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kaat_stas's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heatherbermingham's review
5.0
I have a soft spot for books about kids who find themselves through the arts - music, writing, theater, etc. Love that one of the big themes here is that it's okay - and sometimes even justified - to be angry about things happening to you, especially when they're out of your control. (In this case, divorce.) A few reviews I read mentioned that this would be a good read for Raina Telgemeir fans and I think it's spot-on. Very similar style and tone.
thesweaterlibrarian's review
5.0
I devoured this book in one morning. A fun summery read that also tackles divorce and sexuality. Absolutely would recommend!
martereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
silver27's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
kays_reading_journal's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
4.75⭐️
This was such a cute read. Again, I wish I would’ve had stuff like this to read when I was a kid. I don’t usually read Middle Grade, but this book made me want to read more of it. I quickly started caring about the characters, and although the plot isn’t super heavy or intricate, I still really enjoyed it.
I’m from Michigan and I love reading stories that take place here. Knowing exactly what camp this was based on and having multiple of my past friends who went there was pretty funny. I loved that this book had the lighthearted, falling in love for the first time aspect while balancing it with the darker, my parents are divorcing what do I do aspect.
The only thing that I didn’t enjoy as much was the amount of references to other media. It felt overbearing and unoriginal at times.
Overall, I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author. If you want a low-stakes, happy ending summer story, this book is for you.
snillkatt47's review
5.0
I was around 11-12 years old when I first read this book. At that time I was convinced that you can’t be 100% sure you’re gay if you are under eighteen.
After reading this book, I realized how pure bullshit that was. I had never heard of a queer person my age, and I didn’t think they existed.
Melly is a shy, quiet girl, who makes herself heard with her drums. She goes to camp Rockaway with her best friend Olivia whom she is growing apart from, while trying to deal with her parents divorce. Soon, she finds herself drawn towards Adeline, a sweet, inviting guitar-player
I LOVE this book. I’ve already mentioned that I found this book during a time when I barely had any clue what sexuality even was.
What I love most is that Melly isn’t met with a lot of criticism for falling for a girl. This may not be entirely realistic, since sadly many queer people are met with a lot of shit. But I think only showing the sweet sides of a queer love story can be good for someone who doesn’t know all that much about sexualities in the first place, for example a seventh grader. Kids are easily influenced, so I think it’s important to show just how cute and warm queer relationships are, just as any straight relationship, focusing on the love rather than the hate.
Just the whole vibe of summer camp with a crush and new friends around a fireplace singing songs sounds so euphoric. It’s such an easy book to relate to as a middle grader, with the crush-drama and dipping your toes in the water of something that may stick with you for the rest of your life. I definitely recommend you read this, or show it to a younger sibling.
A sapphic camp Rock? Yes. 10/10.
After reading this book, I realized how pure bullshit that was. I had never heard of a queer person my age, and I didn’t think they existed.
Melly is a shy, quiet girl, who makes herself heard with her drums. She goes to camp Rockaway with her best friend Olivia whom she is growing apart from, while trying to deal with her parents divorce. Soon, she finds herself drawn towards Adeline, a sweet, inviting guitar-player
I LOVE this book. I’ve already mentioned that I found this book during a time when I barely had any clue what sexuality even was.
What I love most is that Melly isn’t met with a lot of criticism for falling for a girl. This may not be entirely realistic, since sadly many queer people are met with a lot of shit. But I think only showing the sweet sides of a queer love story can be good for someone who doesn’t know all that much about sexualities in the first place, for example a seventh grader. Kids are easily influenced, so I think it’s important to show just how cute and warm queer relationships are, just as any straight relationship, focusing on the love rather than the hate.
Just the whole vibe of summer camp with a crush and new friends around a fireplace singing songs sounds so euphoric. It’s such an easy book to relate to as a middle grader, with the crush-drama and dipping your toes in the water of something that may stick with you for the rest of your life. I definitely recommend you read this, or show it to a younger sibling.
A sapphic camp Rock? Yes. 10/10.