The Expert Book Smuggler

Note: I recieved an ARC from the author with no expectation or stipulations placed on my review. Also, warning for very mild spoilers.

Camp Lanier is based on Lake Lanier, which slowly began its existence at the expense of around 700 families who had lived in the area for generations. The history of the area is fraught with violence and displacement forged through white supremacy with the Oscarville lynchings in 1912. After a white woman was sexually assaulted and murdered, authorities arrested three Black men who were then subjected to lynching for her murder. These events resulted in white mob violence against the Black community in the area.

The year 1912 was also a time of continued racial violence in the South. In the South, whites regularly used lynchings to control the Black population. That year—just six years after the Atlanta Race Massacre and three years before the reorganization of the Ku Klux Klan in Stone Mountain, Georgia—three Black men who lived in Oscarville, a small community in the Newbridge district of Forsyth County, Georgia, were arrested and executed for brutally assaulting a local white woman, Mae Crow. atlantahistorycenter.com

In Camp Lanier, we learn the story of the white supremacist history of Oscarville through the eyes of our protagonist, Taylor. A private school student who received a basketball scholarship, Taylor struggles to find her place in the school as one of the few Black students in attendance. When Taylor’s white friends betray her in a shoplifting setup, Taylor has to work off her debt to society at Camp Lanier to avoid jail time.

However, it quickly becomes obvious that things are not right at the camp. Run for decades by the Hudson family, the camp is clearly segregated. The camp blatantly overworks and mistreats black campers funneled into the program through the court system. Treated as little more than the labor they produce, the campers are forced into subpar living conditions. While the white, rich campers play and have fun- the minority campers are living a ‘troubled teen’ camping experience.  

Barzey’s take on Lake Lanier is one that is often humorous (with references to Get Out sprinkled through at the perfect time), but highly emotional as it explores the depths of racial trauma and consequences of white supremacy. Taylor, who experienced a serious loss not too long ago, struggles at school leading up to her arrest. Desperate to have friends and fit it, she pushes down her anger and frustrations at the regular microaggressions she experiences from her friends and peers.

Camp Lanier opens with Taylor and her friends in the school restrooms while her three friends (Laurie, Chanel A, and Chanel B) hold a girl’s head down in a toilet bowl. Taylor calls them off and they begrudgingly let the girl go while making barbs at Taylor. This, to me, was such a fantastically subtle way of displaying the violence we can expect from the white characters in this book.

As we progress to the events that cause Taylor’s arrest, it’s easy to see how regularly she is forced to push down her emotions, push aside her blackness, and conform as much as possible in order to survive. Taylor is aware of her position as one of ten Black students in the school, but she also fails to recognize the ways in which this only hurts her.

Taylor as a character was so fun to read. She’s a little angsty, definitely funny, and fragile in her need to express her hurt, her longing, and simply who she is as a person. Societal expectations confine her at school, and at camp, she must confront much more pointed racism. She’s empathetic, caring, and brave.

The pacing of this book was done quite well. It has that fast-paced slasher feel without leaving out any important context within the story. We follow Taylor through a school day, time at home, her ill-fated shopping trip, court, and camp without the story ever feeling rushed.

Dispersed amongst scenes at the camp are dreams of Oscarville that haunt Taylor as she becomes suspicious of the camp and its owners. These scenes are fantastic and give a book that could have been just another slasher a nice depth. Despite the heavy subject matter, Barzey manages to keep a light and humorous tone throughout the book that makes it fun!

Camp Lanier is a fantastic summer read for teens and adults alike. Barzey’s voice is so incredibly clear throughout his work in a way that sets this book apart from similar YA horror books. There were moments where he tied in weighted subjects with a candid tone that reminded me of Victor Lavalle.

The personalities of our characters shine due to Barzey’s ability to weave these emotions together. Each character felt unique with their own voice- Taylor didn’t sound like her bunk mate Victoria. Victoria didn’t sound like her ex, Rose. The character development helped this book take on a life of its own!