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Cam Girl
by
Vada Bergen is broke, the black sheep of her family, and moving a thousand miles away from home for grad school, but she’s got the two things she loves most: her art and her best friend—and sometimes more—Ellis Carraway. Ellis and Vada have a friendship so consuming it’s hard to tell where one girl ends and the other begins. It’s intense. It’s a little codependent. And not
...more
Paperback, 422 pages
Published
November 3rd 2015
by Atria
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Start your review of Cam Girl

If two people could make each other smile and laugh and forget all the pain and darkness in the world for a moment, why should we feel ashamed of it?
A couple years back, I did a "New Adult Experiment" and attempted to find the hidden gems amid a genre full of, um... crap. One of those gems was Raeder's Unteachable - a lyrical, different kind of romance.
Since then, Leah Raeder has released two more books - Black Iris and Cam Girl - and I think it would be a disservice to potential readers an ...more

Full disclosure: I've been drinking.

Okay, so here's the thing. Leah Raeder is a really good friend of mine, but it should be noted that this fact in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
Oh, and it should ALSO be noted that I'm reviewing the version that I beta-read, not the finalized copy. There's a reason for that, which I'll get to a little later in this wine-fueled word vomit.
Maybe?
If I don't, someone please comment and remind me to do so when I sober up.
Thanks in advance.
WARNING: I' ...more

Okay, so here's the thing. Leah Raeder is a really good friend of mine, but it should be noted that this fact in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
Oh, and it should ALSO be noted that I'm reviewing the version that I beta-read, not the finalized copy. There's a reason for that, which I'll get to a little later in this wine-fueled word vomit.
Maybe?
If I don't, someone please comment and remind me to do so when I sober up.
Thanks in advance.
WARNING: I' ...more

Update: November 20, 2015
Full blog post to come, but I had to share a sneak peek of this with you guys...
Cam Girl got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Along with Black Iris, that's two stars for me in one year.
Not bad, eh? brb losing my shit

---
Previously:


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Update: March 31, 2015
Just finished writing this tonight. Can't believe I've written three books for traditional publication already.
Unteachable was brash, impudent, and brave; Black Iris is dark and brutal and uncompromising. But Cam G ...more
Full blog post to come, but I had to share a sneak peek of this with you guys...
Cam Girl got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Along with Black Iris, that's two stars for me in one year.
Not bad, eh? brb losing my shit

---
Previously:


---
Update: March 31, 2015
Just finished writing this tonight. Can't believe I've written three books for traditional publication already.
Unteachable was brash, impudent, and brave; Black Iris is dark and brutal and uncompromising. But Cam G ...more

3 to 3.5 stars. Posted September 10, 2015.








I walked from the patio down to the sea, the whispery sweep of waves like jazz brush drumming. Strands of tinsel moonlight floated on the water. The anxiety and unease in me all gathered into an ache at my elbow and I felt as if I could fire bullets from it, or set it on fire, or rip it out of the socket. Wasn’t sure whether I wanted the badness out or if the badness could stay as long as I escaped. Pain makes a body a prison, the same way desire does...more

7 Reasons Why You Should Read Cam Girl
1. Cam Girl is intense as fuck, in more ways than one. For one thing, this book does sort of have a mystery aspect to it, which, let me tell 'ya, is a HOLY-MOLY-GIVE-ME-ANSWERS-NOW kind of mystery. It's also intense in a way that Leah Raeder clearly doesn't shy away from the nitty and gritty, and also points out a few of the things many of us don't normally talk or think about.
2. Cam Girl talks about all these societal in social issues in such a raw manner. ...more
1. Cam Girl is intense as fuck, in more ways than one. For one thing, this book does sort of have a mystery aspect to it, which, let me tell 'ya, is a HOLY-MOLY-GIVE-ME-ANSWERS-NOW kind of mystery. It's also intense in a way that Leah Raeder clearly doesn't shy away from the nitty and gritty, and also points out a few of the things many of us don't normally talk or think about.
2. Cam Girl talks about all these societal in social issues in such a raw manner. ...more

Mar 30, 2017
Jaidee
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
those in the mood for a queer psychosexual thriller
Recommended to Jaidee by:
a lesbian bartender
Shelves:
three-stars-books
3 "diamond in the rough" stars !!!
2017 Read Where I Wished I was Editor Award
For the moment, please disregard the 3 star rating.
I am so excited to have discovered Elliot Wake, formerly Leah Raeder who is an extremely talented author who happens to be a trans man and a very handsome one at that. I know, I know the fact that he is handsome is irrelevant but since this is a psychosexual thriller romance I had to mention that as well :)
We raced to the end of the pier, screaming for no other rea ...more
2017 Read Where I Wished I was Editor Award
For the moment, please disregard the 3 star rating.
I am so excited to have discovered Elliot Wake, formerly Leah Raeder who is an extremely talented author who happens to be a trans man and a very handsome one at that. I know, I know the fact that he is handsome is irrelevant but since this is a psychosexual thriller romance I had to mention that as well :)
We raced to the end of the pier, screaming for no other rea ...more

For the last three days I have been asking myself if I should review this book but in the end, the urge to let the words fly out of my fingers won out.
Here's the thing. I am bisexual. I am a person of colour and I come from a country where homosexuality is a criminal offence which means if I were to make love to my girlfriend, both of our arses would be thrown in jail.
Where's the fairness you ask?
NOT HERE.
I have been attracted to girls ever since I can remember and only in my early teenage years ...more
Here's the thing. I am bisexual. I am a person of colour and I come from a country where homosexuality is a criminal offence which means if I were to make love to my girlfriend, both of our arses would be thrown in jail.
Where's the fairness you ask?
NOT HERE.
I have been attracted to girls ever since I can remember and only in my early teenage years ...more

3.5 stars
A car accident ends with one fatality. The remaining survivors are two young women. One remembers everything. The other one doesn’t remember much of anything. Or does she?
This book touched on the topics of bisexuality and gender identity. It’s well written but there was endless push and pull between Vada and Ellis. Hurtful lies and deceptive actions were quietly dismissed after a very long buildup and that’s where this story was most disappointing for me. I loved how multilayered the ch ...more
A car accident ends with one fatality. The remaining survivors are two young women. One remembers everything. The other one doesn’t remember much of anything. Or does she?
This book touched on the topics of bisexuality and gender identity. It’s well written but there was endless push and pull between Vada and Ellis. Hurtful lies and deceptive actions were quietly dismissed after a very long buildup and that’s where this story was most disappointing for me. I loved how multilayered the ch ...more

"You know what I learned in all these months? That I built my whole fucking life around you. My entire adult life. Five years. I'm totally lost on my own. You know how terrifying it is, to be that dependent on someone?"

Play Taylor Swift's 1989 while you're reading Cam Girl. Blast it on your stereo, then go for a midnight drive because that's what Raeder's writing makes you feel. Like you're drunk and infinite and glowing neon in the dark.
"Onlookers see the finished result, polished and pr...more

I'm not a fan of New Adult. Like, at all. There are too many tropes in that territory and I'd rather avoid the trouble. My resignation to read NA stopped last year when I read my first book by Leah Raeder. Since then, I've read her three novels and they've yet to disappoint. They're this kind of book that's both sexy and addresses important themes inside them. In this case, it goes to sex trade by cam girls and the exploration of sexual identity.
But to add more spice to that, there's also a myst ...more
But to add more spice to that, there's also a myst ...more

3 to 3.5 stars.

I'm sorry but it seems to me that I have once again made a mess with the different editions. You can find my "review" here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

I'm sorry but it seems to me that I have once again made a mess with the different editions. You can find my "review" here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

Jan 06, 2015
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
buy-this-for-me-and-ill-review-it
Denied the ARC, so someone let me know when this moment happens:
...more

...more

“You can fall in love again with someone you're already in love with. It's like waking from a dream within a dream and finding another layer, the colors more vivid, the light more lucid, the fantasy more real. Being in love is an endless loop of waking to reverie.”
Last year I read Unteachable by Leah Raeder and fell in love with her lyrical and incredible writing;so poetic and beautiful that I just couldn't put it down. And after reading this book,I can say that she is one of my favorite author ...more
Last year I read Unteachable by Leah Raeder and fell in love with her lyrical and incredible writing;so poetic and beautiful that I just couldn't put it down. And after reading this book,I can say that she is one of my favorite author ...more

Pre-read: Ye Gods, I really, really, really want to read this book.
Edit: Might as well start doing my happy dance ahead of time because I got a galley today, guys. Whoo-hoo! *dance, dance, dances*
This will be read in due haste.
Post-read: Finished this a while back, but marking it for today. I honestly wish more NA books could have this skill, depth, and intrigue. I really liked Cam Girl. Still debating on my reflection and rating though. 4 stars will probably be what I settle on.
Edit: Might as well start doing my happy dance ahead of time because I got a galley today, guys. Whoo-hoo! *dance, dance, dances*
This will be read in due haste.
Post-read: Finished this a while back, but marking it for today. I honestly wish more NA books could have this skill, depth, and intrigue. I really liked Cam Girl. Still debating on my reflection and rating though. 4 stars will probably be what I settle on.

I swear, Leah Raeder's writing fucks with my emotions. It's extremely hard for me to express my feelings, especially when it comes to something I connect with so deeply with. All of her books have hit me in some very profound way, and I get this huge churning storm of feelings and emotions that I struggle to let out. It's just easier for me to swallow them and keep them hidden away. I also feel like whatever I say won't come anywhere near what I truly feel, because a pathetic "I love it" just wo ...more

THIS BOOK IS RELEASED TODAY
YOU SHOULD GO BUY IT
Leah Raeder books are notoriously difficult for me to rate and review so you'll have to excuse my slight tendency to jump around or ramble. I think that may just be my honest reaction to her stories. Frequently the subject matter ventures dangerously close to where I draw my line, I never agree with the actions of the MC, and most of the time I don't even approve of the ending.
But I will continue to read everything Leah writes.
I know, I'm probably ...more
YOU SHOULD GO BUY IT
Leah Raeder books are notoriously difficult for me to rate and review so you'll have to excuse my slight tendency to jump around or ramble. I think that may just be my honest reaction to her stories. Frequently the subject matter ventures dangerously close to where I draw my line, I never agree with the actions of the MC, and most of the time I don't even approve of the ending.
But I will continue to read everything Leah writes.
I know, I'm probably ...more

Cam Girl isn’t what I expected, but I can’t say I didn’t find beauty in Vada’s story. What I expected when I picked up Cam Girl was the story about a girl who was broken beyond repair and turned to camming as a last resort. I expected a girl that found herself and love in the boy she met online. While some of that is true, the ending and delivery was completely unexpected.
Vada is bisexual and the story begins after she wakes up from a fatal car accident. There are flashbacks to the accident and ...more
Vada is bisexual and the story begins after she wakes up from a fatal car accident. There are flashbacks to the accident and ...more

Jan 31, 2015
Michelle
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Michelle by:
Atria
Shelves:
arc,
suspense,
2015,
contemporary,
contemporary-romance,
read-to-review,
drama,
blog-tour,
f-f-book,
lgbt
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Bold. Heartbreaking. Emotional. Captivating. Brazen. Sensual.Thought provoking. Leah Raeder is one of those gifted authors who continually knows how to spellbind her readers with her beautiful prose and raw characters. CAM GIRL is unlike any story that I have read. It is bold, risky, raw, gritty and emotionally consuming.
CAM GIRL pushes boundaries and allows readers to explore their sexuality. It is a story that makes you questi ...more

Bold. Heartbreaking. Emotional. Captivating. Brazen. Sensual.Thought provoking. Leah Raeder is one of those gifted authors who continually knows how to spellbind her readers with her beautiful prose and raw characters. CAM GIRL is unlike any story that I have read. It is bold, risky, raw, gritty and emotionally consuming.

CAM GIRL pushes boundaries and allows readers to explore their sexuality. It is a story that makes you questi ...more

I never know what to say about a Leah Raeder novel. It made me uncomfortable. It was difficult to read because I kept wanting to stop, to leave these messy, unlikable characters with their dark flaws in the pages of the book. It made me think, late into the night, unable to make sense of myself, the characters, or the world. And all of these are good. It is so rare to find a book that makes me reflect, that forces me to take a long time anguishing over the language, that genuinely shoves me outs
...more

* Buddy-Read Review with Beatrix posted on Way Too Hot Books.

Dark, raw, thought-provoking, erotic, poignant, inspiring... but above all beautifully written. It's such a complex, powerful and skilfully written story that makes me feeling inadequate to even write a review about it, that's why I'll keep it short. I thought it will be pretty impossible to dethrone Black Iris, but L. Raeder has yet again stolen a piece of my heart with Cam Girl and set the level ...more
"All art comes from pain."

Dark, raw, thought-provoking, erotic, poignant, inspiring... but above all beautifully written. It's such a complex, powerful and skilfully written story that makes me feeling inadequate to even write a review about it, that's why I'll keep it short. I thought it will be pretty impossible to dethrone Black Iris, but L. Raeder has yet again stolen a piece of my heart with Cam Girl and set the level ...more

**Buddy-Review with *P*u*r*p*l*e* Masochist posted on Way Too Hot Books.**
Once upon a time (okay, when I read Unteachable) I fell in love with Leah Raeder’s words. And ever since, I await her next novel with delightful anticipation. It’s like (s)he has this deep, profound relationship with words, and we, as readers, should feel lucky we get to read what ...more
What a strange world where we pay people to listen to our problems, and pay them to fuck themselves while we watch, and pay them to save us.
Once upon a time (okay, when I read Unteachable) I fell in love with Leah Raeder’s words. And ever since, I await her next novel with delightful anticipation. It’s like (s)he has this deep, profound relationship with words, and we, as readers, should feel lucky we get to read what ...more

A new Leah Raeder book!!!!

It's about a talented young artist, struggling to make ends meet after a series of catastrophic setbacks, who forges a deep connection with a mysterious client who wants her camgirl performances to himself and who forces her to reconnect with the demons of her past. ...more

It's about a talented young artist, struggling to make ends meet after a series of catastrophic setbacks, who forges a deep connection with a mysterious client who wants her camgirl performances to himself and who forces her to reconnect with the demons of her past. ...more

This book is exactly what is seems - an erotic new adult novel about a webcam girl, with some dark themes and gender/sexuality discussion - but it's also so much more than that, a depth I haven't seen in new adult since...well, the last book I had the pleasure of reading from this author!
"Sometimes I bought into the black-and-white mentality, too. It was easier, picking a side. Not fighting to be recognised as a fluid, nuanced individual, but simply accepting a premade label, a prefab identity." ...more
"Sometimes I bought into the black-and-white mentality, too. It was easier, picking a side. Not fighting to be recognised as a fluid, nuanced individual, but simply accepting a premade label, a prefab identity." ...more

Meh. This is easily the worst Raeder book so far. I saw potential with Unteachable but it seems that her new books are not really for me. As usual, the prose in Cam Girl attempts to heighten the mood by using lyrical prose like with Raeder's other works but this time I thought the writing was verging on the purple end of the scale. Raeder writes beautifully, don't get me wrong. The writing in Unteachable was perfect, Black iris also had its moments of good writing (although some metaphors in the
...more

FINALLY finished this after months and months and months. This definitely didn't live up to how much I loved Unteachable and Black Iris and tbh I'm pretty bummed about it. I felt like the plot was messier in this book compared to the other two, which is odd considering that's usually something I would say about an author's first book, not their third. Either way though, I enjoyed this well enough in comparison to all other new adult things, but I feel like I hold Elliot Wake (formerly Leah Raede
...more

ARC provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
...more


Without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year... My review will be up on the blog on November 12
...more

4.5 stars.
Finished during Diverseathon in September :)
This is the first time in months that a book has really wrenched my soul out and I can truly say that I LOVED this and highlighted so many passages that I want to revisit. It's not an easy read with very few likeable characters but they all had so many facets and every word and event added something new to their structure. Ugh, so good. ...more
Finished during Diverseathon in September :)
This is the first time in months that a book has really wrenched my soul out and I can truly say that I LOVED this and highlighted so many passages that I want to revisit. It's not an easy read with very few likeable characters but they all had so many facets and every word and event added something new to their structure. Ugh, so good. ...more
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“This is what they don’t tell you about losing someone: It doesn’t happen once. It happens every day, every moment they’re missing from. You lose them a hundred times between waking and sleep, and even sleep is no respite, because you lose them in your dreams, too.”
—
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“I dream of you in colors that don't exist.”
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