Author: J. K. Rock
Publication: July 2nd 2013 by Spencer Hill Contemporary
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Provided by the kind publisher
The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.
They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.
But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?
They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.
But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?
-- My Rating --
4/5 Oscars: Really liked it
-- My Thoughts --
Lauren transferred from her old school to a new one. but she also changed from the geeky girl to the beautiful, most popular girl at school. But deep inside, she is the same old Lauren and she wants nothing more than going back to Camp Juniper Point and to her old friends and to her secret camp boyfriend, Seth. But there is also Matt, her boyfriend in her new school, whom she always thought was a dump jock, but has feelings deeper than she could imagine.
When I dived into this book, I expected one of those cute, happy-feel contemporary novels with no deep subject. But I was dead wrong. This is a contemporary novel about love, about finding your true self, about being kind and good to other people. It delivers tons of powerful messages and I could not have been happier with the outcome.
I loved the main characters. They are almost-stereotypical. But then, when the story progresses, you get to see that this wasn't the author's main point. She developed a whole bunch of three-dimensional supporting cast of characters. Lauren is a brave, kind, although confused girl. She acts like a teenager, and it feels real. But the ones who really added to the story are Seth and Matt. I absolutely adored Matt and how much he cared for Lauren but didn't know how to show her. This book wouldn't have been the same without him.
The plot revolves around a lot of different subjects and that has really added to the story. There is friendship, family, finding yourself, and love. I really wouldn't want to change anything about this book. It was a wonderful experience and I am so happy to be able to read the second companion books, Camp Payback!
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