The Lake — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceSupporting
- Scary contentCentral
- Gender rolesBriefTraditional roles
Not found
- Religion
- Race & culture
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender & orientation
Couldn't confirm
- Profanity
- Profanity: The sources found do not say whether the book uses swear words.
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
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
Frequently asked questions
Is The Lake appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The thriller has murder-mystery and slasher-style violence, including violent scenes involving animals, though one reviewer says it is not gratuitous. The book is a suspenseful horror-style thriller about a threatening message, paranoia and a deadly secret at a summer camp, which one reviewer calls a little scary but not enough to cause sleepless nights.
Does The Lake have violence?
Found (Supporting): The thriller has murder-mystery and slasher-style violence, including violent scenes involving animals, though one reviewer says it is not gratuitous.
Does The Lake have scary content?
Found (Central): The book is a suspenseful horror-style thriller about a threatening message, paranoia and a deadly secret at a summer camp, which one reviewer calls a little scary but not enough to cause sleepless nights.
Does The Lake have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Lake have race & culture?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Lake have profanity?
Couldn't confirm: The sources found do not say whether the book uses swear words.
Does The Lake have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Lake have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Lake have gender roles?
Found (Brief, Traditional roles): Kirkus says the story includes acts of sexism and machismo that the book does not fully examine.
Does The Lake have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.
