Reviews

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner

gretchenrelm's review against another edition

3.0

Vega's dad gets a new job and moves the family from Portland to Seattle. Vega is unhappy about this because this moves her away from her best friend. To make things worse, her dads insist on sending her to a summer camp that promises to help her make friends. When she arrives at camp, it soon becomes apparent that something is off. The food is awful, the counselors are weird, and the boy on the brochure, George, keeps changing his look and skills. Ironically, the camp does end up helping Vega make friends, just not in the way she was expecting. #NetGalley

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

3.0

"What's wrong with being comfortable?"

After reading [a:Whitney Gardner|8512303|Whitney Gardner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434680546p2/8512303.jpg]'s [b:Fake Blood|39939283|Fake Blood|Whitney Gardner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534661527l/39939283._SX50_.jpg|50523846], I really wasn't quite sure what to expect. I really love Gardner's illustrations and the cover of this one looked cute, so I checked it out from the library. The first half of the book started off like a pretty typical middle grade graphic novel but that completely derailed about halfway through. It was at this point the book took on a science fiction turn. I just... don't love this part of Gardner's books. Both Fake Blood and Long Distance cover some really important themes, but I don't love how the books veer off into science fiction. I realize science fiction fans also need to experience quality graphic novels, but these middle grade science fiction graphic novels are just... so bizarre. I can definitely understand why young readers enjoy these stories but they're not quite my cup of tea.

cindy_leavemetomybooks's review against another edition

4.0

This was an unexpectedly and delightfully weird middle grade graphic novel.

Vega's parents make her leave her one and only friend in Portland to move to Seattle, and then immediately ship her off to summer camp to make new friends. Strange and mysterious things keep happening at camp, so Vega and a few of her fellow campers investigate. This is a cute story about friendship and how it's ok to have more than one friend -- but with a strange twist.

This will be appealing to fans of Kristin Gudsnuk (Making Friends), Shannon Hale (Real Friends), Svetlana Chmakova (Awkward), and (of course) Raina Telgemeier,

Highly recommended for grades 3+.

* thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing for the review ARC. Available June 29, 2021

erica_s's review against another edition

4.0

What seems to be a fairly typical realistic-summer-at-camp story turns weirdly & humorously sci-fi - but I can't describe it without giving away the plot twists!

I think kids in 4th to 6th grade will enjoy the surprise as well as the goofiness of it.

I appreciate that this run-of-the-mill setting had diverse characters with unique talents, and didn't get bogged down in didactics or in setting up a rationalizing background.

Good for chuckles - ridiculous over-the-top sci-fi, structured around the truth that real kids have a variety of interests & capabilities.

gdawson's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

librarianpeter's review

5.0

I put off reading this for awhile but once I picked it up I finished it in less than an hour and loved it! The plot seems like your typical "kid moves away from everything they know and has to make friends and settle in to a new place" but then it takes a huge right turn into something I wasn't even expecting because the premise gives nothing away and I loved it! I was right there in my emotions with Vega because change IS hard, and even harder for a kid. Long distance friendships and relationships are also hard things to juggle when you're on a new horizon and boy was there some distance between Vega and her old life lemme tell ya! Ultimately this book teaches some good lessons about opening up to new people and new situations because they might just turn out great.

shanvan17's review against another edition

3.0

Not what I expected, but not bad either!

neonmime's review against another edition

4.0

Well that was a trip worth experiencing.

rileylopez's review

mysterious reflective medium-paced

2.0

gemmapz's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Lots of fun, especially if you like space!