***thank you to netgalley and Wednesday books for my early copy of this book!**

Genre: YA, Fiction
🎭🎵✨🇬🇧👗👫

I really enjoyed this story!

Beatrice gets into Oxford early admission without telling her parents, and makes a deal with them that in order for them to trust her going out of the country for university by herself, she has to go to a theatre camp for a month and check off a list of things they want her to do, such as making friends and being in the play.

Can she do this? What happens when the person who she argues with at camp the most turns out to be a crush with reciprocated feelings?

I loved this book! I thought the banter between Beatrice and Nik was SO GOOD, I never could get enough of it and there was plenty of flirty banter throughout the whole book. I also thought her newfound best friends- Mia and Nolan- were so fun, caring and supportive and I liked them a lot. They were patient with Beatrice, but were also still real with her and got her out of her shell. Even the enemy of Shelby became likable in the end of the story when she apologized to Beatrice for being mean and they became sort of friends.

Talking about the theatre aspect of this book, all of the Shakespeare references, final play and use of Shakespeare for the flirty competition warmed my Shakespearean heart. I loved that Shakespearean plays were what the story was centered around.

This YA summer romance was exactly what I needed!

Beatrice Quinn, homeschooled genius, is ready to move on to start her own life at Oxford but her parents aren’t so sure. Before they give their blessing, she must attend Shakespeare theater camp and complete a list of teenage tasks. She quickly learns that personal relationships are tricky… but maybe worth they’re worth it.

I had a hard time getting into this book in the beginning, but I was eventually SQUEALING in girlish delight as the story picked up. I would absolutely love a sequel to follow Bea across the pond. 😍 If you love YA, this is definitely a book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Man, this book was so cute! I feel like Teen Me would have really loved it! I mean, Adult Me really likes it too but you know...

I really loved how Beatrice came out of her shell, especially when she was so determined to just get through the four weeks of summer camp and mark off a checklist from her parents. It became so much more than that and I feel like Beatrice will look back on this summer camp and say that's when things in her life really changed. Her friends, Mia and Nolan, were such great supporters and not only challenged Bea but were there for her when she needed them and didn't allow her to be alone. While Bea wanted to be grown up and really seems to be grown up, she's still just a teenager and has a lot to look forward to in her life. While I did find that her parents were supportive, I think they often have to remind her of this, lol. They do seem confident in her and that's nice to see.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is done really well here with Beatrice and Nik. In fact the fact that the entire Shakespearean quote duel even exists between them is really cool. Were there times that I felt Nik wasn't as fully developed as a character like Mia and Nolan? Yes, and I think it's just because we aren't around him as often as Bea is with Mia and Nolan. We get a lot of tidbits about Nik but nothing super substantial until about 30% left in the book. I found it really adorable that Nik seemed to be the one who fell for Bea first and was trying to get under her skin but in a good way. I did think parts of the books were predictable, especially since Beatrice came with a "list" put together by her parents and added on by Mia and Nolan. I knew someone would figure it out and it would cause a rift but to be honest, I didn't think it would be Nik.

I grew kind of tired of the "beef" between Shelby and Bea. It just seemed petty, but I suppose that's how things (still?) are when you're a teenager. Shelby seemed to have a lot going in internally and didn't know how to handle it without isolating those around her and even those she cared about.

I really enjoyed the supportive parents as well and how the adults in this book weren't total trash. Like this book specifically created nice adults and it was good to read because sometimes I feel like we don't get enough of that in other books.

This was definitely a cute read and I look forward to what else the author has to write.

A perfect example of a coming-of-age story, made all the more dear to me because I was also a theater kid! I loved that Beatrice slowly, slowly broadened her horizons, and that Nik didn’t give up on Bea, even after their relationship got off to a terribly rocky start. (He was kind of a dick). I would love to read books about Mia, Nolan and Shelby, too!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

If you’re a fan of High School Musical-esq tales or enjoy new takes on Shakespeare, you should enjoy Long Story Short, the YA debut from Serena Kaylor. This contemporary romance has the right balance of friendships and love interests, with plenty of personal growth for the main character and a very satisfactory ending.

I started Long Story Short in a slight reading slump, so while it took me a bit to get into the story, halfway through I found my groove and found myself smiling so much. Was there a specific moment in the book that won me over?? Why, yes, there was! An adorable Shakespeare quote-off between our main character Bea and Nik, the son of the camp founders. So stinking cute!

My affection for these characters only grew stronger as I read, and while there is plenty of drama (it is a Shakespearian summer camp!), the story never crosses over into the overly cheesy territory. Some of the characters may seem a bit stereotypical in the beginning, but their many facets shine through as the reader gets to know them.

One of my favorite things about the book: the friendships. Bea has been very closed off since an unfortunate event in her past and she finally opens up to new experiences, spear-headed by a few new friends, whom I loved so much. Well-rounded, supportive, and funny, they are just the kinds of friends everyone needs, but they also have problems and lives of their own.

This sweet story had me cheering Bea and her friends on, wishing I would have come across a Shakespearean summer camp back in the day, and fondly remembering my own high school experience on the stage. A heartwarming read for the long summer days!

This was a fun summer read. I enjoyed following along on Bea's journey towards finding her voice and opening up.

When Shakespeare is at the heart of a novel, then said novel needs to be up-to-par. In the case of Long Story Short, author Serena Kaylor not only pays homage, she makes Shakespeare’s work exciting and accessible to fans and novices alike.

At the center of Long Story Short is Beatrice, a teenage mathematical genius with an eidetic memory who, after being homeschooled her whole life, dreams of attending Oxford. Beatrice has some serious “personality quirks” — eating a specific meal for each day of the week, wearing the same “uniform” every day, not wanting to take part in social situations. Some of these peculiarities come from being a very smart, homeschooled kid, but her behavior also reads as someone who is neurodivergent, which Kaylor never really addresses.

Theater camp is the exact opposite of Beatrice’s life in every way, and it’s fun (and many times moving) to watch her explore and learn from new experiences. Anyone who was/is ever socially awkward will immediately relate to Beatrice. Her social anxiety is palpable. She feels authentic from the first page to the last.

So, too, do Kaylor’s supporting characters, especially Beatrice’s new friends Mia and Nolan. This dynamic duo add color, laughter and a layer of glitz to Long Story Short. They are friends in the true sense — immediately coming to Beatrice’s defense while holding her to the same standard they hold themselves. Neither is afraid to put Beatrice in her place when needed, and yet, it’s always done with compassion. Most importantly, they give her room to grow.

As the love interest, Nik begins out a bit formulaic — hot, British, rich, etc. He turns out to be a lot more layered — thank goodness — as does Beatrice’s “enemy.”

Long Story Short is one of the better young adult romances out this summer. Its characters are nuanced. Its pacing is spot on. And it’s just plain fun to read.

This was a sweet story and the perfect balance to what I was expecting. I had so much fun reading this, it’s currently extremely warm and this combined with the weather? Absolutely breathtaking. I like flawed characters who slowly develop throughout the book and this was no exception. I had so much fun getting to know them all and I enjoyed the romance just as much!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an e-ARC of Serena Kaylor's "Long Story Short". All opinions are my own.

And I fell from the pedestal
Right down the rabbit hole
Long story short, it was a bad time
Pushed from the precipice
Clung to the nearest lips
Long story short, it was the wrong guy

If you are looking for Taylor Swift's "Long Story Short" in novel form, then look no further! Bea, a 16-year-old mathematical genius, has just gotten accepted to Oxford for college - but her parents don't think that she can handle that level of socialization. However, Bea gets them to agree to let her to go to Oxford on one condition - she has to go to a Shakespeare summer camp and complete a list of "How To Be A Real Teenager" objectives. As Bea goes about completing her list, making fast friends, and fighting the director's son, she learns just what it means to live and love outside of her comfort zone.
LSS is such a cute story!! I thoroughly enjoy theatre-based narratives and this one is no exception. Add to that the way that Kaylor handles the neurodivergence of Bea and you have the icing on the cake. Please please please pick up a copy of "Long Story Short" through your local library and/or bookstore and read it ASAP so I have more people to scream online with.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "Long Story Short" by Serena Kaylor, scheduled to release on July 26th, 2022!

This novel follows sixteen year old Beatrice, who has been homeschooled her entire life and is somewhat of a genius - at the very least, she is a gifted child. She is able to apply to Oxford and ends up getting in, much to her surprise. Her parents do not take the news well - and not just because she blurts it out in the middle of a dinner party with her parents' friends and son present. They are deeply worried for Beatrice because while she is very academically intelligent, her social skills do not reflect those of a typical teenager. Her parents are very reluctant to let her experience what else the world has to offer at such a young age. So they sign her up for a Shakespeare theater camp with a list of conditions that must be met by the end of the month. Once she arrives and slowly starts to make friends, they too add some additional tasks for her to complete before the end of the summer as well.

Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5/5 stars!

Omg!! I absolutely loved this story. Beatrice has to be the best character ever. I could not stop smiling throughout each page and also feel everything she felt. I loved the way the story progressed and the rest of the characters were just spot on. Fantastic read!!

I loved the development of the main character, Beatrice. She was truly trying so hard to make the summer camp work so she could go to Oxford. Some homeschooled kids get a bum wrap but Beatrice really need to step up her game in relationships! So glad to have a happy ending in romance and in going to Oxford.

This was an enjoyable story. I found the writing to be above average, and the main character of Beatrice was surprisingly well-fleshed out, much beyond the cardboard anti-social academic I both feared and somewhat expected. Instead, she is very much a real person, one who just happens to know exactly what she wants, and so what if that isn't what anyone (including her parents) expects or thinks or wants her to want. SHE wants to go to Oxford, thank you very much - full stop. To a certain extent, the deal she strikes with her parents (one summer of socializing at camp in Connecticut to prove she won't spend her time abroad buried in the library) feels a little flimsy (I don't know if parents in the real world would really be convinced by such an arrangement, but I've been wrong before), but overall it is a fun read, and definitely fits the bill for a "high-stakes coming of age, figuring out who you are and who you want to be" YA tale.

For starters… never before have I felt so connected to a YA teen book, but damn…

Serena Kaylor is a brilliant writer. Her writing style draws you in and keeps a strong hold on you. She created these beautiful characters and literally (not figuratively) brought them to life.

I loved that through her writing, we got the sense that Beatrice “Bea” may have been on the autism spectrum - without her actually saying so. I connected with her social awkwardness, her shyness. I loved how we were able to see into her brain and really understand who she is as a person.
Mia, Nolan, Nik, and Shelby (and ok… Ben even though he was too much in the background) were created with as much love & enthusiasm as Bea.

I loved how each one developed as a character during the course of the story. They were engaging & witty & exactly the people that you would hope to meet at camp if you were forced to go to a theater camp.
I love how the relationships formed with each other.

Easily a 4.5 / 5 star book. I deducted .5 star for the quick developing relationship between Bea & Nik at the end. I would have liked to see a little more time and development before they jumped all in. It felt like a long drawn out 0-10, then an 11-100 in a split second. I will easily give back that .5 star if she creates a sequel about their time at Oxford.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Wednesday Publishing for this ARC for my open & honest review.

Long Story Short, by Serena Kaylor, follows Beatrice Quinn, an extremely smart 16-year-old who grew up being homeschooled. When she is accepted to Oxford after applying without her parent's permission, they agree to let her go only if she can prove to them that she is capable of making friends and getting a "normal teenage experience." To do so, they send her to a Shakespearean theater camp with a list of tasks that she must accomplish, ranging from "accept an invitation you don't want to" to "pull a prank." As she does these, she finds herself making friends for the first time and clashing with Nik, the irritatingly confident and talented son of the camp's founders.

I'm torn about this book; as a lover of Shakespeare, camp stories, and young adult romance, I absolutely adored it, but, as an autistic woman, I can't tell how I feel about it.

Beatrice is blatantly autistic. I cannot be completely sure that the author intended to write her that way, but that is absolutely how she came out. She has a specific meal for each day of the week that she has always eaten for dinner, she always wears an outfit consisting of khakis and a polo shirt that her mother calls a "uniform," she gets panicky when she's in unfamiliar social situations and recites the noble gases to calm herself, she doesn't know how to interact with other people and prepares scripts and specific structures to use for conversations, she shows sensory sensitivities to food-- I could go on and on. That in itself is the opposite of a problem; I loved her and related to her and would happily read several more books about her.

My main issue with the book comes with other characters' attitudes, particularly those of her parents, towards Beatrice's autistic traits. Her mother at one point tells her that Beatrice had always been different, but that she never got her diagnosed with anything because she didn't want her to be judged and put in a box. This is an issue for a lot of reasons. I have to imagine that her mother is referring to autism in that statement, which only stigmatizes the disorder. Getting an autism diagnosis is rarely limiting for autistic people; rather, it is freeing in that it allows us to understand ourselves better and learn that there is nothing wrong with the way that we are. To intentionally not get your daughter diagnosed with anything to avoid her facing judgement is to stigmatize autism and take that opportunity to understand herself away from her.

I don't necessarily have a problem with the overall nature of the list or forcing Beatrice to get a little outside of her comfort zone, since it only makes sense if they're going to allow their minor daughter to move to a different country, but I do have a problem with Beatrice's parents' overall problem with the way that she exists. Fortunately, once she goes to camp, they cease to be important characters in the book.

Beatrice's friends are much more accepting of her. While they do encourage her to try new things and complete the list, they never force her to do anything. Beatrice's best friend at camp, Mia, urges her to try new clothes and go to various camp social functions, but always makes it clear that Beatrice shouldn't do anything that she is uncomfortable with. Beatrice's various friends at camp appreciate her, awkwardness and all; they still hold her accountable when she makes mistakes, but it is overall a supportive environment. Because of that aspect of the book, I do feel like I can mostly excuse the book for the treatment of Beatrice by her parents.

I truly did love everything else about Long Story Short. I'm a theater kid, so I will happily read anything else about theater kids, and I absolutely adore Shakespeare. The other campers are all multidimensional and interesting, and I loved the casual queer rep with Beatrice's two friends, Mia and Nolan (one a queer girl and one a gay boy). The camp setting is so fun, and I enjoyed reading about all of their traditions and everybody's genuine love for the program. Nik, the love interest, is wonderful and attractive and it's a perfectly-done dislike/annoyance-to-lovers plotline.

Overall, I'm giving Long Story Short 4/5 stars. While it's otherwise a 5 star read, I cannot in good conscience give a book that shows parents acting this way towards their autism-coded child that rating, so I'm knocking off a star. I did still love it and enjoy it and recommend it; I just hope that people will take Beatrice's parents attitudes with a grain of salt. I do also wish that Beatrice had just been given an autism diagnosis, since there's so little rep for autism and I have very little doubt in my mind that she was intentionally written that way. Overall, I do recommend this book whole-heartedly to anybody looking for books centered around camp, theater, dislike-to-lovers, or very-heavily-autism coded protagonists.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An absolutely charming YA debut!! This is like the perfect summer vibe and gives me major Morgan Matson vibes.

The enemies to lovers trope is done extremely well here. The slow burn of will they - won't they absolutely wrecked me at times. The summer camp setting was nostalgic yet realistic to today's time. I loved the Shakespearean spin on it. It made me want to go read Shakespeare?? Not a craving I've ever had I don't think. The Shakespeare-Off Bea and Nik have at one point was swoon worthy. I was actively smiling as I was reading that part. As an older reader, I've been very hit or miss on YA lately so I was nervous getting into this one but it blew me away.

There were a couple things I can comment on as far as improvements or things that maybe didn't go over so well with me personally. The whole book basically Bea is bullied. And that's one thing, I know teen kids aren't always the nicest people but the two friends she makes right away, Mia and Nolan, they just sit there a lot of the time as this is happening. They know that Bea isn't the most socially aware person but I don't know, I would have liked to see them stick up for her once or twice especially because these are kids Mia and Nolan have known for multiple summers and one of them is Nolan's literal twin sister. I feel like they could have said something or done something at least once. I read another reviewer's thoughts and I agree with the characters being a bit too cookie-cutter / stereotypes. The last thing is that I wish Bea and Nik got together a teeny tiny bit earlier. I thought during the truth game it'd all come out and happen then which would leave the perfect amount of time for actual romance and cute stuff between the two of them. We got like a page or two of it but I would have liked to see some more!

I'd definitely recommend picking this up for some good YA fun. BRB - going to buy all the Shakespeare I can get my hands on.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions here are my own.

Perfection.

This…. This is the book that the teenage me needed when she was confused about social interactions or why she was so good at math and everyone said it was hard or when people put her into a box and decided what kind of person she was. When people laughed at her for being weird or quirky or shy….

God, this was such a wonderful reading experience for me and even here, at 32 years old, I am enthralled with this girl named Beatrice who is brilliant and captivating and so so lovely just the way she is.

Serena Kaylor gave us a beautiful tale of a neurodivergent girl who meets people who accept her for exactly who she is. And she realizes that there are things about her she still needs to explore, emotions she can still have, experiences she wants to do!

Nik was a perfect match for Beatrice. I loved that he was outgoing and confident but still had flaws and hesitation. I loved that you could visibly see his fascination with Bea at every turn in the book. Lovely!

The side characters were also brilliant. Each one had their own purpose and personality. None were just thrown in for gags. I really loved them all!

So please all of you girls out there who were the “weird math girl” or called “socially inept” please read this book. Give yourself time to figure out what you want and breathe! You can do this.

Can I reread this again like… right now? 🥺

‘Long Story Short’ is one of my favorite books of 2022. Author Serena Kaylor crafts a wonderful, unique coming-of-age story set at a Shakespearean summer camp, and I devoured every. Single. Word.

Literal genius Beatrice Quinn dreams of leaving her hometown of Berkeley, California, and attending Oxford University. So much so, that she lives in a comfortable bubble solely filled with school work and her routines. When she receives early admission to Oxford, her parents make her a deal: learn how to socially interact with her peers, and make some friends, and she can fly off to England and study math to her heart’s content. Enter a performing arts summer camp, a vibrant roommate, and a cute boy, and things are about to become a whole lot more complicated for Beatrice Quinn. In the best way possible.

One of the things I loved most about this book is the way in which Kaylor portrays Beatrice. You can feel what she’s feeling, and also see what she’s not quite seeing. There is such a wonderful exploration of the awkwardness and uncertainty of adolescence, coupled with the beauty of the beginning of new friendships and young love. All of the characters are dynamic and feel like actual humans, which is always a plus. And the way in which Shakespeare is interwoven into the plot is quite deft. It’s a wonderful tribute to the Bard without making him the focus of the story.

This will be a book a revisit when I want to feel an array of feelings… all of which end with me having a gigantic smile on my face.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While the writing and premise of this YA contemporary are solid, it isn't a book with an elaborate plot (or much happening at all) so the characters are pretty key, and in that sense it's something of a letdown. While it's great to have a main character who's internally rich, the external piece felt like it was missing a bit, which made it confusing why she would suddenly develop these strong friendships or have the most popular/talented/hot leading man in camp so focused on her, therefore undermining the foundations of the narrative arc. In terms of the secondary characters, there was definitely a reliance on stereotypes (Mia and Nolan were overall charming enough to avoid being painted with the general "queer best friends" brush, while Shelby fit the "queen bee bully who's secretly insecure" mold a little too well) but Nik in particular needed a lot more as a love interest; for most of the book he came off as a jerk rather than a misunderstood jerk/jerk with a heart of gold, and there weren't really any particular moments of bonding that made it feel as if his character or relationship with Bea were developing. He was just obnoxious until he wasn't. I also would have appreciated a little more reflection from Bea in terms of her developing emotions regarding the list she's going through, and whether she felt it was worthwhile - while I liked that the story was more subtle about including references to the benefits of being non-neurotypical, it had the "non-neurotypical character must act like a typical teen" trope baked into it without much examination.

A quick summer read, probably with more appeal to younger teens and those who enjoy stories about friendship and light romance.

every part of this sucked.

other reviews have talked about the main character being autistic-coded but it did feel like beatrice was given autistic traits (sensory issues, routine, not getting social cues, etc.) as things about a person that needed to be fixed. i cant speak to this but it did make me really uncomfortable and upset for her.

i hated all of beatrice’s “friends.” mia and nolan were so annoying. they were constantly trying to push beatrice out of her “comfort zone” but it just felt like they didn’t understand boundaries and that there was something wrong with her. then whenever beatrice did change something about herself, she was so uncomfortable and it didn’t feel like it was her choice. but then closer to the end she’s suddenly comfortable? it didn’t make sense to me. there was also a part where nolan (who is gay i think?) forcibly looks down beatrice’s shirt to approve of her bathing suit? i’m not sure what the point was here but it felt like the author thought it was okay for him to do that because he couldn’t have any attraction toward her. it’s still disgusting. there was never any consequences or discussion around this so it was made to seem like it was okay.

nik was the classic “he’s teasing you because he likes you” love interest. i thought we left that shit behind because what?? i didn’t like him at all and i felt like he never truly understood her and just wanted her to change like the rest of her “friends.” he was pushy, annoying and really rude and i don’t think this sends the right message to readers about someone who’s supposed to be the love interest.

don’t even get me started on her parents. her disgusting therapist parents who don’t understand her and force her to try new things because they think it’s best. it blows my mind that they’re therapists (sex therapists but i don’t think it matters) and they didn’t want to “diagnose her and put her in a box” so they thought homeschooling was the best option. like yes putting her in her room with no contact with people her age is definitely the way to go 🙄. and by the end they’re proven “right” because beatrice “came out of her shell” at the theatre camp she was forced into. disgusting.

i hate any concepts or story lines of changing the nerdy, introverted, shy main character because it insinuates that there’s something wrong with them that needs fixing. if i had known this book would fall into that trope i would’ve never requested this. it’s a horrible message to send to anyone.

thank you to netgalley for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.