Dustin Minium didn't like the idea of spending four weeks at sleep-away camp, but his parents didn't give him any choice. Now he's on his way to Camp Spirit Moon, where he meets Ari Davis, a cool and athletic boy who convinces Dustin to switch names with him while they're at camp as a practical joke. As Ari, he suddenly becomes the most popular kid in camp, until he discovers why — the forest is haunted by a malevolent spirit known as The Snatcher, and Ari had been chosen to try and face it. Now, Dustin must face the ghost by himself, with more than his own life at stake.
This book provides examples of:
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Logan Minium, Dustin's bratty little brother. He taunts Dustin by saying he's going to prison rather than camp, and that he'll be taking Dustin's room while Dustin's away, prompting a furious response.
- Bittersweet Ending: Dustin beats The Snatcher and frees all the ghosts stuck at Camp Full Moon, but is left stuck on the far side of a river full of monsters.
- Body Double: Ari talks Dustin into switching identities with him while they're at camp for a joke. It's really because he knows he's been chosen to risk his life against The Snatcher, and is tricking Dustin into taking his place.
- Covers Always Lie: The spirit on the cover seems to have a horse head, while in the book it is a fox spirit.
- Extreme Omnivore: The ghosts. One of them eats a pair of bees that landed on his plate.
- Foul Fox: The child-killing spirit the Snatcher primarily takes the form of a fox and uses this form when killing its victims.
- Human Sacrifice: Every year at Camp Spirit Moon, The Snatcher needs to have a victim, and this year Ari's been chosen — except he's tricked Dustin into taking the role. Subverted later on when Dustin learns he's not a sacrifice, he's supposed to beat the Snatcher so all of the trapped ghosts can move on. They really should've been clearer.
- If You Die, I Call Your Stuff: Preemptive version — Dustin's bratty little brother Logan declares that he's taking over Dustin's room while Dustin's away, prompting Dustin to furiously tell him to stay out of his room.
- "Knock Knock" Joke: Ari's fond of making these, and says he can make them out of any word on the spot.
- Nightmare Face: Is that skeleton ghost even human, or is it far too twisted and gnarled to even be human?
- Non-Indicative Name: None of the cast or settings from the original Ghost Camp actually return.
- Not Helping Your Case: Dustin and Ari are led to believe the Snatcher requires a Human Sacrifice every year, so Ari does what he can to keep his identity a secret while Dustin dies in his place. Dustin doesn't find out until the Snatcher's practically killed him that the ghosts selected "Ari" to fight for them, so they can all move on.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: The book ends with Dustin stuck on the other side of a river filled with monsters and wondering how he can get across. However, there's nothing to imply he can't reach safety by going through the woods or following the river down or up until he reaches civilization again.
- Running Gag: There's one where Uncle Lou says "You know what they say", followed by something no one actually says.
- Sadist: Ari crosses the line from wanting to survive to outright trying to get Dustin killed in his place, up to threatening to hurt Dustin's brother and taking sick glee in knowing Dustin will die in Ari's place.
- Summer Campy: The story is set at Camp Spirit Moon, where the majority of the campers are effectively hostages to an evil spirit, The Snatcher, until one newcomer can defeat it and in doing so free the other ghosts to move on.
