The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst Natalie Berglind Durst, Sarah Beth The Lake House. HarperTeen, 2023 [368p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063214071 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063214101 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-10 Claire tends to imagine the worst-case, life-ending scenario in any situation, so she's not exactly thrilled when her parents force her to go to summer camp—the outdoors are filled with potential ways to die—but they insist the Lake House will be a "formative experience." Bad weather has already forced her to arrive late with two strangers—Mariana, a preppy girl from LA, and Reyva, a pessimistic girl who keeps to herself. Things go from mildly bad to pretty horrifying when, after they're dropped off by boat and left alone, the three teens find the Lake House itself burned to the ground and the body of an instructor dead in the woods by gunshot. The girls debate what to do: should they find food and shelter, try to get help, or hide from the possible murderer? And perhaps more pressingly, what on earth is that human-sized underground cage, and what was it holding that's no longer there? The harrowing experience of going from living a relatively comfortable life to suddenly needing to make fire, source freshwater, and scour for resources just to stay alive will be a familiar and satisfying element to fans of survival shows (which, thankfully, Claire is). That urgency is further heightened by the possibility of a murderer (possibly more than one) running around, and the Lake House setting is more than it seems in a variety of ways, not all of them of this world. Claire's anxiety, a source of tension in her friendships and her relationship to her parents, is treated with sensitivity from both Mariana and Reyva; in fact, thinking of the worst thing that could happen often comes in handy in this life-or-death situation. The slower moments where the trio bond are some of the book's strongest scenes, as the teens discuss their greatest fears, pressures from their parents and society to be and act a certain way, and how much they miss pizza. Fans of the televisions shows The Wilds or Yellowjackets will relish this thriller about friendship and the sheer power of teenage girls to overcome any odds. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois