Upchuck Summer's Revenge

by Joel L. Schwartz

Ninth grader Richie has his hands full at summer camp, trying to teach an incompetent group of ten-year-olds to play football, avoiding his bumbling would-be friend Chuck, and plotting revenge on the obnoxious Jerry.

Genres: Childrens

166 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1990

About the author

Dr. Joel Schwartz is the published author of 7 middle grade novels, including Upchuck Summer (Yearling, 1983), which sold over 150,000 copies, He is the Emeritus Chair of Psychiatry at Abington Memorial Hospital, and a board certified adult and child psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. He is also a professional speaker, and works with organizations to improve workplace dynamics. In addition, he is an amateur stand‑up comic and wishful golfer.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our camp marathon, year 2 edition, trucks on as we finish a saga. Last year I was given Upchuck Summer, a seemingly standard story that ended up having wet dreams. You can read my previous review for all that weird info. Then I read the sequel which was a solid improvement, selling the main arc more and to0ning down the gross stuff.

Now we have the end of the line, as the saga stopped here. This time it's back to camp as Richie is now a CIT,Counselor in training, at this camp. Chuck is here too and he hopes to not get too tangled with him after last time. A fellow CIT is Jerry, a boastful asshole who sees himself as a ladies man and wants this girl Lisa, who Richie also likes.

From there it spirals into a big rivalry as Richie must coach a team of losers to possibly victory against Jerry. So this one is kinda mixed, it's a step down from book 2 and a bit closer to the first one. Infact, while that 2nd one isn't made non-canon here, it's rarely referenced and you can skip it and not lose much. It's weird.

There's some fun stuff, mostly with the Jerry rivalry as we see them bumping heads. There's some of the usual enjoyable enough camp type stuff. Richie still has a solid monologue for mostly of it.The arc with Chuck is m0re complete than the first one, and there is some development with Richie in regards to Jerry.

It is a bit wonky with it coming after the climax, padding things out, and the end of it doesn't quite feel right but the idea is there at least. Pacing is mostly good, it's easy to read even if it the 160 pages gets to be a bit much near the end. A bit of ending fatigue gets in a tad.

I like that Lisa eventually gets a trait with her knowing about football, and helping them win this thing with Jerry. Before that she's your standard girl character but at least she has that. So there's decent stuff going for it.

On the flip side, it feels like Richie's growth is undone here. We see him bonding with Chuck a tad more I guess but he's back to being more of a dick and re-learn his lesson about him being useful. I feel you could make Chuck more competent to make him grow more beyond what we see, although we get more of him being helpful.

We just get too much of Richie being on dick-ish side, like how he whines a bit too much and has these insulting nicknames for this team he coaches. Maybe that one just bugs me because one nickname is "Spaz" and one kid is fat and he eats chocolate a bunch. Of course.

Things with them end well at least. The stuff with Lisa gets to be on the creepy side, a few times of him slipping in an "awooga" type comment. While it's more toned down from the first one, it's more ramped up from the 2nd one. There's a part where he has to had hide an erection. Yes.

There's just some weird stuff like that does get in the way of my enjoyment. I can see some of it not being a big deal for others, especially when it came out. It's not the biggest deal as it does balanced out to some extent. The arc could have been more complete with how the ending joke is.

That makes it an odd one. Like the first one, it is solid and fun in some spots, but cringey and awkward in others. Joel is getting decent at the writing and arc stuff, but there is work to be done, Book 2 wasn't super great but it was tighter and than this, making it a bit of a step back.

Still, there's fun to be had and some flaws from the first are cleaned up at least. I don't know these are high recommendations but they do stand up from others of the time, that's for sure. I won't look back on these as amazing but they did make for some of the crazier reading expereinces I've had, wet dreams and all.

Well, that was something. That ends June. Next time July begins with something different, format wise at least. Hopefully the randomizer made a good choice here. See ya then.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed so much at this sequel to Upchuck Summer! I had not realized this was a sequel until after I was reading it. I couldn't wait to read the first book. But I DON'T recommend it. The first book has some gross descriptions of boyhood puberty, which left me sick & is completely uncalled for. But this one is clean & great for a good laugh.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it. I was right around ten years old, and I remember it being one of the first books where a romantic relationship was explored in a way that interested me. Hopefully I can get my hands on a copy again.