Anyone who’s ever watched Survivor knows that removing people from their everyday lives and thrusting them into competitive situations can trigger chimpanzee-like group dynamics that put the weak and non-conformist at risk. These conditions are ripe in Gayle Friesen’s new YA novel, as Anna returns as a counsellor-in-training (CIT) to the camp she has attended for many summers. But this year her best friend Zoe has broken her arm and won’t be going, and Anna isn’t at all disposed to like the new girl in her cabin, an odd duck named Isabel.

As a group of girls, the CITs are no more cruel or predatory than most, but the “best-cabin” rivalry shifts them into high gear. There are boy campers and counsellors around too, but they don’t really affect the dynamic. The exception is Karim, the gorgeous swimming coach, who for some reason doesn’t like Anna. It’s a challenge she quickly applies herself to overcoming.

Friesen’s writing is fast and sharp, her plotting deft. It’s no wonder the B.C. writer has garnered a pack of nominations and awards, both in Canada and the U.S. The clever dialogue may at times seem overly sophisticated for 15-year-olds, but it’s nothing they couldn’t pick up watching Dr. Phil.

The book’s most interesting character is, appropriately, Isabel. She has her own private griefs, but she’s no victim either, quickly making alliances with boys. Utterly intelligent and independent, she simply won’t play the game. Her candour is a revelation to Anna, who has always tried to be what other people want her to be. And when Zoe suddenly reappears, needy and wanting her old sidekick back, Anna has to make some difficult choices, all of them about growing up.