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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I'm not going to lie. As an adult, reading details about 17 year olds having sex gives me the creeps. But, this book isn't meant to be read by adults so I tried to suspend that and think of how I would have felt as a teenager reading this. It's unapologetically feminist and puts a spin on sex and relationships that I don't think girls get to see much of these days. It was refreshing so see such a positive message. I liked the transformations of CeCe, Paul and their friends.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
This book was just fantastic. When I read it, I was a bit upset as it was my last day on my cruise, and we were at sea all day on our way back home. With not much to do except wander the ship that I'd been exploring all fortnight, I decided to find a nice comfy chair and sit with my iPad and read this as the North Sea went past the window outside. And, let me tell you, I am so glad I did. This was funny, and heartfelt, and just lifted all of my spirits.
In Have a Little Faith, CeCe is reeling after her boyfriend, Ethan, dumps her. He's now become a born again Christian, reclaiming his virginity, and wants nothing to do with CeCe for enticing him. She doesn't understand how he can do this, but will do anything she can to get him back, including spending her summer at Jesus camp - real name Camp ThreeSixteen - if that's what it takes. She knows absolutely nothing about Jesus or Christianity, so it'll be difficult, bu best friend Paul, does. He spent most of his summers when he was younger at the same camp, and he agrees to go with her, to try and help her through it all. However, her plans all fall apart when she gets there and it's revealed that Ethan has a girlfriend - one he's always had - with Mandy, a True Believer, who knew nothing about CeCe, and is one of the nicest people. So, CeCe ropes Paul into pretending to be her boyfriend, which is difficult for him when he's always had feelings for her, but it could just be the making of them.
Now, I'm not really religious. When I was younger, I would go to church with my grandpa on a Sunday, but that was honestly more because I loved spending time with him, not because I loved the church. As I've gotten older, studied more history and seen what religion - all religions - has done to the world, it's really turned me against religion, so I didn't know what to expect with this book. CeCe is actively nonreligious, but I loved how this book helped her, and me, if I'm being honest, to see the good parts in believing. A lot of this book was seeing what religion and faith means to different people, and on the most part, the characters in the book were truly good. However, some of the characters, namely Ethan, the Pastor, and other leaders, had twisted their faith into something unrecognisable, and used it against people, not for people. Now, I hated the pastor and Ethan, but everyone else was a character I liked.
Another thing I loved about this book was how sex and body positive it was. CeCe actively argued against the outdated and unfair traditions that were at the camp - such as the boys were allowed to be shirtless, but the girls had to be covered as much as possible, and that no form of sex education could be taught or discussed. CeCe is very much against this, and from her cabin, she, and later the other girls when they become more comfortable, talk about everything that they should be - condoms and other protection, consent, enjoyment, respect, masturbation, periods, oral sex, and everything else besides. This does get CeCe in trouble, but it's worth it to ensure that all the girls understand what they need to, and haven't been let down by what the Pastor believes to be correct.
The romance was so swoony. The chemistry between CeCe and Paul was there from the get go, which made it believable from the beginning that they were in a relationship for everyone at camp. Whenever they were together, I was rooting for them, and wanted it to be real. They were honestly relationship goals, and I am glad that they went through the summer in order to see what was in front of them,
As Hartl's debut, this was amazing, and I'm already planning on pre-ordering her next book as soon as I can. This book is definitely one I wish I had when I was younger, and I'd recommend all teens read it for how confident and real it is.
This book was just fantastic. When I read it, I was a bit upset as it was my last day on my cruise, and we were at sea all day on our way back home. With not much to do except wander the ship that I'd been exploring all fortnight, I decided to find a nice comfy chair and sit with my iPad and read this as the North Sea went past the window outside. And, let me tell you, I am so glad I did. This was funny, and heartfelt, and just lifted all of my spirits.
In Have a Little Faith, CeCe is reeling after her boyfriend, Ethan, dumps her. He's now become a born again Christian, reclaiming his virginity, and wants nothing to do with CeCe for enticing him. She doesn't understand how he can do this, but will do anything she can to get him back, including spending her summer at Jesus camp - real name Camp ThreeSixteen - if that's what it takes. She knows absolutely nothing about Jesus or Christianity, so it'll be difficult, bu best friend Paul, does. He spent most of his summers when he was younger at the same camp, and he agrees to go with her, to try and help her through it all. However, her plans all fall apart when she gets there and it's revealed that Ethan has a girlfriend - one he's always had - with Mandy, a True Believer, who knew nothing about CeCe, and is one of the nicest people. So, CeCe ropes Paul into pretending to be her boyfriend, which is difficult for him when he's always had feelings for her, but it could just be the making of them.
Now, I'm not really religious. When I was younger, I would go to church with my grandpa on a Sunday, but that was honestly more because I loved spending time with him, not because I loved the church. As I've gotten older, studied more history and seen what religion - all religions - has done to the world, it's really turned me against religion, so I didn't know what to expect with this book. CeCe is actively nonreligious, but I loved how this book helped her, and me, if I'm being honest, to see the good parts in believing. A lot of this book was seeing what religion and faith means to different people, and on the most part, the characters in the book were truly good. However, some of the characters, namely Ethan, the Pastor, and other leaders, had twisted their faith into something unrecognisable, and used it against people, not for people. Now, I hated the pastor and Ethan, but everyone else was a character I liked.
Another thing I loved about this book was how sex and body positive it was. CeCe actively argued against the outdated and unfair traditions that were at the camp - such as the boys were allowed to be shirtless, but the girls had to be covered as much as possible, and that no form of sex education could be taught or discussed. CeCe is very much against this, and from her cabin, she, and later the other girls when they become more comfortable, talk about everything that they should be - condoms and other protection, consent, enjoyment, respect, masturbation, periods, oral sex, and everything else besides. This does get CeCe in trouble, but it's worth it to ensure that all the girls understand what they need to, and haven't been let down by what the Pastor believes to be correct.
The romance was so swoony. The chemistry between CeCe and Paul was there from the get go, which made it believable from the beginning that they were in a relationship for everyone at camp. Whenever they were together, I was rooting for them, and wanted it to be real. They were honestly relationship goals, and I am glad that they went through the summer in order to see what was in front of them,
As Hartl's debut, this was amazing, and I'm already planning on pre-ordering her next book as soon as I can. This book is definitely one I wish I had when I was younger, and I'd recommend all teens read it for how confident and real it is.
Depicting the reality, both the ugly and beautiful of sex and absolutely no girl hate in a YA? Not stereotyping religion as uptight but also addressing the patriarchal tendencies of religion?
This has gone down as one of my favorite contemporaries.
(Plus it’s got one of my favorite love tropes in it)
This has gone down as one of my favorite contemporaries.
(Plus it’s got one of my favorite love tropes in it)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
CeCe thought she meant something to Ethan, but after her broke up with her, in the name of the Lord, she was hurt and determined to prove to him that his faith was also important to her in order to win him back. "Jesus camp" proved to be quite a challenge for CeCe, but there she found friendship, love, and understanding.
Let me tell you, I utterly adored this book, and here are some reasons why:
• I thought the characters in this book were stupendous, and I enjoyed getting to know them. They were interesting and layered, and many really surprised me. I was so happy, that Hartl resisted painting them as stereotypes, because they played a huge role in my enjoyment of this story.
• The friendship between CeCe and Paul was so wonderful. They had so much history, and I loved all the small peeks we got into their past.
• Paul was just flawed perfection. Maybe he held people at a distance, and maybe he was resistant to getting into any serious romantic relationships, but he had a huge, soft, and tender heart.
• THE STORIES!! Paul and CeCe would tell each other these really meaningful made up stories. I think I was more partial to Paul's, because they were epic, but I enjoyed this facet of their relationship very much.
• The girls of cabin 8 were such a fantastic group. I adored the friendship that developed between this group of young women, and was so happy CeCe had the luck of meeting them all.
• Hartl did a wonderful job exploring the emotional side of sex, as well as delving into the many aspects of consent. This is something I would love to see more of in YA, and not only was it a big part of CeCe's story, it was done well, in my opinion.
• The story also puts CeCe's fauxmance with Paul side-by-side with her past relationship with Ethan. It was a great way to show a healthy versus an unhealthy relationship, which is something I definitely would have benefited from as a teen.
• I appreciated that the author did not villainize all Christians or Christianity in general, but rather, showed that there are some bad people who choose to weaponize religion. CeCe encountered several characters like that, but she also met a lot of really wonderful Christians too, and I liked that Hartl elected to show both sides.
I expected a wholly hilarious book, and this book was indeed funny, but it was also really emotional, heartfelt, and meaningful. I laughed, I raged, I nodded my head in agreement, and most importantly, I finished this story with a smile on my face.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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CeCe thought she meant something to Ethan, but after her broke up with her, in the name of the Lord, she was hurt and determined to prove to him that his faith was also important to her in order to win him back. "Jesus camp" proved to be quite a challenge for CeCe, but there she found friendship, love, and understanding.
Let me tell you, I utterly adored this book, and here are some reasons why:
• I thought the characters in this book were stupendous, and I enjoyed getting to know them. They were interesting and layered, and many really surprised me. I was so happy, that Hartl resisted painting them as stereotypes, because they played a huge role in my enjoyment of this story.
• The friendship between CeCe and Paul was so wonderful. They had so much history, and I loved all the small peeks we got into their past.
• Paul was just flawed perfection. Maybe he held people at a distance, and maybe he was resistant to getting into any serious romantic relationships, but he had a huge, soft, and tender heart.
• THE STORIES!! Paul and CeCe would tell each other these really meaningful made up stories. I think I was more partial to Paul's, because they were epic, but I enjoyed this facet of their relationship very much.
• The girls of cabin 8 were such a fantastic group. I adored the friendship that developed between this group of young women, and was so happy CeCe had the luck of meeting them all.
• Hartl did a wonderful job exploring the emotional side of sex, as well as delving into the many aspects of consent. This is something I would love to see more of in YA, and not only was it a big part of CeCe's story, it was done well, in my opinion.
• The story also puts CeCe's fauxmance with Paul side-by-side with her past relationship with Ethan. It was a great way to show a healthy versus an unhealthy relationship, which is something I definitely would have benefited from as a teen.
• I appreciated that the author did not villainize all Christians or Christianity in general, but rather, showed that there are some bad people who choose to weaponize religion. CeCe encountered several characters like that, but she also met a lot of really wonderful Christians too, and I liked that Hartl elected to show both sides.
I expected a wholly hilarious book, and this book was indeed funny, but it was also really emotional, heartfelt, and meaningful. I laughed, I raged, I nodded my head in agreement, and most importantly, I finished this story with a smile on my face.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I loved what I got!
Dios literalmente jeje, so lean este libro y no lean la descripción porque creo que te spoileas un poco de más, so la historia es sobre Cece quien su ex la corto porque le estaba quitando su pureza cristiana cuando perdieron su virginidad, so apesar de que soy atea durante mucho tiempo fue criada católica y esta historia me hizo sentí representado, nuestra protagonista es atea pero va a este campamento religioso porque su ex es cristiano y creo que ocupa unirse con jesus para regresar con él, so este libro no esta tratando de decir que ser cristiano es la chido, pero tampoco te dice que es horrible en el libro vemos personajes que hacen cosas malas y otros hacen cosas buenas en base a lo que creen que la biblia dice, pero la historia es sobre Cece aprendiendo a que ella es sufiente como es y con tintes de romance, pero también este libro es muy real sobre las primeras veces teniendo sexo y sobre las cosas que pasan, y si muchos personajes exploran su sexualidad y es embarazoso la me verdad pero realista, creo que aunque no creas en nada este libro es muy entretenido te muestra la perspectiva de muchas personas y como este sistema religioso tiene fallas, habla sobre la opresión de las mujeres, el aprovecharse y manipular a la gente por sus pecados, y hay peleas de versos de la biblia lo cual nunca pensé que seria interesante pero es como ver a gente nerd pelearse y fue divertido. En final de cuentas esta es una historia adolescente sobre los problemas de enamorarse, tener sexo, es divertido, rápido y creo que tiene un mensaje muy bueno y no busca convertir a nadie en creyente.
Espero que Ethan se muera hate that human.
Espero que Ethan se muera hate that human.
Have a Little Faith in Me follows CeCe, who’s had her heart broken by the boy who took her virginity. He’s a confused, Christian boy who takes no responsibility for his actions. She wants to show him she’s a different person and win him back by following him to some Jesus camp (despite not being a Christian and against her best friend Paul’s advice). Paul - a former Christian and camp attendee, decides to go with CeCe for support and maybe to laugh a little at her expense. However, what ensues is a journey of maturing for the many characters involved.
First, let me start with the positive points. This story contains an incredible wealth of information about consent and sexuality in general, which is so important for young people to understand before they get into relationships. CeCe manages to make some incredible female friendships despite their different upbringings. There is plenty of judgement between them to at first, but they find they have more in common than not. I appreciated that this story really showed girls building each other up more than pitting them against each other. Paul is like a breath of fresh air for a male MC in a YA novel. He’s the one that teaches CeCe about proper consent, having been properly taught by his mother. Finally, I really appreciated that this book didn’t come off as anti-Christian. I’m not into reading books that bash anyone’s faith or lack thereof. I thought the author did a great job of pointing out certain shortcomings in this particular faith community, but she was also able to point to some of the ways that community is unfairly judged.
So while this book has so much to offer, the storyline itself was so incredibly predictable. I felt like I’d read it before, and I knew the basic plot after reading the first chapter. That’s not exactly a problem if contemporary YA is your jam because plenty of plot overlap happens. My other main issue occurs once Paul explains the concept of consent to CeCe, she goes from being pretty clueless to an expert doling out advice seemingly right away. Parts of this topic also seemed to read more like an info pamphlet than casual conversation between friends.
In conclusion, there was a lot to like about this book content-wise, but it could have been more deftly executed. 3.75 stars.
First, let me start with the positive points. This story contains an incredible wealth of information about consent and sexuality in general, which is so important for young people to understand before they get into relationships. CeCe manages to make some incredible female friendships despite their different upbringings. There is plenty of judgement between them to at first, but they find they have more in common than not. I appreciated that this story really showed girls building each other up more than pitting them against each other. Paul is like a breath of fresh air for a male MC in a YA novel. He’s the one that teaches CeCe about proper consent, having been properly taught by his mother. Finally, I really appreciated that this book didn’t come off as anti-Christian. I’m not into reading books that bash anyone’s faith or lack thereof. I thought the author did a great job of pointing out certain shortcomings in this particular faith community, but she was also able to point to some of the ways that community is unfairly judged.
So while this book has so much to offer, the storyline itself was so incredibly predictable. I felt like I’d read it before, and I knew the basic plot after reading the first chapter. That’s not exactly a problem if contemporary YA is your jam because plenty of plot overlap happens. My other main issue occurs once Paul explains the concept of consent to CeCe, she goes from being pretty clueless to an expert doling out advice seemingly right away. Parts of this topic also seemed to read more like an info pamphlet than casual conversation between friends.
In conclusion, there was a lot to like about this book content-wise, but it could have been more deftly executed. 3.75 stars.
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I gave this book 2 stars bearing in mind that I am not the target audience. I think it had a lot of awesome messages for its target audience, but the actual story kind of bored me.
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.”