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darcey_reads's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
I’ve seen some reviews saying people didn’t like the art style but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad graphic memoir as it’s subjective - some people will like it and others won’t, you’ll never be able to make everyone happy. As for the story itself, it didn’t exactly go where I was expecting from the synopsis, but that was more because of my expectations than the book itself. I think I’ve come to realise that graphic novels of any kind aren’t really my favourite format to read, so the fact I didn’t love this is not necessarily to do with the art style or the story itself, but rather my personal preferences when it comes to the type of books I enjoy the most, and unfortunately something like this just is not it. If you are someone who enjoys graphic novels/memoirs though, then I think I would recommend this!
trin's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really nicely written coming-of-age story, but oh man: I hate, hate, hate the art style. I realize this is completely a matter of personal taste, but it looks to me like something you would find a 12-year-old posting on DeviantArt. To me it was distracting in its badness.
The same text, illustrated by a different artist, would have been much more powerful and affecting for me.
The same text, illustrated by a different artist, would have been much more powerful and affecting for me.
carlyxdeexx's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, I devoured this book! I had no idea what I was getting into and the story is immediately relatable and engrossing. I loved how much the art style fit so particularly with the setting—it looked like it was drawn while away at summer camp by someone at age 15 or 16, and it really fits the powerfully nostalgic and authentic voice of the author (it’s a memoir after all). As a het from the NYC tri-state area who was sent to Grandma’s for the summer months instead of sleepaway camp, there was so much about this story that I have never experienced firsthand, yet the universal nature of growing up a cis girl cloistered among cis girls is so clear in this. The expectations, the performance of it all, the simultaneous truth and deception of vulnerability, the tumultuous nature and possessiveness of friendships. The horse girls. The boy bands. It’s all here.
It’s obvious how much good the supportive, positive characters in this story do in the sea of negative ones, making it all too clear how much one teen’s life can be impacted and changed by the people and peers in it. It’s also refreshing to see so much complexity in these campers, because being a teen is messy, and friendship doesn’t always have to be perfect to be sustaining. Friends can be annoying, abrasive, and jealous while still being loyal, compassionate, and understanding. That’s a very 14-year-old mood.
I hope a lot of people pick this book up like I did and end up surprised by it. It’s the kind of book that can be the thing that opens a person’s heart, and I hope that’s exactly what it has done for many, and will continue to do.
It’s obvious how much good the supportive, positive characters in this story do in the sea of negative ones, making it all too clear how much one teen’s life can be impacted and changed by the people and peers in it. It’s also refreshing to see so much complexity in these campers, because being a teen is messy, and friendship doesn’t always have to be perfect to be sustaining. Friends can be annoying, abrasive, and jealous while still being loyal, compassionate, and understanding. That’s a very 14-year-old mood.
I hope a lot of people pick this book up like I did and end up surprised by it. It’s the kind of book that can be the thing that opens a person’s heart, and I hope that’s exactly what it has done for many, and will continue to do.
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
I found this a compelling story about the heartbreak of first love, and of the confusion Thrash felt when grappling with her sexuality. I thought it did a very effective job of showing how casual homophobia permeates many corners of society, and how that contributed to Thrash's difficulties in coming to terms with how she felt.
jr2234's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one. The story is a true retelling from Maggie’s life and takes place at a summer camp, which I enjoyed because it felt so immersive. I spent a big part of my high school years at a summer camp and loved every part of it, and parts of the camp took me back to that time (the obsession with counselors, the breaking of rules, etc). I enjoyed, too, how the end was cut short with Maggie’s love interest and how she didn’t get any definitive closure because that made the plot much more realistic.
violet_reads's review
1.0
yikes. the art is bad, the story was meh, the age gap was yuck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
odurant8's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful graphic novel that illustrates the pain and longing of first love, and the letdown when you discover that the object of your affections isn't perfect.
tonatyuh's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this.
Yeah, no need to explain.
I just loved this.
Yeah, no need to explain.
I just loved this.