The Lake by Natasha Preston | Review

My other Natasha Preston Reviews:
The Twin: • The Twin by Natasha Pr...
The Cellar: • The Cellar by Natasha ...
The Lost: • The Lost by Natasha Pr...
You Will Be Mine: • You Will Be Mine by Na...
The Cabin: • The Cabin by Natasha P...

[@kaylapottmeyer8996]

This book is good but I feel like it takes a while for it to get good. The beginning is really slow.

[@dr.emilyacevedo812]

I agree

[@flamurajdini1496]

I completely agree so much filler

[@sullyproductions5757]

One of the things I didn’t understand was how did she find Esme and Kayla as they live in different states and Lilian wasn’t a camper? Lily finding Jake and Olly I buy because they’re from the same area. It’s mentioned through social media but did Lily just search all the Esmes and Kaylas in that state and how would she know what they look like? And another thing Lily’s motives aren’t justified. Like yea l they burnt you but they were 8. And it seems like she shoulda been more focused on her dad instead of them. Like you burnt in the woods so you go burn your whole house down?!? That would be like twisting your ankle and cutting off your whole leg.

[@haleymckenna9958]

Am I the only one who noticed a major error in this book? Towards the begging, Esme states that some chick named Amy pushed Lillian but as the book goes on, Amy is never mentioned again and it becomes appearent that Esme and Kayla were the only ones in the woods that night.

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

Interesting! That must've slipped past me. Good catch!

[@llamaniaman4002]

My guess is that Kayla's name was originally Amy but it was changed near the middle of lage beginning of the book? Because later in the book it's clarified that Kayla was the one who pushed Lillian

[@Poly--si9qc]

No, Olly and Jake were out there that night too

[@LazyStu_dying]

Yes omg me too I thought I was hallucinating

[@tessay.7445]

Loved your review!! I think my favourite books by Natasha were You will be mine and The cellar :)

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

Thank you! Those are my favorites as well!

[@Scarlettraventaqua1]

What about the cabin, and awake

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

@@Scarlettraventaqua1 Those are on my list!

[@caffeineandtech]

Hello guys. Son of Natasha Preston here! I am really thankful for all the positive feedback. Enjoy the book!

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@caffeineandtech]

@@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854 Thank you. I hope you enjoy the book's.

[@Poly--si9qc]

Yeah, No

[@caffeineandtech]

@@Poly--si9qc how can I prove to you?

[@Poly--si9qc]

@@caffeineandtech ...I dunno. I just don't think.

[@bigjeff72]

I do love her stories and they serve a specific function in my reading cycle. As you mentioned they are mean for a quick light read. I have inserted her books into my rotation when I need a break from some more intense stories or series. It keeps me entertained but allows me to recover. I think this is an issue and a need that only readers would understand. lol

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

I agree! Her books are definitely the lightest books that I read. She typically comes out with a new one every March

[@johnrainsman6650]

I have some questions about "The Lake," which will contain *_SPOILER ALERTS!_* Do NOT read my comment if you're still reading the book *ONE,* I'm confused--was Kayla really going to help Lillian kill Esme, or was she trying to distract the madwoman so her friend could escape? Pages 354-355. Oh, and while you're there, it says Lillian wanted Kayla to shoot Esme, but Kayla refused and was consequently shot. Why did Lillian need to ask her in the first place? Didn't she have the gun? And why not "obey" the order to actually get the gun from the malevolent Lillian? You know, accept the gun, point it at the unarmed Lillian, while Esme is now safe? *TWO,* the cops didn't notice the armed Lillian, or the conflict at all when they had come to the camp? This is the scene where Esme reunites with Rebecka and Lilian shows up. *THREE,* page 336, top half, did Kayla and Esme know Lillian personally? From school or camp? What about page 74 and the paragraph on 340 extending to 341? Didn't they _only_ know her from that moment, nothing more? And who's Amy? I thought _Kayla_ pushed Lillian? I'm confused. *FOUR,* page 346 why didn't Lillian shoot Esme when she approached Kayla, standing in front of the couch? In fact, what _exactly_ is happening in this scene on the page? I can't picture it perfectly. I mean, Esme pushes Kayla into Lillian into the fireplace? But how? Was Kayla _directly_ in front of Esme? Can someone read this very page and clarify what's happening?

[@geraId9775]

Just speculation, but I think Lillian LET Esme escape back to camp. Lillian probably planned everything out. I mean, she had like 9 years to plot her schemes. *Spoilers!* Esme runs back to camp and Lillian shoots Olly, Rebecka, and Kayla. Lillian tosses the gun over by Esme and Esme is framed for the killings. Lillian is sick in the mind, but she’s no fool. Everything went according to plan for her.

[@johnrainsman6650]

@@geraId9775 Do you have the book physically, to see my page references?

[@geraId9775]

@@johnrainsman6650 - yes, i have the book

[@geraId9775]

For #1, I want to assume that Kayla was helping Esme escape. And Lillian probably wanted Kayla to shoot Esme so Kayla would have to live with the guilt of shooting her best friend. I don’t know why Kayla didn’t accept and take the gun from Lillian. Though, if Kayla did shoot Lillian, they would both still be framed for the killings of Olly, Rebecka, Jake, and Lillian.

[@llamaniaman4002]

I think Amy was a typo

[@KoalaAwad]

That skit was top notch

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

hahaha thanks!

[@danis9814]

where is everyone seeing amy like what page is it on bc i didnt even notice

[@im_cool12345]

ik me too

[@mckenzie1843]

@@im_cool12345 its supposed to be on page 74 but in my book it says Kayla so it mightve been fixed in new editions

[@alyssanicholson4312]

I love it!

[@lord_bucky_the_budgie]

I love how you can notice Preston’s British vocab come out in the dialogue despite the characters being American.

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

Any examples? They may have gone over my head!

[@lord_bucky_the_budgie]

@@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854 It's pretty subtle, but phrases like, "She has a brilliant poker face" and “Robin Williams. He was brilliant", strike me as something a Brit would say, not an American. I've never heard someone here refer to anything or anyone as "brilliant" unless they were talking about someone who was very academically gifted.

[@lord_bucky_the_budgie]

@@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854 Also, Ivy says “Bloody hell, she really has got you wrapped around her finger.” in The Twin.

[@jeffreyscottreadsalot8854]

@@lord_bucky_the_budgie Great observations!!

[@caffeineandtech]

Yes. She is British.

[@SleepParty30]

I fucking hated this book. Every chapter ends with the same fucking "hook", which is 'What horrible crime did these girls commit?' It's a very stretched out story. It feels like the author had the idea of a kid getting hurt in the forest and other trying to hush it, and she just started writing whatever bullshit she came up with on the spot. Anyways, even the ending is disappointing. The only reason I finished the book, was to make sure my theory was correct on what happened with Lilian and why the creepy things were happening in the camp. I'm gonna keep it a buck fifty---my theories were way better than the cliche fucking bullshit ending Preston gave us. Holy fuck, that ending was so bad. Everyone dropping like flies and shit, bitch please. There was room for so many interesting plot twists, which is what I was hoping Preston would do, but no. She didn't put enough effort in the book. Feels like she wrote the novel in two months tops.

[@Poly--si9qc]

You couldn't do anything better, calm the hell down.

[@caramellatte1828]

Dude literally, that ending just completely RUINED the book, it wasn't that great to begin with but having everyone die in the last chapters for literally no reason? And do some weird twist where the villain "gets away" with it(even though her plan is just... SO bad, and literally would never work) was just so unsatisfying and out of left field. This entire book felt forced, from the romance to the dialogue to the actions, and just, man. Remains the worst book ive ever read.

[@buffybaylis3294]

Very long and dragged on with the endless dialogue. The plot was too simplistic and seemed to be written by an inexperienced writer. The ending was very dissapointing.