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jilljemmett's review against another edition
5.0
Maggie Hagen is excited to be in the spotlight at her drama summer camp with her best friend Nora. However, on the last day of school, her parents break the news to her that she won’t be going to Camp Rising Star. Instead, she’ll be going to Camp Sylvania, which is a new fat camp run by her mother’s childhood camp friend, Sylvia. Things are strange at the camp right from the beginning. They have weigh-ins and workouts, but the kids also have to donate blood. The cafeteria only serves red foods, and the rules at the camp change daily. Maggie begins to suspect something dark is going on when kids disappear and strange things happen at night. She must work with her new friends to figure out what’s happening at the camp before she disappears forever too.
This story dealt with some tough body image issues that some kids have to face every day. Maggie knew she was bigger than most kids in her class, but it became a harsh reality when her parents decided to send her to fat camp. It made her feel like her weight was a part of her that needed to be changed. I found myself cringing at the scene when Maggie’s parents told her about fat camp, but it was also realistic. I can remember hearing people talk about my weight as a kid, and it isn’t a good memory. I liked that this body image subplot wasn’t as serious at the camp because there were other things going on. I thought it was obvious that there were vampires at the camp right from the beginning, but I’m not the target audience, so kids may not catch on as quickly as I did.
Camp Sylvania is a spooky middle grade camp story!
Content warnings: fatphobia, dieting, blood mentions
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Blood
thekatreturns's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The weight loss industry really does want to suck you dry, huh?
Fat kids deserve the world, and they definitely deserve stories of resilience and adventure like this. I’ll be recommending this to kids in my life (precocious 3rd grade-8th grade, I’d say)
Fat kids deserve the world, and they definitely deserve stories of resilience and adventure like this. I’ll be recommending this to kids in my life (precocious 3rd grade-8th grade, I’d say)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
bookobsessedmommy's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I almost didn't give this a 5, but it's a great middle grade read. Maggie is psyched for performing arts camp, but her hopes are dashed when her parents drop that they've signed her up for fat camp instead. The workout, weird food, and blood donation (what?!) would be bad enough, but then campers start disappearing. Maggie and her new found friends have to figure out what's going on or this summer camp nightmare might never end. The characters are fun and well written, and topics like body shaming and body neilutrality are addressed in a direct but caring way. Spooky without being scary, and it doesn't feel like the writer is talking down to the audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Child abuse
Moderate: Confinement and Kidnapping
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