The Counselors

March 28, 2022
The well-written characters of Goodman’s (They’ll Never Catch Us) mystery give new life, and crossover appeal, to a well-trod New England summer camp setting. Camp Alpine Lake, situated outside a small Vermont town, draws its campers from the ranks of the wealthy, and three of its longtime campers, now incoming counselors, have been best friends for a decade. Goldie Easton—18, presumed white, and the group’s only townie—attends the camp tuition-free thanks to her parents’ employment in the camp’s infirmary and woodshop; she also harbors a secret concerning her hockey captain ex-boyfriend. With the arrival of white New Yorker Ava Cantor, progeny of an influential financier, and talented biracial (Japanese and white) Imogen Wexler, an actor from New Jersey, the recently out-of-touch friends get into the spirit of maintenance week: “No campers, no responsibilities.” After campers arrive and a local is found dead at the camp’s lake, though, the intrepid trio face growing danger as they try to solve sundry mysteries. A candid first-person narration alternates between past and present, interweaving summer hijinks with more serious fare, building a cast of intelligent, funny young women and a setting that offers many pleasures of the camp-thriller subgenre. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Reuben, WME. (May)■

April 1, 2022
An idyllic Vermont summer camp for rich kids turns deadly. 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. Goodman's depictions of the tensions between the girls and between residents of the camp and the town are well-drawn with admirable complexity. The teens drink and have sex yet still delight in cookie patrols and in braiding each other's hair. Some of the less-important relationships, especially Goldie's with her parents, don't make as much sense, but readers will hardly notice as the plot zips along. Most main characters are White; Imogen is Japanese and White. Atmospheric, intelligent, and interesting. (Thriller. 14-18)

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May 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 Goodman's latest YA thriller is again set in the elite world of the rich and famous, this time during the summer at Camp Alpine Lake. Goldie Easton is from a small town next door to the prestigious camp where only the wealthiest families can afford to send their children. As a child, Goldie was allowed to attend only because her parents worked there. Her two best friends are wealthy girls she met at camp who live a world away from her, and after a devastating high-school year, Goldie is eager to return, this time as a counselor, to her only safe haven, the place filled with her best childhood memories. That is, until a teen is found dead at camp under suspicious circumstances. This well-paced mystery deftly captures the nuanced relationships between teenage girls, while class issues erupt in the small New England town (the majority of characters are white and culturally conforming). Pair with Camp So-and-So (2017), by Mary McCoy, for another summer--camp thriller that features more diversity.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 19, 2022

Gr 8 Up-Goldie Easton lives for her summers at Camp Alpine Lake, an elite summer camp she has attended since she was eight, but this summer, as she begins her second year as a counselor, things are different. Goldie had hoped being back at Camp Alpine Lake and reuniting with her best friends would help her get past the traumatic spring semester she endured. However, she can't seem to tell her friends the truth, and as the secrets keep piling up between them, Goldie wonders if their unbreakable bond has actually reached a breaking point. Things only get worse when a townie is found dead on camp property, and Goldie becomes determined to find out the truth about his death, even if it endangers her precious camp life. The main storyline is interspersed with chapters labeled "Then," which flash back to important parts of Goldie's past, focusing especially on her relationship with Heller, the dead townie, and the unbearable semester that followed. This structure makes for a compelling read, revealing just enough to satisfy readers while keeping them hooked until the end. Former campers and counselors will rejoice at the setting of this novel, with its perfectly manicured fields, carefully organized waterfront, and annual events and competitions, but a significant portion of the plot revolves around the ultra-wealthy and tax evasion, which may bore the targeted readers. One of Goldie's best friends is biracial Japanese and white; all other characters read white. VERDICT This camp thriller is sure to keep readers hooked until the summer's end.-Mariah Smitala

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