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Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon #1
The Girl in the Lake
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
15 days and 03:28:07
100 copies available
U.S. only
A young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery in a haunting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver.
Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl’s alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.
Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate’s friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again―presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley’s memories of her “other life” are ones that could only belong to Becca.
For Kate, Henley’s recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley’s uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets―each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake.
Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl’s alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.
Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate’s friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again―presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley’s memories of her “other life” are ones that could only belong to Becca.
For Kate, Henley’s recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley’s uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets―each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2026
About the author
Lauren Oliver
68 books118k followersLauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (June 1, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
May 13, 2026
Reincarnation stories are catnip for me, and this one had me from the first ripple: a haunted New England lake, a local legend of a gray lady, a vanished teenage girl, and a six-year-old who might be carrying someone else’s memories. I’ve read Lauren Oliver before (and even sought out the screen adaptations), so I came in excited—and this premise sealed it.
The novel follows Kate Willis, a consultant with UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, sent to evaluate Henley Haskell, a child describing a “past life” that lines up—unsettlingly—with the disappearance of Kate’s own camp friend, Becca, twenty-four years ago at Lake Sauquamet. As Kate toggles between clinical skepticism and the ache of old grief, Oliver layers present-day investigation with summer-camp flashbacks, and the effect is deliciously eerie: damp docks at twilight, a legend that won’t die, and children who see what adults refuse to name. Henley’s nightmares and drawings carry an uncanny charge, and Kate’s return to Stockbridge unspools a tangle of secrets that feel both intimate and inevitable.
What worked best for me is the atmosphere—Oliver nails that specific New England ghostliness where fog feels like a memory pressing back. The structure hums: short, propulsive chapters; a steady drip of clues; and a moral tension I love in paranormal mysteries—how do you separate belief from wish, and which one is more dangerous? Thematically, it’s rich: grief as an unfinished conversation, the ethics of testing a child’s story, and the question of whether a “past life” can be a map out of the present.
Why not higher than 3.5? A few craft choices held me back. The middle stretch circles some beats (interviews, intel drops) that blunt the momentum, and the final explanations click into place a bit too neatly for a story that otherwise thrives on ambiguity. I also wanted deeper shading for some adults orbiting Kate and Henley; when the core premise is this strong, the supporting cast needs to meet it halfway. Still, the pages turned themselves—and I kept the lights on.
Bottom line: a moody, compulsively readable blend of psychological and paranormal suspense with a premise I couldn’t resist. If the idea of a haunted lake, a gray-lady legend, and a child who might be the echo of a girl long gone makes your spine tingle, you’ll swim through this in a night.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this intriguing paranormal thriller’s digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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The novel follows Kate Willis, a consultant with UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, sent to evaluate Henley Haskell, a child describing a “past life” that lines up—unsettlingly—with the disappearance of Kate’s own camp friend, Becca, twenty-four years ago at Lake Sauquamet. As Kate toggles between clinical skepticism and the ache of old grief, Oliver layers present-day investigation with summer-camp flashbacks, and the effect is deliciously eerie: damp docks at twilight, a legend that won’t die, and children who see what adults refuse to name. Henley’s nightmares and drawings carry an uncanny charge, and Kate’s return to Stockbridge unspools a tangle of secrets that feel both intimate and inevitable.
What worked best for me is the atmosphere—Oliver nails that specific New England ghostliness where fog feels like a memory pressing back. The structure hums: short, propulsive chapters; a steady drip of clues; and a moral tension I love in paranormal mysteries—how do you separate belief from wish, and which one is more dangerous? Thematically, it’s rich: grief as an unfinished conversation, the ethics of testing a child’s story, and the question of whether a “past life” can be a map out of the present.
Why not higher than 3.5? A few craft choices held me back. The middle stretch circles some beats (interviews, intel drops) that blunt the momentum, and the final explanations click into place a bit too neatly for a story that otherwise thrives on ambiguity. I also wanted deeper shading for some adults orbiting Kate and Henley; when the core premise is this strong, the supporting cast needs to meet it halfway. Still, the pages turned themselves—and I kept the lights on.
Bottom line: a moody, compulsively readable blend of psychological and paranormal suspense with a premise I couldn’t resist. If the idea of a haunted lake, a gray-lady legend, and a child who might be the echo of a girl long gone makes your spine tingle, you’ll swim through this in a night.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this intriguing paranormal thriller’s digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
April 13, 2026
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an eARC to read and review before publishing.
Is The Girl in the Lake my new favorite paranormal/supernatural thriller? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Lauren Oliver has written a banger of a book with the perfect balance of the exploration of psychology, logical reasoning, and supernatural suspense. Like our main character, Kate, I tend to look for what is rooted in the science of our known world when faced with the unknown. However, through her engaging storytelling Lauren was able to make me suspend my beliefs and wonder if maybe, just maybe, there are situations or encounters that don't have scientific/logical explanations. And to me, that is the power of The Girl in the Lake.
If you are a fan of Yellowjackets, True Detective, The Outsider, or any of Lauren Oliver's other books and television projects, then I HIGHLY recommend you read The Girl in the Lake.
4.5 stars
Is The Girl in the Lake my new favorite paranormal/supernatural thriller? Why, yes. Yes, it is.
Lauren Oliver has written a banger of a book with the perfect balance of the exploration of psychology, logical reasoning, and supernatural suspense. Like our main character, Kate, I tend to look for what is rooted in the science of our known world when faced with the unknown. However, through her engaging storytelling Lauren was able to make me suspend my beliefs and wonder if maybe, just maybe, there are situations or encounters that don't have scientific/logical explanations. And to me, that is the power of The Girl in the Lake.
If you are a fan of Yellowjackets, True Detective, The Outsider, or any of Lauren Oliver's other books and television projects, then I HIGHLY recommend you read The Girl in the Lake.
4.5 stars
June 5, 2026
I enjoyed this book overall, particularly its atmospheric setting, paranormal elements, and the mystery at the center of the story. The pacing was strong, and I found myself eager to keep reading to uncover the truth. Kate was also more complex than I expected, which made her perspective engaging to follow.
Speaking of Kate, I sometimes struggled with her characterization. There were times she didn’t feel fully aligned with someone with her level of education and professional background, which pulled me out of the story a bit. I found myself wishing her intelligence and expertise had been portrayed more consistently throughout.
My other main issue was that I would have preferred a bit less ambiguity by the end. While I understand open-ended conclusions can be intentional, I personally wanted more clarity and resolution for the central mystery.
I also felt that certain characters and storylines had more potential than was ultimately explored. There were a few moments where I wanted to spend more time digging into particular perspectives and motivations, but the story moved on instead.
Anyway, I was invested throughout and appreciated how the mystery unfolded even if some of the biggest moments didn’t have the impact on me that I was hoping for. I’m still glad I chose this as my Amazon First Reads book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Speaking of Kate, I sometimes struggled with her characterization. There were times she didn’t feel fully aligned with someone with her level of education and professional background, which pulled me out of the story a bit. I found myself wishing her intelligence and expertise had been portrayed more consistently throughout.
My other main issue was that I would have preferred a bit less ambiguity by the end. While I understand open-ended conclusions can be intentional, I personally wanted more clarity and resolution for the central mystery.
I also felt that certain characters and storylines had more potential than was ultimately explored. There were a few moments where I wanted to spend more time digging into particular perspectives and motivations, but the story moved on instead.
Anyway, I was invested throughout and appreciated how the mystery unfolded even if some of the biggest moments didn’t have the impact on me that I was hoping for. I’m still glad I chose this as my Amazon First Reads book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
January 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this novel.
You need to read this, trust me. Such a fast paced, engaging, atmospheric thriller with an interesting twist. I loved the investigation aspect and the way the story played out in dual timelines. If you love being on the edge of your seat as you read a thriller, this is for you.
You need to read this, trust me. Such a fast paced, engaging, atmospheric thriller with an interesting twist. I loved the investigation aspect and the way the story played out in dual timelines. If you love being on the edge of your seat as you read a thriller, this is for you.
May 6, 2026
This wasn’t even on my radar. My first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be looking for more. This was my Amazon First Reads pick this month - and y’all. If you haven’t picked one yet, pick this one!
Kate and Becca were best friends until one summer, Becca vanished from summer camp. Assumed drowned, everyone has moved on. Now, Kate is a psychologist interviewing a six year old girl who says she remembers a past life - Becca’s life.
The cases of children involving reincarnation have always fascinated me. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I got really excited and downloaded it right away. If you liked Riley Sager’s “The Last Time I Lied”, this book gives similar vibes. Dual timelines as we jump back and forth between friends at summer camp and present day. Paranormal tones. Lots of back and forth and whodunnit suspense.
The gore was kept to a minimum. No spice. Pacing was a little slow in the beginning, really ramping up towards the end. It read like a movie 🍿 It got a little repetitive in some places, but I think it just helped to build that suspense and questioning. The medical jargon was a bit… smarter-than-thou from time to time, but that was my only real complaint. For that I should probably rate this one 4.5-4.75, but I had such a good time reading it, I just don’t care.
So like I said, if you haven’t grabbed your Amazon First Reads book this month, you can get this one. Or buy it next month when it’s officially released.
Kate and Becca were best friends until one summer, Becca vanished from summer camp. Assumed drowned, everyone has moved on. Now, Kate is a psychologist interviewing a six year old girl who says she remembers a past life - Becca’s life.
The cases of children involving reincarnation have always fascinated me. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I got really excited and downloaded it right away. If you liked Riley Sager’s “The Last Time I Lied”, this book gives similar vibes. Dual timelines as we jump back and forth between friends at summer camp and present day. Paranormal tones. Lots of back and forth and whodunnit suspense.
The gore was kept to a minimum. No spice. Pacing was a little slow in the beginning, really ramping up towards the end. It read like a movie 🍿 It got a little repetitive in some places, but I think it just helped to build that suspense and questioning. The medical jargon was a bit… smarter-than-thou from time to time, but that was my only real complaint. For that I should probably rate this one 4.5-4.75, but I had such a good time reading it, I just don’t care.
So like I said, if you haven’t grabbed your Amazon First Reads book this month, you can get this one. Or buy it next month when it’s officially released.
October 13, 2025
This was such a haunting, eerie read that totally pulled me in. I loved the mix of psychological suspense and the whole past-life angle—it made the mystery feel so unique. The setting by the lake added to the creepy vibe, and I was hooked trying to figure out what really happened to Becca.
Kate was such an interesting main character, and Henley’s parts honestly gave me chills. It slowed down a bit in the middle, but the ending definitely made up for it. Overall, it was a chilling, emotional story that kept me on edge the whole time.
Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for this arc!
Kate was such an interesting main character, and Henley’s parts honestly gave me chills. It slowed down a bit in the middle, but the ending definitely made up for it. Overall, it was a chilling, emotional story that kept me on edge the whole time.
Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer for this arc!
October 16, 2025
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My Vibe Check
* My emotional state while reading: 🥱🤔🍿🙄
* If this book were a snack, it'd be... a tofu burger posing as a hamburger.
The Good Stuff
1. Vivid descriptions. You can easily imagine the setting.
2. Mental disorders and resurrections are two of my favorite subjects. This book has both. It feels like a treat. 🍬
3. Ghost and mysterious deaths add more to the intrigue.
4. Camp nostalgia.
5. Struggling between the truth and self-preservation. 🩶 morally grey.
Things That Made Me Go Meh
1. This is just a personal preference, but I don’t like lush writing. I don’t like metaphors in prose. The first chapter irked me so much with its attention to the trees that I almost DNFed. It was so hard to settle into.
2. I feel like the delivery didn’t do the story enough justice. The story is very interesting, but the writing not so.
3. The walls of text are putting me off. I feel like only old books should be like this, since readers then had longer attention spans. I like my paragraphs digestible. And I can’t even adjust this on my Kindle to put spaces after paragraphs to give my eyes rest.
4. The camp girls remind me of Pretty Little Liars girls for some reason.
5. The Gray Lady aesthetic was giving Viola Lloyd (The Haunting of Bly Manor). Also, her tale/legend is somewhat lame.
6. A typo in Chapter 14. “Becca looked at her sideways”. Should’ve been Emily.
7. In the end, it’s just 40 chapters of whodunnit. And I’m pretty underwhelmed because the breadcrumbs weren’t breadcrumbing.
My Overall Thoughts
* Would I recommend this book? Well, I wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it. But I’m personally not obsessed, which is sad because I wanted to be.
* Who should read this? Whodunnit fans.
* My super-scientific rating: 3.5. Solid read, but I’m not obsessed.
—MAJOR SPOILERS START HERE.—
The Gist (or else I’ll forget)
The story opens with a flashback: fourteen-year-old Becca and thirteen-year-old Kate promise to be best friends forever.
Twenty-six years later, Kate—now a divorced psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies—drives back to Massachusetts to interview a child named Henley, who claims to remember a past life.
On her way, Kate stops for coffee and notices an ad from an old camp friend, Mari. The ad stirs memories of the summer they spent together nearby as kids.
At the Haskells’ home, Henley’s mother, Emily, shows Kate her daughter’s drawings before Kate meets the child herself. Henley recoils at the sight of her, refusing to engage.
Seeking closure, Kate visits the site of their old camp but can’t make herself go in. Instead, she reconnects with Mari. Their reunion quickly turns tense as talk of Becca’s death resurfaces. Through Kate’s recollections, we see that Becca, once her best friend, was manipulative and cruel. Kate storms out, furious that Mari seems to have forgotten their shared guilt in Becca’s death.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate studies Henley’s drawings. One depicts a yellow house resembling Becca’s grandparents’ home; another shows an underwater graveyard, reminiscent of Fair Isle—the legendary island at the center of the “Gray Lady” ghost stories. The final drawing unsettles Kate so deeply that she decides to visit the lake again. There, she meets a kind stranger named Matt.
That night, Kate dreams of Becca, recalling how she, Becca, Mari, and Lennie once planned to visit Fair Isle to find the Gray Lady.
When Kate meets Henley again, the girl suddenly claims that her name used to be Becca.
A flashback shows the night young Kate and Becca saw the eerie, grinning face of the Gray Lady.
Disturbed, Kate visits Becca’s old house, then confronts Emily, who insists she never knew Becca. Emily adds that Henley has said she’s met Kate before—and that Kate was there the night she went to the graveyard and never came back.
Haunted, Kate researches Becca’s case online and contacts Becca’s mother, who confirms that many of Henley’s “memories” are frighteningly accurate.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate reads Emily’s notes and recalls the night she, Mari, and Lennie left Becca trapped and screaming.
The next day, Kate borrows an old camp yearbook from Mari and shows it to Henley. The girl recognizes herself as Becca and reveals she didn’t drown—Kate locked her in a dark place, and the Gray Lady took her.
In flashback, we see how Becca’s cruelty drove her friends to the breaking point.
Still skeptical, Kate suspects Mari has somehow planted the idea in Henley’s mind. She convinces Mari to meet at the old camp, where we find out what happened. Becca had bullied Mari into entering the mausoleum. Mari snapped and pushed Becca inside; Kate and Lennie locked the door. When they returned, Becca was dead. They put her body in a canoe and sank it in the lake. But her body was never found.
Later, Kate learns from Jenny Lin—another former camp counselor—that three canoes were missing from the boathouse that night, though the girls only used two. Meanwhile, she discovers Matt is actually a lieutenant who has reopened Becca’s case.
Kate visits Henley, who identifies who were there that night—Mari, Lennie, and Natalie, Becca’s enemy. Kate tracks down Natalie, who confesses she tried to scare the girls by posing as the Gray Lady. But Becca already knew and wanted to use Natalie to frighten her friends. Natalie never killed Becca; she only felt guilty, realizing she had been mistaken for the Gray Lady that night.
Kate consults Martin, a local historian, who connects the Gray Lady legend to past mysterious deaths on Fair Isle—including that of a boy whose body resembled Becca’s in death.
Soon after, Henley attacks a playmate, disturbing Emily, who cuts ties with Kate and the DOPS.
Kate’s memories resurface: the frantic search for Becca, the guilt, and Cameron—the camp boy who once comforted her. Investigating further, she discovers a link between Cameron and someone we’ll call “Fireball whiskey boy”.
When Kate confesses her involvement to Matt, he advises her not to leave the country. Back in Virginia, she consults a toxicologist friend, learning about sodium nitrate poisoning—a possible cause of Becca’s death.
Emily calls again: Henley has received a note reading, “Remember we had an agreement.” Meanwhile, the “Fireball whiskey boy” is identified as the real Cameron, proving the camp’s Cameron was an impostor.
Kate realizes Mari keeps a Becca shrine containing the same lighter described in the case. Visiting Mari’s house, she meets Mari’s son, who reveals he had babysat Henley and told her the Fair Isle story—explaining part of Henley’s knowledge.
Mari and Kate piece together the truth: the fake Cameron—actually Gregory Owens’ stepbrother Richie—killed the real Cameron, assumed his identity, and murdered Becca because she knew him and used it for leverage.
When Richie kidnaps Henley, Kate tracks them down. The confrontation ends in supernatural chaos: the Gray Lady appears, saving Kate and Henley—perhaps with Becca’s help.
My Vibe Check
* My emotional state while reading: 🥱🤔🍿🙄
* If this book were a snack, it'd be... a tofu burger posing as a hamburger.
The Good Stuff
1. Vivid descriptions. You can easily imagine the setting.
2. Mental disorders and resurrections are two of my favorite subjects. This book has both. It feels like a treat. 🍬
3. Ghost and mysterious deaths add more to the intrigue.
4. Camp nostalgia.
5. Struggling between the truth and self-preservation. 🩶 morally grey.
Things That Made Me Go Meh
1. This is just a personal preference, but I don’t like lush writing. I don’t like metaphors in prose. The first chapter irked me so much with its attention to the trees that I almost DNFed. It was so hard to settle into.
2. I feel like the delivery didn’t do the story enough justice. The story is very interesting, but the writing not so.
3. The walls of text are putting me off. I feel like only old books should be like this, since readers then had longer attention spans. I like my paragraphs digestible. And I can’t even adjust this on my Kindle to put spaces after paragraphs to give my eyes rest.
4. The camp girls remind me of Pretty Little Liars girls for some reason.
5. The Gray Lady aesthetic was giving Viola Lloyd (The Haunting of Bly Manor). Also, her tale/legend is somewhat lame.
6. A typo in Chapter 14. “Becca looked at her sideways”. Should’ve been Emily.
7. In the end, it’s just 40 chapters of whodunnit. And I’m pretty underwhelmed because the breadcrumbs weren’t breadcrumbing.
My Overall Thoughts
* Would I recommend this book? Well, I wouldn’t stop anyone from reading it. But I’m personally not obsessed, which is sad because I wanted to be.
* Who should read this? Whodunnit fans.
* My super-scientific rating: 3.5. Solid read, but I’m not obsessed.
—MAJOR SPOILERS START HERE.—
The Gist (or else I’ll forget)
The story opens with a flashback: fourteen-year-old Becca and thirteen-year-old Kate promise to be best friends forever.
Twenty-six years later, Kate—now a divorced psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies—drives back to Massachusetts to interview a child named Henley, who claims to remember a past life.
On her way, Kate stops for coffee and notices an ad from an old camp friend, Mari. The ad stirs memories of the summer they spent together nearby as kids.
At the Haskells’ home, Henley’s mother, Emily, shows Kate her daughter’s drawings before Kate meets the child herself. Henley recoils at the sight of her, refusing to engage.
Seeking closure, Kate visits the site of their old camp but can’t make herself go in. Instead, she reconnects with Mari. Their reunion quickly turns tense as talk of Becca’s death resurfaces. Through Kate’s recollections, we see that Becca, once her best friend, was manipulative and cruel. Kate storms out, furious that Mari seems to have forgotten their shared guilt in Becca’s death.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate studies Henley’s drawings. One depicts a yellow house resembling Becca’s grandparents’ home; another shows an underwater graveyard, reminiscent of Fair Isle—the legendary island at the center of the “Gray Lady” ghost stories. The final drawing unsettles Kate so deeply that she decides to visit the lake again. There, she meets a kind stranger named Matt.
That night, Kate dreams of Becca, recalling how she, Becca, Mari, and Lennie once planned to visit Fair Isle to find the Gray Lady.
When Kate meets Henley again, the girl suddenly claims that her name used to be Becca.
A flashback shows the night young Kate and Becca saw the eerie, grinning face of the Gray Lady.
Disturbed, Kate visits Becca’s old house, then confronts Emily, who insists she never knew Becca. Emily adds that Henley has said she’s met Kate before—and that Kate was there the night she went to the graveyard and never came back.
Haunted, Kate researches Becca’s case online and contacts Becca’s mother, who confirms that many of Henley’s “memories” are frighteningly accurate.
Back at her Airbnb, Kate reads Emily’s notes and recalls the night she, Mari, and Lennie left Becca trapped and screaming.
The next day, Kate borrows an old camp yearbook from Mari and shows it to Henley. The girl recognizes herself as Becca and reveals she didn’t drown—Kate locked her in a dark place, and the Gray Lady took her.
In flashback, we see how Becca’s cruelty drove her friends to the breaking point.
Still skeptical, Kate suspects Mari has somehow planted the idea in Henley’s mind. She convinces Mari to meet at the old camp, where we find out what happened. Becca had bullied Mari into entering the mausoleum. Mari snapped and pushed Becca inside; Kate and Lennie locked the door. When they returned, Becca was dead. They put her body in a canoe and sank it in the lake. But her body was never found.
Later, Kate learns from Jenny Lin—another former camp counselor—that three canoes were missing from the boathouse that night, though the girls only used two. Meanwhile, she discovers Matt is actually a lieutenant who has reopened Becca’s case.
Kate visits Henley, who identifies who were there that night—Mari, Lennie, and Natalie, Becca’s enemy. Kate tracks down Natalie, who confesses she tried to scare the girls by posing as the Gray Lady. But Becca already knew and wanted to use Natalie to frighten her friends. Natalie never killed Becca; she only felt guilty, realizing she had been mistaken for the Gray Lady that night.
Kate consults Martin, a local historian, who connects the Gray Lady legend to past mysterious deaths on Fair Isle—including that of a boy whose body resembled Becca’s in death.
Soon after, Henley attacks a playmate, disturbing Emily, who cuts ties with Kate and the DOPS.
Kate’s memories resurface: the frantic search for Becca, the guilt, and Cameron—the camp boy who once comforted her. Investigating further, she discovers a link between Cameron and someone we’ll call “Fireball whiskey boy”.
When Kate confesses her involvement to Matt, he advises her not to leave the country. Back in Virginia, she consults a toxicologist friend, learning about sodium nitrate poisoning—a possible cause of Becca’s death.
Emily calls again: Henley has received a note reading, “Remember we had an agreement.” Meanwhile, the “Fireball whiskey boy” is identified as the real Cameron, proving the camp’s Cameron was an impostor.
Kate realizes Mari keeps a Becca shrine containing the same lighter described in the case. Visiting Mari’s house, she meets Mari’s son, who reveals he had babysat Henley and told her the Fair Isle story—explaining part of Henley’s knowledge.
Mari and Kate piece together the truth: the fake Cameron—actually Gregory Owens’ stepbrother Richie—killed the real Cameron, assumed his identity, and murdered Becca because she knew him and used it for leverage.
When Richie kidnaps Henley, Kate tracks them down. The confrontation ends in supernatural chaos: the Gray Lady appears, saving Kate and Henley—perhaps with Becca’s help.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2026
Kate is back in Maine.
26 years ago she spent her summer in a camp there - for the last time - at 14 years old. Becca - one of her best camp friends disappeared that year.
Kate became a psychiatrist and she's now being called in for a case close to the old camp.
A little girl seems to remember a life she lived before. And the more Kate talks to six year old Henley and the more research she does about the old camp case... could Henley be talking about Becca? Kate doesn't believe in 'those kinds of things'. What is happening? READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
I really enjoyed reading this. I'm just like Kate - I do not believe in anything supernatural.
This was a really great suspensy mystery with a great mood. Kind of sad and heartbreaking.
What should be amazing memories of childhood summers spent at that camp are forever bad memories now for Kate. And now she's back and it all connects back to that last summer. But how?
I loved reading it.
And I can already see the TV show! Gimme!
Can't wait to see what will happen in book #2 - Kate already got a phone call from a lawyer for a new case!
If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!
💜
💜
October 25, 2025
The perfect read for a stormy night like this one.
What a story! It was “I Know What You Did Last Summer” meets “Pretty Little Liars” meets the paranormal. And it did not disappoint!
The story follows Kate, a psychologist, studying a little girl who claims to have memories of someone else’s life…someone who is no longer alive and hasn’t been for decades. Someone who Kate is connected to in a big way. Kate gets thrown into her past that she has long run from for the sake of facing and discovering the truth.
I didn’t start figuring out the mystery until the latter part of the book, which meant this was a wild ride and such a good book for me! I’m stoked to read more in this series and this author because she knew how to write the eerie vibes and draw you into a haunting story.
Highly recommend if you enjoy mystery with a touch of the unexplainable.
Thank you to the author and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
What a story! It was “I Know What You Did Last Summer” meets “Pretty Little Liars” meets the paranormal. And it did not disappoint!
The story follows Kate, a psychologist, studying a little girl who claims to have memories of someone else’s life…someone who is no longer alive and hasn’t been for decades. Someone who Kate is connected to in a big way. Kate gets thrown into her past that she has long run from for the sake of facing and discovering the truth.
I didn’t start figuring out the mystery until the latter part of the book, which meant this was a wild ride and such a good book for me! I’m stoked to read more in this series and this author because she knew how to write the eerie vibes and draw you into a haunting story.
Highly recommend if you enjoy mystery with a touch of the unexplainable.
Thank you to the author and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
November 26, 2025
The setting of the lake and camp was very chilling. The ghost of the lake was also scary and I like how well it mixed in with Becca’s situation. I really enjoyed the constant POV switch between past and present.
Even though the past life story line was what drew me in I was skeptical of Henley’s portrayal of her supposed past life. I had predicted the outcome of the situation with Henley early on in the story but it was still so interesting to see Kate trying to fix a mistake she deeply regrets. It gets emotional during the moments of Kate’s grief. The lack of police help made me believe that this story was heading in a different direction. The culprit of who was killed Becca was also predictable.
I disliked how some things were over explained. Especially the things that didn’t need an explanation for. Still liked the story though!
I loved this authors other book Before I Fall.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Even though the past life story line was what drew me in I was skeptical of Henley’s portrayal of her supposed past life. I had predicted the outcome of the situation with Henley early on in the story but it was still so interesting to see Kate trying to fix a mistake she deeply regrets. It gets emotional during the moments of Kate’s grief. The lack of police help made me believe that this story was heading in a different direction. The culprit of who was killed Becca was also predictable.
I disliked how some things were over explained. Especially the things that didn’t need an explanation for. Still liked the story though!
I loved this authors other book Before I Fall.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2026
Ooo I loved this one! Easy book to read but also not a predictable mystery, had me wondering what happens next!
Want to Read
September 14, 2025The synopsis gave me chills & if Lauren Oliver is pouring, I am bringing my biggest mug
June 6, 2026
an actually well written thriller, believable shit and 2nd book incoming 👀
June 6, 2026
Well written, creepy, intriguing mystery. Could have been a bit shorter.
May 30, 2026
This was really promising at first. Eerie legend, mysteries death, possibly reincarnation. But it quickly became so repetitive. We would be told what happened at camp and then have a chapter from the past rehashing what we were already told. It should have been one or the other. By 60% I just kept thinking "get on with it already!"
It was interesting how it all connected and would have been more exciting if it was tightened up and not so repetitive
It was interesting how it all connected and would have been more exciting if it was tightened up and not so repetitive
April 4, 2026
Unbelievable!!!!!!!!! I cannot sing enough praises for this book. Lauren Oliver’s young adult reads have stuck with me for over a DECADE in how strong their impact was, so I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to be an advanced reader for The Girl in the Lake. With how spectacular this read was, I can only guess that she’s going to become a favorite author of mine as I dive deeper into her back catalogue. Absolutely everything about this read soars from the chilling, atmospheric, and too real environment of the old summer camp by the lake, to the LIMITLESS cast of characters keeping readers absolutely engrossed and on the edge of their seats. Truly, this cast and community were so spectacularly woven and intricately painted that each new introduction opened a whole new world of possibilities. Never once did it become obvious what would happen next, repetitive, or less thrilling as you make your way through this tangled web of connections. This was truly such a joy to read, and I’ll be first on the next release in the series. This will be a HEAVY summer recommend for me, and I can’t wait to share Oliver’s work with my library community, both young and old.
November 1, 2025
⭐️3.0 🌶️0.0
✨Thank you to NetGalley and Lauren’s team for this ARC✨
Ok so this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. I’m not a big fan of the narrative style but I was HOOKED. There were so many twists and turns - I couldn’t figure out how the story would end. Some parts didn’t feel right to me, like I’m still kind of confused on Mari’s whole deal.
All in all, I’m glad I was approved for this ARC. It was a great read for a cold raining week. I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to get into the mystery genre.
✨Thank you to NetGalley and Lauren’s team for this ARC✨
Ok so this book was definitely out of my comfort zone. I’m not a big fan of the narrative style but I was HOOKED. There were so many twists and turns - I couldn’t figure out how the story would end. Some parts didn’t feel right to me, like I’m still kind of confused on Mari’s whole deal.
All in all, I’m glad I was approved for this ARC. It was a great read for a cold raining week. I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to get into the mystery genre.
October 8, 2025
4.25
setting: Massachusetts
Rep: n/a
This was a really solid mystery and a great start to a new series. I love this kind of setup, where the protagonist isn't in law enforcement but part of a relevant field that helps them solve a mystery - in this case, Kate works for a university's department of unexplained phenomena, dealing with children who claim to be reincarnated. the story kept me engaged and I enjoyed the multiple mysteries aspect, and I will certainly continue this series!
setting: Massachusetts
Rep: n/a
This was a really solid mystery and a great start to a new series. I love this kind of setup, where the protagonist isn't in law enforcement but part of a relevant field that helps them solve a mystery - in this case, Kate works for a university's department of unexplained phenomena, dealing with children who claim to be reincarnated. the story kept me engaged and I enjoyed the multiple mysteries aspect, and I will certainly continue this series!
March 4, 2026
I really loved this twisty, atmospheric mystery that constantly had me questioning whether the ghost was real, a ruse, or something in between. Really loved the back-and-forth perspectives between the present and the past, and although all the clues were cleverly laid out, the ending still managed to surprise me. Very much a "just one more chapter" book that keeps the pages turning until all of a sudden it's two in the morning and you've accidentally finished the whole thing.
October 20, 2025
A tense thriller with an explosive ending. One of the fastest page turners as you are desperate to find out what will happen next. I love books with quirky characters and this has plenty. Add to that long buried secrets and you have the perfect mix. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2026
The Girl in the Lake is a contemporary mystery thriller with paranormal elements.
Dr. Kate Willis is a psychologist with an expertise in interviewing children when she’s tasked with looking into the possible past life memories of a young Massachusetts girl. But when she starts to speak to the six-year-old (Henley) and her mother, she realizes that the child’s memories of her last life are eerily similar to the last moments of Kate’s friend Becca, who disappeared at a local summer camp twenty-four years prior. As Henley’s revelations and Kate’s own memories collide, she will be forced to look at the terrible night Becca disappeared and her own role in it.
The Girl in the Lake had an interesting premise, but I felt like the story was oddly plotted and paced. The main character would drop a reveal, and then there would be a flashback of exactly what happened. It made the flashback feel unnecessary since we were just told what went down. I also found a summer camp with a creepy lake a little played out and didn’t think it was the most original idea for a setting. It also bothered me that Dr. Willis’s conduct was often unprofessional, and a lot of her choices resulted in a loss of privacy to her young client. But it looks like this will be an ongoing series around her investigations, so I will give the next one a try because I think there is something there, even if this one missed the mark a little for me.
Rating: 2.75 stars
Disclosure: An advanced copy of The Girl in the Lake was provided by Thomas & Mercer for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dr. Kate Willis is a psychologist with an expertise in interviewing children when she’s tasked with looking into the possible past life memories of a young Massachusetts girl. But when she starts to speak to the six-year-old (Henley) and her mother, she realizes that the child’s memories of her last life are eerily similar to the last moments of Kate’s friend Becca, who disappeared at a local summer camp twenty-four years prior. As Henley’s revelations and Kate’s own memories collide, she will be forced to look at the terrible night Becca disappeared and her own role in it.
The Girl in the Lake had an interesting premise, but I felt like the story was oddly plotted and paced. The main character would drop a reveal, and then there would be a flashback of exactly what happened. It made the flashback feel unnecessary since we were just told what went down. I also found a summer camp with a creepy lake a little played out and didn’t think it was the most original idea for a setting. It also bothered me that Dr. Willis’s conduct was often unprofessional, and a lot of her choices resulted in a loss of privacy to her young client. But it looks like this will be an ongoing series around her investigations, so I will give the next one a try because I think there is something there, even if this one missed the mark a little for me.
Rating: 2.75 stars
Disclosure: An advanced copy of The Girl in the Lake was provided by Thomas & Mercer for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 11, 2026
There’s just something extra special about reading a book set around a lake while you’re actually at the lake. It made the whole story feel even more atmospheric and fun to sink into.
4.5 stars. Amazon First Reads - May ‘26 // Book 1 in the “Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon” series. This was super bingeable, and my kind of mystery that had me needing answers from the start. It’s layered with a mix of past-life mystery, small-town secrets, and a cold case tied to a long-ago summer camp disappearance.
Kudos to Lauren Oliver(!!) as I loved the eerie lake setting, psychological suspense, and just enough “wait… what is happening?” energy to keep me hooked. Would rec! Pub. 6/1/26
4.5 stars. Amazon First Reads - May ‘26 // Book 1 in the “Dept of Unexplained Phenomenon” series. This was super bingeable, and my kind of mystery that had me needing answers from the start. It’s layered with a mix of past-life mystery, small-town secrets, and a cold case tied to a long-ago summer camp disappearance.
Kudos to Lauren Oliver(!!) as I loved the eerie lake setting, psychological suspense, and just enough “wait… what is happening?” energy to keep me hooked. Would rec! Pub. 6/1/26
June 5, 2026
Creepy & fun.
Kate returns to her teenage camp where the camp bully and her best friend was murdered 27 years later. Her research-job leads her to debunk claims of reincarnation... but a 6 year old little girl, Henley, seems to think she's also Becca, Kate's murdered best friend from camp.
This was a fun read, and kinda creepy at times.
I had one issue with the ending... who shot the gun? I can buy ghosts and reincarnation in stories, but when does a ghost actually shoot a physical gun? Regardless, this was a very fun/good read.
Kate returns to her teenage camp where the camp bully and her best friend was murdered 27 years later. Her research-job leads her to debunk claims of reincarnation... but a 6 year old little girl, Henley, seems to think she's also Becca, Kate's murdered best friend from camp.
This was a fun read, and kinda creepy at times.
I had one issue with the ending... who shot the gun? I can buy ghosts and reincarnation in stories, but when does a ghost actually shoot a physical gun? Regardless, this was a very fun/good read.
May 13, 2026
This book was intriguing, and I liked the constant struggle between what Kate believed professionally and what she was experiencing. The Henley character was wonderful. I generally enjoyed the long flashback chapters, though they did add to the somewhat ponderous quality of the book. It seemed even longer than it was, and it moved slowly. The ending was an interesting surprise, with a nice twist I didn’t see coming and the final action was exciting and well paced.
June 8, 2026
When Kate interviews six year old Henley, she is shocked when the child recounts events that happened twenty four years earlier when Kate's friend Becca went missing. How does Henley know what happened?
This was such a great storyline. I absolutely loved hearing what Henley had to say and as she revealed more and more about what happened, it was evident Kate was itching for the truth to be revealed. It was such a riveting read and had me flipping the pages at full speed. If you're after a mystery that will keep you thinking long after reading it, this is the one for you.
This was such a great storyline. I absolutely loved hearing what Henley had to say and as she revealed more and more about what happened, it was evident Kate was itching for the truth to be revealed. It was such a riveting read and had me flipping the pages at full speed. If you're after a mystery that will keep you thinking long after reading it, this is the one for you.
May 26, 2026
doesn't anybody proofread a book before publishing it?
Hard to believe this is from a best selling author. So many inconsistencies throughout the book that I almost didn't bother to finish it. A boathouse lock is a padlock in one chapter and then combination lock in another. Part of the book takes place on an island in the middle of a lake that contains a mausoleum, graveyard, and the remains of a building that was once a large home or sanitarium. There's also discussion of getting lost in the woods on the island. Kind of funny considering that in the beginning of the book it said that the island is only 2 acres.
The heroine ends up, going out to the island alone and in the rain without a weapon and doesn't even bother to let the POLICE know where she is going. Totally unbelievable. This whole book sounds like it was written using ChatGPT.
Hard to believe this is from a best selling author. So many inconsistencies throughout the book that I almost didn't bother to finish it. A boathouse lock is a padlock in one chapter and then combination lock in another. Part of the book takes place on an island in the middle of a lake that contains a mausoleum, graveyard, and the remains of a building that was once a large home or sanitarium. There's also discussion of getting lost in the woods on the island. Kind of funny considering that in the beginning of the book it said that the island is only 2 acres.
The heroine ends up, going out to the island alone and in the rain without a weapon and doesn't even bother to let the POLICE know where she is going. Totally unbelievable. This whole book sounds like it was written using ChatGPT.
June 10, 2026
Fast paced mystery. The plot kept my interest. I've always been intrigued by the theory of "past lives" so I really liked that aspect of the book. Some of the story felt a little contrived but all in all an entertaining read.
April 27, 2026
Grateful to @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC of “The Girl in the Lake” by Lauren Oliver.
I don’t usually drift toward the otherworldly—I like my stories grounded, explainable—but this one pulled me under.
A now-abandoned summer camp. A long-buried mystery. The fragile, feral edges of girlhood. And a child who remembers a life they shouldn’t.
I devoured it.
Fast-paced and quietly haunting, with an ending that lingers in that delicious space between answers and questions—and somehow, it works. Even better, there’s a final tug on the line that reels you straight into the next book… and I’m already hooked.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out June 1, 2026—add this one to your TBR!
I don’t usually drift toward the otherworldly—I like my stories grounded, explainable—but this one pulled me under.
A now-abandoned summer camp. A long-buried mystery. The fragile, feral edges of girlhood. And a child who remembers a life they shouldn’t.
I devoured it.
Fast-paced and quietly haunting, with an ending that lingers in that delicious space between answers and questions—and somehow, it works. Even better, there’s a final tug on the line that reels you straight into the next book… and I’m already hooked.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out June 1, 2026—add this one to your TBR!
May 23, 2026
Wow! That was intense. You’re questioning if paranormal is real the whole time in this. So many twist and turns as Kate is delving into her past.
June 8, 2026
Unexplained phenomenon is hard to write so it is not outlandish and this book does a good job of weaving in the past lives details with the current life of the little girl who seems to be experiencing the details of the dead girl. Good plot twists.
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