Sometimes a cover just speaks to you, and other times it friggin' screams. The cover of Eric David Roman's Long Night at Lake Never was definitely a screamer.
Based on the description on Amazon, you know right away you're going to be spending the next few hours at camp. But this ain't no regular camp full of canoe races, archery ranges, and all the fun times that go with it. The campers at Camp Horizons don't want to be there. Well... most of them. You see, there are two requirements to attend this camp. One, you have to be either a gay or lesbian youth, and two, your parents must think there's something wrong with you and want you fixed. I mean, why else would they relinquish all parental rights for the next two weeks, or however long the "Journey" might take. That's right. Camp Horizons is a conversion camp, where the counselors attempt to pray the gay away. As if the idea of a religious conversion camp isn't scary enough, add to it a dark secret from the camp's past, one no one wants to talk about, and a Friday the 13th-type killer roaming the woods.
The stars of Long Night at Lake Never are Tyler Wills, an attractive young man who likes and accepts his sexuality and has an attitude against those who think there's something wrong with him just because he's gay and has every intention of either leaving the camp or getting himself thrown out; Jamal, a fierce queen who also appears to be self-accepting; Myer, a nerdy youth who wants to be cured; and Chris, a jock type who's not exactly sure of his sexuality. You also have Bob, who runs the camp, and a cast of young men and women in the role of counselors (who I call cannon fodder). With the exception of one young woman, all of the staff are former campers who have been "cured."
Once the stage has been set, Roman wastes no time spilling blood, as two camp counselors are brutally dispatched. We also learn at this point that these two are not the first victims of the killer, whose motive behind his killing spree will be revealed later in the book, as we catch glimpses of his earlier kills. Roman has also created a likable cast of characters (for the most part), and you can't wait until the villain(s) (Bob and his cronies) are sent to meet their maker.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, as I wasn't familiar with the author, but that cover screamed "Read me!" so loudly that I couldn't ignore it. I was going in totally blind and with zero expectations. What I got was a throwback to my youth, when I would sit on the edge of my seat in front of the TV with a worn VHS tape in the VCR and a teen slasher unfolding on the screen. The only difference being that while I was rooting for the killer, I was also rooting for the campers, who already had their hands full battling the baddies running the camp. Long Night at Lake Never gets 5 stars from me, and if you're a slasher fan, I would highly recommend picking up a copy and spending the next few hours at camp.
