Episode 12: Summer Camp
Summary: The sun is out and people are either making out or getting murdered! Today, Holly and Devin dish on books that take place at summer camp. Their key takeaways were that these lighter romances and thrillers are a blast, and the setting creates all kinds of tension - whether creepy tension beside Murder Lake, or sexy tension in the medical tent.
Topics Discussed:
The Heart (3:14): Devin discussed You Have a Match by Emma Lord. This book brings protagonist Abby to a summer camp, confronting not only her crush and best friend Leo, but the biological sister she didn’t know she had until she took a DNA test, Savannah. Her key takeaways were:
The book, told from Abby’s perspective, has a vivid sense of place and the key cast of characters are all well rounded and engaging. Abby, as a photographer and clumsy adventure seeker, is someone we can all rally around.
Beginning with the Big Embarrassing Incident (B.E.I.) that hints at a burgeoning romance with her best friend Leo, the book explores the romantic possibilities, but ultimately that isn’t the main focus of the plot (to Devin’s chagrin).
A surprise biological sister in Savannah turns this book much more into a coming-of-age story, and ultimately Lord perhaps packed too much into a single book to do every plotline justice.
The Dagger (18:55): Holly discussed The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager, a thriller spanning decades that begins with the disappearance of three girls from Camp Nightingale. Protagonist Emma Davis has become a successful artist in New York City in the 15 years since her friends disappeared, but is called back to work as an art teacher by Franny Harris-White, the camp’s owner. Holly’s key takeaways were:
The book centers around a “two truths and a lie” structure, playing into the camp classic to build tension and mistrust for anyone involved in the cold case that Emma just can’t let go of.
Assigned to the same cabin and bunk she occupied when her 3 friends snuck away to evaporate into thin air all those years ago, things quickly turn incredibly creepy and Emma is haunted by the sense she is being watched.
The rich setting and the isolation of a sleep-away camp allow Sager to turn up the intensity quickly on a woman who has processed her trauma as a child via vivid art depicting the girls she was never able to find.
Hot On the Shelf (36:33):
What’s Making Our Hearts Race (42:14):
Devin: Bill Nye’s MasterClass
Holly: The Righteous Gemstones on HBO Max
If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.
