whitneydaniell

Synopsis

Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis was a latecomer to Camp Nightingale. Because of her tardiness, all the bunks with other thirteen-year-old girls were taken, so she was assigned a bed in Dogwood Cabin with the older campers.

Emma, new to camp and still a shy little girl, quickly found herself drawn in by the brash, bitchy charm of sixteen-year-old Vivian, the senator’s daughter and queen bee of Dogwood. Eager to fit in, Emma fell in line, hoping to emulate everything about her. Also under Vivian’s influence were Natalie and Allison—both slightly older than Vivian, and of course, older than Emma. The four girls were united by Vivian and her manipulative games, often centering around two truths and a lie.

On the night of the Fourth of July, one by one—Vivian first, then Natalie, and finally Allison—the girls walked out of Cabin Dogwood and were never seen or heard from again. Thirteen-year-old Emma was left with more questions and guilt than answers or understanding. She carried that with her for fifteen years… until she’s reunited with her past.

Now twenty-eight and a painter, Emma returns to Camp Nightingale—closed since the disappearances—to teach art to a new group of girls. Back in her old bunk in Dogwood, she’s forced to relive that fateful summer. When her three young campers go missing, Emma is thrust back into a nightmare that never really ended.

This time, she’s back with a plan. She’s going to find out what really happened. But is she ready to confront the truth? And after years of lies—especially to herself—is Emma finally ready to be honest about what happened that night?

Character Summary

Since leaving Camp Nightingale, Emma has been haunted by visions of Vivian—seeing her in odd places, unsure whether she’s real or a hallucination. Unable to stop seeing the girls in everything around her, she begins painting them into her artwork, only to cover them up each time. On one hand, it’s a way to cope with her guilt; on the other, a way to hold onto them—to keep them safe. Though older, Emma is emotionally stunted by her trauma, and at twenty-eight, she remains naive and emotionally closed off. While a talented artist, her creativity is fueled by her guilt. Without it, she feels stuck. Her therapist claims the painting is a healthy outlet, but it almost seems to do the opposite—keeping her stuck in the trauma, reliving it again and again.

Francesca Harris-White—Franny—Camp Nightingale’s wealthy benefactor and owner, offers Emma the opportunity to return as an instructor. Franny had faced lawsuits and bad press after the original disappearances, but decides, against better judgment, to reopen the camp in hopes of restoring its reputation. Instead, history repeats itself—and Franny and her family are again at the center of a police investigation.

Also returning for the camp’s reopening are Lottie (Franny’s loyal assistant), Theo and Chet (Franny’s adopted sons), Mindy (Chet’s fiancée), and two former campers turned instructors: Rebecca Schoenfeld and Casey Anderson.

My Thoughts

I expected this story to go in a much darker direction—something more sinister. While I was a little disappointed by the end, I’m glad I was wrong.

First off, the pacing was far better than Home Before Dark. I started reading later in the day, but if I’d begun earlier, I would’ve finished it in one sitting. It was definitely a page-turner. The chapters were concise and well-paced. The timeline alternates between present-day Emma and her return to camp, and her younger self in the weeks leading up to the girls’ disappearance. The time jumps weren’t confusing and kept the story moving, each chapter ending with just enough suspense to make you keep flipping pages.

Now, because I’m demented and enjoy a bit of sinister gore and death, I wasn’t expecting all the childish, girl drama that unfolds. But duh—this is a summer camp for teenage girls. Of course, the drama is petty fights about clothes, hobbies, and… boys. I’m so far removed from summer camps and teenage girlhood that it didn’t click for me at first. Of course Emma, as a lonely young girl, would become totally enamored with an older girl, even refusing to eat just because Vivian told her not to. Emma—bacon is good for you.

Once I adjusted my expectations, I was all in. I didn’t even bother making prediction notes because the story took so many twists and turns, I couldn’t be sure of anything.

There are plenty of side characters thrown in to throw you off the scent—clearly by design. And it works. Summer camps are chaotic, full of staff and kids, so it’s easy to hide a mystery in that crowd. Emma narrates her own story and, for the most part, is a reliable protagonist. However, the mention of her mental health diagnosis felt unnecessary. It didn’t add anything to the story and was more distracting than helpful—though I acknowledge I might feel that way because I was hoping for something darker.

When I got to the final act, everything I thought I knew was wrong, and that was a pleasant surprise. But I still couldn’t give it more than three stars. Why? Because the third act defied all logic. I hate when stories are ruined by bad police work, and Detective Flynn… where do they find these people? A Cracker Jack box? You mean to tell me, after three girls went missing, this entire camp and lake weren’t treated as a crime scene? That someone could paddle across a lake, leave breadcrumbs of clues, and the police somehow missed it? In the real world, if three white girls go missing, everything grinds to a halt until they’re found—and Sager wants me to believe this got overlooked? I think not.

Final Verdict

All in all, not a bad read.

I’ve now read 8 out of 9 of Sager’s books, and I’m starting to notice a pattern with how he wraps things up. I have one more to go, and maybe after that, I’ll read his three novels under his real name—Todd Ritter (not to be confused with Tom Riddle, or he who shall not be named). I’m a Harry Potter nerd.

Oh, wait. Two Truths and a Lie:

• I’m obsessed with cults.
• I speak three languages.
• I went to a church summer camp that I’m positive is a cult.

Sager Tracker

Read all my Riley Sager reviews HERE

title	pub date	read date	⭐
Final Girls	July 11, 2017	May 10 – 13, 2025	⭐⭐
The Last Time I Lied	July 3, 2018	July 4 – 5, 2025	⭐⭐⭐
Lock Every Door	July 2, 2019	Aug 8 – 13, 2023	⭐⭐
Home Before Dark	June 30, 2020	July 3, 2025	⭐⭐⭐
Survive the Night	June 29, 2021
The House Across the Lake	June 21, 2022	Jul 12 – 18, 2023	⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Only One Left	June 20, 2023	Jan 15 – 17, 2024	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Middle of the Night	June 18, 2024	Mar 26 – 28, 2025	⭐⭐⭐
With a Vengeance	June 10, 2025	Jun 22 – 24, 2025	⭐⭐⭐⭐