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anneschreurs's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
vizira's review
I really wanted to love this becasue a lesbian camp romance sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I never connected to the characters, and I just didn’t believe the romance. It felt very insta-lovey, and I never got a grasp of who Vivian was as a character, which made it difficult to root for the relationship.
I also really didn’t like
Thanks Netgalley for sending me this arc.
I also really didn’t like
Spoiler
how the whole Lauren plot line was handled. There were a few times it felt like it was being played for laughs, even while she was bodily getting into Emma's space, things, and openly harassing her.Thanks Netgalley for sending me this arc.
rosegoldteacher's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
4.5
lezreadalot's review
2.0
Oh, this was unfortunate.
This is a YA, coming of age story about a lesbian finding love at summer camp; a summer camp which is tied up in a traumatising incident she had years ago. The themes and intent of this book are all very well-meaning, but the way in which it was executed was not very good at all. The writing isn't all bad; the author is trying for a sort of romantic comedy type feel, with humour and hijinks and sarcasm. Some of that gets pulled off well, but the majority of it just leaves me with a huge 'missed a step while going downstairs' feeling. Punchlines to jokes that weren't well executed, witty rejoinders that fell flat, banter that had no backbone and felt very meaningless. I get the intention of all the relationships that Emma had, but the way that they were built (or rather, not built) was so shallow. The book told me that Emma and Gwen were best friends, but I didn't feel that. The book told me that she cultivated a found family at camp, but I didn't feel that. The book told me that Emma and Vivian fell in love, and I certainly did not feel that.
And like. Yikes. Let's talk about Vivian. I was so sure that the book was doing the young adult thing were there's an unlikable character who does bad things, but by the end of the book they learn their lesson and they're a better person. But... no. Vivian does so much shady stuff that just isn't addressed. Going through Emma's phone, unfairly delegating tasks, cutting little comments and actions... The book focuses a lot on Lauren's bullying and calls her out for it, but honestly, a lot of the things Vivian does are not cute and could also be construed as bullying. And the thing is, I know that the author is NOT trying to be malicious, and portray a toxic relationship as something good. I know all this stuff is INTENDED to be light-hearted and humorous. But it just didn't work out that way. I didn't enjoy this relationship at all.
And unfortunately, the book in itself was just kind of dull. I skimmed through the last quarter.
Kudos to the author for writing it (I see that it was a NaNoWriMo book). It had some good things to say about coming out and being yourself, bad parents, and talked about therapy and mental health in positive ways. And I liked the way it ended.
But sadly, the bones of this book are shaky through and through. Wouldn't really recommend it for a young adult audience without some significant changes.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
This is a YA, coming of age story about a lesbian finding love at summer camp; a summer camp which is tied up in a traumatising incident she had years ago. The themes and intent of this book are all very well-meaning, but the way in which it was executed was not very good at all. The writing isn't all bad; the author is trying for a sort of romantic comedy type feel, with humour and hijinks and sarcasm. Some of that gets pulled off well, but the majority of it just leaves me with a huge 'missed a step while going downstairs' feeling. Punchlines to jokes that weren't well executed, witty rejoinders that fell flat, banter that had no backbone and felt very meaningless. I get the intention of all the relationships that Emma had, but the way that they were built (or rather, not built) was so shallow. The book told me that Emma and Gwen were best friends, but I didn't feel that. The book told me that she cultivated a found family at camp, but I didn't feel that. The book told me that Emma and Vivian fell in love, and I certainly did not feel that.
And like. Yikes. Let's talk about Vivian. I was so sure that the book was doing the young adult thing were there's an unlikable character who does bad things, but by the end of the book they learn their lesson and they're a better person. But... no. Vivian does so much shady stuff that just isn't addressed. Going through Emma's phone, unfairly delegating tasks, cutting little comments and actions... The book focuses a lot on Lauren's bullying and calls her out for it, but honestly, a lot of the things Vivian does are not cute and could also be construed as bullying. And the thing is, I know that the author is NOT trying to be malicious, and portray a toxic relationship as something good. I know all this stuff is INTENDED to be light-hearted and humorous. But it just didn't work out that way. I didn't enjoy this relationship at all.
And unfortunately, the book in itself was just kind of dull. I skimmed through the last quarter.
Kudos to the author for writing it (I see that it was a NaNoWriMo book). It had some good things to say about coming out and being yourself, bad parents, and talked about therapy and mental health in positive ways. And I liked the way it ended.
But sadly, the bones of this book are shaky through and through. Wouldn't really recommend it for a young adult audience without some significant changes.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
blizzardbee7's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kat_crowley11's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I wish it was longer. Dont take it for granted because its a wattpad book. The book itself had a great plot and both characters are amazing. Love it and already want to read it again.
zappitty's review
4.0
idk about this version cuz read the webtoon one cuz im a hoe for sapphic webcomics
zeunicorn's review
2.0
I'll start by saying that I wanted to like this book so much. Beautiful cover? check! Summer camp story? check! Lesbian romance? check again!
In the end, it was kind of a disappointment... The main character went way too quickly from "I hate everything about this place and have so many phobias" to "I have a hot girlfriend and love camp". The antagonist was really creepy but not for the right reason and basically didn't add much to the story. She could 'not' be in the story and nothing would change much.
Also, all the characters are supposed to be around 18 but they all speak like adults, except for Gwen who feels like she's 12...
So yeah, there are so many better stories, you can skip this one...
In the end, it was kind of a disappointment... The main character went way too quickly from "I hate everything about this place and have so many phobias" to "I have a hot girlfriend and love camp". The antagonist was really creepy but not for the right reason and basically didn't add much to the story. She could 'not' be in the story and nothing would change much.
Also, all the characters are supposed to be around 18 but they all speak like adults, except for Gwen who feels like she's 12...
So yeah, there are so many better stories, you can skip this one...
zilver's review
2.0
I kind of hate that I didn’t like this book. It looks so promising! A fun, cute, light, summer-y read. We need those! But honestly, this book read like a Disney Channel movie. And not in the funny way - in the cringey way.
I’ll start by mentioning some things I enjoyed: the feeling of summer it brought about; the fact that the main character, Emma is very secure in her sexuality and (besides a horribly homophobic and toxic mother) this isn’t made into a big deal any time it comes up; that Emma gets to stand up to said mother; I suppose the idea of this book???
Oof. I think the main problem is that I’ve read this entire book, and I still feel like I know nothing about any of the characters. They are all two-dimensional, not fleshed out, bland characters. Everyone’s personality relies on being a) sarcastic, b) nice, or c) a bully. Generally, I do consider it quite a problem if no one, including your main character, seems to go through any kind of development. Any details regarding characters’ lives and feelings were always handed to us, and we were expected to take them at face-value. Even major things like Emma’s depression and anxiety, which are mentioned a couple of times as being something that influences her life greatly at times (and understandably so!), are kept completely at a distance. At some point she mentions to her father on the phone that she’s having a bad day, and I just had the thought that I would not have gotten that at all from any of the other descriptions of what had been going on that day. The panic attacks she experiences happen, and are brushed off afterwards, not to be talked about again. Their effects or causes are left untouched upon.
Besides that, the decision-making, the way basically everyone acted, was quite ridiculous constantly. Again, Disney Channel movie vibes. No one’s actions really sense. Multiple times when characters pointed out other characters’ motivations or thought-processes I was genuinely thrown because I would just not understand how they got to those conclusions at all. I'd blame it on the fact that the characters are young but honestly? All of them are around 18. Not to say all your decisions should be logical and sensible all of a sudden, but they also shouldn't be... this. And the relationships... I don’t know, but Emma keeps saying she’s bad at making friends, and I’m inclined to agree with her, because despite saying that Gwen is her, and I quote, “soulmate”, she knows literally nothing about Gwen except that’s she’s peppy and kind. Same with Vivian, our love interest. After 300 pages I know nothing about her except that she goes to college, where she acts “differently” than she does at camp, and that she likes order. But then again, after 300 pages I know not much more about Emma, so.
I think this book had a lot of potential, and unfortunately it just didn’t live up to any of it for me.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.