11. Camp Creepy

Camp Creepy. (Sinister Summer Series #3) Kiersten White. 2023 [January] 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: When Alexander emerged from the lake, not at all upset about how many microbes and bacteria and brain-eating amoeba he might have let in through his nose and mouth, he grabbed a tie-dyed shirt. That was another weird thing. Not only was he not wearing swim-goggles--he usually refused to put his head underwater without swim goggles--but also Alexander never swam without a shirt. He was too worried about sunburns and skin cancer. He used the shirt to wipe off his face before dropping it on the ground instead of folding it and setting it carefully on a rock so it wouldn't get dirty.

Premise/plot: Theo, Alexander, and Wil are back for their third adventure. Their parents are still missing. Their aunt has dropped them off at summer camp--well close to summer camp--before vanishing quickly and mysteriously. They've had two misadventures this summer already. They are prepared (as much as they can be) to face danger, danger, and more danger. But this summer camp isn't what they expected it to be at all. In some ways it's passive-passive-passive-passive-aggressive approach is even more dangerous. 

Can Theo, Alexander, Wil (and Edgar and Quincy) survive summer camp?

My thoughts: I really enjoyed the first book in the series. The second book in the series was a little more slippery. I found it confusing in places. I maintained a grasp on the plot and characters, but my comprehension was not 100%. Picking up the third one, well, I'm not sure I had everything I needed to fully understand/grasp/comprehend. It's like when you miss a few scenes from a movie because you took a much-needed bathroom break.

But I did like it more than the second book. I really do have a fondness for these characters--especially Alexander and Theo.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

119. Daybreak on Raven Island

Daybreak on Raven Island. Fleur T. Bradley. 2022. [January] 256 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Raven Island was a forgotten place. Sure, you could see the massive rock from the Pacific coast. On a clearer day, you may get a glimpse of the prison, or the empty dock that used to welcome boats and ferries. You could even see the lighthouse, once proud and bright but now extinguished. Forgotten. The ravens were perfectly fine with this situation.

Premise/plot: Seventh grade field trip gone horribly wrong--this is the premise of Fleur T. Bradley's Daybreak on Raven Island. This action thriller OR mystery/suspense novel--for middle graders--is narrated by three seventh graders: Tori, Marvin, and Noah. These three were not friends before the field trip, but the good old "buddy system" assignments has brought them together (ultimately to be terrified). So the seventh grade class is visiting an old (long, abandoned) prison thought to be haunted. This will be the first time any outsider has visited the island in decades. But on this special occasion, a seventh grade class and a film crew (for a ghost-hunting show) are on the island. Some hoping to avoid ghosts; some hoping to see ghosts. For three students (and the film crew) the adventure awaits at night... 

Tori, Marvin, and Noah miss the ferry back home and have to remain on the island overnight....where danger awaits.

My thoughts: This isn't my typical kind of read, but, I do occasionally push myself to read outside my normal comfort zone. This one offers mystery, suspense, action, adventure...and plenty of secrets. I do think this one has plenty of appeal to the thrill-seeking kid. It offers a bit of spookiness with just the tiniest dose of didactic "nutrition." I am not saying that to be mean, I'm not. A book about a prison is certainly an opportunity to talk about the justice system--past and present. 

Without a doubt this one is premise driven and not character driven. If the premise sounds good to you, likely you'll enjoy it. 

 

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews