Temple Baker knows that evil runs in her blood. Her father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer known for how he marked each of his victims with a brand. He was convicted for murdering 20 people and was the talk of countless true crime blogs for years. Some say he was possessed by a demon. Some say that they never found all his victims. Some say that even though he’s now behind bars, people are still dying in the woods. Despite everything though, Temple never believed that her dad killed her mom. But when he confesses to that crime while on death row, she has no choice but to return to his old hunting grounds to try see if she can find a body and prove it.
Turns out, the farm that was once her father’s hunting grounds and her home has been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. So Temple poses as a camp counselor to go digging in the woods. While she’s not used to hanging out with girls her own age and feels ambivalent at best about these true crime enthusiasts, she tries her best to fit in and keep her true identity hidden.
But when a girl turns up dead in the woods, she fears that one of her father’s “fans” might be mimicking his crimes. As Temple tries to uncover the truth and keep the campers safe, she comes to realize that there may be something stranger and more sinister at work—and that her father may not have been the only monster in these woods.
Final Thoughts
I really went into this book with high hopes as I felt like it was going to give Friday the 13th vibes, but it just wasn’t quite there.
I absolutely loved the representation in this book. A summer camp full of queer back young women is refreshing in YA literature, and helps fill a void in the genre, especially if you’re looking to diversify your reading.
Overall it was enjoyable, but I felt as if the plot was a little hard to follow at times which left me a little disconnected. It really didn’t grab my attention as much as I had hoped, but what didn’t work for me may work for you.
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️