This book is the stuff my queer dreams are made of. It was so, so good and one of those books I’d recommend to everyone. It’s wonderfully educational, with fun and charm.

So. First of all: characters! Every single character in this story is queer and I am here for it! Not only does this book show different sexualities and genders, it also shows that not everyone identifying one sexuality has to act a certain way. He shows the many facettes of sexualities, genders and people’s characters. While there are many identities shown, the focus is on the gay MC and gay love interest and the gay community especially. Randy is usually very flamboyant, likes dancing and musicals and wearing make-up and extravagant clothes. He has a crush on Hudson, who is into very masculine boys. Randy decides to change completely and become a new self to make Hudson notice him. Over the course of a year, he cuts his hair and gains some muscles.

And it works. Hudson sure does notice him and almost immediately has a crush on him. The two start hanging out more and also start really talking to each other. I really loved how the two of them developed throughout the story, both themselves and as a couple. They come from different backgrounds which has had a huge impact on how they act and see themselves and their community. They can learn from each other while also coming to terms with who they are. I just really, really loved this part of the book. It was educational, but well interwoven with the character’s stories and the plot itself.

The whole book was educational. Alongside the campers the readers can learn about queer history and different queer lifestyles. There’s just so much information and so many important topics – like toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia – in this book but it does not overwhelm. Lev Rosen really has a great way to talk about all of this putting themes throughout the story, them popping up in different places and just at the right times.

Overall, I loved this book so, so much. Camp gives so much. There is so much gay culture in there, so much queer culture in general, both negative and positive aspects. If this book was a song, it would be upbeat with usually happy, positive lyrics but a serious bridge, it would be something you could sing to at the top of your lungs and dance your heart out while still not being shallow but having a deeper meaning behind it.

This book gives the reader a lot to think about, too. Should you change yourself for someone? Can you even really change? When should we pretend? Where does acceptence start? How far are you willing to go for something?

I didn't read the summary of this book before reading it. I requested it solely on it being Gay and set at summer camp. A Queer Summer camp. So I was immediately turned off by Randy having changed himself completely for a guy. Queer people do have to change ourself around people for safety reasons, but doing it at the ultimate safe place was painful. It's handled well, and everyone around Randy tells him that this is a terrible idea. Its definitely a teenager's plan of rom-com.

The book is told in first person pov of view of Randy, during the current and past summers so we do get a glimpse to what made Randy decide to go to this extreme to impress a boy.

I love all the characters and how Queer they all are. We have gay, demisexual, Asexual, Trans binary and non-binary characters. It's really nice and great. As demisexual person, I would say the rep for demi and ace was good. It was minor because they not the main character but what was said was accurate and also two Ace people living their lives, who do contribute to the story. The supporting characters are well developed outside of their gender and sexuality as well. I can't actually decide who my favourite one is.

I'm also very jealous of a musical that doesn't care about casting for gender. I've read a few YA books lately that heavy feature musicals, this was the one that felt the most genuine. It also really captures the chaos of musical productions

This novel also deals with internal homophobia and toxic masculinity. This something I've never dealt with (I just didn't have the words for my deal was), but I sure did cry a lot through those scenes. There's a lot of love and fun in this book, but there's is also a lot of serious talks because being a Queer person even in 2020s western society is not easy.

This is on the older side of YA because does have sexual scenes, but it does demonstrate safe sex. Ideally, teenagers should wait till they're 25 and their brains have stopped developing but highly unrealistic even to wait till they're 18 so I do appreciate a YA book that has safe and healthy sex scenes.

Overall, I give this book 5/5 stars for Unicorn Nails. This works as a standalone but I do think a Camp Outland series following different campers would be great. It's really left me in a mood for queer camp stories. I'll definitely read more Rosen (I owe one of his other books already). This the sort of book I wish I could give to my teen-self. Yeah, it would taught me the word Demisexual which would have been usefully but mainly because of all different queer characters. You have no rep, here's all the rep. My main point is that I love this book. Its does cover serious issues, so that's something to be aware of that going in. It's not all fun, true to life that way. This is my favourite book of this year so far, so of course, I think you should read it.

4 Stars
‘Camp’ by L.C Rosen manages to be both a serious exploration of toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia as well as a sweet coming-of-age romance. The story is set in a summer camp for queer kids that takes place every year. Randall decides that this year he is going to conquer the heart of Hudson. The only problem is that Hudson is masc-for-masc, meaning he only dates boys who are masculine in the traditional sense of the word. Randall, a theater geek with a great love for everything glittery, decidedly does not fit that definition and so comes up with a plan to reinvent himself to make Hudson fall in love with him before then slowly revealing the real him.
While the story dragged a bit in the first half of the book, the second half picked up steam. There is lgtbq+ representation across all the spectrum and the reader learns that there are as many different ways to be queer as there are queer people. The overall tone of the story is hopeful while still being grounded in reality.

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Random house UK children’s the publisher for granting me an earc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written LGBTQ+ rom-com that takes a look at the steroetypes within the community, and affirms that there really is no one way to be yourself, gay or otherwise. Will leave you with a lot of warm fuzzies.

This is a book that looks at toxic masculinity and for that I think it's a must read. It looks at self-acceptance and how constraints and expectations of the world put create ideas of who we *think* we should be. Is it original? No, but original rom-coms are rare and some predictability is reassuring as a reader (I loved it).

It's fun, campy, and at times raunchy, but most importantly shows an entire set of queer characters - something I haven't seen in a book like this before.

ARC provided by Penguin Random House UK Children’s via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Camp by L. C. Rosen is one of my new favourite books. The inclusivity and the queerness that encompass the camp is pure joy to read and it would have been amazing to personally experience it.

Randall hatches a complex plan to win the love of his four-year long crush, Hudson Aaronson-Lim, playing the role of butch and masculine Del, therefore momentarily giving up theatre and implicitly a part of himself. The change makes him wonder, though, whether not showing the real Randy is the right choice.

I really loved it and I’m looking forward to having my own physical copy to display on my shelves.

I read Jack of Hearts last year and although I enjoyed it I much preferred CAMP! I loved the characters of not only Randy and Hudson but also all of cabin 7, the camp leaders and Brad. I love a good Camp setting too I think this may be because they aren’t a big thing in the UK.

I enjoyed the stories from past camps and the current one, all of the musical content, group activities and most importantly the message of this LGBTQ camp that its a safe place to be who you are which was evident throughout.

I loved Hudsons character development in particular and the fact it showed a more negative coming out story compared to the positive ones of Randy and other campers.Then how he grew in confidence and changed some of his thinking.

Overall it was a fabulous LGBT, coming of age and romantic read that I wizzed through. I recommend everyone order it when its released on 28th May in the Uk!

Okay, I need to preface this by saying: I don't read an awful lot of contemporary YA so when I like one it means it's really, really good.

I fucking adored Camp. Like, adored it. I got to the end of my ARC, opened Amazon and pre-ordered a paperback.

Once the things I loved most about Camp, is the cast of characters. There are so many queer characters here. We get to see different ethnicities and orientations, different gender presentations, different personality types, different outlooks, and different interests. And all of the characters are presented as valid, well-rounded, well-developed individuals. There's no 'straight best friends' or 'the only gay in town' syndrome and, honestly, it was so refreshingly realistic. Even though they were all so very different, I don't think there was a single character I disliked, they all won we over completely in their own ways.

All of that aside, I picked up Camp thinking it would be some light, fluffy, summer read. And it is, but it's also one of the best books I've read this year. The writing is brilliantly readable and effortless, and the pacing is fast-moving without sacrificing character moments and development. It's in turns relatable, heart-warming, and hysterically funny. Camp completely drew me in and I really felt like I was visiting the camp, that I was friends with these characters, and invested in their happiness.

I so happy this book existed and I hope everyone will give it a try. I'm so excited to see the eventual adaptation and hope it becomes a cult hit. Please, if you're even a little intrigued, go read Camp as soon as you can.

I was really worried, when I started reading this, that all the focus would be on changing who you are to get the person of your dreams. We see this working all the time in straight rom coms, and I was really afraid that it would go unsaid in this book. Instead, Randy/Del is immediately called out by his friends, by his camp counsellors. Some people accept it as someone being more of their true self, which they absolutely should! But Randy's close friends know that Del is just another part that he is playing.

That then raises some really good questions about how gay men, or people with any sexual preference or gender, are still forced to play to particular stereotypes or roles in order to fit in with the 'real' world. But for some people at Camp, it's a worse betrayal that Randy is taking on this role in a space that is designed for kids like him to just be themselves.

It also leads to the really important issue of stereotypes and bigotry in a space where all sexualities and genders are welcome. People can absolutely have an attraction or preference to one type or another, but if you are excluding one group over another, or displaying masculinity (or anything else) that is toxic - then that's different. That kind of bigotry can still happen in an LGBTQIA+ community - just look at the not always coherent response to trans men and women. But also that, sometimes, it's necessary to put on a mask, or personality, for your own safety - it shouldn't be, but sometimes that's necessary too.

There was fantastic representation of characters, personalities and preferences across the cast, but the main focus was always on Randy and Hudson. I would have loved more time with Ashleigh and George who, despite being Randy's best friends and generally supporting act, didn't quite have things figured out for themselves. In fact, there was a storyline with Ashleigh that I really wanted to know more about and have a better, or at least more detailed, resolution.

There was also some beautiful, and sad, writing about the personal details - of kids coming out and being accepted/not accepted for who they are. There are lots of these details that are so well written and really make you feel for their honest and painful experiences. There's also sex - no holds-barred, considerate and hot gay sex. It's well-written and just, honest. The whole novel (and camp) is very sex-positive in a refreshing and open way.

The camp itself sounded fantastic and yes please take me there.

If you're reading this and thinking 'well I'm not queer myself, will I still get something out of it?' - absolutely yes. Straight, queer, the story is still one that you will know well, just with different players. I think it's also an important read even if you are cisgender and straight - about fitting in, the image you choose and the image others choose for you.

There are a number of things that this book is trying to achieve, unfortunately they all fell a bit flat for me.

The characters (majority sixteen year olds) read like mouthpieces for online think pieces. I understand that the author was attempting to create an almost-utopia for LGBTQIAP+ teens and in doing so addressed many aspects of sexuality and gender, but it was very... forced. The whole thing was telltelltell, at no point did I feel like the author trusted me to make my own mind up about the message of the story.

Books about masculinity and the sometimes toxicity of masculinity, are important. And, I think there will be a number of people who get a lot out of the discussion here, but for me there just wasn't anything new being said. I've seen twitter threads with more nuance.

I was also very confused about WHO this book was for? The set-up for the romance is done so in order to make a statement about identity and being yourself, but it's incredibly juvenile and it made me dislike the majority of the characters. I don't know many people who can get invested in a main character or a romance when the entire thing is based on a lie, especially when there is minimal grovelling. Yet, I was able to brush a lot of that off whilst I was reading because these characters were young teenagers, discovering things about themselves - we all did ridiculous things when we were sixteen. Then the tone changes towards the end of the book and we get some rather detailed and graphic sex scenes between the two protagonists. I don't mind sex scenes in YA, in fact I encourage it. Sex is part of growing up and people are way too puritanical about it in literature. However, the content bordered on adult/new adult, which really didn't marry up well with the way that the characters has been presented in the overall plot. Despite the way that the dialogue made them sound like thirty year olds , their actions were so naive and it made them read as a lot younger than sixteen. Maybe that was the point? Sixteen is a weird limbo age where you're kind of torn between being a child and being pulled into a more adult world, with adult choices and adult actions. If so, it wasn't executed very well.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a YA contemporary that is unashamedly queer, this is for you.

Randy has been going to Camp Outland, a summer camp for LGBTQ+ teens, since he was twelve. Every year is a riot of theatre, glamour and friendship. Not this year though. This year Randy is Del, a masculine teen that enjoys sports. It’s his plan to win the guy he’s been crushing on since he first joined the camp, Hudson. Giving up his feminine side is what he must do to win the heart of the masculine Hudson, or so he tells himself. But as Randy digs himself deeper into his role, he ends up losing sight of who he really is.

You could say that Randy is good at leading people, but compared to his friends he’s rather dull. George is over the top and sweet while Ashleigh is blunt but deeply cares about her friends. It’s no wonder they outshine Randy. I understand the purpose of his character is to show how you shouldn’t have to mask who you really are, but with no other qualities he feels like a tool to get the message across rather than an actual person. We also don’t learn much about him outside the summer camp, making it hard for me to imagine him in his usual life.

It seems people prefer Randy to Hudson, but I actually thought Hudson was more realistic. Without going into spoilers, I understood where he was coming from.

Together, I’m not too sure how I feel about Randy and Hudson. As it’s a YA contemporary set over a few weeks, it was pretty insta lovey, so I don’t fault it for that as a lot of teens act life this. However, I didn’t exactly buy into the relationship because of a different reason. As Randy is pretending to be someone he’s not, it’s pretty hard to root for them when he’s hiding a whole part of himself.

Something I really enjoyed was the friendship in here. It’s just the most loving and supportive kind of friendship. It’s quite refreshing to read a YA contemporary where no one is mean, or a bully or blackmailing someone. I thought the platonic relationships felt more realistic than the romantic ones.

Even though the characters didn’t win me over, the setting certainly did. Call me basic, but I’m a sucker for summer camp stories. Probably because I’ve been to a few myself but I though Rosen brilliantly captured the heightened atmosphere of them. In this way, the relationship between Hudson and Randy is realistic as camps are emotional rollercoasters.

If you’ve read the synopsis, you know where the plot is going to go. Perhaps another reason that I didn’t like Randy is because he came up with the stupid plan that you know is going to blow up in his face and somehow work out in the end.

Despite not loving the plot and the main characters, I thought the messages are really important ones. There’s a lot of talk about stereotypes of LGBTQ+ people and how there are certain pressures to act in ways that fit them but also to break them so as to not be a stereotype. It boils down to the fact that you shouldn’t force yourself to be someone you’re not. However, something I deeply appreciate about this book is how it acknowledges that while you should be yourself, you shouldn’t jeopardise your safety. Especially for queer teens that rely on their unaccepting family, it’s not a good idea to come out. It’s better to be in the closet than out on the streets.

There’s also quite a lot of sexual themes in this book so I’d say it’s definitely for the older end of YA, 16+ in my opinion. I’m not sure how to feel about sex in YA books. It’s a topic that I don’t really want to discuss at length in a review, but it’s a tricky subject. Teens have sex and should be educated about how to be safe and consensual, but I’m not sure how much novels should be involved.

While it does seem that my review is rather negative, it was a quick read with important messages. I also recognise that some of my annoyances with the book hinge on the setup which I knew about before going into it.

First things first: if you’ve read the blurb and you’re kind of worried about the whole ‘pretending to be someone else to get a boy’ thing - don’t be. It’s handled with so much grace; Randy is being called out on his ridiculous plan by basically anyone who knows about it, constantly. The words “trick him to love you” are used. It’s not a cheap plot device, it’s a driving force of the book and there are countless discussions regarding it.

Randy describes his plan as if his life was a rom-com. He will change his haircut, his wardrobe, his hobbies, the way he talks and walks, and geticulates… And it will be all worth it because at the end he will get the guy of his dreams.

The thing is, it actually does feel like a rom-com at times! The plan works perfectly from day one, the boys have an adorable meet-cute, it’s all great. But that’s just the beginning, the outer layer, and the reality is that Camp uses Randy’s plan to teach him (and others) a lesson.

Randy falls for Hudson without truly knowing him, after having barely any conversations with him. He calls Hudson his “dream boy”, some kind of ideal, but in fact it becomes clearer and clearer that he doesn’t really know him at all. It’s a nice contrast between Randy pretending to be Del and claiming to be in love with a boy who’s just a notch above a stranger.

Two major things are happening in Camp: Randy realises that 1) Hudson is way more complicated than the idea of him he had in his mind & 2) he can have interests that are seemingly complete opposites. Randy comes into the story determined to pretend to enjoy sports only as long as it’s absolutely necessary and coming back to theatre as soon as he drops the L word & gets his happy ending. But over time he finally admits to himself that he can have both, that he doesn’t have to chose one side and stay there forever.

While for years Randy just took Hudson at face value, put the meaning he figured fits to Hudson’s words, the plan unfolding wonderfully forces him to acknowledge that there’s more to the boy. He peels off layer after layer (and not just in a sexy way, but we’ll get to that) to learn that no one but our crushes (in our heads) is one dimensional. There’s always more to the story and usually you have to put in the work to discover that.

Frankly, you could venture to say that Hudson also created a personality. Not necessarily a false one, just one centered by his background, by what he was thought to believe in. And yes, that does sound just like a person growing up around other people, but it plays a grander role in a gay person’s life. We have to hide certain aspects of ourselves for protection, accentuate other, safer parts to fit in.

That’s also exactly the idea behind the camp in the book. A safe haven for LGBT youth where they can be themselves, where they don’t have to fear to paint their nails, to hold a girl’s hand, to be the loudest version of themselves they possibly can. A summer camp created with love and care, with no place for shame. A groundbreaking concept, really.

But even in this little bubble not everything is always perfect. The best part, though, is that none of those hiccups, none of the conflict ever feels like it’s just there for plot reasons. Camp is largely character-driven, with Randy and his very strong voice at the center, and the whole novel really is about growth and acceptance, and reevaluating your world views. The whole cast is beautifully fleshed out, even down to catch phrases and tiny mannerisms. (Mark’s constant mentioning of his therapist might have been one of my favourite things. And Randy’s ‘sweetie’ only used at certain times was absolute gold.)

Groundbreaking ideas aren’t in Camp just as part of the setting, though. There’s also the book’s approach to sex. If you’ve read any YA novels before, you know that sex is usually glossed over, not seen as something “clean” that teens should be reading about, but rather as something that has to be spoken about only in hushed voices. That’s not the case here. The book is aware it’s about teenagers and that teenagers can be horny, too. It doesn’t even bother with the fade-to-black kind of thing, just flat out describes sex scenes in the same detail all the other scenes get. Not all teens have sex at sixteen, sure, but some of them do and it’s really refreshing to see a book that acknowledges that and never tries to shame them for it (especially given it’s gay sex).

Camp might seem like a gay rom-com at the first glance, but it’s so much more than that. Yes, it’s absolutely hilarious at times; yes, the romance is a vital part of it; yes, it appears sweet and simply fun. But underneath it’s shimmery-glimmery facade, it’s a story of growth and learning to love yourself, each and every part.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

My feelings towards this book are a little mixed. I really loved the messages, lessons, and the representation in this book. It is truly one of the best books I have read for these things. However, I found I didn't really like the storyline itself. 

I didn't like how Randy pretended to be a completely different person to Hudson and never seemed to recognise how wrong it was. Everyone, even the counsellors of the camp, knew what he was doing and Hudson was totally oblivious. It was really disingenuous and I didn't like the imbalance of their relationship as a result to it. I think they both definitely grow a lot in the book, but I don't think this was every fully addressed.

Though I didn't like the deception storyline, I did end up enjoying and appreciating the messages of the book overall. This book really championed the message that there is no right or wrong way to be queer and how important the queer community is. I think it did a really good job of addressing the fact that people have become so obsessed with avoiding stereotypes that people have forgotten that sometimes people can be those stereotypes and that it is okay. 

The whole book was all about how important it is to be yourself and how you don't have to change yourself for other people. Sometimes people are forced to hide parts of themselves in order to be safe and protect themselves, it doesn't have to be permanent and it doesn't mean you have to change who you are for these people. Who you are is important and there will always be people out there who appreciate that and love you for who you are.

I loved the chapters where the campers had LGBT+ history lessons so much because I think it's important for us to learn about this and to recognise the strength of all the people who came before us. The world would be so different without them and books like this wouldn't even be possible.

Last, but by no means least, the representation in this book is fantastic. It is a book set at a queer camp for teenagers and has a wide range of characters with many different underrepresented identities. There are representations of people who are gender non-conforming, nonbinary, demisexual, asexual, aromantic, pansexual. It is amazing to read a book that is so open to all the different identities under the queer umbrella.

It may not be possible to go to pride this year, but reading this book really gave me the same vibe and sense of belonging that pride does. I love the idea of a camp for queer teenagers to be themselves and spend time with people like them that they may not get to do in their everyday life. I think this book will be really important for many young queer people.

I appreciate the lgbt representation in this book, but unfortunately I couldn't get into the story. I found the characters irritating and the setting unexciting (although it did bring to mind the setting of The Parent Trap). I had to DNF this one unfortunately, but I could see it working for other people, especially queer teens.

A sweet little YA book with a wonderful cast of queer characters.

The story was a little predictable and cheese but I liked the concept and the setting. Dialogue was unrealistic, but I appreciated the queer kids having a place to be themselves. A nice twist on the old ‘be yourself’ trope of YA literature and films.

I looooooved Jack of Hearts, and as soon as I heard about Camp, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Not only is Camp a great feel-good story, but the characters and topics Rosen writes about are incredibly important, dealing with toxic masculinity, identity and relationships. I shall be wholeheartedly recommending this to everyone! Now, can we have a sequel please and thank you?

Well, how good is Camp by LC Rosen? I love the cover, it was definitely eye-catching when I was browsing Netgalley. Then I saw it was by LC Rosen and I recently read and loved Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) so that piqued my interest. Then! I found this book is about queer teenagers who go to a summer camp specifically for a safe space to celebrate their queerness and that was it, I was sold. The premise of Camp is such that readers must know from the outset that things will Go Wrong but I’m here for the journey so that didn’t bother me. So, Randy has been going to Camp Outland for years. He takes part in the summer musical, it’s where he’s met all his best friends and it’s where he fell in love-from-afar with Hudson. Hudson, who doesn’t even know Randy exists because Hudson only like straight-acting masculine guys. So Randy has A Plan. This year, he’s come to camp with a total make-over. He’s cut his hair, lost weight and he’s trying out a new masculine look to woo the heart of Hudson. What I loved about this book is the very idea of such a wonderful, supportive summer camp, the wide representation of the LGBT+ community, Randy’s friends who support him but also question him like crazy about this plan. I loved the exploration of toxic masculinity, internalised homophobia, and gender roles. I loved the core message of ‘be and love yourself’ I also loved that LGBT history is subtly woven through the story, and that the sex scenes are explicit and don’t just fade to black. Definitely look out for this one from 28 May!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Camp</i> is a book about summer Camp Outland, a camp for LGBTQ+ teens. We follow Randy Kapplehoff. He's been going to camp for years and loves musical theatre. He met his best friends there, he can be completely himself without people judging him for wearing makeup and nail polish. But this summer he's decided to change himself completely and be more masculine because he wants to impress Hudson, his long time crush. That means no theatre this year, but instead, he will be joining Hudson in doing sports and being butch because Hudson seems to only be into those kinds of guys. Not just that, Hudson is kind of a player and has a new boyfriend every two weeks. Randy is determined to not become one of his conquests, but let Hudson actually fall in love with him, and when that happened he can go back to who he truly is. At least, that's the plan. But is love worth it if you can't truly be yourself?

I don't have words. This book is Amazing with a capital A. I wish this camp would exist in real life because I would have loved going there. A camp full of queer people? Heck yes. It's really important that this book exists and is available for younger readers. There are so many different identities represented in this book, I'm sure some young person out there will read this and recognise themself in this book and that's so important. When I was younger there weren't a lot of books with LGBTQ+ representation but if they did, I probably would have discovered a lot of stuff about myself sooner. So I'm glad there are more and more books like this being published.

I love how sex-positive this book is. I've never really seen that in a YA book before and that sucks. But <i>Camp</i> tackles this topic really well. For example, there's a place in camp where you can just grab condoms and lube without anyone asking. That's awesome. I also like how the book discusses some issues within the LGBTQ+ community like toxic masculinity and the pressure on gay men that they have to act normal and straight looking.

THERE ALSO WASN'T A SINGLE STRAIGHT CHARACTER HELLO YES I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THAT IN A NOVEL.

This book made me cry, laugh, and just so happy and I'm so glad I read this and got the chance to read this early. So a big thank you again to Netgalley and Penguin Random House!

Plot:
This book follows Randy, a teen attending a camp for LGBTQ+ teens. He’s been attending for years and has always fit right in with the musical theatre kids, performing in the musicals and loving the celebration of queer identity. However, this year he’s decided to trade in nail polish and musicals to fit the masculine stereotype and impress his long time crush, Hunter. Randy, now going by ‘Del’, is buff and straight-passing and immediately catches Hunter’s eye. As the two begin a relationship, Randy has to question how much he’s willing to do for love, and is it even really love if he’s not himself?

My thoughts:
I was expecting a cute, fun, summertime romance with this book and although I definitely got that, I also got so much more. This book explored some important issues within the LGBTQ+ community that I’ve never seen discussed in a book before. It was also just such a lovely celebration of queer culture and identity and a joy to read!

This book was such a fun and addicting read. I was meant to be reading it over 5 days as a buddy read with friends and just couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing much quicker than planned (sorry guys!). The characters were so well-written and three dimensional and funny and just an overall delight to read about. This book is definitely one that celebrates friendship, without the expectation of romance or anything else between two gay guys. Queer friendship is definitely something that I love in books and this one does it so well. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the ‘Del’ - the Randy pretending to be someone else - aspect as much as I did. Although I definitely started off cringing a little I did end up really enjoying his relationship with Hunter and the growth and development of both boys, separately and together.

The book discusses several important issues too: there are camp-wide history lessons and the reader can learn a bit about pre-Stonewall gay history and the movements from that time, these discussions about identity tied in really well with the main plot of the book, too; there is also so much sex positivity which is really great to see in a YA novel, especially as LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education is so lacking, it’s nice to think that this book may help a queer teen out in that aspect as well as many others; there are also ideas of toxic masculinity and the pressure on gay men to appear ‘normal’ (eg. straight) which were an integral part of the novel and so so interesting. This book of course also has so much rep (there is not one significant cishet character and I love that). There’s so much more I could talk about here, as this book truly had some of the most important conversations in it.

This is where I’d usually write about negative points of a book and I’m struggling. All I’d say is that this book has an awful lot of musical references and, as someone who doesn’t know anything about musical theatre, I felt almost left out of the joke? You definitely don’t need to be a fan of musical theatre to enjoy this but I imagine it would really enrich the experience!

Overall, this book was delightful and one I’d definitely recommend. It managed to wrap up some really important conversations in a really sweet, fun story that I loved. I’ve already ordered the author’s other book and it’s definitely got me thinking.

*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley*

‘She said I should be proud of myself for knowing who I was and what I wanted, and to never let anyone tell me that anything about myself that made me happy was something to be ashamed of. I’ve tried to keep that in mind.’

‘Camp’ is Lev Rosen’s second novel and it follows Randy as he returns to Camp Outland, a summer camp for LGBT+ teens. Randy is a theatre kid, loves musicals, make up and Hudson, a completely straight acting guy who barely knows Randy exists. This year Randy has a plan: he reimagines himself as ‘Del’, a masculine guy who is almost the complete opposite of Randy to get Hudson to fall for him.

There were so many great (and diverse!) characters in this book covering a range of races, sexualities and gender identities. While some characters obviously had a bigger part to play than others, I found myself caring for each of them in some way. I really felt for Randy, while it was interesting to see how his plan to win over Hudson would work out it was sad to see him changing who he was to do it, a feeling shared by his friends in Cabin Seven who clearly missed him as he left them and the musical for outdoor activities with Hudson. At times it was difficult to see what Randy saw in Hudson, he sort of came across as a jerk in some places, although he was clearly a product of the environment he was brought up in highlighting the damaging effect toxic masculinity can have on a person. It’s Hudson’s ideas of what he thought a gay person should be that really drives home the theme of masculinity here, and seeing the conflict that arises in Randy torn between being true to who he is and his love for Hudson is quite heartbreaking. As with toxic masculinity, the effect isn’t only on Hudson and Randy, it changes they dynamic between them and their friends as well leading to drama - and not the kind that was in the script for the musical!

Randy’s friends were all really fun to read about and they were really good at balancing being supportive of his plan while trying to keep him grounded, reminding him that he shouldn’t have to change for Hudson. George was a fabulous character and probably my favourite in the book. We all need a George in our lives. He was overflowing with personality and such a good friend. I really enjoyed seeing how his relationship with Brad grew throughout the book. Ashleigh, who was more into the tech side of the theatre was delightful, her struggle to move on from a crush on a probably straight life guard was extremely relatable. The camp councillors were also great to read about, although not as present as the teenagers. Councillor Connie, a trans woman who used to be an olympian before an injury, was so supportive of Randy trying out something new and was delightful to read about. She was so caring and really if more PE teachers were like her, the lessons would be a lot more popular. Councillor Mark was also a stand out character, his passion for the theatre, his energy and general banter with the theatre kids was amazing and made me laugh on multiple occasions.

The plot itself was a bit predictable, you kind of knew how it was ultimately going to end up and some of the things that were going to happen along the way but that didn’t really detract from the story for me, it was definitely more about the characters than the plot. That being said there were some fantastic scenes, colour wars and the flashback to when Randy played Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forum. The chaos of rehearsals as the theatre kids rushed to get everything ready in time for the show.

‘Camp’ offers an interesting discussion about being true to yourself, whether that is looking fierce with make up on putting on the show of a lifetime or out on the playing field dominating some sports game or something else entirely. It is a giant middle finger to toxic masculinity: a wonderful, funny and heartfelt read that is now an all time favourite.

Thanks goes to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of ‘Camp’.
+ Diverse cast of characters
+ LGBT+ (own voices)
+ Quick and fun read
- TW: homophobic slurs are used occasionally