Being a father is so rewarding that I can't understand why so many of them decide to be shitty ones, but that’s just the fatherless child in me speaking.

So, this hasn't fixed my daddy issues, but it's nice seeing that there’s a way of resolving important matters, if you really want to.
And I like to add something that the author could have put somewhere in the story: it's ideal to resolve any issues from the start or from when your kid begins to develop as a person, but there's no age at which problems can't be fixed and it’s too late to start to communicate.

“Dad Camp” is the story of a bunch of fathers who know they fucked up with their still young daughters and want to remedy and yes, it's more than unrealistic that you decide to quit your job because they demand too much from you, even if you need the money to support your family, but it's fiction after all, and it’s nice to think that some dads actually care about their children.
There are a bunch of different topics involved and the dads’ POVs help better understand why they keep being so stubborn about everything, especially after when they finally understand what they did wrong.

Personally, I'd have developed some of the topics and arcs differently but, since the girls are middle school ages or under - which means they haven't still experienced teen anger and whatnot -, I understand where the author was trying to go with his choices.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Dad Camp by Evan S. Porter was exactly what I expected - cute, heart-warming, and made me giggle a few times. John (aka Super Dad) and his 11-year-old daughter, Avery, have always been close, until recently. With her chilly attitude and constant irritability with him, John is having trouble connecting with Avery like he used to. So what does he do? Signs them both up for a daddy-daughter week of camp the last week of summer vacation. What he doesn't tell her is that she is going to miss the club soccer tryouts she's been looking forward to all year. And what's more, when they get to the camp, John realizes it isn't quite what he thought he was signing up for. The camp is dilapidated and old, plus they have to group up with several other dads and daughters they don't know who seem to have their fair share of problems (and personalities), too.

The book moved at a steady pace and kept me engaged. Each of the characters are lovable in their own way, though I wish a few of them had been developed a little more. I enjoyed the character building surrounding John and Avery and the background on their relationship and his marriage. They were truly the best of friends, but as Avery got older, John started missing some of her cues - that she was feeling lonely even though she loved spending time with her dad.

If you're looking for a silly, corny, lovable beach read, this book is for you. The summer camp adventures and activities will keep you reading to find out how John and Avery will make it through this crazy camp - as friends or foes.

I DNF'd this book, BUT purely because I don't feel like the intended audience. I loved the summary and thought it would be a cute book to read, but I just could not get attached the way I wanted to.
There's nothing terribly wrong. The writing and story just didn't entrance me. But very easy and simple read for anyone who is looking for that.

I came to this book as an empty nester mom so I went in knowing I wasn’t the target audience.

A dad wanting to reconnect with his 11 year old daughter before “losing” her to middle school goes to a wilderness camp. Let the fun begin.

Only I didn’t find it fun or any of the things I’d expected from the buildup. The dad was selfish and manipulative with huge boundary issues. I felt sorry for his little girl and his wife.

The daughter parts were written well. You felt her angst at growing up and trying to fit in and I also enjoyed the looking back through the years sections. Parenting is a wild ride.

This was a sweet story about a dad and his daughter. It felt relevant as my Husband and I are entering this stage of life as well.
At times I wish there was more detail but I enjoyed the book and would recommend. I plan on having my husband read it.

thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am in the middle on this title. There was some aspects of the story I really liked. There was some nice stories of dads connecting more to their daughters through the process of self evaluation and honesty. I also liked the dads learning to respect and honor each other. I did not like the amount of negativity to get to the growth and the language throughout. Some nice aspects, but overall not a book I would recommend or want to read again.

My thanks to Net Galley, Penguin, and the personal invitation I received to review this.

In an attempt to bond with his somewhat rebellious 11 year old daughter Avery, John Collins books a week at a Father Daughter camp, but his daughter is very unhappy.

This is a very sweet story which I enjoyed very much and can relate to with having adult children. My only complaint I found John a bit annoying. He seemed to only think of himself and not ask consent if his daughter for anything that mattered to her. Do highly recommend the book though.

DAD CAMP, Evan S Porter

This is a sweet, witty and heartwarming story about John, a dad trying to mend the relationship with Avery, his preteen daughter. For this, he books them into a one-week long father-daughter camp (which isn’t what he thought it would be) and doesn’t tell her until the last minute (making her miss her soccer tryouts, which she was looking forward to).

The supporting characters are a delight, including the peculiar camp director, and the three very different dads bunking together with John. Through a series of hilarious camp activities, they try to bond with each other, as well as trying their best to connect with their daughters.
Overall it was a nice and enjoyable story and definitely worth the read.

Also, this book will be released on June 11th, just in time for Father’s Day!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Evan S. Porter for an ARC of Dad Camp! I’m a thriller reader, but this one pulled my heart strings and made them into mush. I am not a father, but I am a mother to a daughter and I felt like I could relate to the struggles every parent has. I loved the character growth, the special and hard moments, and the realization moments of omg my child is growing up and how to relearn everything you feel like you just learned and figured out. It’s so hard when you can have this one track mind of this is the way (and only way) and then looking at it from a different perspective and going oh no I’ve been doing this all wrong and growing from it to help yourself and your children. Honestly, what a great heart warming and comedy read.

John takes his daughter Avery to camp the last week of summer. Not just any camp, but a dad and daughter camp. John feels like this is his last attempt to be able to bond with his daughter before she goes to middle school and then spending time with your parents is “uncool”. John reflects on his whole life since Avery was born and how he did everything to be the best super-dad there is. John has to learn that his daughter is growing up and how to communicate with her as she’s getting older, because what he’s doing right now does not work for an 11 year old. Once John arrives, the camp is not as pictured as it was online and he has to room with some toxic dads who clearly don’t know how to be the super dad he is. This isn’t what John had in mind, but he will do whatever it takes to help his relationship with Avery. This is his last shot!

This one was definitely a miss for me. I thought it was cute that the dad wanted to connect with the daughter and take a camp retreat together but it just didn’t work for me. I found the dialogue cringy at times and couldn’t connect to the characters. It had so much potential too!

I liked this story. It's a feel-good book about a father who is afraid of wasting his few remaining years with his pre-teen daughter. Although the two have been close for her entire life so far, he feels that their relationship has been rocky of late. He takes his daughter to a dads-daughters relationship summer camp for a week to repair the relationship before things get too late. While there, he realizes that his relationship with his daughter needs to change periodically, but that change itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. The other three fathers who we get to know come to similar understandings about what's happening within their own families.

I liked the cast of dads very much. There are some pretty stereotypical characters in here, but they all seem to want to do better and you find yourself rooting for them. The dad bonding scenes were good. I think that the daughters' characters were a bit more confusing-- I'm not sure how old they were supposed to be and I'm not confident that they consistently acted any particular age (other than 'young').

Overall, I though this was a sweet read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

John is father to Avery, who's becoming a preteen and drifting away from the close relationship they used to share. In a last ditch effort to reconnect with his daughter, he signs them up for a week long father/daughter camp, unbeknownst to Avery, who predictably does not take it well, as it's the last week of summer before she starts middle school. This was a delight to read! Equal parts hilarious and heartwarming, I instantly fell in love with all the characters and the entire story. Someone has to make this into a movie!

I absolutely enjoyed this story. I kept turning page after page. I can’t wait to have a physical copy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this gifted arc.

Avery is 11 and becoming a preteen. She has spent most of her life as daddy’s little girl, but lately is pulling away from her dad, John. Determined to fix his relationship with his daughter before she starts middle school, John signs them up for a weeklong dad and daughter camp. However, when they arrive the camp isn’t exactly what John thought it would be. Will Avery and John grow closer, or will they continue to grow apart?

This was such a great book about father-daughter relationships and how they change and evolve over time. Each father is lovable and has tried in different ways to be there for his daughter. The way each father-daughter relationship strengthens throughout the book is magical. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a funny, light-hearted book with a great lesson! I give it 4/5 stars.

3.5 stars

A sweet, sentimental and often funny story about a dad trying to re-establish rapport with his 11 year old daughter. John and Avery have always been close, but as she approaches teenagerhood, he can feel their relationship moving into eye-rolling and silence.

So, he books them into a father-daughter camp. He doesn't tell her until the last minute, AND going to the camp means she is missing a big soccer tryout, which is a big deal to her.

This is often predictable, if likable. He is sometimes hapless, trying to joke his way out of serious situations. The supporting cast of dads is not unexpected: a defensive stay at home dad, a workaholic, and a macho posturer. We pretty much know the story will wind itself around to a happy ending for everyone with lots of problems resolved and a new-found closeness between dads and daughters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Dad Camp is a heartwarming, funny novel about a loving dad who drags his eleven-year-old daughter to a father-daughter summer camp during her last week of summer vacation, their last chance to bond before he loses her to teenage girlhood and endless eyerolls (at the moment it's only occasional eye rolls, usually well timed).

CAWPILE Breakdown:

Characters: 7.5 - The characters seemed pretty sterotypical but what made it more fun was that you got a lot of the classic dad/father stereotypes.

Atmosphere/Setting: 9 - Porter did a fantastic job with the atmosphere and setting.

Writing Style: 7 - Although Porter's writing style was a bit simpler than I am used to, he balanced the scenes with humor and heartwarming moments well. I loved all the dad jokes.

Plot: 8 - Although the plot was simple, it was also effective and it showed some moments from a different perspective - which I appreciated. Not every book has to be overly complicated.

Intrigue: 5 - There were a few moments where I could see Porter attempting to draw in some intrigue, but for the most part, there wasn't much.

Logic/Relationships: 9 - Honestly, the best part of this whole novel for me. I loved seeing the relationships develop.

Enjoyment: 8 - I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I expected a simple, father daughter bonding book - which it was, but it also brought more to the table that I expected.

CAWPILE Total: 53.5/7 = 7.6 = 4/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley & Dutton Publishing for an eARC ♥️

“Dad Camp” is a masterclass in storytelling, weaving a tale that's both hilarious and heartwarming.

John, the lovable but hapless dad, and his preteen daughter Avery, will capture your heart from the get-go. Their struggles to connect and understand each other are deeply relatable, and I found myself nodding along in solidarity more times than I can count.

Evan S Porter’s writing is warm, witty, and engaging, making it easy to become fully invested in the story. The supporting cast of characters is equally well-crafted, from the quirky camp director to the cast of dads trying their best (and failing hilariously).

What resonated with me most, though, was the book's exploration of the complexities of love and connection. It's a poignant reminder that relationships are messy, beautiful, and worth fighting for.

So if you're looking for a story that will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the feels, look no further than 'Dad Camp'. Trust me, you won't regret it!"

Rating: 5/5 stars

This book's all about a dad trying to get closer to his preteen daughter who's growing up fast. He’s a bit too much sometimes, and they end up at a father/daughter camp for a week to try and connect.

It’s well-written and super cute, but it just wasn’t really for me.

I’m beginning to feel a little like Goldilocks. I’ve just read/listened to two books that were so sad and depressing I struggled to finish them. So, I wanted something light. But that didn’t mean silly. Dad Camp looked like it might fit the bill. And it did, but with reservations.
Avery, 11, is entering that age when she no longer thinks of her father as her hero or her best friend. What’s the current ad that talks about the side hug? Yea, she’s at that stage although even a side hug might be too much. So, her dad, John, signs them up for a week-long father-daughter camp experience. It’s not giving anything away to say nothing goes according to John’s plans. The place looks nothing like the pictures, the food is horrible and the camp director seems to have it out for John. And everything John tries to regain the closeness with Avery backfires.
John and Avery both felt real, although at times Avery came across as a little older than 11. Or maybe 11 year olds are older with this generation. John, like all parents, has heard the stories about pre-teens, but thinks it’ll never apply to his relationships with Avery. He also has quite the ego when it comes to how he thinks of himself as a dad, so he’s really caught off guard. And he’s created a bad situation by making a very selfish decision concerning Avery.
This actually wasn’t as funny as I expected. It tried to go more for the emotional buttons - the feeling of time passing too quickly, decisions regretted and hurt feelings. We hear from each of the fathers in the form of letters they write. The other fathers tended towards cliches - the macho man, the workaholic, the stay at home dad. The storyline occasionally veered too far into sugary sweetness. I was hoping for something with a little more punch.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy of this book.

John is a good father, perhaps too good, after Avery was born, his life changed, yes for the better, thanks to the joy of being a parent, but also because he forced himself to give up some things that defined him "John ". Years have passed and Avery is no longer a little girl, but rather a pre-teen, and that period of "hatred" towards parents begins, not wanting to spend too much time together, the first dates, but above all, the dominance of social networks. As well as a final farewell to his sweet and beloved little girl Avery, before seeing her become like all the other teenagers, a little dazed, John decides to organize a fun camp, or rather a dad camp. What John expects, by enrolling him and his daughter in this campsite for fathers and daughters only, is to be able to spend quality time with Avery, but unfortunately he finds himself spending it with the other fathers. so he slowly discovers that he is not the only one who feels certain things, and experiences certain slightly unpleasant moments.
The only thing that, in my opinion, is a little out of place in this book are some of the dialogues, I found them at times a little forced and a little too corny. Anyway it was nice to read this story though, it made me relive some of my moments as a teenager, and it was fun to read the dad's point of view instead.
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.
The book will be out on June 11th!