Camp Scare by Delilah S. Dawson

 Spooky stories are really not my thing, but something about Leila's description of this book at Bookshelves of Doom grabbed my attention. It's been on my shelf for a while, and then I tackled it in one of my periodical clearing-of-the-shelves reading sprees. Generally, in these I skim 80% of the books and then a couple will grab me and I'll go back and read them from beginning to end and this was one of those books.

The story starts with Parker having a miserable, humiliating experience at new girl Cassie's house - she thought she had a chance at being friends with her, if she just didn't blurt out too many weird facts or do whatever mysterious thing it is that keeps her from making friends. But it turns out that it was all a mean joke and now there are pictures online. School is hell and the adults' vague platitudes are useless. She's got another chance - she thinks - when the school gives her a scholarship to a famous overnight camp (mostly so her parents' won't sue them). When she arrives, it turns out Cassie is in her cabin. Not only that, Cassie is a "legacy" who's known everyone there since she was a kid. Once again, Parker is the odd kid out and she barely has time to say hello to the other kids when Cassie starts spreading rumors.

The only reason Parker sticks it out is that she's made one friend - Jenny - who is willing to hang out with her, albeit at weird times. But then "accidents" start happening to the bullies in Parker's cabin and she begins to realize that Jenny isn't what she seems to be.

Of course, there are lots of things to think about here in the themes of bullying, cliques, and well-meaning but useless adults. Leila makes some really good points about Parker's feelings of helplessness and lack of control as well. Mostly, however, this is a really creepy ghost story and what makes it perfectly middle grade is the satisfying ending. Even though horrible things happened to "Jenny" and Parker has been completely miserable, there's hope for both of them to move on and find some peace. Parker makes difficult choices about how she will respond to the bullies, especially when she has no adults to support or help her, and it's a measure of her growing maturity that she realizes the adults who control her life are flawed people who can't - or won't - fix things.

Verdict: A fast-paced and dramatic story of ghosts, bullies, and revenge. Hand this one to readers who like a good summer camp scare and will maybe stop and think a little about the results of their own actions as well.

ISBN: 9780593373262; Hardcover at $9.51 on Baker & Taylor

Published 2022 by Delacorte; Purchased hardcover on a discount site