Even though I am not a Dad, Dad Camp by Evan S. Porter made an impression on me. The interactions between the Dads and their children were very believable and emotional. Both adults and children would get something from reading this book. The descriptions of the decrepit camp and the last ditch attempts at bonding made an impact on me.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Dad Camp by Evan Porter. I really liked seeing a parent/child book from a Dad’s point of view and where a dad parenting was seen as the norm instead of a busy non existent dad. I was also happy to see that it wasn’t the stereotypical snarky teen. I have two teens and a rising tween, so I’ve been through this phase of parenting. It depicted that feeling that every parent goes through at this age where your kid starts pulling away and you realize that the time with them under your roof is finite. I love parenting teens, but with the knowledge that college is looming, it is so bittersweet. The knowledge that to actually keep them closer is to let them go is so hard to do, which is the lesson that John has to learn. I liked the relationships that were shown with the other dads as well. Taking my kids to camp have made some good memories and I felt them in this book.

John is starting to notice that his 11 year old daughter Avery is pulling away from him. In a last ditch effort to save his relationship he enrolls them I to dad camp. They have to navigate their relationship with each other and the other campers while learning some lessons along the way.

John a d Evelyn love their tween daughter Avery but, and all kids do, she’s pulling away from parental interactions…especially with him. After years of coaching her various sports team, having “adventures” with lasting/loving memories and sharing secrets, John having a hard time with this change in his relationship with “his little girl” and he kinda desperately wants to replace the eye rolls and silent treatment that her get now and recapture the sweet, fun times they’ve had when she was younger. John is super excited about a father/daughter camp that promises a fun and memorable bonding experience and he books it for the last week of summer break before Avery starts 6th grade. Unfortunately, he’s waiting until the night before they leave to spring this on Avery and she’s NOT happy. It also happens to be the week of tryout for a traveling soccer team that Avery is desperate to join…she’s a great athlete. He’s not thrilled by this possibility because he can’t be her coach and with her thru the whole experience, so he lies and tells her that tryouts are cancelled….not his best decision. The other girls, the other dads, the accommodations and food don’t quite live up to John’s expectation but the camp turns out to be both a hilarious disaster and poignant discovery of the next phase of a loving relationship. This is a sweet story is true to life characters. I just hope that there isn’t a sequel where John has to handle Avery’s dating and leaving for college…he might not survive it!

I did not particularly care for this book. I can appreciate the dedication it takes to be a good parent, but I struggled to understand the motivation behind many decisions and the story was a clunky mess. There was random swearing that came out of nowhere and seemed rather forced when considering the book's overall tone and message. I do not know the intended audience but it is not me.

I received this e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Dad Camp" is a touching narrative that explores the depths of father-daughter bonds, This novel beautifully encapsulates these complex, evolving parent-child dynamics.

Dad Camp was a lot of fun to read. It’s a sweet novel about father-daughter relationships and how they change as girls get older. John decides that he and his daughter Avery are going to spend the last week of summer at a camp together specifically for fathers & daughters. He springs this on her, ignoring that she’s been asked to try out for a travel soccer team, and Avery is uninterested, as most ten-ish girls would be.

John hopes to share a cabin with Avery where they will talk late into the night and get close again, but instead the dads and kids stay separately and he finds himself bunking with other dads, whom he believes he has nothing in common with. John is a VERY hands-on Dad, it’s sweet but almost over the top in some areas. The story is saved from being too saccharine by the humor, and there was lots of it.

And this book is definitely funny. John is a witty narrator, and the scenes involving the four dads “bonding” are especially well done. The relationship between John and Avery is great. John wants to be a
good father and he just keeps going too far in his efforts to keep them close.
I enjoyed this, and gave it 4 stars, many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Eh, not bad but nothing to write home about. Characters didn't have much depth and the story was somewhat predictable.

Sweet and easy read about dads and daughters. Very cute and fun. I enjoyed it The characters were a bit silly but good read none the less! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

Dad Camp is exactly what you think and want it to be. A touching story about a father and daughter and how their relationship has to mature and change. I can admit this book isn’t for me, while understanding it probably would be perfect for the right people. The stakes are low and it has the Hallmark feeling that you know everything is going to work out. If you’re looking for a breezy read to give you the cozy feelings then this is it. Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for sending me an ARC through NetGallery.

When this book first got offered to me to read, I read the synopsis and was so intrigued to start. Once I started and the storyline develops around a daughter and her dad, it had me questioning whether I was going to like this. But I quickly put myself in the girls spot all while trying to think of my own dad. How much I look up to him and our own wonderful relationship. Then I flipped it to my husband and our own daughter and how their relationship has seemed to develop through time.
This book really changed my perspective on father/daughter relationships and I seem to understand a little more about them.
This book was a solid four stars for me!

A funny and touching novel of dads desires to hope their daughters close and the changes that a week at camp can bring. Exceptional!

I very conflicted feelings about this book. After reading the author's own Goodreads comments, I know he was writing this during covid and spending much time with his tween daughters. The novel is a sweet love letter to his daughters and father/daughter relationships. However, the pacing was slow and predictable. I'm not sure who the audience is for this book. It feels like a YA level book, but I don't see this book landing with the typical YA reader. A nice story for a library book check out, but I would not purchase.

This book was so much fun! There were some laugh-out-loud moments, but also plenty of deep insights couched in a light, easy-to-digest framework. And even though it was light, the characters were still nuanced, making it readable and realistic, even if the characters weren't all likable.

A lot of the plot is predictable, but in the best way. It's a feel-good story that plays out with a satisfying ending. And there are some surprises baked in, too.

I did think John had a pretty unhealthy attachment (obsession?) with his daughter. Does that even happen in real life? And she seemed especially mature for age 11. Do most 11-year-olds have smartphones? Am I totally out of it?

Don't expect a philosophical treatise or action-packed drama, but if you're looking for a rollicking good time, this is a must read..

Thank you to NetGelley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

despite not being something i would usually read this was *fun*. i really enjoyed a delve into father daughter relationships in a novel like this, and loved how much depth there was, which was something i wasn’t expecting.

dad camp has almost parent trap summer camp fun energy, with emotions for both dads (not me) and daughters (me!) alike. i really enjoyed this one.

i was given an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Penguin Group DUTTON for inviting me to review this book.

This was a heartwarming book about a father trying to connect with his preteen daughter. He feels as though she's growing up quickly and wants to make the most of it, which makes him a little bit overbearing. They spend the last week of summer at a father/daughter camp in order to connect.

It was a well-written book and really cute! The main reason I gave this book 3 stars is because I'm definitely not the right audience for it. I am not a parent and I think it would hit harder for someone who is a parent and can relate to their children growing up and not wanting their parent to be their best friend anymore. I enjoyed it but wasn't able to get the full impact of what Evan was going for with the story.

I am thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of Dad Camp.

The pacing of the story was a little slow for my taste, but I was so busy enjoying the relationship between Avery and her dad. I was consistently reminiscing about my childhood and parental relationships. Overall, this was a heart full book about the bond between a little girl and her dad, and I was thankful to have been able to read about it.

John is having a hard time coming to terms with his 11 year old daughter, Avery, growing up and moving on to middle school. He decides that he doesn’t have much time left where she will want to still go to him for everything and he signs them up for a week of Dad Camp.
The book was sweet and really highlighted different father/daughter relationships. This is a great read for dad’s with young daughters. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an ARC.

A heartwarming story about family coming back together and rebuilding connections that are splitting. As kids grow up there is always a desire to somewhat distance themselves from parents, but Dad Camp tells a fun and touching story of one father and daughter repairing their strained relationship for the future.

I was invited to read this review by the publisher, and I have to say, for a book that I thought sounded at the base level like I would enjoy some laughs, it really hit to a deeper emotional level. This book is about the father-daughter relationship, and packs that emotional punch for any parent raising kids who are entering into the teenager years. The book allows you to do some deeper reflecting, and for those of us lucky to still have younger kids, appreciate the present. Any book that can bring about introspection and deeper reflection, while also keeping that heartwarming feeling, is a good book to read. To top it off, there was a lot of humor in this book and I enjoyed reading about all of the dads trying to tap into different sides of themselves and connect differently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars! Thank you so much for sending me the arc! I think thhe message of this book was important but I just wasn’t a fan. The dialogue was super cringey and I couldn’t relate to the characters very much.