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lostxxboy's review against another edition
4.0
I was really excited for this book!
I was a kid who went to summer camp, and as I grew older started to love musical theatre, so honestly, the queer camp with theatre was definitely something that would have been my dream when I was a teenager.
And while I loved the camp setting, I loved most of the characters, and was transported back to my days at summer camp, (granted, it was definitely not an LGBTQ camp), I strongly disliked Randy & Hudson. They are both teenagers, and teenagers make very stupid decisions and do stupid things, but they had no redeeming qualities, not until the end, (which I guess is kind of the point), but I didn't enjoy their story. I didn't honestly care about their journey throughout.
I cared more about Ashley and George, Mark... the secondary characters.
I think that the discussions about toxic masculinity within the queer male community was insanely important and something that is still very prevalent within the community, and I think it was, for the most part, handled well.
I still really enjoyed this book, I laughed a lot while listening to it, but it loses one star due to my lack of caring for the protagonist and his love interest.
I was a kid who went to summer camp, and as I grew older started to love musical theatre, so honestly, the queer camp with theatre was definitely something that would have been my dream when I was a teenager.
And while I loved the camp setting, I loved most of the characters, and was transported back to my days at summer camp, (granted, it was definitely not an LGBTQ camp), I strongly disliked Randy & Hudson. They are both teenagers, and teenagers make very stupid decisions and do stupid things, but they had no redeeming qualities, not until the end, (which I guess is kind of the point), but I didn't enjoy their story. I didn't honestly care about their journey throughout.
I cared more about Ashley and George, Mark... the secondary characters.
I think that the discussions about toxic masculinity within the queer male community was insanely important and something that is still very prevalent within the community, and I think it was, for the most part, handled well.
I still really enjoyed this book, I laughed a lot while listening to it, but it loses one star due to my lack of caring for the protagonist and his love interest.
hcasey921's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of ups and downs, but a fun read overall. I felt myself needing to know what would happen with Del. Some parts of the book I wanted Del and Hudson to work out and other parts I wanted Del to have nothing to do with Hudson, but I liked how it all came together in the end. My favorite part was when Randy stood to clap for George at the end but then Randy realized that somebody else had stood up first. How cute!!
fernweh85's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mommaslonglegs's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Rounded up on this one. Really went back and forth because on one hand the overall plot of lying to someone you have a crush on and changing everything about yourself is dumb and played out, but this book also tackles what homophobia in a queer person can look like and how it can manaifest. There are some great conversations about gender and gay stereotypes, but hard to get past the main character lying for 90% of it.
srobs24's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
ashction's review against another edition
5.0
ABC TBR Challenge: 3/26
This was a really refreshing, unapologetically queer read! I've been meaning to get to this for ages so I'm glad I had the excuse of this challenge to finally convince myself to pick it up.
Camp follows Randy, a.k.a. Del, on a summer quest familiar to anyone in love - or to anyone who's seen the end of Grease. After several summers of crushing hard on Hudson-Aaron Lim, Randy is determined to go home and become exactly the kind of guy he likes and become more than a summer fling. But in order to do that, he has to ditch everything about himself to fit into Hudson's ideal type: masculine guys. Randy is far from that. He loves theater and makeup and painted nails and amazing outfits. But for one summer, he's willing to change his body type, get fit and more "masculine" by Hudson - and society's - standards, all in the name of true love.
The plan works. Hudson crushes hard on Randy, now going by Del, on day one. But his plan spirals into a camp-wide lie that he's brand new and determined not to be just another conquest, even if it means sacrificing who he really is. Along the way, Randy learns a lot about himself and grows, but he's also lying. One thing's for sure: it's a summer to remember.
This book dives into SO much. Even though it's a contemporary coming-of-age romance, I would offer this book to any young queer teen looking for a crash course in toxic masculinity, discovering who you are, being yourself, and navigating different queer spaces and intersectionality. There's a diverse cast of characters here that are fully-formed and just as interesting as Randy, and together the conversations they all have really offer readers a compelling and thoughtful story amidst the Grease-esque love plot. And even though I didn't see how this book could end well for any of them. Rosen does a fantastic job of still rewarding readers with a good ending despite the complicated issues that complicate the romance. I also like that Rosen, though a white author himself, does his best to allow his white, cis male protagonist listen to the diverse characters perspectives on the different issues that come up in his journey. It really added to the entire experience to read multiple perspectives and several different queer voices, and the camp setting really benefits that choice by providing readers the perfect place to meet so many amazing queer people in one space.
We get a lot of thorough exploration from a cast of queer teens and adults on how hard it is to grow up in the world and though being queer in the world has come a long way, some things regretfully still remain a battle. I appreciated the balance of reality mixed in with the queer camp fun. I definitely didn't expect that and I liked that the story was honest and fun without sacrificing either.
I also want to note this book is very sex-positive, which we definitely love. I read a lot of queer YA and though sex positivity in general is very touch and go in YA (but getting better!), this is the first queer one I can remember reading in some time.
All in all, despite the hard-hitting topics and important conversations, this book surprised me by still managing to be fun and free. It was never quite what I expected, which I truly loved! Would definitely reading something else by Rosen in the future.
This was a really refreshing, unapologetically queer read! I've been meaning to get to this for ages so I'm glad I had the excuse of this challenge to finally convince myself to pick it up.
Camp follows Randy, a.k.a. Del, on a summer quest familiar to anyone in love - or to anyone who's seen the end of Grease. After several summers of crushing hard on Hudson-Aaron Lim, Randy is determined to go home and become exactly the kind of guy he likes and become more than a summer fling. But in order to do that, he has to ditch everything about himself to fit into Hudson's ideal type: masculine guys. Randy is far from that. He loves theater and makeup and painted nails and amazing outfits. But for one summer, he's willing to change his body type, get fit and more "masculine" by Hudson - and society's - standards, all in the name of true love.
The plan works. Hudson crushes hard on Randy, now going by Del, on day one. But his plan spirals into a camp-wide lie that he's brand new and determined not to be just another conquest, even if it means sacrificing who he really is. Along the way, Randy learns a lot about himself and grows, but he's also lying. One thing's for sure: it's a summer to remember.
This book dives into SO much. Even though it's a contemporary coming-of-age romance, I would offer this book to any young queer teen looking for a crash course in toxic masculinity, discovering who you are, being yourself, and navigating different queer spaces and intersectionality. There's a diverse cast of characters here that are fully-formed and just as interesting as Randy, and together the conversations they all have really offer readers a compelling and thoughtful story amidst the Grease-esque love plot. And even though I didn't see how this book could end well for any of them. Rosen does a fantastic job of still rewarding readers with a good ending despite the complicated issues that complicate the romance. I also like that Rosen, though a white author himself, does his best to allow his white, cis male protagonist listen to the diverse characters perspectives on the different issues that come up in his journey. It really added to the entire experience to read multiple perspectives and several different queer voices, and the camp setting really benefits that choice by providing readers the perfect place to meet so many amazing queer people in one space.
We get a lot of thorough exploration from a cast of queer teens and adults on how hard it is to grow up in the world and though being queer in the world has come a long way, some things regretfully still remain a battle. I appreciated the balance of reality mixed in with the queer camp fun. I definitely didn't expect that and I liked that the story was honest and fun without sacrificing either.
I also want to note this book is very sex-positive, which we definitely love. I read a lot of queer YA and though sex positivity in general is very touch and go in YA (but getting better!), this is the first queer one I can remember reading in some time.
All in all, despite the hard-hitting topics and important conversations, this book surprised me by still managing to be fun and free. It was never quite what I expected, which I truly loved! Would definitely reading something else by Rosen in the future.
kyrasws11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0