augustlikestoyap

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I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would! I was so curious to know what the big, horrible secret Esme and Kayla shared was, so I was a bit disappointed when all it was was a fire.

I maintain that you can tell Preston began on Wattpad, and I will admit after reading The Cellar, I found her account. The novel is a lot better, with several edits made and minor changes to make it more consistent. I intend to read the sequel to it on Wattpad though as it seems interesting.

But back to The Lake! When it was revealed that there was a fire, but it was put out by the rocks so not too much was damaged, I was really confused. Like, that’s your big secret? Two dumb kids snuck out and a fire got out of hand? Sure, theyd’d get in trouble, but they were eight, it’s not like legal consequences would be too harsh.

So imagine my surprise when Lillian comes into the picture! And, boy, Lillian was a character. I was so scared when the flags went missing, because I knew it had something to do with the secret. And when the notes and writing began, I was super stressed.

And Kayla! Oh my God, Kayla. She drove me a little bit insane. I get the fire and what happened with Lillian was traumatic, but returning to the scene of the crime and then pretending all the threatening things going on aren’t because of it? I was waiting for Esme to grab her and yell at her. Especially when she started calling Esme paranoid and wouldn’t talk to her. Like, girl, you’re actually the one who pushed Lillian, why are we blaming Esme?

Which, why was Esme the target? Kayla is the one who shoved Lillian, and Esme tried to help her before Kayla dragged her away. Even when running, Esme looked back. Sure, she didn’t tell anyone or try to find Lillian, but she was a better person than Kayla was. So why was she the target of it all and Kayla wasn’t? It just doesn’t make much sense to me.

I’ll admit, when she got drugged, I thought for sure Kayla drugged her. I was not ready to believe Lillian drugged them both, it seemed too suspicious that Kayla wouldn’t wake up in the woods too.

And I know Rebekeh was suspicious, but I was rooting for her. I figured she wasn’t Lillian, but I knew she was working with her as soon as they went to the arcade. When she entered the room and Esme was there, I couldn’t put the book down.

There are so many little details that are so cool, but I almost cried whenever a deer was involved. I understand Kayla’s reaction, I too would have freaked out if someone proudly showed me a mutilated animal and said they did it. I felt bad for Lillian, she was only eight, but she was insane. She didn’t deserve to be burned, or have her family go broke, but the fact she burned her own house down instead of admitting she snuck out and someone pushed her into a fire was crazy. Hurt people hurt people and all, I guess.

And Olly! Man, he stressed me out. I was sure he was working with Lillian. I thought Jake wasn’t, but I was so sure Olly was. I was shocked when Jake died, it seemed so sudden. And the way Kayla found out her boyfriend was murdered and decided “yeah I’ll sacrifice my best friend to avoid that fate”. Girl, you pushed Lillian! I practically cheered when Esme pushed her and escaped. And the fact she only thought about saving Kayla, even after being betrayed! I liked Esme’s character so much more than Summer’s.

With Olly’s death, I didn’t feel all that sad. Like, sure, it was sad, but Jake was already dead. It was coming. It was nowhere near as shocking as Jake’s death had been, or Rose’s death in The Cellar. Rebekah’s death also was expected, but I didn’t expect her to die that way. I had no idea Lillian would shoot her in the forehead! It goes to show how crazy Lillian is, that she’d betray her partner that fast for even suggesting they rethink murder. It was Kayla’s death, though, that got me. I should have expected it, but after all of Esme’s promises they’d make it out, and her betrayal, and I thought she’d survive and Esme would die, like in You’re Not Supposed To Die Tonight. But she didn’t. I think Esme had already seen three dead bodies, two of which died in front of her, so I get her not reacting too much, she was probably in shock. But you’d think holding your best friend of, like, eighteen years would warrant a bigger reaction.

Though, in Esme’s defense, right as Kayla died, the police arrived.

Lillian calling the police, killing four people, and leaving Esme with the gun that shot the three newest bodies was an insane twist! I frantically flipped the pages in hope of an epilogue or something! Honestly, as much as I loved the book, I have to dock points for that ending. It worked, don’t get me wrong, but I am not a fan of open/ambiguous endings. I’d rather know what happens next. Like, does Esme prove her innocence? Do the police kill her? Is she found guilty? Does she tell the truth? Is Lillian caught? Everyone who could have vouched her is dead now. I’ll be thinking about this for a long time.

Once again, a great read for those not overly into horror but like the thrill. Not recommended for die-hard horror fans, but I quite enjoyed it!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5