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I See London, I See France #2
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe
Sam’s summer isn’t off to a great start. Her boyfriend, Eli, ditched her for a European backpacking trip, and now she’s a counselor at Camp Blue Springs: the summer camp her eleven-year-old self swore never to return to. Sam expects the next seven weeks to be a total disaster.
That is, until she meets Gavin, the camp’s sailing instructor, who turns her expectations upside down. Gavin may have gotten the job just for his abs. Or that smile. Or the way he fills Sam’s free time with thrilling encounters—swimming under a cascade of stars, whispering secrets over s’mores, embarking on one (very precarious) canoe ride after dark.
It’s absurd. After all, Sam loves Eli. But one totally absurd, completely off-the-wall summer may be just what Sam needs. And maybe, just maybe, it will teach her something about what she really wants.
That is, until she meets Gavin, the camp’s sailing instructor, who turns her expectations upside down. Gavin may have gotten the job just for his abs. Or that smile. Or the way he fills Sam’s free time with thrilling encounters—swimming under a cascade of stars, whispering secrets over s’mores, embarking on one (very precarious) canoe ride after dark.
It’s absurd. After all, Sam loves Eli. But one totally absurd, completely off-the-wall summer may be just what Sam needs. And maybe, just maybe, it will teach her something about what she really wants.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2020
89 people are currently reading
5811 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mlynowski
162 books3,354 followersSarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel Milkrun.
Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), Don't Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls' Night In and Girls' Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).
Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.
Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), Don't Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls' Night In and Girls' Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).
Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.
Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
January 30, 2020
I really, really want to give this book 1 star right now, even though I kind of enjoyed reading it. You see, this is just a novel-long lame cheating apologia, and as I reached the end of this story, I was totally repulsed by all of the pathetic excuses piling on. I was hoping for an ending that would be less... cavalier about being totally crap as a human being. And that applies to many characters in this novel.
So, take it as a warning, all who've added this novel to your TBRs expecting a summer romance. This isn't it. It's the exact opposite - a story about a summer affair.
I also don't like camps, and Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe highlighted for me why. Too much stress, too much bitchiness and bullying, and counselors who only care about hooking up with each other.
There are some positive things that did shine through the cheating baloney, like learning to stand up for yourself and against slut-shaming. But I am too mad right now to care about that.
But the book is very readable though. 🤷♀️
So, take it as a warning, all who've added this novel to your TBRs expecting a summer romance. This isn't it. It's the exact opposite - a story about a summer affair.
I also don't like camps, and Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe highlighted for me why. Too much stress, too much bitchiness and bullying, and counselors who only care about hooking up with each other.
There are some positive things that did shine through the cheating baloney, like learning to stand up for yourself and against slut-shaming. But I am too mad right now to care about that.
But the book is very readable though. 🤷♀️
July 4, 2020
One of the worst books I read this year. It's literally just a whole book about cheating and justifying it because their partners are cheating afterwards. I also didn't like how weird the guy was about pressuring her in a way about sex.
June 2, 2020
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski is a book I was excited for since I love a a summer camp setting. The descriptions of the camp the main character works at are vivid, and it was easy to imagine being there. However, I disliked her immaturity and the way she continually attempts to justify cheating on her boyfriend. Ultimately, I was disappointed with this one.
This book tells the story of a girl who is offered a position as a camp counsellor while her boyfriend is away in Europe. She is hesitant to accept due to some bad memories associated with the camp from her time there as a camper, but she ultimately takes the job. While at the camp, she tries to reclaim a positive camp experience, and she finds herself getting closer with the camp’s sailing instructor.
❀ EVOKES A SENSE OF NOSTALGIA
I love books about summer camp, and the way the camp is depicted in this book is very strong. There are classic camp activities including Colour Wars and a mini canoe trip, and this evoked a sense of nostalgia. At the beginning of every section, the campers’ schedules are shown, and I thought this was a fun detail. Each girl in Sam’s bunk has her own unique quirk, and I loved getting to know everyone at the camp, from counsellors to campers.
❀ IMMATURE MAIN CHARACTER
Unfortunately, this immersive camp experience was all I really enjoyed about the book. I had some major issues with Sam and her actions. One thing that bothered me was the fact that there is a disconnect between her age and her actions. She is 19, but her voice reads more like that of a 14 year old. She is in college, but she is still so bothered by a nickname that she was given at camp 8 years ago. I understand that she did not have a positive experience at camp, but I personally didn’t get why she would spend so much time stressing over a nickname from so long ago. Sam does have some redeeming qualities, such as defending her friends, but this was not enough for me to forgive her for another major issue: cheating.
❀ NO CONSEQUENCES FOR ACTIONS
Sam spends the entire book cheating on her boyfriend with Gavin, and I didn’t feel like this book did enough to show that it was wrong. I am not a fan of books about cheating, and it’s my bad for picking this one up when the summary implies that this type of content will be in the book, but Sam’s behaviour would have been tolerable (at best) if she faced more consequences. I wasn’t convinced that she understood that what she was doing was wrong, or why it was wrong, and she continues to try and justify her actions. Also, I didn’t like the message she sends that cheating is fine under certain conditions.
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski is a book that has so much potential with its wholesome camp vibes, but I couldn’t get past the main character’s behaviour. She is immature, and she almost promotes cheating. If you are fine with reading about this topic, you may enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it was not for me.
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski is a book I was excited for since I love a a summer camp setting. The descriptions of the camp the main character works at are vivid, and it was easy to imagine being there. However, I disliked her immaturity and the way she continually attempts to justify cheating on her boyfriend. Ultimately, I was disappointed with this one.
This book tells the story of a girl who is offered a position as a camp counsellor while her boyfriend is away in Europe. She is hesitant to accept due to some bad memories associated with the camp from her time there as a camper, but she ultimately takes the job. While at the camp, she tries to reclaim a positive camp experience, and she finds herself getting closer with the camp’s sailing instructor.
❀ EVOKES A SENSE OF NOSTALGIA
I love books about summer camp, and the way the camp is depicted in this book is very strong. There are classic camp activities including Colour Wars and a mini canoe trip, and this evoked a sense of nostalgia. At the beginning of every section, the campers’ schedules are shown, and I thought this was a fun detail. Each girl in Sam’s bunk has her own unique quirk, and I loved getting to know everyone at the camp, from counsellors to campers.
❀ IMMATURE MAIN CHARACTER
Unfortunately, this immersive camp experience was all I really enjoyed about the book. I had some major issues with Sam and her actions. One thing that bothered me was the fact that there is a disconnect between her age and her actions. She is 19, but her voice reads more like that of a 14 year old. She is in college, but she is still so bothered by a nickname that she was given at camp 8 years ago. I understand that she did not have a positive experience at camp, but I personally didn’t get why she would spend so much time stressing over a nickname from so long ago. Sam does have some redeeming qualities, such as defending her friends, but this was not enough for me to forgive her for another major issue: cheating.
❀ NO CONSEQUENCES FOR ACTIONS
Sam spends the entire book cheating on her boyfriend with Gavin, and I didn’t feel like this book did enough to show that it was wrong. I am not a fan of books about cheating, and it’s my bad for picking this one up when the summary implies that this type of content will be in the book, but Sam’s behaviour would have been tolerable (at best) if she faced more consequences. I wasn’t convinced that she understood that what she was doing was wrong, or why it was wrong, and she continues to try and justify her actions. Also, I didn’t like the message she sends that cheating is fine under certain conditions.
Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski is a book that has so much potential with its wholesome camp vibes, but I couldn’t get past the main character’s behaviour. She is immature, and she almost promotes cheating. If you are fine with reading about this topic, you may enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it was not for me.
October 16, 2023
I thought this was going to be a cute summer camp romance with a bit of drama thrown in to keep things interesting. It did have romance, but it wasn't cute and the drama was more than a bit. The main plot of this is about two camp counselors who cheat on their partners with each other all summer long and don't really feel remorse for it. The other counselors hook up with each other and wow, there's a lot of sex in this. I hate cheating, especially from the main character that I'm supposed to like. By the end of the story, I didn't want to be in Sam's head any more and just hope that she matured and won't be a terrible girlfriend again.
I really enjoyed the actual camp parts, like seeing Sam become a mentor to the girls and bond with them. The activities were cute too and made me wish I'd gone to camp as a kid. If the plot was more focused on this aspect, I would have rated this higher.
This book wasn't for me and I spent the majority of the time angry at the characters. Now I need a fluffy story to read!
I really enjoyed the actual camp parts, like seeing Sam become a mentor to the girls and bond with them. The activities were cute too and made me wish I'd gone to camp as a kid. If the plot was more focused on this aspect, I would have rated this higher.
This book wasn't for me and I spent the majority of the time angry at the characters. Now I need a fluffy story to read!
March 4, 2020
I finished it but.... why oh why are we writing books for teens encouraging drugs, alcohol and sex. SO much sex. Not to mention cheating!
I was hoping that the author would have some major lesson at the end, but alas no. This just was not worth it. The main characters didn't really seem to learn anything from it they all had "happy" endings.
I was hoping that the author would have some major lesson at the end, but alas no. This just was not worth it. The main characters didn't really seem to learn anything from it they all had "happy" endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2020
Camp plot >>>>> relationship plot. If you don't like cheating, this book is NOT for you. Also, there's a ton of bullying and slut shaming, both in the mc's past camp experiences and how some of the counselors treat another counselor.
May 16, 2019
UPDATE: STILL CANNOT WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR THIS BOOK OMG
August 22, 2020
1/5 stars
Wow this book was terrible.
I really loved Mlynowski's Whatever After series when I was younger, but her books for young adults have just been such disappointments for me.
This book was actually quite similar to her novel I See London, I See France. Both were pitched as summery travel-inspired romances. However, for this novel in particular, quite the opposite is true.
I was excited to read what I thought was going to be a cute contemporary about a girl who goes to camp and meets a cute boy. Maybe it's my fault for overlooking the fact that said girl already had a boyfriend before she came to camp, but idk. The whole story is basically about cheating and hooking up.
The beginning was fun and held promise. Then once Sam laid eyes on Gavin, everything went downhill from there. For most of the story, Sam and Gavin are making out or hooking up--cheating on their significant others, who ironically are traveling in the same group together in Europe--and trying to justify it, all while being jealous of their own boyfriend/girlfriend because they see pictures on social media of them both hanging out together and with members of the opposite sex. The HYPOCRISY! I mean, really?!
Sam in particular really got on my nerves. She's LITERALLY cheating on her boyfriend and all she can think about when looking at his pictures on social media is that he happens to have his arm around some other girl in his travel group. She also keeps trying to draw a line in her relationship with Gavin (i.e. "we're only going to kiss") until, of course, they end up sleeping together. And she keeps justifying the fact that she's cheating on her boyfriend, whom she lies to about the whole affair. She finally tells him the truth and then has the AUDACITY to wonder why he breaks up with her and doesn't want to spend time with her anymore. Like, what did she think was going to happen?
Gavin was also kinda a jerk. At one point, his girlfriend calls him from Europe to tell him she met someone else and wants to break up--so she does it the correct way. But--despite the fact that he's been cheating on his girlfriend with Sam--he's pissed that she broke up with HIM. Like, what?
I don't even know. The whole story was just the counselors sneaking off to hook up with other people and drinking and doing drugs. I want to know why this activity is allowed to go on at this camp and why the counselors even get "days off" or "breaks" at all. No overnight camp I've ever heard of allows for counselors to sneak off and do whatever the heck they want to without any consequences. One guy, Eric, the camp announcer, is described as always being high. What kind of camp is this?!
What really irked me, though, is that by the end of the story, Sam and Gavin hadn't faced any real consequences for their actions, except for Sam's boyfriend breaking up with her. The post-camp epilogue describes a chance meeting in New York between Gavin and Sam in which we learn that Gavin is back with his girlfriend and Sam's now into....Botts--some other (nicer) guy from camp?! The author doesn't assert that cheating is wrong and unfair to all parties involved, or even have her characters learn their lesson. It's just like, whoopsie daisy, I cheated on my boyfriend, but whatever! No biggie! I have nothing against people making mistakes--everyone does, but the point is we LEARN FROM THEM. Also, in the real world, we have to face consequences for our actions. Cheating is dishonorable and petty and immature. Gavin and Sam didn't even really care for one another--all they cared about was hooking up, consequences be damned. At the end of the story, Sam even admits to herself that she doesn't really like Gavin as a person. I think her exact words were, "...he's kind of into himself." Which, again, the irony, lol. Gavin and Sam couldn't just be good significant others for their boyfriend and girlfriend by resisting their attraction to each other. Because in the sexual culture that the world and books, movies, tv, and music like this story and others promote, the only thing that matters is getting what you want when you want it, no matter who you hurt. If you wanna hook up with five different people in one week? Sure, go right ahead! Do you want to cheat on your boyfriend? Yeah, no problem!
I guess that's what the young adult genre wants us teens to know...and how disappointing is that?!
Wow this book was terrible.
I really loved Mlynowski's Whatever After series when I was younger, but her books for young adults have just been such disappointments for me.
This book was actually quite similar to her novel I See London, I See France. Both were pitched as summery travel-inspired romances. However, for this novel in particular, quite the opposite is true.
I was excited to read what I thought was going to be a cute contemporary about a girl who goes to camp and meets a cute boy. Maybe it's my fault for overlooking the fact that said girl already had a boyfriend before she came to camp, but idk. The whole story is basically about cheating and hooking up.
The beginning was fun and held promise. Then once Sam laid eyes on Gavin, everything went downhill from there. For most of the story, Sam and Gavin are making out or hooking up--cheating on their significant others, who ironically are traveling in the same group together in Europe--and trying to justify it, all while being jealous of their own boyfriend/girlfriend because they see pictures on social media of them both hanging out together and with members of the opposite sex. The HYPOCRISY! I mean, really?!
Sam in particular really got on my nerves. She's LITERALLY cheating on her boyfriend and all she can think about when looking at his pictures on social media is that he happens to have his arm around some other girl in his travel group. She also keeps trying to draw a line in her relationship with Gavin (i.e. "we're only going to kiss") until, of course, they end up sleeping together. And she keeps justifying the fact that she's cheating on her boyfriend, whom she lies to about the whole affair. She finally tells him the truth and then has the AUDACITY to wonder why he breaks up with her and doesn't want to spend time with her anymore. Like, what did she think was going to happen?
Gavin was also kinda a jerk. At one point, his girlfriend calls him from Europe to tell him she met someone else and wants to break up--so she does it the correct way. But--despite the fact that he's been cheating on his girlfriend with Sam--he's pissed that she broke up with HIM. Like, what?
I don't even know. The whole story was just the counselors sneaking off to hook up with other people and drinking and doing drugs. I want to know why this activity is allowed to go on at this camp and why the counselors even get "days off" or "breaks" at all. No overnight camp I've ever heard of allows for counselors to sneak off and do whatever the heck they want to without any consequences. One guy, Eric, the camp announcer, is described as always being high. What kind of camp is this?!
What really irked me, though, is that by the end of the story, Sam and Gavin hadn't faced any real consequences for their actions, except for Sam's boyfriend breaking up with her. The post-camp epilogue describes a chance meeting in New York between Gavin and Sam in which we learn that Gavin is back with his girlfriend and Sam's now into....Botts--some other (nicer) guy from camp?! The author doesn't assert that cheating is wrong and unfair to all parties involved, or even have her characters learn their lesson. It's just like, whoopsie daisy, I cheated on my boyfriend, but whatever! No biggie! I have nothing against people making mistakes--everyone does, but the point is we LEARN FROM THEM. Also, in the real world, we have to face consequences for our actions. Cheating is dishonorable and petty and immature. Gavin and Sam didn't even really care for one another--all they cared about was hooking up, consequences be damned. At the end of the story, Sam even admits to herself that she doesn't really like Gavin as a person. I think her exact words were, "...he's kind of into himself." Which, again, the irony, lol. Gavin and Sam couldn't just be good significant others for their boyfriend and girlfriend by resisting their attraction to each other. Because in the sexual culture that the world and books, movies, tv, and music like this story and others promote, the only thing that matters is getting what you want when you want it, no matter who you hurt. If you wanna hook up with five different people in one week? Sure, go right ahead! Do you want to cheat on your boyfriend? Yeah, no problem!
I guess that's what the young adult genre wants us teens to know...and how disappointing is that?!
June 25, 2022
promotes cheating. no thanks. didn’t even want to finish it.
July 7, 2025
Why is this book so pick me bro😭
The whole book basically revolved around boyfriends, cheating, and Sam being “pro girl” bc everyone else slut shames. Gimme a breakkk lol
The whole book basically revolved around boyfriends, cheating, and Sam being “pro girl” bc everyone else slut shames. Gimme a breakkk lol
September 17, 2020
Barf. As other reviewers said, it’s a book about cheating and making excuses about it not being wrong. The first part of the book was annoying with the protagonist inwardly trying to prove herself with her NYC clothes and haircut and then her justifying her actions with Gavin—it’s just innocent flirting, we didn’t kiss, we did kiss but we didn’t take any clothes off, our tops came off but underwear stayed on...oops, his boxers disappeared but my thong stayed on, Eli was probably cheating on me anyway, etc. And then to have the gall to justify her cheating by saying she and Eli would have probably broken up eventually anyway.
Reading this as an adult, I see beyond the juvenile, wrong behavior, but what kind of impact is this making on the actual intended audience? It is not, for certain, a cautionary tale.
Add in the underage drinking and smoking pot, “I don’t normally smoke pot, but when I do....” Give me a break.
The only positive element I can give is that the camp element is spot on. The author clearly had been to camp before, and this easily transported me back to my camp counseling days. It’s easy to fall into stereotyping and unwanted nicknames in that kind of environment, but the intended message about that was lost with the protagonist’s crappy behavior.
Reading this as an adult, I see beyond the juvenile, wrong behavior, but what kind of impact is this making on the actual intended audience? It is not, for certain, a cautionary tale.
Add in the underage drinking and smoking pot, “I don’t normally smoke pot, but when I do....” Give me a break.
The only positive element I can give is that the camp element is spot on. The author clearly had been to camp before, and this easily transported me back to my camp counseling days. It’s easy to fall into stereotyping and unwanted nicknames in that kind of environment, but the intended message about that was lost with the protagonist’s crappy behavior.
July 15, 2023
Da je nisam dobila na poklon ne vjerujem da bih je ikad čitala. Bila je okej za čitanje na plaži ali mi je glavna junakinja bila toliko nezrela i iritantna da je bilo teško uživati. Možda bi mi bila zanimljiva da imam 13, 14 godina ali ovako poprilično mlako.
2.5 ⭐
2.5 ⭐
e-priority
May 15, 2020I don't even need to read the blurb for this one. I just know that I LOVED I See London, I See France, and I'll read anything Sarah Mlynowski writes!
June 19, 2023
Three and a half stars. Fun read.
When I was a baby nurse, I worked for a summer as a camp nurse. My experience at camp segued my career for 16 years as a pediatric nurse.
I felt this book captured all of what it feels like to be at summer camp.
When I was a baby nurse, I worked for a summer as a camp nurse. My experience at camp segued my career for 16 years as a pediatric nurse.
I felt this book captured all of what it feels like to be at summer camp.
August 10, 2020
This is NOT the summer romance you're looking for.
I like to think I have the bar set pretty low when it comes to fluffy romance reads but this was just not good. I will say the writing style made this easy to read so maybe other works by this author are good but I was not a fan of this story. Our college age MC felt very whiny and immature, makes she terrible choices and I hate how she constantly justifies her cheating throughout the book. The "chemistry" between her and the love interest at camp doesn't come through the page very well so all the cheating didn't even feel worth it. I don't like being this negative in my reviews but I really don't recommend this one.
Content Notes:
- Strong Language: bible swears, f-bombs
- Substance Use: underage drinking, marijuana
- Sexual Content: kissing, intercourse
- CHEATING
May 30, 2021
although i was planning on giving this book a four, i loved the plot-twist towards the end. Is she going to end up with Botts? for some reason i’ve had the teensiest feeling that it was possible but pressed it down. i definitely need a second book to see what happens after that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2020
I was raised under the impression that infidelity/adultery/cheating is never ok? If that makes me old fashioned, than so be it. This book made me genuinely uncomfortable and quite frankly pissed off; I can’t believe I finished it
February 9, 2021
So I’m actually not 100% sure how I feel about this one... Did I love the camp setting? You bet but... the book felt very juvenile and, after that ending, a little pointless in terms of the romance.
Really wanted to love this but it was just kind of okay.
Really wanted to love this but it was just kind of okay.
December 22, 2020
Ugh. don't ever read this 🙄. I did not come even close to finishing it, it was so terrible.
January 19, 2021
every time i read a sarah mlynowski book i give up a tiny piece of my soul
May 15, 2020
Not exactly a romance but there's still one. You do get a big yearn to work at a summer camp, be warned.
But seriously, this book is basically about a summer affair, if cheating bothers you, do not read. Also be warned this is part of a series. I didn't read the first book (I didn't even know this was a second book...), so believe me when I say they can be read as a standalone.
3.5.
I found it interesting to read a YA about a freshman in college, but also consider that her actions are that of a freshman in college; this book won't be appropriate for younger teenagers. But older teenagers that aren't in colleges yet can still relate, seeing that it takes place in a summer camp, not in a campus I do like this choice, because it always seems that once you're in college stories about you become NA. Of course, there are some YA's with characters this age but they're very rare or worse, they behave as if they're still in high school or less. So this was my first big surprise.
The second surprise is that this isn't innocent at all, but it doesn't relate to age. This story is about Sam, who wants to be a teacher and carries a bit of a trauma from her experience in a summer camp many years before. One day, she's invited to go back to work at the same place and she accepts because it'll be a good experience, her boyfriend will spend the summer having fun in Europe without her, and to face those same traumas. There, she meets Gavin, who also has his girlfriend in Europe. The two are undeniably attracted to each other and maybe they're not strong enough to hold on. In other words, this story will talk about cheating, and although Sam is not happy her boyfriend is away, the guy didn't really do anything wrong to deserve it. What should she do?
I caught some reviews condemning this read because it seemed pro-cheating. I can't defend it, and I don't think it was that firmly against it. And even though I'm not that bothered in general with this plot line, the fact Sam had no excuses except that Gavin was hot really made me irk a little. Concomitantly, I think it's something that does happen, especially when you're not in a perfect relationship. I do applause the author for being able to build a great setting for the reader to be torn: Eli didn't do anything wrong, but does that mean Sam has to be crucified for a mistake? We're talking about more mature teenagers and how they too can very easily be in her shoes. Isn't it nice to see a more realistic development? Not all boyfriends are abusive, sometimes you're just attracted to someone else. I won't spoil you, but the ending was simply perfect too. Thus, if you're okay with reading a whole book on the development of an affair, do it.
There were some other great aspects about this story. To be honest, the "romance" if you can call it wasn't even that good. I couldn't get into Gavin, I just understood he was very sexy and his personality wasn't that bad, but it did stink here and there. What was really, really good here were the descriptions of life in a camp. I've never done it, I'm definitely not outdoorsy enough to seriously consider one, but after some pages, I was dying to go back in time and sign up for one.
And Sarah Mlynowski is an author I've admired for many years, no matter the target public she has in a book, I know it'll have a different taste from the others, just enough for us to enjoy but not so much it'd take getting used to it.
There are also children here, many, many cute children! I loved the scenes with them, even though there were a lot of names to learn. They were probably why the scenes about the camp were so amusing.
This got too long already and I feel there's a lot I wanted to mention as well. I'll just say I really liked the conclusion. If there's a fault was that I wanted to read more about it.
There are issues in this read, but the pluses were enough to get a round-up. Also, I can't wait for Mlynowski's next release!
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
But seriously, this book is basically about a summer affair, if cheating bothers you, do not read. Also be warned this is part of a series. I didn't read the first book (I didn't even know this was a second book...), so believe me when I say they can be read as a standalone.
3.5.
I found it interesting to read a YA about a freshman in college, but also consider that her actions are that of a freshman in college; this book won't be appropriate for younger teenagers. But older teenagers that aren't in colleges yet can still relate, seeing that it takes place in a summer camp, not in a campus I do like this choice, because it always seems that once you're in college stories about you become NA. Of course, there are some YA's with characters this age but they're very rare or worse, they behave as if they're still in high school or less. So this was my first big surprise.
The second surprise is that this isn't innocent at all, but it doesn't relate to age. This story is about Sam, who wants to be a teacher and carries a bit of a trauma from her experience in a summer camp many years before. One day, she's invited to go back to work at the same place and she accepts because it'll be a good experience, her boyfriend will spend the summer having fun in Europe without her, and to face those same traumas. There, she meets Gavin, who also has his girlfriend in Europe. The two are undeniably attracted to each other and maybe they're not strong enough to hold on. In other words, this story will talk about cheating, and although Sam is not happy her boyfriend is away, the guy didn't really do anything wrong to deserve it. What should she do?
I caught some reviews condemning this read because it seemed pro-cheating. I can't defend it, and I don't think it was that firmly against it. And even though I'm not that bothered in general with this plot line, the fact Sam had no excuses except that Gavin was hot really made me irk a little. Concomitantly, I think it's something that does happen, especially when you're not in a perfect relationship. I do applause the author for being able to build a great setting for the reader to be torn: Eli didn't do anything wrong, but does that mean Sam has to be crucified for a mistake? We're talking about more mature teenagers and how they too can very easily be in her shoes. Isn't it nice to see a more realistic development? Not all boyfriends are abusive, sometimes you're just attracted to someone else. I won't spoil you, but the ending was simply perfect too. Thus, if you're okay with reading a whole book on the development of an affair, do it.
There were some other great aspects about this story. To be honest, the "romance" if you can call it wasn't even that good. I couldn't get into Gavin, I just understood he was very sexy and his personality wasn't that bad, but it did stink here and there. What was really, really good here were the descriptions of life in a camp. I've never done it, I'm definitely not outdoorsy enough to seriously consider one, but after some pages, I was dying to go back in time and sign up for one.
And Sarah Mlynowski is an author I've admired for many years, no matter the target public she has in a book, I know it'll have a different taste from the others, just enough for us to enjoy but not so much it'd take getting used to it.
There are also children here, many, many cute children! I loved the scenes with them, even though there were a lot of names to learn. They were probably why the scenes about the camp were so amusing.
This got too long already and I feel there's a lot I wanted to mention as well. I'll just say I really liked the conclusion. If there's a fault was that I wanted to read more about it.
There are issues in this read, but the pluses were enough to get a round-up. Also, I can't wait for Mlynowski's next release!
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
September 13, 2020
Solid three star rating solely because I am trash for summer camp.
I wasn't crazy about any of the characters (in fact there were so many and they were all so two-dimensional that it was hard to keep them straight). The plot was extremely basic but honestly it was the perfect palate-cleansing novel. I mindlessly read it in two sittings without any emotional attachment what-so-ever.
(Also the title is a nod to one of my literal favorite camp songs so that's the only reason why I ever picked it up.)
I wasn't crazy about any of the characters (in fact there were so many and they were all so two-dimensional that it was hard to keep them straight). The plot was extremely basic but honestly it was the perfect palate-cleansing novel. I mindlessly read it in two sittings without any emotional attachment what-so-ever.
(Also the title is a nod to one of my literal favorite camp songs so that's the only reason why I ever picked it up.)
July 2, 2024
I regret the person i was 3 days ago
how can one book defend cheating like this?
how can one book defend cheating like this?
November 29, 2021
While reading the description of this book I was thinking it was going to be a cute YA summer romance book about a girl who meets a guy at summer camp where she's a counselor. This book instead highly engrossed cheating and shows readers’ that it’s okay to do that in a healthy relationship. In the end I gave this book two stars because it did also touch on body shaming and bullying successfully. I liked the ending, but didn’t like the way that the author chose to have the main character Sam think. To be honest, It completely pissed me off to show the reader that if Sam cheated on Eli and she told him, if he stayed with her it was because he truly loved her and that if he left her then it just wasn’t meant to be. I don’t know about you, but that’s not the way I think about cheating. 🤷🏻♀️🙃
Nineteen-year-old Sam is separated for six weeks from her boyfriend Eli after she accepts a job offer to be a counselor at a summer camp. While Eli decides to spend his time off in Europe with his cousin who just got out of the Israeli-an army. The two decide to do a long-distance relationship for the summer with video chatting/ phone calls until they are reunited before they go off to the same college in the fall. That is until Sam finds it okay to cheat on him with another counselor named Gavin from camp because her boyfriend back in Europe ‘is probably doing the same thing’ or has the idea that ‘he dosnt need to know.’ She struggles back and forth with how far her and Gavin will go before it’s considered cheating and if her relationship with Eli is what she truly wants since she is only nineteen and at this age ‘she should be sleeping around.’
Nineteen-year-old Sam is separated for six weeks from her boyfriend Eli after she accepts a job offer to be a counselor at a summer camp. While Eli decides to spend his time off in Europe with his cousin who just got out of the Israeli-an army. The two decide to do a long-distance relationship for the summer with video chatting/ phone calls until they are reunited before they go off to the same college in the fall. That is until Sam finds it okay to cheat on him with another counselor named Gavin from camp because her boyfriend back in Europe ‘is probably doing the same thing’ or has the idea that ‘he dosnt need to know.’ She struggles back and forth with how far her and Gavin will go before it’s considered cheating and if her relationship with Eli is what she truly wants since she is only nineteen and at this age ‘she should be sleeping around.’
April 18, 2020
Love the summer camp, do not love the cheating.
May 11, 2020
Sam thought she had the perfect boyfriend, and their summer apart would turn out just fine. They would talk every day, he would send postcards. But, as the summer wore on, there were no postcards, and they spoke less and less. She began to analyze their relationship, found some flaws, and wondered if they would still be together at the end of the summer.
I had read the companion of this book, I See London, I See France, and I was interested in learning more about Sam and Gavin after hearing bits and pieces about them. Though it was fun traveling throughout Europe in the last book, I had an even better time at Camp in this book.
Mlynowski did an incredible job immersing me in camp life. I went boating, frog hunting, and even did some arts and crafts. There were pranks, a dance, an overnight, and multiple camp events such as Super Bowl and Color Wars. I really felt like I was living the camp life, and I enjoyed it so much.
I also liked getting to know the campers and the counselors. It was an interesting group, and it was fun, that they shared a history together. In fact, needing a summer job wasn't Sam's only motivation for returning to Camp Blue Springs. She wanted the opportunity to show the others how much she had changed, and to sort of redeem herself from that one summer she had spent there. Sam wobbled a bit, but was determined to become a great counselor, and she did. It was fantastic watching her grow and reclaim confidence in herself.
I know a lot of people took issue with part of this story. Particularly, the relationship that developed between Sam and Gavin. There's no way to sugar coat it. It really comes down to what you deem a dealbreaker. What I will say is that, though I was disappointed, there was fallout, there were consequences, and I was actually ok with the way things played out. And, well, there was a jump ahead epilogue, which sort of made me a bit giddy.
Overall, I had a fantastic time at Camp Blue Springs. I was both disappointed and proud of Sam. She made some poor choices, but she also learned a lot about herself, and I thought the summer was a really important one for her.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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I had read the companion of this book, I See London, I See France, and I was interested in learning more about Sam and Gavin after hearing bits and pieces about them. Though it was fun traveling throughout Europe in the last book, I had an even better time at Camp in this book.
Mlynowski did an incredible job immersing me in camp life. I went boating, frog hunting, and even did some arts and crafts. There were pranks, a dance, an overnight, and multiple camp events such as Super Bowl and Color Wars. I really felt like I was living the camp life, and I enjoyed it so much.
I also liked getting to know the campers and the counselors. It was an interesting group, and it was fun, that they shared a history together. In fact, needing a summer job wasn't Sam's only motivation for returning to Camp Blue Springs. She wanted the opportunity to show the others how much she had changed, and to sort of redeem herself from that one summer she had spent there. Sam wobbled a bit, but was determined to become a great counselor, and she did. It was fantastic watching her grow and reclaim confidence in herself.
I know a lot of people took issue with part of this story. Particularly, the relationship that developed between Sam and Gavin. There's no way to sugar coat it. It really comes down to what you deem a dealbreaker. What I will say is that, though I was disappointed, there was fallout, there were consequences, and I was actually ok with the way things played out. And, well, there was a jump ahead epilogue, which sort of made me a bit giddy.
Overall, I had a fantastic time at Camp Blue Springs. I was both disappointed and proud of Sam. She made some poor choices, but she also learned a lot about herself, and I thought the summer was a really important one for her.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
July 8, 2023
Cheesy, lame ending but still enjoyable
October 16, 2023
why why why why why. like actually why. so i get that she needed to do some soul searching and i actually really enjoyed the way she came into herself at camp but the CHEATING and all for it to end with what?? her breaking up with her boyfriend and the guy she was hooking up with getting back with his girlfriend? and now she’s just into the guy who it was established early on was just a friend? i mean it all worked out in the end so i can’t be too mad about the cheating storyline but seriously, like Why? Anyway it’s over now
May 18, 2020
Read my review on Forever Young Adult:
http://foreveryoungadult.com/2020/05/...
http://foreveryoungadult.com/2020/05/...
December 4, 2019
ARC received via Edelweiss+
I almost stopped reading this book, but forced myself to continue and while I'm glad I did, there are still issues in the first 25% of the book that I feel need addressing (everything after that 25% was great, a real page turner (I finished in two sittings). But the voice feels very young, almost middle grade, and considering Sam is 19 and in college, that's a major flag for me as a reader. I get that when she was eleven, her awful nickname was awful... it IS awful...but eight years later, to still be so on edge about it...I was expecting it to be so much worse. I understand she's gone through the motions and handled the aftermath of the mental toll it took on her for YEARS, but I just felt it fell a little flat in this area. Talia's bitterness towards Sam in the first few pages through me off, I get why she was mad but the reasoning behind it felt a little dramatic, she screamed mean girl for no reason vibes and that is the biggest factor as to what made me want to put this book down so early on.
I almost stopped reading this book, but forced myself to continue and while I'm glad I did, there are still issues in the first 25% of the book that I feel need addressing (everything after that 25% was great, a real page turner (I finished in two sittings). But the voice feels very young, almost middle grade, and considering Sam is 19 and in college, that's a major flag for me as a reader. I get that when she was eleven, her awful nickname was awful... it IS awful...but eight years later, to still be so on edge about it...I was expecting it to be so much worse. I understand she's gone through the motions and handled the aftermath of the mental toll it took on her for YEARS, but I just felt it fell a little flat in this area. Talia's bitterness towards Sam in the first few pages through me off, I get why she was mad but the reasoning behind it felt a little dramatic, she screamed mean girl for no reason vibes and that is the biggest factor as to what made me want to put this book down so early on.
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