This was a really cute story! Very dynamic characters, funny, and campy. Lives up to its title! So cute

I want to start this review by saying: wow! I read Rosen's Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) last year and loved it to bits, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest novel! 

Camp follows Randall Kapplehoff who spends his summers at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens, where he and the friends he made during the years at the camp can be themselves without judgement or weird looks. Randy loves musicals, nail polish, and colourful clothes – but his heart belongs to 'masc4masc' Hudson. This year, Randy has a fail-safe plan ready and reinvents himself by becoming 'Del', a sporty guy who draws Hudson's attention right away. Will Randy's plan work and make Hudson fall for him? And can they really fall in love when both 'Del and Hudson are keeping secrets?

Now I'm going to try to be as coherent as possible and not simply scream at you to read this book because of its important themes, fluffy love story, and Rosen's funny and relatable writing. *deep breath*

Here's what you need to know about the camp this story centres around - Camp Outland is a safe place for all queer kids. This quote from the book explains it best: "It's a safe place. A place for you all to be yourselves and have a childhood that you don't get anywhere else."

One of the things I was most impressed with is the direction this story took. From the synopsis you might expect a cutesy and predictable rom-com situation: a boy decides to change himself in order to draw the attention of a resident hottie, only to realise that he is perfect as he is and falls inexplicably in love with this other character who 'saw him' from the get-go. Yes, I admit, I was 100% sure this was the direction this book is going to take. BOY WAS I WRONG! I won't spoil anything, but I will say this: Get ready for a fab love story filled with twists and turns that will both break your heart and mend it too!

Camp defied toxic masculinity at every turn. Sure we start the story with Randy changing his whole persona in order to attract Hudson's attention, but throughout the book, we dig deeper and get to the root of the problem, to the very heart of toxic masculinity and dispel it in the most inspiring of ways. Rosen stays true to his quick-witted writing style and also adds an educational component with facts about queer history and culture in general that not everyone may know about (no matter your sexuality, sexual orientation, or identity).

Another one of my favourite things about this book are the queer friendships in it! Randy has so many supportive and incredible friends – friends not potential lovers and I adored that with my whole heart! Rosen actually wrote a little piece for The Nerd Daily on this subject and I think you should give it a read ASAP!

And don't get me started on the characters! I want to hug the heck out of every single one of them! This is a queer camp so of course we read about characters of a variety of different sexual orientations and identities, from gay and trans, to demi, ace, aro, and non-binary. I'll never stop preaching about how we desperately need more books with such diverse cast of characters as everyone deserves to be able to find themselves in books, and stories like Camp make this possible. My heart is so full of love.

There were so many quotes in this book that made my eyes water but also nod my head as they are quotes that should be rules to live by. We sadly still live in a world that largely ostracises and shames queer people, and that is exactly why we need more books like this one! Camp is a perfect read for everyone – queer and not-queer folks alike! Why? Because it is a funny and relatable story that also shines light on struggles that queer people face – how it can still be dangerous to just be yourself. This might seem unimaginable to some people, but dressing how you like, wearing makeup, just being yourself can still be unsafe. Those feelings of being watched and judged make people retract back into their shells, make them not want to show their true colours. It may even make them think that there is a wrong or right way to be gay, make them believe that you should not play into stereotypes (as is shown in one of the main protagonists in Camp).

But the truth is this: "There's no one way to be gay" and  "No coming out story is the same as another".

We need books like Camp, books that bring those issues to light, make us face them, and talk about them! So go pick up Camp as soon as it hits shelves, and buy a few more copies for your friends, your neighbour, your delivery driver, and everyone in between. Queer or not, we need books like this one, we need to read them, and take them to heart.

"She said I should be proud of myself for knowing who I was, and what I wanted, and to never let anyone tell me anything about me that made me happy was something to be ashamed of, I've tried to keep that in mind."

4/5 stars

Such an awesome book full of some amazing characters all queer too with so many different identities which is just the best and The author does it so well too. It explores so many issues such as toxic masculinity.

I could definitely see where the story was gonna go with the planning of what Randell (del) was doing, but that for sure didn’t ruin the experience at all!!! It was still so goood and I couldn’t stop reading (that’s why I finished it in a couple hours 😆)

I would recommend this book to anyone!!! So amazing and like I said before it tackles so many issues and for sure your going to love the characters that attend this camp :)

I had to read this after the adorable cover and it was GREAT. So cute! I'm not the biggest fan of lying/deception plotlines (especially about hiding's one true personality), but the nuances really made it work here. I miss summer camp and am so glad to have revisited the experience with these amazing queer teens. A must-read for everyone.

I am here for the queer and I loved it! Camp features characters who are all queer at Camp Outland. And just for that fact alone, Camp felt almost instantly like such a safe space. At the same time, Camp deals with some emotional topics such as memories of homophobia, dealing with homophobia parents, and also this desire we have to try to be someone we aren't. Readers can immediately empathize with Randy's desire to re-brand himself. To try to change who we are to be someone else for love, for family, for acceptance.

And Rosen only capitalizes on this theme and reflects it in so many of the characters. This re-arranging of ourselves, the process of re-definition, the toll it takes, for our desires. Whatever it's motivated by, this want to be someone else. Watching Randy struggle with this, and the other characters, felt both relatable and endearing. Knowing I've been there and, to this day, still struggle with this same issue. The warring sides of ourselves that want to exist, want to find love and happiness, and relief. Can we really change ourselves and should we?

TW: internalized homophobia, homophobia, transphobia, homophobic slurs

Possibile spoilers ahead

THE PLOT

Randy Kapplehoff loves Camp Outland, a camp for queer kids where he can be himself, with nail polish, rainbow unicorn sheets, surrounded by his friends, doing theater, dancing and acting. But he has this huge crush on Hudson Aaronson-Lim, who is only into masculine guys and doesn't know he exists. But this year Randy is determined to make Hudson fall in love with him and not just the usual flirt Hudson is famous for. So Randy decides to reinvent himself. Now he's Del and he's more masculine, his hair cut, weight lost and he's ready to give up his passions, theater, dancing, nail polish and so on, to get the boy of his dreams.
But even though his plan seems to work, Randy starts to ask himself how much he's ready to give up and if Hudson falls in love with him, it's really love since he's not himself?

I loved everything about this book, but I'm gonna put some order in my review or I will only rant about it.

The setting:

I absolutely loved this queer camp. The whole idea of a safe place for queer people, a safe haven where they could be themselves without fearing others' judgments or worse is fantastic. I don't know if a place like that exists, but reading about Camp Outland was like a breath of fresh air. An haven. Amazing. The cabins, the bonfires, the games, the s'more, the water fight, the color wars, everything was beautiful and, at the same time, educational since there are also history queer classes, where they talked about queer rights and the protests and fights in the past, learning about how queer people were treated in the past and their achievements.

The characters:

I really loved the author's writing style. His characters are skillfully written and so realistic. They are alive, well written and well rounded and brimming with life, love and friendship.

The story is told through first person, through Randy's POV, so the reader can right away connect with him, able to experience his feelings, doubts, joys.
For most of Camp Randy plays a role to win Hudson over and be his boyfriend. His plan means he has to change everything about him, everything that could be feminine and become the perfect butch boyfriend. And, even though he suffers because he's giving up his passions, he thinks Hudson is worth it.
Randy is a complex main character. He's funny, sarcastic, sweet, determined. An amazing friend. He's proud of who he is, he loves himself and his passions, his nail polish, his fans and his theater friends, but at the same time he changes for Hudson, wanting to win him over and then easing him into the real Randy, basically creating a rom-com for the whole camp, where only Hudson doesn't know anything about it.
Hudson is right away drawn to Randy (as Del) as he's the type he's convinced he has to want and desire, the butch boyfriend, interested in sport, with butch clothes and passions.

The reader sees Hudson through Randy's eyes, this amazing boy able to inspire everyone, convincing them they can be anything they want, they can be special and able to be supportive and proud. As Randy (and the reader) gets to know him, the real Hudson that becomes more and more complex and layered and through his talking with Randy an internalized homophobia is discovered, because of his parents' ideas and actions, his relationship with his grandma, his real feelings about being queer.
Hudson's beliefs are changed throughout the book, thanks to Randy and through talking and self-analysis. I absolutely the way Hudson changes and betters himself, deciding to be more like the himself he wants to be, getting out of his shell, discovering what he likes without fearing others' judments.
At the same time Randy realizes changing for someone, even temporarily, isn't worth it and he decided to be sincere and himself, above all when he understand how his acting has hurt his friends.
Randy's and Hudson's relationship is sweet, above all when it's clear they have real feelings for each other and it's not only sexual and physical attractions.

George and Ashlegh are wonderful and funny characters, George with his fans and jokes and flirt and Ashleigh with her crushes and sarcasm. They are such supportive and amazing friends, ready to be there for Randy and his crazy plan and after. I love this trio. They are unbelievably funny and so sweet.

The other side characters are also amazing, like Brad and his crush for George, Mark and Connie, the counselors, Paz.
One of the things I loved about this book is the queer representation. Randy, George, Brad and Hudson are gay, Ashleigh is demi, Connie is trans, Jordan is non-binary.

I also liked that the book talks about sexual exploration and the safety of it, reading about queer people enjoy and discovering themselves, flirting with one other. It's pretty rare reading queer sex in book and its normalization (like it should be). I really liked it.
Another important thing is the normalization of therapy in the book. Mark talks often of his therapist and the importance of talking and healing. Beautiful.

The message:

Camp is a book that, through a cute comedy and amazing characters, critiques the toxic masculinity in the queer community, the whole idea that there is a right way to be gay. That wearing "feminine" clothes or colors, or doing things usually seen as feminine, like wearing makeup, painting your nails, loving unicorns and so on means being a weak stereotype, means being "wrong".
Through Hudson the reader is able to see him battling his parents' ideas of being the "right" gay, that, for them (and many others) means being buff, masculine and like certain things, like certain clothes and sports.

Camp is a hymn to be queer and to love oneself. I love the message that it doesn't exist a "right" or "wrong" way to be queer and the importance of loving and expressing yourself. It's a lesson Randy already knows (and has to remember, while becoming again to the real Randy) and Hudson has to learn throughout the book and their relationship, through self-analysis and talking through his feelings.

I loved this message and, at the same time, the book is very realistic. Through Connie's talk with Randy it's clear that being oneself and proud is the way things should be, BUT in the outside world it's not so simple and queer people can be in danger, because there's still so much hate and homophobia in the world. Camp is for them a safe haven, a place that was created for them. And it's beautiful.

Camp is a love story about being queer, a book about love and friendship, passions and being proud. An haven and the hope people can create and find place like this in the future.
It's beautiful, funny, heartbreaking and unbelievably cute. It's like a warm hug, it's like home.