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The Order of the Poison Oak (Russel Middlebrook #2)
by
Brent Hartinger (Goodreads Author)
Summer camp is different from high school. Something about spending the night. Things happen.
Geography Club's Russel Middlebrook is back, and he and his friends are off to work as counselors at a summer camp. Brent Hartinger's third novel is the story of Indian legends, skinny-dipping in moonlit coves, and passionate summer romance. It's also the story of Russel's latest c...more
Geography Club's Russel Middlebrook is back, and he and his friends are off to work as counselors at a summer camp. Brent Hartinger's third novel is the story of Indian legends, skinny-dipping in moonlit coves, and passionate summer romance. It's also the story of Russel's latest c...more
Hardcover, 211 pages
Published
March 1st 2005
by HarperTempest
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Russel Middlebrook is not having a good time at school. Ever since his “Geography Club” was exposed as really being a Gay, Bisexual, Straight Alliance. Now, he can’t wait to get away for the summer to anywhere where he won’t be known as the “gay kid”.
When his best friends Gunnar and Min invite him to get a job with them as counselors at a summer camp for burn victims, Russel thinks he’ll have it made. But being a counselor for a bunch of 9-year-old “beasts” as he calls them is more than Russel b...more
When his best friends Gunnar and Min invite him to get a job with them as counselors at a summer camp for burn victims, Russel thinks he’ll have it made. But being a counselor for a bunch of 9-year-old “beasts” as he calls them is more than Russel b...more
Russel's commentaries throughout the book are some of the funniest material I have ever read. If one can appreciate J.D. on Scrubs, Russ will knock your socks off. Hartinger again mixes humor and serious issues into gold, something the Alchemists would be highly envious of. That being said, I found the connection between being outcast for a physical deformity and being an outcast for being gay totally erroneous. One cannot create a connection between a person that went through a traumatic event...more
I am enjoying the hell outta this series. It's like Harry Potter for us gay boys, except without all the hocus pocus and more male bodies in the mix.
Okay, in the spirit of Russel - FULL DISCLOSURE: I fully acknowledge I am terrrrrrrribly late to the Middlebrook party but as they say better late...
Oh, to be young and in high school... or in the case of 'Order...' To be young and in charge of camp crazed 10 year old boys whose single goal is to cause as much damage as they can in their wake mixed...more
Okay, in the spirit of Russel - FULL DISCLOSURE: I fully acknowledge I am terrrrrrrribly late to the Middlebrook party but as they say better late...
Oh, to be young and in high school... or in the case of 'Order...' To be young and in charge of camp crazed 10 year old boys whose single goal is to cause as much damage as they can in their wake mixed...more
The last book ends with this kid Bryan saving our hero, Russel Middlebrook, from being outted to his entire school. This book opens after Russel has decided to out himself anyway. And lo and behold, people are treating him badly.
To get away from it all, he and his two best friends, Gunnar and Min, sign up to be camp counselors for the summer. The first group of campers are burn survivors, and Russel’s cabin are 10 year old little monsters to boot.
One of the other counselors in particular catch R...more
To get away from it all, he and his two best friends, Gunnar and Min, sign up to be camp counselors for the summer. The first group of campers are burn survivors, and Russel’s cabin are 10 year old little monsters to boot.
One of the other counselors in particular catch R...more
As much as I enjoyed "The Geography Club", I have to say I found "The Order of the Poison Oak" to be an even more enjoyable story. After introducing the cast and the school setting in the first Russel Middlebrook novel, this one builds from its foundations and takes off in a new direction quite brilliantly!
Without getting into any spoilers, you really get a deeper understanding of Russ's character when you see him thrust into an unfamiliar (and often intensely uncomfortable) situation. Russ is n...more
Without getting into any spoilers, you really get a deeper understanding of Russ's character when you see him thrust into an unfamiliar (and often intensely uncomfortable) situation. Russ is n...more
another good book from brent hartinger, aimed at teens. this is the second in the russel middlebrook books. the first being geography club
russel is gay and out at school, and its been hard. he just wants a summer away from it. away from everyone knowing and the whispers in a place where being gay isnt all he is known for (there are times when even at 40+ i can relate to that.) so russel decides that summer camp as a camp councelor is just the right idea.
But the first two weeks of camp, well if i...more
russel is gay and out at school, and its been hard. he just wants a summer away from it. away from everyone knowing and the whispers in a place where being gay isnt all he is known for (there are times when even at 40+ i can relate to that.) so russel decides that summer camp as a camp councelor is just the right idea.
But the first two weeks of camp, well if i...more
The Order of the Poison Oak is intended to be the sequel to The Geography Club (which I read and reviewed last year). I say intended only because it follows the same three best friends: Min, Russ, and Gunnar but you could read TOotPO without having to read Geography Club and vice versa.
It's interesting because recently on the GLBT Challenge Blog there was a post discussing the lack of Bi characters in fiction. And ya know what? It's true. Which is probably one of the reasons why GC and TOotPO ar...more
It's interesting because recently on the GLBT Challenge Blog there was a post discussing the lack of Bi characters in fiction. And ya know what? It's true. Which is probably one of the reasons why GC and TOotPO ar...more
Second in the Russel Millbrook series (of which there are currently two). Read it on the off chance that it was better than the first one, and it was. Marginally. It's the summer following the events detailed in Geography Club, and Russel and his best friends Gunnar and Min are all going to be camp counselors. Russel, tired of the constant harassment he has endured at school as "the gay kid" has decided to take advantage of being surrounded by strangers to step back into the closet for a few mon...more
Hartinger's breezy style draws the reader directly into this sequel to Geography Club (HarperTempest, 2003). Russel is the center of this story as well. Ready to "get away from it all" (it being his outing at his high school) he agrees to apply for a job as camp counselor at Camp Serenity with best friends Min and Gunnar. The first camp session is devoted to children who are burn survivors or have some other skin disfigurations, bringing them together in a place where they will be with other chi...more
I especially enjoyed this installment of the Russel Middlebrook series because it's set at a sleepaway camp, where Russel and his best friends are counselors. While the book correctly points out that sleepaway camp and day camp are vastly different, my experience as a day camp counselor and as a teacher made Russel's struggle to win the respect of his kids very familiar to me. I liked the new setting and characters, and there were a few very suspenseful moments! Russel continues to be a basicall...more
Mar 21, 2013
Kris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-reviewed,
ya-books
Russ never ceases to delight me with his antics (and side comments to the reader). After joining the Gay-Straight-Bisexual Alliance at his high school, Russ has lost the little social standing that he used to have. Sure, he no longer has to compromise who he is as a person, but it doesn't change the fact that high school life is miserable. That's why, he's delighted to have the chance to escape it all at a camp where no one knows that he's gay.
Of course, it's not that easy to hide your sexual te...more
Of course, it's not that easy to hide your sexual te...more
I really loved this book. I felt that it connected with teenage emotions and experiences more. Yes Brent Hartingers books are probably some of the first GLB books that have their characters actually think about SEX. obviously since they are teenagers its going to be a part of their lvies. Im happy he didnt sideline this fact. I felt Russel was growing up as the story went along and honestly, his commentary is some of the funniest ive ever read (especially about the girl from charlie brown being...more
The crew from Geography Club are back, and now they're counseling at a camp. The bulk of this book takes place during the first two weeks of camp with a special group of kids. People fall in and out of love and learn some important things about themselves.
I liked this book. I like the characters and remember them from Geography Club, and I love the setting of summer camp. I remember being a camp counselor and how different weeks of campers would each feel different. I enjoyed this book - the fu...more
I liked this book. I like the characters and remember them from Geography Club, and I love the setting of summer camp. I remember being a camp counselor and how different weeks of campers would each feel different. I enjoyed this book - the fu...more
Short book. Wanted to rate a 3.5 star but I rounded up. This is the second book in Russel's life and I liked the first book better. if you haven't read Geography Club yet, I highly recommend that. The Order of the Poison Oak has an interesting take on camp by using kids who have experience feeling that society judges them for something other than the quality of their person.
Gunnar isn't as annoying in this book. I wanted to smack Min...and I guess I kind of found the ending to be predictable.
I...more
Gunnar isn't as annoying in this book. I wanted to smack Min...and I guess I kind of found the ending to be predictable.
I...more
The sequel to Geography Club - a little more spicey. Summer camp brings that out in everyone.
Probably 3 1/2 star rather than 4. I've enjoyed the series, Russel is a likable character and the experiences seem for the most part genuine. I don't particularly like the style of having characters speak directly to the reader. I'm also not quite sure I would enjoy this as much if I were a young adult, the intended market for this story. This seems to be more of what an adult would WANT a young gay audience to enjoy. Perhaps the real market is older gay people who didn't have these types of sto...more
Well done sequel to Geograpy Club. I liked them both about equally.
Apr 09, 2007
Mandy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
teenbookfestival2006books
funny, love the main character
The Order of the Poison Oak is the second book in the Russel Middlebrook series by Brent Harbringer, and it takes place the summer after Russel starts the "Geography Club" and comes out to his school as gay. You can imagine that he may want to get away for awhile. Luckily his best friend Gunner goes to volunteer at a summer camp and he convinces Russel, and their other friend Min, to tag along. Little do they realize that this is a camp for burn victims, and they're whole perspective on life cha...more
Russel Middlebrook has officially been "out" for some time, and while it is great he is out it really is suffocating him in a way. His solution: to become a camp counselor and tell no one he is gay. The moment he meets the kids at camp he starts to wonder if becoming a counselor was a good idea - they are unruly! How can Russel make sure he gets these kids to respect and like him at the same time? By creating The Order of the Poison Oak. And even though Russel's hope for the summer is some freed...more
I really enjoyed this! It's a really fun read because the narration is just so funny and clever, it really makes you laugh out loud a few times. And I just adored the story Russel told the kids of the Rainbow Crow, that had such a lovely Dream Time quality to it and it was utterly fantastic :)
But ultimately, this is really about a guy who likes guys so if I'm going to rate it honestly, according to my own enjoyment, then it just can't manage five stars. I'm sorry. There were a few times when I a...more
But ultimately, this is really about a guy who likes guys so if I'm going to rate it honestly, according to my own enjoyment, then it just can't manage five stars. I'm sorry. There were a few times when I a...more
Hartinger is an accomplished writer of LGBT YA literature. In this sequel to the Geography Club, he continues the saga of Russel Middlebrook. Russel has now helped organize the Gay, Straight and Bisexual Club at his high school. Of course, he is now subject to the harassment of those who know he is gay, unlike his best friends Min, who is a female Chinese-American bisexual and Gunnar who is straight. As summer is approaching, Gunnar suggests they all become camp counselors. Russel is excited abo...more
Jun 26, 2008
Freddy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Shelves:
comedy,
adventure-action
Ok, so it's a about a gay guy and some fire survivors. Sounds, odd, right? However, I find this quite a unique book, starting from the fact that the main character is a homosexual. This intriguing story is about a guy named Russell who is attending summer camp where he won't be deemed "gay" by his fellow students around him. He realizes that the summer camp where he is counseling is in fact a camp for mostly fire survivors. In between his summer camp story, we all see love stories emerging betwe...more
Come seguito di "Geography Club" si presenta leggermente più maturo, ma in sostanza ripresenta tutte le caratteristiche del primo. Una trama semplice, lineare, originale salvo qualche occasionale cliché - qui quasi assenti - divertente e commovente. Una storia "teen" in piena regola.
As soon as I was finished with Geography Club I picked this one up :) I wish it had been longer haha Otto! I fell in love with Otto! I wish their encounter had been different :) spoiler alert! Sorry haha but this book was AMAZING!!! I hope there's a trilogy in the making :) I can't get enough of Russell ha his life is truly wonderful.
This second book in the Russel Middlebrook series does not disappoint. We grow to know and love Russel, Min, and Gunnar more with every book. Hartinger took us away from a high school setting and to summer camp for this story. I've never been to summer camp, but after reading this book, I feel like I have. The situations are real, the descriptions put you in the scene, and the writing makes you feel like Russel sat down with you and started talking. This book is written for the YA audience, but...more
Jun 16, 2008
PaddedPaws
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
youth-fiction,
general-fiction
This sequel to Geography Club is as entertaining as the first book, although more serious. We get to know Russel better as we follow him through more of his personal adventures. The book was fun and engaging. The story moved at a fast pace and it's multiple threads blended together well.
My one criticism is that the author sometimes appeared to be talking down to his audience. He tends to point out every nuance of analogy and metaphor to the readers. I know his target audience is teenagers, but h...more
My one criticism is that the author sometimes appeared to be talking down to his audience. He tends to point out every nuance of analogy and metaphor to the readers. I know his target audience is teenagers, but h...more
Again, another fabulous book by Brent Hartinger. I like how it's centered on the main character's struggle with trying to keep his sexuality a secret while getting into hilarious situations with his best friends Min and Gunnar.
Not as satisfying as his first book: Geography. However, there is a great sense of looking at what it means to be outsiders and is very gay affirmative. The story is a bit far-fetched. Overall, I was disappointed.
If you liked the previous book, you'll love this book. The first book doesn't really have a impact on this book (only several references), The ending was also better :). In my opinion, this book is better than the first one because of a better plot, character development, and humor. I would recommend this book :)
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I am Brent Hartinger, and I live to write.
For the last twenty years, I have made my living writing just about everything that involves words.
My most famous book is probably my 2003 novel, Geography Club, which has been adapted into a feature film starring Scott Bakula, Marin Hinkle, Ana Gasteyer, Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Ally Maki, Andrew Caldwell, and Nikki Blonsky. It'll be released...more
More about Brent Hartinger...
For the last twenty years, I have made my living writing just about everything that involves words.
My most famous book is probably my 2003 novel, Geography Club, which has been adapted into a feature film starring Scott Bakula, Marin Hinkle, Ana Gasteyer, Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Ally Maki, Andrew Caldwell, and Nikki Blonsky. It'll be released...more
