In Sarles' conventional but entertaining slasher, a family trip turns bloody when a scary campfire story appears to come true. On the trip are three closely linked families and their guide, Caleb. Innocent teen Maddie, the focal character (and obvious "final girl"), plans to enjoy nature, flirt with Caleb, and gossip with her friend Chloe, but her simple pleasures are curbed by unexpected tension among the adults. Each night the group gathers for a spooky story, but it isn't until Caleb's tale of the Mountain People, who legend says torture and kill campers on this very mountain, that the murders start. Soon, everyone's secrets fairs, blackmail, arson, bankruptcy, and more e revealed, and it's clear someone is using this trip to punish wrongdoers, but who? Sarles keeps up a fast pace with toxic family drama and graphic murders alike, with effective use of red herrings. Characterizations are thin, but this by-the-numbers slasher will work for teens raised on Goosebumps and ready for something gorier. When they're ready for a real scare, give them Cyn Balog's Alone (2017).

When 16-year-old Maddie Davenport heads into the Colorado wilderness to camp for a week with family and friends, her biggest fear is looking like a fool in front of their hunky guide, Caleb. She laughs off the scary stories that her aunt and brother tell around the campfire, until Caleb tells a truly terrifying tale about the Mountain People-a community of feral men, women, and children who prey on hunters and hikers and carve antlers into their victims- foreheads. Caleb assures Maddie that it-s fiction, but the next morning, the group finds antlers emblazoned in red on the side of one of their tents. Shortly thereafter, people begin turning up dead, forcing Maddie and company to question whether the legend is real or if there-s a killer in their midst. After an intriguing start, this gory teen horror novel from debut author Sarles succumbs to broadly drawn characters, manufactured drama, and improbable acts of cartoon violence. Unearned twists fuel a plot that feels hastily sketched, and a lack of stakes undercuts the action-packed, blood-soaked conclusion. Ages 15-up. (July)

Gr 9 Up-Maddie Davenport is on a camping trip with her friends and family in a remote mountain region. The outing starts with a round of scary stories around the fire only to derail when members of the camp are murdered one by one in the styles of their spooky tales. Maddie must face down the demons of her past to defeat the monsters in her present. Pacing issues weaken the book. The titular campfire stories are beautifully crafted vignettes that will leave readers biting their nails. The main narrative, however, has a slow burn and packs most of the actual horror into the tail end of the novel. Suspense is doled out in small doses. Maddie herself is a complex character with a tragic backstory and a lot of heart. This is a wonderful representation of the "Final Girl" horror movie trope. But the supporting cast is so vast that the individual characters seem emotionally underdeveloped. They become a sum of their misdeeds, with thin motivations. This will make it hard for teens to invest emotionally in their inevitable demise. VERDICT A mildly enjoyable summer read for teens looking to dip their feet into the slasher subgenre. Kasey Panighetti, Indianapolis Public Library