Camp Spirit by Axelle Lenoir

Summer, 1994. With just two months left before college, Elodie is forced by her mother to take a job as a camp counselor. She doesn’t know the first thing about nature, or sports, or kids for that matter, and isn’t especially interested in learning… but now she’s responsible for a foul-mouthed horde of girls who just might win her over. But just as Elodie starts getting used to her new environment—and close to one of the other counselors—a dark mystery lurking around the camp begins to haunt her dreams.

Need a slightly more moody and older Lumberjanes read-alike? This is it!

ok ok I think everyone has their THINGS in fiction that are hard to overlook...like for people who know more about actual science I imagine it's harder to accept comic book science, whereas I'm prepared to go “mm yes gamma radiation seems legit.” however, “take a 17-year-old with no childcare experience, let her miss summer camp training, and immediately put her in solo charge of a group of kids”??? does NOT seem legit even in the 1990s in Canada. CMON that's CHAOS. at least the 13-year-old Babysitters Club members were only CITs when they went to camp.

but OKAY FINE I'll accept this absurd fantasy

also there are spirits or something but honestly that was more plausible to me than the childcare situation. I did kind of wish the spirit story was more fleshed out (so to speak)? but the characters and their relationships were fun and cute, and I enjoyed the 90sness of it all.