Camp Cheer received a 5-star rating at Sime~gen reviews!

Reviewer Cathy Gladstone writes, "The fast paced plot, the eleven different choices, the well developed characters and the heart-racing happenings make "Camp Cheer" an 'Eppie Finalist'." Read the entire review!

I started Camp Cheer with some trepidation. My eldest son went through a "Choose Your Own Adventure" stage, where those were the only read books he would read. As much as he loved them, I had a hard time enjoying the stories. The plots often seemed wooden and contrived to me, full of two-dimensional characters who acted with little or no motivation. I also found it far too easy to lose my place, and spent a lot of time flipping through pages seeking the thread of the story I was following. I am delighted to say that Ms. Schuler's exciting Young Adult mystery avoids all these problems.

While the characterizations are not quite as rich as those in Ms. Schuler's novels (like her wonderful Second Chance at Love), she still manages to make the characters vivid and memorable, with just enough ambiguity to make the different story lines credible. Ms. Helena is an ever-smiling harridan who may be using the camp to hide illegal activities, unfriendly Lilleth, pushy Brooke, and Danielle, the cheerful counselor with an oddly threatening manner, may all be hiding terrible secrets. There's more to everyone in this story that appears on the surface. The reader's choices determine the secrets he or she uncovers.

I read through the possible story-lines and found them all exciting, credible, and easy to follow. Electronic format works particularly well for this book. At the end of each section, there are links that continue the story. The reader can choose from such options as, "Without weighing the consequences, Stacy rushed to the rescue," and "Frightened, she ran for the Main Cabin to get help." The table of contents lists the choices in case the reader loses his or her place, an excellent innovation for forgetful readers like me.

Camp Cheer is a collection of well-written, fast-paced mysteries with a common setting and characters. The interactive aspect of the book adds fun without diluting the excellence of the stories. My hat's off to Ms. Schuler.

I highly recommend Camp Cheer to all young mystery lovers, particularly those who enjoy "picking their own path."

4 1/2 stars.

Carrie S. Masek, Scribes World