Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ash Price has one last summer at theater camp before high school, and they plan to make it perfect by bunking with their best friend, Ivy Santos--the peanut butter to Ash's jelly--and building the perfect set for the upcoming musical. They might even confess their feelings for Ivy. But when the besties are assigned to different cabins and Ivy starts spending more time with her costar and romantic lead Luke, Ash lets their jealousy fester until they can no longer keep their feelings bottled up, culminating in an emotional outburst that impacts everyone around them. Cartoonist Easter (the My Little Pony series) reveals Ash's true feelings via visual internal monologues and b&w journal entries interspersed with full-color panels depicting Ash's life at camp. Detailed backgrounds showcase group dynamics in ensemble scenes and isometric dots highlight close-up character expressions and emotions. Both a love story and a compassionate exploration of a youth learning how to cope with loneliness, this sharply written and evocative graphic novel is deeply grounded in reality even when its characters would rather fantasize about the what-ifs. Ash has teal hair and brown eyes, Ivy has brown skin, and the rest of the cast is portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 7--12. Agent: Britt Siess, Britt Siess Creative. (May)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 6--9--Nonbinary teen Ashton Price is excited to bunk with their best friend and crush Ivy for their last year together at Highland Arts theater camp before they part ways for high school. Ash is immediately disappointed when Ivy is placed in a different cabin. This summer, Ivy is the lead in the musical alongside Lucas, who plays Ivy's love interest, while Ash is the stage manager, helping build the sets and coordinate costumes. Ash struggles with jealousy and fear that Lucas will "steal" Ivy away from them. As Ivy and Lucas spend more and more time together, Ash becomes withdrawn, isolating themself from their roommates and other campers. When Ivy begins canceling plans to work on her lines with Lucas, Ash snaps. They confront the two of them and begin taking their anger out on their crewmates. However, when a piece of the set unexpectedly catches fire, Ash and their friends are forced to come together to make the show a success. Easter's illustrations are colorful and expressive. The LGBTQIA+ representation in this book is wonderful and exemplifies the diversity of queer experiences. While Ash's crush is the main focus of the book, ample time is spent reflecting on friendships and personal growth. The theater camp setting will be exciting for campers and theater kids alike. VERDICT This is a great selection for middle schoolers transitioning to high school or struggling to navigate social groups, and for elementary and middle school libraries looking to add age-relevant LGBTQIA+ stories to their collections.--Jillian Girardeau
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
It's the summer before high school and Ashton's last year at performing arts camp. In addition to being stage manager for their camp's big performance, Ash is determined to make this a summer to remember. This includes finally asking their best friend, Ivy, out on a more-than-friends date. Things seem wrong from the beginning, though: the two are assigned to different cabins, and Ash is reluctant to form friendships with their new bunkmates. Meanwhile, Ivy's bond with the show's costar, Lucas, sparks a wave of jealousy. As Ash grows increasingly disappointed by their distance from Ivy, they start taking their frustration out on others. This graphic novel is rife with coming-of-age social drama, yet the tone is optimistic through all the protagonist's ups and downs. The campers are a diverse group of various races, genders, and sexual orientations; each camper has their own distinctive flair. Sketches from Ash's notebook appear throughout the story, depicting caricatures of themself and their friends as characters in the play. Ash saves the final performance by filling in as a last-minute Fairy Godmother, giving them the boost of confidence needed to share their secret feelings with Ivy. Hill SaxtonJuly/August 2024 p.125 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Your last summer at arts camp is the perfect time to tell your camp bestie you have a crush on her, right? It's the summer before high school, and Ashton Price is excited for their six-week arts camp. In addition to stage managing and building sets for the "Cinderella"-inspired musical Ella, they'll bunk with lead actor Ivy Santos. She's the "PB" to their "J"--and maybe more? But then, things start to go wrong. The friends are assigned to different cabins, rehearsals keep Ivy super busy, and worst of all, there's Lucas--a.k.a. Prince Charming to Ivy's Ella. He's always there with Ivy, being charming, and Ash spirals into jealousy and depression. Can anything salvage this summer--and this friendship? Illustrated in warm, dusty pastels, Highland Arts Camp will delight lovers of theater and summer camp alike. Its inclusive environment features racially diverse, queer-friendly campers and all-gender cabins. Anxious and artistic Ash is a sympathetic character who often draws their hopes and fears as black-and-white scenarios in their journal. Their emotion-driven misjudgments and reactions hurt their friends, but Ash comes to understand their mistakes and apologizes. Ash has pale skin and dyed hair; Ivy has brown skin and wavy, two-toned brown hair, and Lucas has dark brown skin and tight black curls. The backmatter explains (and shows with diagrams) some of the theater effects the characters use. Summer theater camp sets the perfect stage for an angsty, queer, and romantic middle school story. (author's note) (Graphic fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
