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erica_s 's review for:
Summer at Squee
by Andrea Wang
When 13-year-old Phoenix, called Phee or Phoenny returns to the summer camp her mother directs, with her best friend Lyrica, called Lyr (probably pronounced "leer" rather than"liar"), who is the daughter of Auntie Chu, the assistant director, it only takes a few hours for her joyful expectation to turn to sour disappointment and for it to be expressed in hostility to new campers.
Even though in my mind I heard their names as Phony & Liar for the entire book, in fact Phoenny and Lyr are good friends, honest and authentic people, and straightforward to everyone they meet. It felt almost surprising that their friendship was not a vehicle to talk about jealousy, competition, or any kind of relationship flaws - Phoenny & Lyr were exemplary friends, seemingly designed to show how stable a relationship can be in fiction; helpful, attentive, present, attuned or sensitive to one another's needs & interests, and there when you need them but able to happily be independent and hang out with others.
On the other hand Phoenny's crankiness is a facile vehicle to show all the didactic lessons of the book; that young people should be welcoming, accepting, broad-minded, and inclusive. Phee figures out on her own that she'd rather be friendly than hostile, and she explains her thinking pretty clearly.
The summer camp is intended for Chinese kids in the Boston area of the U.S. to get in touch with their cultural heritage, and the campers come from a variety of Chinese American homes - but this is the first year they have UNINTENTIONALLY included five girls adopted from China who all have white American parents. Different campers have different connections to Chinese culture - some speak fluent Mandarin or Cantonese, others don't, some grew up in households where Chinese crafts were practiced, others didn't. Some love Chinese cuisine, others reject it, etc. All of them are in this camp to connect or re-connect to the Chinese culture, but while some long for this summer camp all year, others came only unwillingly.
The girl camper's adoration of the cute, new, young CIT (counselor-in-training) from Hong Kong, and the older CIT who is Phee's older brother is realistic, but the author waited too long to have a character explain than any sort of relations between campers and CITs are prohibited, and why. And then to introduce a technical irrelevancy (Phee is one of the oldest campers, Harrison is the youngest CIT, making them only 1.5 years apart in age) that allows the two of them to feel fine about meeting in secret, seems like bad guidance in an otherwise very purposeful, didactic story.
In general, the girls' frequent flirting with the boys and the CITs made me uncomfortable and also seemed repetitive.
Actually, there was a lot that seemed repetitive - Phoenny's internal dialogue in which she reflects on her own exclusionary behavior and the assumptions that guided it, mentally adjusts to be more accepting, and then reframes to advise herself for future behavior, is repeated at least three full times, without much changing. Also we heard about the camp activities for several full days of camp - which could be great because many readers will feel as if they had actually attended the camp!
A threat by a racist online harasser (called a troll) feels gratuitous, but is a useful device for the campers, counselors, and directors to demonstrate some ways to handle racist hecklers. Likewise, Phee's allergic reaction to weasel fur in a paintbrush provided an example for responding to life-threatening allergies.
This novel gives some examples of intersectionality within the conversation about being a young Chinese person in America; when the various campers, CITs, and counselors eventually describe themselves, they include people who hold a variety of identities around language, facial features & hair, and family & location of origin. All of this is woven into a middle-school-level summer camp story, making it an easy vehicle for instruction - no teacher or bookclub discussion needed, but it would serve well for book reports when "diversity" is required or encouraged.
Added note: If you liked this, try the graphic novel [b:Unhappy Camper|58884713|Unhappy Camper|Lily LaMotte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1699737442l/58884713._SX50_.jpg|90703979] by Lily LaMotte & AnnXu.
Spoiler
(pronounced Feenie, even though it looks like "phony"...it helps if you think of the name Phoebe - or Phoebby, I suppose...),Even though in my mind I heard their names as Phony & Liar for the entire book, in fact Phoenny and Lyr are good friends, honest and authentic people, and straightforward to everyone they meet. It felt almost surprising that their friendship was not a vehicle to talk about jealousy, competition, or any kind of relationship flaws - Phoenny & Lyr were exemplary friends, seemingly designed to show how stable a relationship can be in fiction; helpful, attentive, present, attuned or sensitive to one another's needs & interests, and there when you need them but able to happily be independent and hang out with others.
On the other hand Phoenny's crankiness is a facile vehicle to show all the didactic lessons of the book; that young people should be welcoming, accepting, broad-minded, and inclusive. Phee figures out on her own that she'd rather be friendly than hostile, and she explains her thinking pretty clearly.
The summer camp is intended for Chinese kids in the Boston area of the U.S. to get in touch with their cultural heritage, and the campers come from a variety of Chinese American homes - but this is the first year they have UNINTENTIONALLY included five girls adopted from China who all have white American parents. Different campers have different connections to Chinese culture - some speak fluent Mandarin or Cantonese, others don't, some grew up in households where Chinese crafts were practiced, others didn't. Some love Chinese cuisine, others reject it, etc. All of them are in this camp to connect or re-connect to the Chinese culture, but while some long for this summer camp all year, others came only unwillingly.
The girl camper's adoration of the cute, new, young CIT (counselor-in-training) from Hong Kong, and the older CIT who is Phee's older brother is realistic, but the author waited too long to have a character explain than any sort of relations between campers and CITs are prohibited, and why. And then to introduce a technical irrelevancy (Phee is one of the oldest campers, Harrison is the youngest CIT, making them only 1.5 years apart in age) that allows the two of them to feel fine about meeting in secret, seems like bad guidance in an otherwise very purposeful, didactic story.
In general, the girls' frequent flirting with the boys and the CITs made me uncomfortable and also seemed repetitive.
Actually, there was a lot that seemed repetitive - Phoenny's internal dialogue in which she reflects on her own exclusionary behavior and the assumptions that guided it, mentally adjusts to be more accepting, and then reframes to advise herself for future behavior, is repeated at least three full times, without much changing. Also we heard about the camp activities for several full days of camp - which could be great because many readers will feel as if they had actually attended the camp!
A threat by a racist online harasser (called a troll) feels gratuitous, but is a useful device for the campers, counselors, and directors to demonstrate some ways to handle racist hecklers. Likewise, Phee's allergic reaction to weasel fur in a paintbrush provided an example for responding to life-threatening allergies.
This novel gives some examples of intersectionality within the conversation about being a young Chinese person in America; when the various campers, CITs, and counselors eventually describe themselves, they include people who hold a variety of identities around language, facial features & hair, and family & location of origin. All of this is woven into a middle-school-level summer camp story, making it an easy vehicle for instruction - no teacher or bookclub discussion needed, but it would serve well for book reports when "diversity" is required or encouraged.
Added note: If you liked this, try the graphic novel [b:Unhappy Camper|58884713|Unhappy Camper|Lily LaMotte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1699737442l/58884713._SX50_.jpg|90703979] by Lily LaMotte & AnnXu.