I loved this story. I thoroughly enjoyed that Camp was such an accepting location for all people. At first I struggled with the concept the Randy completely changed himself to win over his dream guy, but the eye-opening experiences that Hudson went through showed real growth. I also appreciated that Connie's advise at the end of the story was realistic. Despite changing his beliefs, Hudson still had to do what was necessary to survive while still living with his parents. Thanks for allowing me the chance to review this book.

A fun YA novel, but it didn't go very deeply into the issues i thought it was going to explore. The location was really unique and well-captured, but a lot of characters felt quite flat.

As with Rosen's previous book, Camp is one full of very fun and good characters. Rather than being a coming-out narrative, it focuses on a main character who is already out and instead talks about those around him and his life

Camp is an incredible queer story with a diverse ensemble of characters who collectively have fun while destroying toxic masculinity, making epic friendships, and growing to be their most authentic self. It's both insightful and educational through its aim to break stereotypes around LGBTQIA+ as well as appreciate them if that's what one really connects to as a personality. A definitive recommendation!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows the main character Randy, who attends a 4 week summer camp that is a "safe space" for LGBTQ+ youth. But this year he's determined to get with the boy of his dreams, Hudson, but in order to do that he has to become a more masculine version of himself as he knows this is what Hudson is attracted to. This follows the 4 weeks in which Randy tries to execute his romantic plan, hang out with his best friends and participate in the fun camp activities.
What I Liked:
Themes. L.C.Rosen did a fantastic job incorporating many different and complex themes into this book, and he thoroughly explores each one of them. Some of the themes include: toxic masculinity, what it means to be queer, whether you can change without losing yourself and how important safe spaces are. This book mainly tackles the idea of a "right way" to be gay and how every person is individual and has their own unique experiences and ways to express themselves and even though Hudson said some problematic things as a result of internalised homophobia, I appreciated that he wasn't vilified and instead was given the chance for redemption. In the same vein I enjoyed the fact that Randy was respectfully advised that making himself into a different person wasn't the right way to make someone fall in love with you. But again, while the the author acknowledged the problematic way in which `Randy went about it he was not made out to be a bad person.
Writing. Both in this book and in L.C. Rosen's last book he manages to portray a youthful, relevant and exuberant protaganist. He creates strong friendships that feel grounded and supportive mentor characters and a main character you continually root for. His writing is funny, easy to ready and extremely entertaining.
Overall this was a fun, heartfelt read that explored themes not usually analysed in young adult literature. It was an important, educational read that influenced that way I think about these topics. I can't wait for his next book.

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin random house uk children's

Camp by L.C.Rosen is a very compelling contemporary LGBT+ romance which I'm sure will become a YA best seller.

<i> I was provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

I love this book to pieces. There, I said it. And I'm sorry, I won't be rational about it or make any sense to you. I will wave this book in your face and try to make you read it yourself. Dare you to enjoy it as much as I did. More, is hardly possible.

CAMP is all about who we are and who the world tells us to be. About stereotypes and our true shiny self. I cried my way through some pages, smiled, laughed, cheered. And the ending leaves me with the want of at least 3(0) more books about the characters and their lives.

This is the second time that I felt the joy of reading one of L. C. Rosen's books and I'm looking forward to all the times I will add to that list in the future. (I wouldn't be angry about a sequel, is all I'm saying).

Thank you for making me feel at home. And happy. When both is sometimes really hard for me.

(Bonus points for the Acknowledgements, which were just perfect for the book and outright hilarious.)

I really liked this entertaining but insightful contemporary LGBT+ romance. Rosen once again proves that he is willing to push boundaries in order to discuss relevant topics in a powerful story.

I absolutely loved Rosen’s sex-positive, openly celebratory debut and as soon as I heard about Camp, I knew I needed to read it. Luckily for me, it surpassed my expectations, with another memorable and likable main character & thoughtful discussion of really important topics.

The setting of Camp Outland was like an LGBT+ paradise, full of open and proud people living the true lives. This made me so happy to read and imagine this place of acceptance and celebration. However, there are elements of pervasive internalised homophobia which Rosen breaks down and interrogates with such skill. The Masc4Masc community is torn to shreds here, with its damaging implications and a really good discussion around feigned acceptance.

Rosen’s writing style is easy to be caught up, as it’s so readable and entertaining. You feel engaged in the witty banter between characters, all of whom are fleshed-out and fully realised. His teens speak and act like teens, allowing me to really connect with them. I empathised with Hudson’s personal journey and struggle, but fell in love with musical-loving, hopeless romantic Randy. He was such a good protagonist, though I was initially uncomfortable as he changed every aspect of himself to fit this claustrophobic mould, even though I knew eventually it would be deconstructed. Neither Hudson nor Randy are perfect, which allows for some really good character arcs to be drawn out and for both of them to learn and adapt from their mistakes.

Rosen's writing style is readable and accessible, but some of the speech doesn't read entirely right for the age range of his characters - they're a bit too adult. I think the discussions of toxic masculinity are important for a YA book, but Hudson and Del's romance doesn't come to a satisfactory conclusion, and I don't think either of them comes out of it very well. The frank discussions of sexuallity are a breath of fresh air in YA.

Camp is a really fun concept, and anyone who loved Jack of Hearts will love this too. I wanted to, but there's a few areas where I couldn't quite get on board with it.

The good: representation is rife (although slightly token in places) and I liked that this wasn't a 'coming out' book. L C Rosen's writing is enjoyable, and whilst the plot could've done with a bit of refining, it was an enjoyable romp. Literally, at points. There is a sex scene in this book that was more graphic than I've read in a lot of adult m/m books.

The not so good: I had an issue with the way the teenage characters spoke - the kind of things they come out with, especially around sex, just aren't believable for 16/17 year olds. (At one point a side character says he wants to eat another's hairy ass, and I had to put the book down to rub my temples.) The other issue I had was around the plausibility of the plot - are the adults at a camp going to let a known couple, who aren't above the age of consent, share a tent alone with no supervision? I don't want to be a killjoy, but from a safeguarding perspective it just wasn't believable. My final issue was at the amount of lying the characters do - I get it advances the plot, but at the end of the book I couldn't believe they'd all managed to move on from the deception.

So, an enjoyable read, but not one that I'm convinced I'd recommend.

Summer camp Cinderella/Pygmalion-makeover story celebrating all things queer.

If you've read Rosen's previous (Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)) you'll already know what to expect from his next. If you're new to the author, or not expecting total out-and-out 'outness', this might take you by surprise.

Randy has spent the last year preparing for his summer at Camp Outland (a camp for queer teenagers), building up his body, altering his clothing, changing his mannerisms... for the boy he's adored for years. His best friends are there, the musical theatre productions he lives for. But this year he'll have to forego them if he wants to make Hudson notice and fall for him. Hudson has a new fling every few weeks, and Randy's make-up-and-nail-varnish usual look just won't pass muster. His friends have their thoughts on this, but Randy, now rebranding himself as Del, knows it can work. He can make Hudson fall for him, even if he has to spend his summer playing sports and running obstacle courses.
"I am, I think, Hudson's dream boy. A masc fantasy. Sure, I watch everything I do now, and I won't be able to be in the show this summer, but it'll all be worth it for love."

'Del' gets to know Hudson, Hudson is clearly quite taken with the new guy at camp, though Randy/Del is torn between his friends and his crush. Can any sort of relationship stem from a deception?

I found this rather joyous. Heartfelt and upbeat, with a great posse of positive role models (despite the lying!) and wonderful, memorable characters, down to the over-sharing camp counsellors.

As a heterosexual, white female myself, this kind of story, setting and protagonist are well outside of my frame of reference. I loved the whole thing, even thinking I knew what would happen with Del and Hudson, but hoping everything turned into a Hollywood romance.

With some quite deep moments of emotional reflection and honesty, and a huge amount of realistic slang and gay-teen-speak, it's also very graphic in parts (sexual scenes), which will mean parents of younger readers will want a small warning.

Enlightening, forthright, full of spirit and joie de vivre. A very sympathetic protagonist, surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast of friends who together make this shine.

For ages 14 and above.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

Camp was everything I hoped for and didn’t disappoint in anyway.

What a great book! It’s my first from L.C Rosen I will definitely run for more after that. We follow Randy who has decided to have the boy of his dreams this summer by changing completely how he is : we will become the sport leader kid, and give up on his passions for theater, musicals, fashion sense, and make-up.

I LOVE Randy/Del. I’m usually very uncomfortable with the all “Sandy From Grease” trope when someone changes everything he/she is in order to seduce someone. But I felt like besides be silent over his passions, Randy never loses himself and I could connect with him immediately. He is such a great character: fun, brave, loyal, friendly, strong, supportive.

Rosen shows that he is a talented author with the character of Hudson. It’s a complexed and deepened character, with many layers. And I liked that: I never fully loved or hate Hudson because I kept changing my mind about him during all the book. For that, it was an amazing and captivating read.

I won’t say much about the story because it would spoil it all but, in the end,, it’s a must-read during this month of pride: you have diversity, a feral love story, a fun camp with many cool kids.

Go for it, you won’t regret it!

What a sweet, hilarious, and thought-provoking book.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for auto-approving me for Camp on Netgalley! What drew me was, of course, the idea of an LGBTQ+ camp that’s a nice place? With fun activities and queer movie nights and a summer away from homophobes?

DOES THIS HAVEN EXIST?

Sometime last year, I had read another of L.C. Rosen’s books, Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts), and had adored its candid and truthful look at teen sexuality. It was funny, real, and even quite educational. I would highly recommend LGBTQ+ teens giving it a read! And so, seeing Rosen’s name on this book made me pick it up straight away.

His books discuss important LGBTQ+ topics that don’t really get talked about within fiction. Sure, I love reading a heart-warming, angsty coming out story, but Rosen gets in deep with topics such as gay fetishization in Jack of Hearts, and prejudice within the community in Camp.

Randy, a frequent camper at this summer camp for LGBTQ+ folks, reinvents himself from a flamboyant musical theatre nerd to a short haired, khaki wearing sports fan who has a lower pitched-voice and isn’t as loud and colourful as his bunkmates know him to be. It’s all a scheme to get the love of his life, Hudson, to finally notice him. But, Hudson’s only into straight-passing gay guys.

While we all know that queer people aren’t a monolith, don’t dress the same or like the same things, I liked how Camp made it clear that everyone in the community can have their differences, but we should still unite together. Internalised homophobia, especially in queer teens, is still a huge problem, and it’s not just perpetuated by everything in Western culture, but even by people in the very same community.

But of course, Camp was still fun and uplifting and made me yearn for a place like this fictional camp for when I was a teen.

I read this lovely book in a matter of days, and if you’re looking for a fun, ownvoices contemporary with a good pinch of learnin’ and a sweet romance, Camp is the book for you!

The premise is fantastic - a camp gay kid goes to a camp for gay kids but pretends he's butch to impress another butch kid he's had a crush on for years.

However, it soon went from cute to being fairly annoying to be in the head of a protagonist that's so naive thinking that this plan will work perfectly and he'll eventually be able to slowly reveal his true self without Hudson being hurt for being lied to for weeks.

It got very frustrating to watch Randy ignore warning signs because he's lusting over a boy. I remember teenage hormones but this kid is next level. I'm glad that at the big reveal though, he stands his ground and doesn't let Hudson get away with his awful behaviour.

It's been super fun to read though otherwise, and Randy's description of why he loves theatre is very relatable. I loved the diversity of the cast of characters, and I loved the relationships between Randy and his friends.

Not sure I liked the ending of Hudson realising he was wrong and borderline homophobic due to internalising his parents' homophobia. It was problem that was very easily fixed for the sake of a happy ending. Although I did think Randy deserves a happy ending so that half was nice. And showing safe and responsible gay sex is always appreciated due to being vastly unrepresented in books.

This book is a lesson in toxic masculinity and internalised homophobia. I think it's so important to address these issues as they can be quite prominent within the gay community. I really enjoy the way this story is told, and I think all the characters are unique and interesting in their own ways. There is a lot of diversity in this book, with pretty much every letter of the LGBTQ+ acronym being represented. Aside from the main storyline between Randy and Hudson, the other friendships and relationships are wonderful to read and I really love the background characters. The only thing that threw me off a bit is that this story is a little more sexual than I expected, but that's not a bad thing. Overall, a great story about queer kids at camp, I wish I'd been able to go to a camp like Camp Outland as a teenager.

This was a delight to read. Definitely the feelgood romcom I didn't even know I wanted. The plot itself is a classic romantic trope but what makes Camp stand out for me is the characters. They're ALL adorable, from Randy to Charity. George is fabulous, Hudson is so dreamy, Ashleigh is the kind of girl I would have worshipped in high school and the counsellors knew when to step in with wise advice and when to take a step back. As for the rep, the whole rainbow is featured. It's also very sex positive (and sexy!) and it tackles important issues about gender, safety and inclusion, which add a lot of depth to the story.

I loved it. I wish such a camp existed and I wish I could turn back the clock, be 16 again and go there. Teenagers will love this book, and so will every adult who remembers glorious summers and/or the intensity of young love. I can't wait for my preorder to be delivered so I can read it again. Just read it

Camp was a book that I picked up and just couldn't put down. This book really hit me in all the feels and the author wrote this in a way that had me caring for all of these characters. I needed all of them to have a fun and happy summer! Let's just start off by saying that the setting in this book is amazing. A queer camp. Four weeks where everyone is queer and that's celebrated. Everybody can be who they are in a safe place without being judged. This camp needs to exist!

I really think Camp is the perfect summer read. Not only because it takes place during the summer, but it's a fast read you just can't put down. Our main character Randy has decided that this year is time for him to capture Hudson's heart (who he's had a crush on the past few summers). He has everything planned out. During the past year he's lost some weight, gained some muscles, cut his hair and is now "Del". Hudson only likes masc boys, so he thinks if he falls in love with him, he'll be okay with Randy going back to being himself.

If you've ever read a contemporary, you know this is just waiting to go wrong. And it does. The journey there though was so interesting to read. Del and Hudson have a fun few weeks and I really enjoyed them opening up to each other. Not only them falling in love, but also finding themselves. In the world these days there are so many stereotypes out there that these teenagers deal with. On top of that, I loved how sex positive this YA book was. They promoted safe sex, emotions, lust, etc. Also for a YA book this was definitely rather detailed, but not too much.

I think Hudson and Randy both have a really interesting summer that helps them both in many ways. It's so hard to hear Hudson having parents that say they accept him, but don't show that at all. So much so, he doesn't feel safe being himself. Camp really talks about these subjects in such a good and caring way. I have so much to say about this book, but I just really think it needs to be read.

On top of a romance that puts a smile on your face, some camp drama, lots of fun activities and a theater show that sounds like so much fun to participate in, Camp has an amazing set of diverse side characters. I loved all the rep in this book and the characters were so much fun. Besides the main characters, George was my favorite and I wouldn't mind him getting a book! There were a lot of interesting side stories that fit this book perfectly.

I really think all teenagers need to read this book. Every subject this book talks about is something that should be understood by every teenager. We're in a world that still has too many stereotypes. Everyone should be accepted no matter what their sexuality or skin color may be. All I know is that this won't be the last book I read by this author. L.C. Rosen is on my author to watch list!

Camp is the most inclusive and queer book I have ever read! And if that doesn’t make you want to buy this novel, I really don’t know what will. Similar to the author’s debut YA novel Jack of Hearts (and other parts), Camp is a sex positive, educational book for young adults, both queer and straight. It’s a novel urging people to learn about and accept all genders and sexualities but it’s also a novel about being your true self no matter the opinions of others. Lev C Rosen’s novel focuses on Randy, or ‘Del’ as he completely reinvents himself in a more ‘straight-acting’ manner in the hopes of attracting the attention of infamous romancer, Hudson.

The author’s characters in Camp were so well written, the book features only queer characters attending Camp Outland, a safe space to make true friends and to be themselves. I particularly liked how although Randy’s friends didn’t think he was making the right choices for himself, they fully supported him and never turned their backs on him. They acknowledged that he was possibly making a mistake but that it was best for him to learn from his own mistakes and to figure that out in hindsight than to be ranted at by his campmates. Camp also included plenty of humour to balance out the more serious discussions, it was a joy to read about these queer teens having the best Summer of their lives!

From the first page, Camp was a strong four star read for me, the inclusivity is so detailed and I was really enjoying following Randy’s journey of self-discovery. But there wasn’t the emotional connection I was expecting, until we reached the ending! The discussions around toxic masculinity and family acceptance/denial of someone’s sexuality were phenomenal and booted this book up another whole star for me! I think it’s so important for LGBTQ+ books to represent the whole spectrum of reactions from family members and friends of queer kids and to recognise that homes aren’t always a safe space and that there’s not always an escape from the situation, Camp definitely did that.

I would honestly recommend Camp to everyone, it’s part comedy, part heartbreak but one hundred percent educational. Queer teens will see themselves proudly represented on the pages of this book whilst also learning about toxic masculinity within the LGBTQ+ community and how harmful it can be. Everyone deserves to see themselves in the books they read and that’s exactly what Camp is doing.

I had a great time with L. C. Rosen’s Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts) last year, so I was very happy when I learnt that he was bringing out a new YA romance. there’s something about teen summer camp stories that I love too, so I knew this would be a recipe for fun!

Randy Kapplehoff has spent his last four summers at Camp Outland, a haven for LGBTQIA+ teens. Every year he performs in the camp’s musical, gossips with his best friends George and Ashleigh and crushes on Hudson Aaronson-Lim from afar. This year, Randy has re-invented himself into Del, a fit masculine guy who Hudson is bound to fall for but should Randy really be changing his whole image and personality for love?

The concept of Camp Outland filled me with so much joy. I thought that I’d be in for a cute story full of queer teens who have unlimited freedom to be their true selves and live their best lives, which is actually pretty rare in YA LGBT+ novels. A lot of Camp does have these wonderful moments but it’s also full of their ongoing heartaches. It actually has perfect symmetry of light and shade and it has been a while since I’ve read a book that has the balance just right.

From the very beginning, I knew that Randy’s transformation into Del would cause a multitude of problems and I felt sad that he felt he had to do this to get Hudson’s attention. However, I know that this is very realistic insecure teen behaviour, having been guilty of it myself at 17. I was very conscious of the fact that Del was a character so there was an air of disingenuity about him and I just wanted the real Randy to arrive!

One of the central themes of Camp is toxic masculinity and its role in the gay community. Hudson has been under so much pressure to ‘act straight’ that he comes across as dismissive and even intolerant to his camp, effeminate peers. Rosen does a lot of exploration and dismantling of damaging stereotypes and the constraints that the world puts on us to fit into certain boxes. It’s a wonderfully unique and important slant on a YA rom-com that I really appreciated.

I’d never considered that queer people have a harder time finding true love and it actually gave me a new understanding as to why Randy was pursuing Hudson so hard. It broke my heart that this meant he felt he had to change so much of who he really is but it meant that I viewed it differently than I would probably view a straight relationship. If either part of a straight couple dramatically changed their whole persona for their love interest, I think I’d be a lot more critical.

However, our real selves will always escape eventually. As Del, Randy really struggles to hide his true glittery self and is constantly feeling uncomfortable about it. The fact that Del means he has to miss out on theatre breaks his heart and I could sense the real Randy desperate to break out of his plaid shirted cage.

I have a big appreciation for theatre and I know the power of being able to transform into a different version of yourself through acting. There is something transcendental about appearing on stage in front of other people as somebody strong and powerful, especially if you’re shy or nervous in real life. It takes actively missing out on this incredible experience for Randy to realise that he simply can’t live without it.

Camp is a heartwarming YA rom-com that has its sexy moments but is ultimately about being true to yourself. It features a fantastic cast of characters that pretty much cover the whole LGBTQIA+ spectrum and tackles some specific problems within the community that need to be touched on. Pick it up if you’re looking for a quick, funny and thought-provoking read.

This was such a wholesome read. Seriously. Next to Hogwarts, Camp Outland might be my top fictional destination to visit. A month of being very queer, surrounded by only queer kids (and counsellors)? It's every dream come true.

It's not a surprise that I've loved this book - I loved Rosen's debut, "Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts" and his short quarantine story on Twitter, so I knew I'd fall over the heels for this one, too and I'd been so excited for it from the moment I've heard about it. I'm so happy that it delivered! The romance was equal parts cute and smart. As always Rosen, managed to bring up and discuss and dismantle so many important and problematic parts of the queer culture. Even though the spotlight falls to the two gay boys, there are so many different "shades of queer", so many different identities covered in this book. And there was even an aro/ace cameo and even though it took only like a paragraph, it was absolutely nailed and made me feel so seen.

One of my favourite things about Rosen's books is how sex-positive they are. Too often queer sex is tabooed (unless it's fetishised) and I feel it's so important to discuss it, especially in YA books. A lot of teenagers have sex and queer teenagers aren't an exception and it's so important to have positive representation out there.

I also really appreciated the discussion of how it's not always safe to be completely, fabulously yourself and safety has to come first. Once again, I feel that it's a very important thing to put in a queer YA - there is so much pressure these days to come out and be "truly yourself," so it's an important reminder.

Also, I'm so so so excited for the adaptation!