Book Review: The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

There isn’t much that Claire hasn’t spent hours overthinking, from her lost friendships to mental health struggles. It’s not easy being so in tune to the world and ways simple things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. So when her parents think it’s a great idea for her to go to a summer camp in an isolated part of Maine, a place called The Lake House, she’s not entirely convinced it’s everything wonderful they preach it’ll be. But they went there as kids, she reminds herself. Plus, as one of three fellow late arrivals, she begins a slow bond with two other girls, Reyva and Mariana, even though she’s sure they won’t be long term friends—after all, in her life, not many stick around when they get to know the real her.

But when the girls hop off the boat—driven by a local boy, Jack, on a ride that takes some time as the location is quite off the grid—they are startled to find the Lake House burned down. Not only that, but a dead body in the woods. Now they don’t just have to worry about no food or drink, and no shelter, but the risk that there’s someone dangerous lurking. Only, the more the three girls bound to one another in hopes of staying alive and getting back to safety, the more it becomes obvious that it’s merely wishful thinking. The evil they presumed was clean-cut turns a darker shade of haunting. Not only does this darkness want them to perish, but it’s far more heinous than they give it credit for. And when it becomes clear that the only way for the budding friends to survive and get back home to their equally messy lives is to trap it once and for all, the more it seems some villains will be there, whether we like it or not, all along.

Overall, The Lake House was unlike any book I’ve ever read before. I know that’s a cliche, but it’s true. What started as a middle of the night read quickly became obvious that it could feel a lot safer to read in the daylight. I had goosebumps, my heart racing as the mystery unfolded. Claire, Reyva and Mariana were these equally engrossing characters that turned from strangers to tight friends that had so much mutual respect, love and affection for each other. The girls helped Claire realise her “flaws” about overthinking were not sentences to be unfriended by, and seeing her come out the other side of that thought pattern was really beautiful. But the story itself, well, that was far from pretty—it was chilling, gritty, and downright terrifying in parts. I was on the literal edge of my seat at times. The twists came out of nowhere in the best ways possible. I will be recommending this book to all my thriller loving friends ASAP. Five stars wholly. Read it, read it, read it.