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achillespatroclus's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
mysterious_bookshack's review against another edition
5.0
I want to thank the publisher for sending an arc of The Camino Club in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on only my thoughts and ideas!
What can I say about this novel? This was such a soul-touching read that I know for sure that I'm going to read multiple times. 6 juvenile delinquents from Canada are sent to Spain to journey across the Camino de Santiago instead of going to juvie. These 6 all come different backgrounds and every one of them can be relatable to anyone. Either you're feeling invisible, your family doesn't support you, or you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders, this book will be the one that will bring tears to your eyes. I felt so many emotions - anger, sadness (with tears), joy, embarrassment, and more. This book brought out the best of mankind but it also brought out the worst. It's hard to balance that but Kevin Craig did it so beautifully. I'm in love with this story and I'm so happy that I got the honor to read this. It opened my eyes to so many problems that teens my age face but don't have anyone to share the burden. The utter joy of these 6 kids coming together and becoming a family is indescribable because that's what happiness is. You don't know how to describe other than you're finally feeling free and happy with the people around you.
Content Advisory:
- Minor Character Death
- Homophobic Bullying
- Discussions of Conversion Therapy (The 6 kids aren't supporting this)
- Homophobic Parents
What can I say about this novel? This was such a soul-touching read that I know for sure that I'm going to read multiple times. 6 juvenile delinquents from Canada are sent to Spain to journey across the Camino de Santiago instead of going to juvie. These 6 all come different backgrounds and every one of them can be relatable to anyone. Either you're feeling invisible, your family doesn't support you, or you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders, this book will be the one that will bring tears to your eyes. I felt so many emotions - anger, sadness (with tears), joy, embarrassment, and more. This book brought out the best of mankind but it also brought out the worst. It's hard to balance that but Kevin Craig did it so beautifully. I'm in love with this story and I'm so happy that I got the honor to read this. It opened my eyes to so many problems that teens my age face but don't have anyone to share the burden. The utter joy of these 6 kids coming together and becoming a family is indescribable because that's what happiness is. You don't know how to describe other than you're finally feeling free and happy with the people around you.
Content Advisory:
- Minor Character Death
- Homophobic Bullying
- Discussions of Conversion Therapy (The 6 kids aren't supporting this)
- Homophobic Parents
bottomofthebookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Oh boy, this book just stole my heart and I’m not mad about it. This story follows a group of Canadian teen criminals as they walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage across Spain as payment for their crimes in place of juvie. Even though most of them don’t initially want to be there, what unfolds on this journey will stick with every one of them forever and will leave them forever changed.
I absolutely fell in love with these characters. There’s 6 teens that go on this life changing pilgrimage, but the story is told from the perspective of 3 of them. They each come from such different backgrounds and it was so fun to see friendship and romance grow amongst the group as they got to know each other more. I loved that all the characters were different ethnicities and sexualities, yet found common ground with each other and really bonded by the end. This book definitely gave me The Breakfast Club vibes and I’m glad the author included that in both the title and the plot of the book. I really felt like I walked the Camino with these characters and I was honestly sad to part with them at the end of the book. You bet your bottom I cried the entire last 1/4 of the book because I wasn’t ready to see this journey end. The bonds these characters created just warmed my heart and I wanted to read about their little found family forever.
So, I think it’s safe to say I loved this book. The 6 little criminals stole my heart as well as the people they met along the way and I’m so happy I read this one. I really can’t recommend it enough. Walking the Camino de Santiago is definitely going on my bucket list now!
*Thank you to Netgalley & Interlude Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I absolutely fell in love with these characters. There’s 6 teens that go on this life changing pilgrimage, but the story is told from the perspective of 3 of them. They each come from such different backgrounds and it was so fun to see friendship and romance grow amongst the group as they got to know each other more. I loved that all the characters were different ethnicities and sexualities, yet found common ground with each other and really bonded by the end. This book definitely gave me The Breakfast Club vibes and I’m glad the author included that in both the title and the plot of the book. I really felt like I walked the Camino with these characters and I was honestly sad to part with them at the end of the book. You bet your bottom I cried the entire last 1/4 of the book because I wasn’t ready to see this journey end. The bonds these characters created just warmed my heart and I wanted to read about their little found family forever.
So, I think it’s safe to say I loved this book. The 6 little criminals stole my heart as well as the people they met along the way and I’m so happy I read this one. I really can’t recommend it enough. Walking the Camino de Santiago is definitely going on my bucket list now!
*Thank you to Netgalley & Interlude Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
charkinzie's review
5.0
This is one of those times that you should judge a book by its cover because what unfolds in the pages is as beautiful as the artwork you see above! Kevin Craig has crafted a story of epic proportions that still manages to focus down on the most important things in life.
Diego, Manny, Shania, Claire, Greg, and Troy have all found themselves in trouble. They've also all been given the opportunity of a lifetime.. forego any official punishment and walk the Camino de Santiago with court-appointed chaperones. The teens have mixed reactions to beginning such a trek. Reactions vary from thinking it's the adventure of a lifetime to plotting an escape.
The teens or "pilgrims" begin their pilgrimage in Ponferadda, Spain - uncertain of themselves, leary of each other, and annoyed by their chipper counselor/guides. They must hike, meet as a group to debrief and bond, and keep an active journal.
This book is told through a few narrators and in a couple of different ways. Sometimes, the reader is treated to the mandatory journal entries that some of the pilgrims are writing. I loved the entries, as they gave me a chance to settle back into the mind of the character when there was a switch of POV. The journals also gave a kind of back-stage pass to some of the things that the teens were going through. Each of the characters has a very distinct voice and different energy so I found it easy to stick with each story.
There's a lot going on for the characters in this novel but the story doesn't ever escape Kevin Craig. They are a marvelous author and it's clear from the beginning of The Camino Club that they have a love both the trail and the characters they have created. It was an absolute delight to watch the growth and challenges that each character faced. The descriptions of the trail, the buildings, and the people the pilgrims meet on their journey are intriguing and delightful; it was almost possible to imagine I was walking along with them.
I was really thrilled to see that the characters displayed a wide range of emotions in the book. I find, sometimes, that YA characters seem almost stereotypical. I would definitely argue that's not the case of Craig's characters. Each of the teens is surprising in some way... perhaps they may seem "typical" on the surface but as they travel it's made clear that there is a lot going on for each of them.
They face some very real and timely issues as they walk together. For instance, Troy is teased about being gay... he's fine with it at first and then realizes that it has crossed over to the "meanness" that's he's come to associate with bullying. As hurt as he is by the words... he finds the courage to speak up about it. I loved that the teens in the story were often the ones who were having very real conversations with each other about what was and wasn't okay.
Ultimately, I would say this book is about finding your tribe as you find out more about who you are. There are losses along the way, bonds are forged and broken. Like the film The Breakfast Club which the characters discuss a few times, these teens will stay with you.
Diego, Manny, Shania, Claire, Greg, and Troy have all found themselves in trouble. They've also all been given the opportunity of a lifetime.. forego any official punishment and walk the Camino de Santiago with court-appointed chaperones. The teens have mixed reactions to beginning such a trek. Reactions vary from thinking it's the adventure of a lifetime to plotting an escape.
The teens or "pilgrims" begin their pilgrimage in Ponferadda, Spain - uncertain of themselves, leary of each other, and annoyed by their chipper counselor/guides. They must hike, meet as a group to debrief and bond, and keep an active journal.
This book is told through a few narrators and in a couple of different ways. Sometimes, the reader is treated to the mandatory journal entries that some of the pilgrims are writing. I loved the entries, as they gave me a chance to settle back into the mind of the character when there was a switch of POV. The journals also gave a kind of back-stage pass to some of the things that the teens were going through. Each of the characters has a very distinct voice and different energy so I found it easy to stick with each story.
There's a lot going on for the characters in this novel but the story doesn't ever escape Kevin Craig. They are a marvelous author and it's clear from the beginning of The Camino Club that they have a love both the trail and the characters they have created. It was an absolute delight to watch the growth and challenges that each character faced. The descriptions of the trail, the buildings, and the people the pilgrims meet on their journey are intriguing and delightful; it was almost possible to imagine I was walking along with them.
I was really thrilled to see that the characters displayed a wide range of emotions in the book. I find, sometimes, that YA characters seem almost stereotypical. I would definitely argue that's not the case of Craig's characters. Each of the teens is surprising in some way... perhaps they may seem "typical" on the surface but as they travel it's made clear that there is a lot going on for each of them.
They face some very real and timely issues as they walk together. For instance, Troy is teased about being gay... he's fine with it at first and then realizes that it has crossed over to the "meanness" that's he's come to associate with bullying. As hurt as he is by the words... he finds the courage to speak up about it. I loved that the teens in the story were often the ones who were having very real conversations with each other about what was and wasn't okay.
Ultimately, I would say this book is about finding your tribe as you find out more about who you are. There are losses along the way, bonds are forged and broken. Like the film The Breakfast Club which the characters discuss a few times, these teens will stay with you.
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