lake and I suspected every CIT and counsellor at some point. I love that I was pleasantly surprised when all was revealed. What didn’t surprise me was that signature Natasha Preston ending - I love how she closes her YA thrillers.I highly recommend The Lake to you to read. I award this novel 5 stars.

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The Lake

Name: The Lake
Brand: Natasha Preston (Author)
SKU: U0593124979
Price: 6.03 BHD
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Rating: 4.4 (13 reviews)

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