The first thought that comes to mind after finishing the novel..."Yay!!"

The story starts with the Applewhites in danger of losing their home due to financial strains. So to solve their money problem, E.D.'s father, Randolph Applewhite, comes up with a plan to save their property...by starting a creative kids summer camp where kids will learn singing, dancing, painting, woodworking and sculpturing. Things get off to a rocky start. Campers want to go home and no one is getting along. Then a man in a suit toting a clipboard appear on the Applewhite property, seemly to take notes for the North Carolina government while strange letters come daily in the mail and E.D. realizes all is not as it seems. As E.D. uncovers the truth behind the supposed government agent and the taunting letters, Jake has figured out a way to rally the campers to a universal cause to help keep the government from shutting down their beloved camp. And through it all, each camper learns and grows in their area of expertise while getting to know each other and realizing that working in a team is always better than working alone.

What I Liked: The novel starts with a dysfunctional, yet happy family, who pull together during tough times in order to help the family as a whole. I liked that the story began with a hyper, creative atmosphere, then ends on the same note. I also really enjoyed the way Ms. Tolan showcased how each individual camper grew through their experiences, especially Ginger's last poem, which could easily be printed in a poetry book. Each camper also had very distinct personalities that were wonderful and make readers feel that these characters can indeed be real people.

What I Didn't Like: The only thing that I thought needed more explanation was E.D.'s ended fascination with David. Perhaps the reason why no explanation was given was because Ms. Tolan wanted readers to feel that E.D.'s feelings had slowly waned. Other than that, it was a really good read!

I received this novel from Librarything.com Early Reviewer program.