Welcome to Camp Killer by Cynthia Murphy - Review

I heard Cynthia talking about this book at Northern YA Litfest and was intrigued by it, and then I requested it on Netgalley and got approved. So thank you very much to Barrington Stoke for granting me access to this book. I was provided with an electronic copy of this book for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book will be published on 7th September 2023. 

So you know Barrington Stoke books, right? They are made for reluctant readers and dyslexic people; on paper they are made of thick paper which is easier for dyslexic people to read. They are novellas and the ones I've read have been brilliant, so I was excited to get to this one. It is like an old school Goosebumps book, which I loved when I was a tween, so it seemed like my kind of thing. And it was! My only complaint is that it was so short, but of course that's the nature of Barrington Stoke books! 

So Hannah is sixteen and at a new summer camp for kids in the UK. It has been set up by Chad, an American who used to work at those kinds of summer camps in the US. He was there with Hannah's mum, who worked as a camp counsellor, hence why Hannah has been invited to work at the new camp. This is the case for all the new counsellors, including Fionn, Rich, Emma, and Grayson. On the first night, before the younger kids arrive for camp, all the counsellors and Chad are having a campfire when Fionna decides to tell everyone about the history of the house where the camp is located. They tell the story of Dorothea, who built a widow's walk at the top of the house and who looked out for her husband to return to her and who, when he did, ended up dead. Dorothea's ghost is supposed to haunt the house and grounds.

But Hannah doesn't believe that, does she?! But then weird things start happening, and death is around the corner... 

I loved this story - it's perfectly creepy and really well written. I'm giving it five out of five. 

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy - Review

Where did I get it? The library! I walk past the teen section every week when I go to craft club, and often look at the new books. I was the first person to take this out!

What's it about? Liz is in her senior year at an exclusive boarding school called Morton. As far as I can tell, it's just two years, junior and senior, and students do something akin to A levels with a view to going to university. The school runs on scholarships, and kids are picked from sometimes difficult lives to attend the school. Liz is a member of the secret society Jewel and Bone, which means she will meet sponsors and donors and will be able to choose from the top universities. Jewel and Bone has some frankly weird history and also some bizarre rituals. But Liz is thrilled she's in. It means she is a prefect too. 

At the end of last year, though, there was an accident at school and the new head girl, Morgan, drowned in the lake, and Liz sustained a head injury that means she is still having a few health issues. But she's glad to be back at school and glad to meet new boy Cole. Jameela is now head girl, and Liz's friend Taylor's boyfriend Marcus is head boy. The kids all have a party on the roof, and Jameela has an asthma attack, but when she takes her inhaler she collapses and dies. 

Taylor is now head girl, but weird things keep happening, and she's not taking it well. Taylor and Liz's friend Kat starts to wonder what's going on. 

It's got everything you'd want from a boarding school book. Murder! Lies! A secret society! Parties! A cute love story and kissing in the back stairs! I really liked how much FUN it was as a book. I did guess some of the twists, but as usual I think that's partly because I'm an adult and have read a lot of books!

What age range is it for? 15+ 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Kat is bisexual, but it's not a big part of the story

Are any main characters people of colour? Yes, Cole is Chinese and I think some other characters are people of colour, but again, it's not a big part of the story. But I did feel like Morton was a diverse place to be. Plus the headmistress is Indian! 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, Liz has got some residual issues from the lake incident, but they're not mentioned too much

Is there any sex stuff? No 

Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes - not illegal ones but poisons definitely 

Is there any talk of death? Yes, lots, and some of it is graphic 

Are there swear words? No. You may be wondering why I'm sayinf 15+ for this book - it's because of the deaths, which I found quite graphic 

 

What criticisms do I have? Almost none! It's a fun book. I would read something else by Cynthia and am looking forward to seeing her Northern YA Litfest

Would I recommend the book? Yes 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? Well I saw it in the library obviously! 

 

What do I think of the cover? It's cute, I like the listiness of it (totally a word)

 

What other books is it like? Well, I don't think it's unfair to compare it to the STAGS books by M A Bennett, although this one begins with the main characters on the 'inside', which I liked 

How many stars? Four out of five 

 

Where is the book going now? Back to the library when I'm next going!