Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine
“I don’t care about being nice anymore. Nice girls die in situations like this.”
Two Sides to Every Murder follows teenage girls Olivia and Reagan, who are both connected to a murder that took place years earlier at Camp Lost Lake shortly before they were born. As the anniversary of the murder approaches, the girls meet at the scene of the crime and end up investigating what really happened that night. Buried secrets and hidden motives are revealed as Olivia and Reagan piece together the truth, growing closer as the story unwinds. This was the first ARC I ever had the chance to review, and it totally blew me away. If I had to create a mood board for this book, campfires, tall trees, and witch hats would all be included. It’s the perfect combination of summer and thrillers.
The Counselors by Jessica Goodman
“Nothing exists outside this place. Not even the past.”
The Counselors by Jessica Goodman is about three best friends, Goldie, Ava, and Imogen, who are all returning counselors at Camp Alpine Lake. They all know and love the camp, but this summer, something feels really off. Goldie is hiding a dark secret from her friends, and when a body is found in the lake, everything starts to spiral. Soon, Goldie finds that she may not be able to trust her friends, and the girls will have to come to terms with the truth, whether they want to or not. Tensions rise, friendships are tested, and Goldie must face her past in order to crack the case before it’s too late. I like this book because it has a lot of interesting plot elements, and the characters all complement each other well. A quick yet thrilling read for a nice summer day.
The Summer She Went Missing by Chelsea Ichaso
“On the wall, the shadow shifted. It stalked forward, long arms stretching as it overtook the girl, swallowing her whole. A beast, devouring the lamb.”
Sixteen-year-old Paige Redmond spends her summers at the luxurious Clearwater Ridge with her best friend Audrey Covington and Audrey’s older brother, Dylan. Last summer, just as feelings between Paige and Dylan started to heat up, Audrey started behaving erratically, eventually disappearing without a trace in early August. A year later, Audrey is still missing and the case has gone cold, but Paige and Dylan return and discover a hidden cell phone in Audrey’s room. Now that they have a lead, the two of them slowly start uncovering secrets in the community, knowing that they could be the next targets. This book reminds me of my small town, especially with all the summer people who flood in during the warmer months. The mystery of The Summer She Went Missing is fast-paced and interesting, and I highly recommend it!
Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban
“Serial killers don’t start out as one.“
Stanford sophomore Jade Miller embarks on a “Semester at Sea” aboard the luxurious Campus on Board ship, eager to escape her ex-boyfriend Silas and ex-best friend Lainey. Excited to visit eleven countries and start fresh, her hopes are crushed when she sees the two people she most wanted to forget. Still determined to move on and have a good time, she makes new friends, one of them being the mysterious Felix. But things turn deadly when Lainey disappears and her cabin is found covered in blood. Jade is made the prime suspect, but more bodies begin to surface, and clearing her name becomes more difficult by the minute. Lying in the Deep literally had me biting my nails, eyes glued to the page as I read more. Before reading this, I had never encountered such an interesting and unique setting for a thriller, and I’m telling you this is one you don’t want to miss.
The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy
“If you open your door to the Midnight Man, Hide with a candle wherever you can.”
Ellie, Mei, Reece, Toni, Hugo, and Callum meet each other online in a horror forum and decide to meet at an abandoned school to play the Midnight Game. Their goal is to successfully summon the Midnight Man at midnight, survive until 3:33 a.m. without light or sleep, and verify the urban legend. What begins as a thrill turns nightmarish, and the six of them become separated, each having to face horrifying events that may or may not actually be supernatural. I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of the days of YouTube and creepypasta, so if you’re around my age and grew up in that era, you might love it.
Even if you don’t care for Summerween, I would still recommend each of these books for any time of year. I hope that as the makeshift holiday becomes more popular, more authors will begin writing summer slashers, because I might start running out of TBRs soon!
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, and Web
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