Customer Reviews

The Butterfly Revolution

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As a child, I'll readily admit that I abhorred reading. I avoided every reading assignment in school and couldn't grasp why people held books in such high esteem when movies were quicker and far more entertaining. I was ignorant. All that changed when I found this book decaying at a army housing book swap. This book made me realize that there is a far more intimate interaction that happens by reading a book. A slow dialog between the writer an the reader that allows for a full and satisfying digestion. It whet my appetite and I've been devouring ever since.

The plot is classic youth versus authority and it has a "be careful what you wish for" moral. It also works as a larger political allegory.

I highly recommend this book to book-hating, disaffected youth. If you have one in your life, buy this book and pass it on.

The Butterfly Revolution.

It is told in diary format. Its hero, a thirteen year old, find himself swept up in a "revolution", eventually becoming part of it. Only later does he realize what the revolution is truly about, and the horrible consequences it has led to.

Although it is advertised as being similar Lord of the Flies, its plot is more similar Animal Farm (i.e. replacing a dictatorship with another).

I was very impressed by this book. Like Bless the Beasts and the Children or Night of the Moonbow, it tells a powerful tale of adolescent angst and what it can lead to.

WARNING: DO NOT HOPE TO SEE THE SAME QUALITY IN THE MOVIE, "SUMMER CAMP NIGHTMARE", THAT WAS MADE FROM IT.

THE MOVIE WAS BAD, BAD, BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are feeling deep and slightly dark at heart, or if you have a problem reaching and knowing your dark side, read this book. I'm not saying that this book show cases humainity as killers, but it does make you think, hard. Well, I read this book last year and I'm planning on reading it again, and I don't do that often. It's that good... I'd compare it to A Separate Peace, or Lord of the Flies. I couldn't put the book down, and it has totally changed my life. I cried, I was enraged, but I don't believe that I laughed. This is not a candy coated book. I suggest it being read in a small group from 8th graders to about 100+. I don't recommend it to anyone under 7th grade, its just not that kind of book. I get shudders from the thought of it, and I mean it when I say that I have never read another book with the same level of craftsmenship or insight. One word to conclude with: Amazing! ~Lyra~

I first read this book in 1974 and was very engrossed in it. The characters and the situation were very believable then- I wonder how much so in the early 60s when it was written.

It shows what can happen when we repress people and fail to consider their needs, wants, and aspirations. The revolution never would have happened if the counselors would have made age appropriate activities for all the kids. It never would have gone as far as it did if it had a definite ending.

From my perspective as a teacher and watching Columbine and other similar situations, I'm sorry to say that the nightmare is now here, and what will happen later depends on what we choose to do.

Actually, this book wasn't my first choice. Based on the review I read online, it seemed like a dull infantile account of a child at camp. However, I decided to try it after The Merchant Of Venice bored me to tears. From the first page I was hooked. First of all, I livhe fact that the book is in journal format and it happens to work extraordinarily well for this plotline. Also, the characters are either very clear antagonists or protagonists, so I didn't he to wonder if everything was as it seemed. The author did a great job establishng a simple, clear-cut scenario, witout a great multitude of distractions. However, I found one drawback to this story. I understand the concept of suspension of disbelief, but I d the concpt to be a bit too implausible. If you can overlook this, though, this books for you.

Winston is a small, bright, book-reading thirteen-year-old. His parents are somewhat worried about him socially, and decide to send him to a boys' summer camp where he'll spend a great deal of time with other boys and will perhaps become more like them.

The boys in the camp range in age from ten to seventeen, and most of the activities are aimed at the younger boys. They play capture the flag and go for hikes, and the counselors even suggest a butterfly collecting exercise. The older boys are fed up with this camp and its counselors; they feel that they should be having more fun at summer camp. So they decide to change things.

One of the older boys, Frank, is a charismatic leader, skilled at making speeches that get people riled up. He selects a group of other boys from the camp, including Winston, and explains that they need to have a revolution, to take over the camp and lock up the counselors so then they will be able to have some fun. He promises parties and mixing with the nearby girls' camp--what he calls real fun instead of the lame activities the counselors have come up with. Frank says it will all be a big game, really, and that no one will get hurt. After a little fun the counselors will be released and everything will get back to normal.

Frank makes his plan sound so good, almost all of the boys immediately agree to it, and the capture of the counselors is carried off without a hitch. Winston thinks the fun is about to begin.

Instead, things get even more difficult. Frank is running the boys' camp like an army. Some of the boys seem to be afraid of saying the wrong thing, of being accused of being counterrevolutionary. Frank insisted that no one would be hurt, but was he telling the truth? Is he still in control?

I liked that the story was told through Winston's diaries, and that he was such a deep thinker. His knowledge of the world helped him to see and to convey to us how creepy Frank's camp was. I also liked that there wasn't an easy ending to this story. The situation was complex and shouldn't have been easily fixed. It was hard to believe, though, that the boys were able to operate secretly for so long, without any parents growing suspicious.

Butler tells the story of a revolution at a summer camp in the form of a journal kept by Winston Weyn. Weyn is worried about the revolution from the beginning but is pulled into it when he is promoted to general. The revolution seems harmless and fun and full of parties at first. As it continues with no end in sight the members become aware of how serious it is getting.
This book is a fun read. As you read the book it gets very chilling and interesting. The Butterfly Revolution is a great book to read for fun.

The Butterfly Revolution.

It is told in diary format. Its hero, a thirteen year old, find himself swept up in a "revolution", eventually becoming part of it. Only later does he realize what the revolution is truly about, and the horrible consequences it has led to.

Although it is advertised as being similar Lord of the Flies, its plot is more similar Animal Farm (i.e. replacing a dictatorship with another).

I was very impressed by this book. Like Bless the Beasts and the Children or Night of the Moonbow, it tells a powerful tale of adolescent angst and what it can lead to.

I really enjoyed this book...I had it on special order for 5 years ( it had been banned and Amazon wasn't around yet) and when I finally got my hands on it I read the whole thing in like 2 hours!!! I had seen the movie that was based on the book called "Summer Camp Nightmare", and saw the book title at the end of it. So if anyone would like to go back to the 80's for a B-movie treat, go try to find the movie and compare it yourself.

I am in the eigth grade. My class and I read this book together. We finished the book 11/5/98. I thought the book was very interesting. The way the author made the book a diary was a unique idea. This book was somewhat like the book "Katheren Called Birdy". Both books are about teenagers going through a hard time in their lives. In "Butterfly Revolution" Winston Weyn goes to a summer camp as a birthday gift from his parents. Interesting things happen at the camp. Read the book and find out what they are yourself.