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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I enjoyed a lot about this book (including the best friends-to-more romance), but as someone who grew up going to evangelical summer camp (albeit for less time than three weeks), I felt that the author exaggerated a lot and made nearly all of the evangelical Christians (which I don't consider myself) look terrible. At least the girls in CeCe's cabin were lovely, but most conservative Christian teens love these camps. They're fun and not just about devotions and bible studies. But yes, there is a LOT of emphasis on abstinence and secondary virginity, so that is definitely true. I also didn't like the way the central couple . Some of the language (like in Paul's stories) felt a bit overdone as well, but overall I was still rooting for her to get over Ethan and see the great guy in front of her.
Spoiler
went from first kiss to first time having sex in like no time at all--FAVOURITE YA BOOK OF 2021--
Well this was a delight! This was a really cute, charming and sweet romance novel. I really liked all of the characters and their banter. I loved the writing style it was completely clean, crisp and to the point. My main complaint is that I wish it hadn't gotten that dark in the middle but the author used the darker parts to explain topics of consent and sex which I appreciated. I did detest the miscommunication situation that happened in the third act but it was resolved in like 5 pages so it was fine. Overall this was a really fun and delightful book. Would recommend.
Well this was a delight! This was a really cute, charming and sweet romance novel. I really liked all of the characters and their banter. I loved the writing style it was completely clean, crisp and to the point. My main complaint is that I wish it hadn't gotten that dark in the middle but the author used the darker parts to explain topics of consent and sex which I appreciated. I did detest the miscommunication situation that happened in the third act but it was resolved in like 5 pages so it was fine. Overall this was a really fun and delightful book. Would recommend.
Story time: @hartlsonia, I know author’s aren’t always about getting tagged but I need you to know how much I appreciate this book. Growing up as a teenager in west northern #michigan, I can extremely relate to this book. By my senior year I felt like my youth group was a cult, I was soooooo far away from everyone else in where I was starting to not fit in with how my church or community treated people who were different. I remember sitting at this event from my church and looking at my boy friend at the time bewildered when this guy told us that listening to the Dave Matthews band was a sin. Well, Crash Into Me and Where Are You Going was about as Alt Rock as it felt when Spotify didn’t exist and we didn’t have internet. I remember when my friends started wearing promise rings and all I could thing was that I lose rings all the time, how did it make sense? I remember when I was really proud to be going to college and my friends stopped hanging out with me when I chose not to go to missionary school. I could go on. The point is religion can be shredding when it isn’t based off of love and only based off of control and power. There are so many stories from growing up that have completely shaped the way I do things (aka what I WONT do —- Jean skirts, control by guilt, sending a child to conversion camp while still being looked at as a admirable member of the school community etc). This books is a great lens to see how detrimental it can be when we aren’t giving our kids a sex education that A. Keeps our kids healthy B. Helps girls have confidence and control of their OWN BODIES versus making them think a man owns you. This won’t be for my middle school library but I have a teaching friend in Grant (right near where I attended school) where I know there are girls going through this. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll write a book that will fit into this world of love over scare tactics. Also, this isn’t meant to be offensive towards Christians, this is just one experience from my life. There are plenty of people out there teaching through Christ with love not hate.
INSERT MEME WHERE “FAKE DATING” AND “LONG-TIME FRIENDS WITH SECRET FEELINGS” ARE THE COFFEE AND I AM LISA SIMPSON HOLDING THE MUG
There is a lot going on in this book and I thought it was great. There is a lot to think about. So many great quotes about religion today. But if you aren't comfortable talking about sex, this book is not for you. Just be warned.
My full review is still coming but just know I loved this.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this! A great mix of familiar tropes and fun surprises. The deeper themes revealed themselves in ways I didn’t expect going in, and the characters are lovable. I’m also a sucker for a summer camp story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Alcohol
This was great. Super enjoyable - sex positive, but also didn't belittle true faith or religion only hypocrites.
Review will be posted on September 1st for the Fantastic Flying Book Club Blog Tour on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Fantastic Flying Book Club, and Page Street Kids for this free copy.All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Underage Sex (discussed, not graphic), Religion,
Sexual Activities, Non-Consenting Sex
None that I can see.
I personally am not one to pick up a book that directly deals with religion – I mean that’s almost why I didn’t read Autoboyography – but when I was picked for this blog tour, I knew I had to give it a chance. It was also a religion that I believe in, so I was curious to see the depiction of Christianity and Catholicism from a character that doesn’t practice it.
I will say that I think the further I got along in this book, the more angry I got at how some religious messages could be twisted to benefit others, and how it seems like girls will always be responsible for the actions of boys. It’s not fair of course, and I think Hartl did a great job at getting me angry for these girls.
CeCe (full name: Francine) is our main character. I would say she’s a typical teenager and nothing really jaw-dropping about her. She does end up stalking her ex-boyfriend by signing up to join a leadership conference for a religious camp though, so that may be something. I don’t know how I feel about her as an MC but she’s not completely terrible, so that works.
“It’s not like you lied about your religion to get a leadership position at a camp you have no interest in to impress a guy you have nothing in common with. Oh, wait.”
Paul speaking the TRUTH BOO
Paul is CeCe’s neighbor and best friend. His father – who not surprisingly left his mom for his church secretary *insert eye roll here* – does not practice his religion anymore thanks to that incident. However, he ends up spending his summer with CeCe at Camp Three SixTeen so that she’s not alone and can help her get through all of the religious aspects of the camp. I mean, someone’s going to have to help her get through this, right?
Ethan is the ex-boyfriend. I don’t like him. He reminds me of one of my exes who broke up with me the same damn way. And then of course someone told me that he had a girlfriend through his church, JUST LIKE ETHAN DOES. I don’t like boys like this.
Mandy is one of CeCe’s roommate and a truly nice Christian girl. Oh, and she’s the girl that Ethan has been dating. But, CeCe shouldn’t hold that against her, which she really shouldn’t because it’s not Mandy’s fault, but I guess a girl needs to figure it out for herself. A shame though, since Mandy is a great girl from the get go. She is immediately kind to CeCe and helps her get through camp. I love girls like Mandy.
Sarina and Astrid are the other roommates, and have known Mandy for years. They are all super nice to CeCe too, although I know that they are still trying to feel her out. Sarina is super humble about her accomplishments in the makeup YouTube industry, so what does that tell you about her? I like them. Astrid is a smart cookie, knows her Scriptures better than anyone, and has a good head on her shoulders.
“That’s not an apology,” Astrid said. Now it was my turn to gape. “You basically said CeCe wasn’t evolved enough in the Bible’s teachings to comprehend, which is not only offensive, but your lesson is wrong.”
yOU TELL EM ASTRID
CeCe is convinced that if she “finds God” by going to the same religious camp as ex-boyfriend Ethan, then maybe she can win him back. Thank goodness her best friend Paul ends up going with her because (1) he grew up in the faith and his father is a priest so he can help her lie her way through Christian Camp, and (2) because he can keep her grounded from doing something she’s going to regret. Although, not sure if that will work since they end up going there anyway despite his advice. CeCe and Paul arrive at camp to find out that Ethan actually has another girlfriend – that happens to be one of CeCe’s cabin mates and is such a sweetheart honestly – and CeCe ends up lying by saying that her and Paul are actually together.
Did Christian kids even make out? Obviously they did on some level. They could even have sex as much as they wanted, so long as they claimed to be born-again whenever it suited their needs.
CeCe
The first line irritated me because it’s like people making assumptions about religions – kind of like what happened in Autoboyography but not done the same. Then the snark after it because Ethan totally had sex with CeCe and then claims “I need to find God again and be born-again” to break up with her was complete trash and gives Christianity a bad name.
Just saying.
Drama ensues. But just enough that it’s not annoying and one that you can actually follow along. It was good.
Also, CeCe ends up learning from Paul what consent really means, since Paul is super pissed at Ethan for what happened when she lost her virginity. And I’m proud of Paul for understanding the concept of consent because not everyone does.
“… but consent should be an ongoing conversation. Did he check in with you? Did he make sure you were comfortable, that you were still enjoying things?”
Paul asking CeCe about Her Time with Ethan
My man Paul freaking gets it, ladies and gentlemen! This is what I’m talking about right here.
I think this was the first of CeCe’s redeeming lines in my eyes:
The least we can do is be proud of our own accomplishments. Lord knows the world won’t do it for us.
CeCe on Pride being a stupid Sin
Basically this was where CeCe finds out that Sarina is a freaking Makeup YouTube superstar (fifty thousand followers in six months. That’s amazing), but when she told Sarina that she should be proud of that, Sarina was like “Pride is a sin.” Which it is, don’t get me wrong. I remember the seven sins. But, CeCe has a point. It’s not being boastful or anything.
And there are more cases where CeCe does not agree with what the camp counselors are teaching the girls, because let’s face it, it’s antiquated and not fair towards women at all. Astrid does as well, and I was honestly so proud to see the girls of Cabin 8 stand up for what they knew was right and have a united front on this.
CeCe is too obsessed with Ethan and he didn’t even treat her right. And the way that she describes herself without him is just sad.
I didn’t know who I was without him. His friends all called me “Ethan’s girl,” and I wanted so badly to belong somewhere, instead of constantly trying and failing to find my place.
CeCe
Chica. Never define yourself by who you’re dating. It’s not worth it.
Dress like you want to be seduced, and you will attract the kind of guy who will only try to seduce you, who won’t value your heart or your mind.
Patricia…. the lame ass counselor
Messages like this seriously piss me off. I get this was maybe the point of the novel, but having to read stuff like this over and over again in a short amount of time really irked me.
Like really irked me.
“…in a handful of words, this counselor had made me feel more ashamed of my body than I had when Ethan told me why we had to break up. In her eyes, it wasn’t the sex that made me dirty; it was me. Like my very existence in a female form had to be covered up, hidden away. One of the several reasons I could add to the growing pile of why I’d never be a Christian.”
CeCe just had on a bikini, guys. That’s it.
And this is coming from Patricia, one of the FEMALE counselors. How demeaning do women have to be to high school girls and younger to guilt trip them into thinking that it’s their fault when guys have hormonal reactions? The hell is this?
It took me a while to get into this because I was already turned off by CeCe’s behavior in the beginning. I think she did end up growing a little bit as the book went on. I appreciated that she changed her mind on Mandy because in all honesty, girls should not be enemies over a piece of crap guy.
“… for Mandy, this girl I shouldn’t care one iota about. I’d come to steal her boyfriend, for crying out loud. But still. I felt a certain amount of loyalty toward her. The kind of kinship that came from really, truly understanding how someone else felt.”
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Fantastic Flying Book Club, and Page Street Kids for this free copy.All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Underage Sex (discussed, not graphic), Religion,
Sexual Activities, Non-Consenting Sex
None that I can see.
I personally am not one to pick up a book that directly deals with religion – I mean that’s almost why I didn’t read Autoboyography – but when I was picked for this blog tour, I knew I had to give it a chance. It was also a religion that I believe in, so I was curious to see the depiction of Christianity and Catholicism from a character that doesn’t practice it.
I will say that I think the further I got along in this book, the more angry I got at how some religious messages could be twisted to benefit others, and how it seems like girls will always be responsible for the actions of boys. It’s not fair of course, and I think Hartl did a great job at getting me angry for these girls.
CeCe (full name: Francine) is our main character. I would say she’s a typical teenager and nothing really jaw-dropping about her. She does end up stalking her ex-boyfriend by signing up to join a leadership conference for a religious camp though, so that may be something. I don’t know how I feel about her as an MC but she’s not completely terrible, so that works.
“It’s not like you lied about your religion to get a leadership position at a camp you have no interest in to impress a guy you have nothing in common with. Oh, wait.”
Paul speaking the TRUTH BOO
Paul is CeCe’s neighbor and best friend. His father – who not surprisingly left his mom for his church secretary *insert eye roll here* – does not practice his religion anymore thanks to that incident. However, he ends up spending his summer with CeCe at Camp Three SixTeen so that she’s not alone and can help her get through all of the religious aspects of the camp. I mean, someone’s going to have to help her get through this, right?
Ethan is the ex-boyfriend. I don’t like him. He reminds me of one of my exes who broke up with me the same damn way. And then of course someone told me that he had a girlfriend through his church, JUST LIKE ETHAN DOES. I don’t like boys like this.
Mandy is one of CeCe’s roommate and a truly nice Christian girl. Oh, and she’s the girl that Ethan has been dating. But, CeCe shouldn’t hold that against her, which she really shouldn’t because it’s not Mandy’s fault, but I guess a girl needs to figure it out for herself. A shame though, since Mandy is a great girl from the get go. She is immediately kind to CeCe and helps her get through camp. I love girls like Mandy.
Sarina and Astrid are the other roommates, and have known Mandy for years. They are all super nice to CeCe too, although I know that they are still trying to feel her out. Sarina is super humble about her accomplishments in the makeup YouTube industry, so what does that tell you about her? I like them. Astrid is a smart cookie, knows her Scriptures better than anyone, and has a good head on her shoulders.
“That’s not an apology,” Astrid said. Now it was my turn to gape. “You basically said CeCe wasn’t evolved enough in the Bible’s teachings to comprehend, which is not only offensive, but your lesson is wrong.”
yOU TELL EM ASTRID
CeCe is convinced that if she “finds God” by going to the same religious camp as ex-boyfriend Ethan, then maybe she can win him back. Thank goodness her best friend Paul ends up going with her because (1) he grew up in the faith and his father is a priest so he can help her lie her way through Christian Camp, and (2) because he can keep her grounded from doing something she’s going to regret. Although, not sure if that will work since they end up going there anyway despite his advice. CeCe and Paul arrive at camp to find out that Ethan actually has another girlfriend – that happens to be one of CeCe’s cabin mates and is such a sweetheart honestly – and CeCe ends up lying by saying that her and Paul are actually together.
Did Christian kids even make out? Obviously they did on some level. They could even have sex as much as they wanted, so long as they claimed to be born-again whenever it suited their needs.
CeCe
The first line irritated me because it’s like people making assumptions about religions – kind of like what happened in Autoboyography but not done the same. Then the snark after it because Ethan totally had sex with CeCe and then claims “I need to find God again and be born-again” to break up with her was complete trash and gives Christianity a bad name.
Just saying.
Drama ensues. But just enough that it’s not annoying and one that you can actually follow along. It was good.
Also, CeCe ends up learning from Paul what consent really means, since Paul is super pissed at Ethan for what happened when she lost her virginity. And I’m proud of Paul for understanding the concept of consent because not everyone does.
“… but consent should be an ongoing conversation. Did he check in with you? Did he make sure you were comfortable, that you were still enjoying things?”
Paul asking CeCe about Her Time with Ethan
My man Paul freaking gets it, ladies and gentlemen! This is what I’m talking about right here.
I think this was the first of CeCe’s redeeming lines in my eyes:
The least we can do is be proud of our own accomplishments. Lord knows the world won’t do it for us.
CeCe on Pride being a stupid Sin
Basically this was where CeCe finds out that Sarina is a freaking Makeup YouTube superstar (fifty thousand followers in six months. That’s amazing), but when she told Sarina that she should be proud of that, Sarina was like “Pride is a sin.” Which it is, don’t get me wrong. I remember the seven sins. But, CeCe has a point. It’s not being boastful or anything.
And there are more cases where CeCe does not agree with what the camp counselors are teaching the girls, because let’s face it, it’s antiquated and not fair towards women at all. Astrid does as well, and I was honestly so proud to see the girls of Cabin 8 stand up for what they knew was right and have a united front on this.
CeCe is too obsessed with Ethan and he didn’t even treat her right. And the way that she describes herself without him is just sad.
I didn’t know who I was without him. His friends all called me “Ethan’s girl,” and I wanted so badly to belong somewhere, instead of constantly trying and failing to find my place.
CeCe
Chica. Never define yourself by who you’re dating. It’s not worth it.
Dress like you want to be seduced, and you will attract the kind of guy who will only try to seduce you, who won’t value your heart or your mind.
Patricia…. the lame ass counselor
Messages like this seriously piss me off. I get this was maybe the point of the novel, but having to read stuff like this over and over again in a short amount of time really irked me.
Like really irked me.
“…in a handful of words, this counselor had made me feel more ashamed of my body than I had when Ethan told me why we had to break up. In her eyes, it wasn’t the sex that made me dirty; it was me. Like my very existence in a female form had to be covered up, hidden away. One of the several reasons I could add to the growing pile of why I’d never be a Christian.”
CeCe just had on a bikini, guys. That’s it.
And this is coming from Patricia, one of the FEMALE counselors. How demeaning do women have to be to high school girls and younger to guilt trip them into thinking that it’s their fault when guys have hormonal reactions? The hell is this?
It took me a while to get into this because I was already turned off by CeCe’s behavior in the beginning. I think she did end up growing a little bit as the book went on. I appreciated that she changed her mind on Mandy because in all honesty, girls should not be enemies over a piece of crap guy.
“… for Mandy, this girl I shouldn’t care one iota about. I’d come to steal her boyfriend, for crying out loud. But still. I felt a certain amount of loyalty toward her. The kind of kinship that came from really, truly understanding how someone else felt.”