As a teenager, I would have been completely obsessed with this book. As an adult, I commend it for its authenticity and vulnerability - it reminded me so much of my teenage experience. I never had the opportunity to attend traditional cabin-in-the-woods summer camp, but I went to several youth retreats and music camps back in the day. Last Summer at Eden hit the youth/teen camp experience right on the head. You're thrown together with a group of strangers and in no time at all you feel as if you've known these people forever. The obligatory socialization and close living quarters quickly strip away any bravado you may be holding on to - things "get real" very quickly. And as my recently unearthed diaries from middle school and high can attest, you really do develop a camp vernacular ("Yeah you do!" -Kenny). And the summer love...Last Summer at Eden expresses the fears and insecurities, as well as the thrill and stomach butterflies, (and, inevitably, the heartache) of camp crushes so perfectly.

I also appreciated this book for its honesty regarding the doubts and difficulties young Christians can face in their faith. Poppi experiences peaks and valleys in her faith, just as most of us do, and Last Summer at Eden isn't afraid to address these struggles with sincerity and care. Well done!

This book just wasn’t for me, the writing style and me just didn’t mix but I can see how this would be enjoyable for many others

Wonderful. Simply wonderful. There are so many wonderful, amazing truths in this book that I think every teen girl should read. I found myself in several parts wishing my teenage self would have had that advice, and reading things that my adult self still appreciated and needed to hear. I also love how the Christian messages are presented. You get to see the love of God shown through Poppi's life and the people around her, which I think has an especially meaningful impact. I can't wait to read what Tina writes next!

About this book:

“Eden, a summer camp in southern California, has hit rock-bottom with low enrollment, a tight budget, and burned-out staff. Can it be saved? Maybe not. This novel incorporates contemporary themes with a traditional good-versus-bad trope for a satisfying read that promotes biblical truths of Gods constancy and provision.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Set at a Christian summer camp; Almost every chapter is titled after a hymn or a contemporary Christian song; Prayers, Thanking God & Crying/yelling out to God; Worship services & hymns are sung; Talks about God, His will, trusting Him & having hope; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Poppi doesn’t see God as her personal God, *Spoiler* (view spoiler)*End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of Christian camps, Bible studies, devotions & learning about God; Mentions of God, Jesus & having hope; Mentions of other names for Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches & church going; Mentions of worship services, church services & pastors; Mentions of crafts with crosses & God’s eye; Mentions of Christian singers/bands (Jamie Grace, Michael W. Smith, & Rend Collective); A few mentions of Christians & faiths; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of the Garden of Eden; A few mentions of prayer times; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of Easter; A mention of a Christian high school; A mention of a play graphic about spiritual warfare;
*Note: Poppi says the previous year was hell.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘darn’, a ‘geez’, a ‘stinking’, two ‘geesh’s, two ‘oh my gosh’s, three ‘idiot’s, three ‘shut up’s, three ‘wimp’s, seven ‘dumb’s, and twenty-eight forms of ‘stupid’; A mention of swear words; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A bit of Pain (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an alcoholic (Poppi’s father) & his alcohol, but he isn’t drunk all the time and is never loud or violent; Mentions of embezzlement, stealing & jail time; Mentions of blood & injuries; Mentions of mean girls & comments; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of divorces; Mentions of throwing up & fevers (barely-above-not-detailed); Mention of urine & fish poop; A couple mentions of fighting & beating someone up; A couple mentions of dancing at a bar; A couple mentions of cigars & smoking; A couple mentions of dead animals; A mention of slaughtering chickens; A mention of boogers;
*Note: Mentions of the singer P!nk, one of her songs & her being a strong role model for girls; Mentions of celebrities (Gwyneth Paltrow, Adele, Kanye West, Reese Witherspoon, & Matthew McConaughey); Mentions of brands (Chacos, Patagonia, CamelBak, Yeti, Under Armour, Justice, Nike, & Rogue Fitness); Mentions of pop culture (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Frozen, Olaf, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, Scooby Doo, the Minions, My Little Pony, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader); Mentions of Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Netflix, & FaceTime; Mention of Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts; A few mentions of the store, Target; A couple mentions of melting ice caps in Norway due to the weather; A couple mentions of iPads; A couple mentions of Red Bull energy drinks; A mention of Dancing With the Stars.


Sexual Content- a (semi-detailed) hand kiss, a palm kiss, a cheek kiss, a nose kiss, two head kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and three semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to give a cheek kiss; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Sparks & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); a ‘baby’ and two ‘hot’s; Talks about kisses & kissing; Many mentions of dating, dates, couples, boyfriends, girlfriends, embraces, breakups & broken hearts; Mentions of a boy meeting a girl outside after curfew & him receiving a talk about waiting for sex and “the good stuff”; Mentions of kisses, kissing & soft lips; Mentions of seeing others kissing & their kiss/make out session (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of flirting; Mentions of crushes, liking someone, secret admirers & one young couple dancing close together; A few mentions of a young boy’s dad’s pregnant girlfriend living with them; A few mentions of a girl making out with boys; A few mentions of a player; A few mentions of wolf-whistles; A couple mentions of checking someone out; A couple mentions of hormones; Crushing on, Liking a guy & the emotions;
*Note: Noticing a couple shirtless guys (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a girl starting her period, menstruation & what to use for the monthly visitor; A mention of ten-year-olds getting boobs; A mention of puberty; A mention of someone acting like they’re in heat; A mention of a girl licking her lips as a guy passes by; A mention of someone sliding on their butt; A mention of someone being a pain in the butt.

-Poppi Savot, age 19
1st person P.O.V. of Poppi
356 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Add a ½ star for older girls who like camping/camps}
This book got me in the mood for summer! Never mind the 90 degree temps my part of Texas has been having; this was a fun, summery read! I might not be a camper at all, but I think those who have good memories of going to summer camps would enjoy those aspects. I wasn’t personally a fan of Jake at many times, but Poppi (love her name!)—I just wanted to give her a hug! Nathalie is something else too! Haha! I didn’t agree with some things said, but I thought the talks about the Lord & His hope was great.
The summer romance was sweet at times, but I could have done with a bit less kissing. I really loved all the Faith content and thought the ending was quite well done. :)


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

Last Summer and Eden reads like an apologetic for Christian Summer Camps. The story is simple enough to follow and engaging enough that you won't have any trouble getting through it. Your impression of this book will likely correlate closely to your attitude about summer camps.

A much fuller review of the book can be found at the link below.

Last Summer at Eden is a book that every young adult and adult will love to read. If you have ever attended a church camp this book will resonate with you. I loved the titles, the shenanigans the children played on their counselors, Jake and Poppi are my favorite couple at Camp Eden. I would love a follow-up to see how the future Eden is. The story of Jesus is shared, friendships and relationships are forged, and having faith n Jesus and the things that matter most, great things will happen if you let the Holy Spirit lead you.