2.0 out of 5 stars
This book slept me away, January 22, 2011
This review is from: Slept Away (Paperback)
Laney Parker is a complete city girl, hoping for a summer of tanning, kissing, partying, and hanging out with her best friend Kennedy. But her vegetarian/yoga obsessed mom has different plans: Camp Timber Trails. Laney automatically thinks it's the end of her life as she knows it, and is furious at her mom. At camp, Laney struggles with everything thrown at her: from dealing with male separation and caffeine withdrawal, to fluorescent colored skorts and mystery meat dinners. After being teased by all the other girls, and not having a friend to cry on, Laney knows it will be the worst summer of her life. But then she meets geeky Slyvie, and dorky yet charming Ryan. Could this summer camp maybe not be the nightmare she thought it was?
This novel was the classic story of spoiled, popular girl living a life outside of her comfort zone - only to learn there's more to life than just materialistic things. There wasn't much creativity in this predictable story, and the plot started to thin halfway through the book. One thing's for sure though: Kraut went the extreme to include references and allusions to pop culture today, on almost every page. For example she incorporated Facebook, iPhones, the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and Sarah Jessica Parker into the book. It was kind of weird to read about these things, which I hear about and use everyday. I didn't like it.
I used to go to summer camp every year while in middle school, so it was fun reading about the activities they did at Camp Timber Trails. I got to relive a couple of memories similar to Laney's, and could definitely relate to the sights, sounds, and smells she witnessed there.
Laney's character annoyed me. She was overly sarcastic on each page, and whined way too much. I mean, I understand she was out of her element at camp but after awhile it just got irritating. Sure, there were a few times when I felt sorry for Laney but overall her dramatic self-pity was uncalled for. There are much worse things than going to a sleepaway summer camp! Even after Laney realized that people are more than what they seem, I doubt she's going to go back home as a different person. I'm sure after a few weeks go by, she'll just turn back into the one-sided, gossipy, materialistic girl she was at the beginning. Laney seems like the type easily molded by circumstance and situation - I know the change won't be permanent.
The author put a lot of humor in each page, so I stayed entertained and even chuckled at a few parts. Some of the witty remarks she made sounded like something I would say myself! However, other times it sounded like Kraut was trying too hard to keep a teenage conversation flowing - and ended up making it sound super corny or something an adult says trying to sound "young and hip."
The book as a whole had a feeling of immaturity running through it, that made me question the value and purpose of the novel. But on the surface, Slept Away is a cute and mostly-enjoyable read for summer. I think tweens would like it more than older teenagers because of its lack of substance. It's a light and breezy book, but will quickly fade from my memory.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Funny but Potential Missed, October 4, 2009
This review is from: Slept Away (Paperback)
Boy did this book want to be hip, witty and entertaining -- unfortunately, while it was humorous at times, it still fell somewhat short of that mark. Minus a few laugh out loud moments and funny one liners there wasn't a whole lot to hang a hat on. Granted I'm older than what I presume is the target audience but I imagine even young teens would be interested in a bit more substance than was provided.
Speaking specifically it took so long to get to the really good parts of the story (the building relationship between Laney and Sylvie as well as the romance between each of them and their respective suitors) that by the time I turned the corner I didn't really care. More than that there was so little time to really explore theses plot lines because we'd spent so much of the story focussing on the same scene (misery at the hands of the trifecta of doom, kavetching about being at camp, fearing instructional swim) that if I heard the words pee-pee one more time I thought I would put the book down for good.
This is what is most unfortunate about Slept Away, that there was such great potential for the story. There were some genuinely interesting and good parts that were simply not explored to their fullest. The romance between Laney and her chosen crush was rushed into a few chapters at the end, the exploration of how she went from truly shallow to a woman who chose friends of character over materialism and social status, and the true revelation that even though she wasn't built for camp she became a better person for having gone and endured. All of that was forsaken for relentless complaining and sarcasm.
On a more positive note, I do think it had moments where the humor shone through, Kraut undoubtedly has a flair for comedy. Also the book was certainly a quick read, I had no problem moving through it. Sadly, it just didn't end up being a book that one hundred percent suited me as a reader. I'll be curious to hear the thoughts of those who read it who are closer to the target age of this book's audience. Did you like the focus of the story or did you want more from it?
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Camp Fiction, June 29, 2009
This review is from: Slept Away (Paperback)
This is my first summer not going to/working at camp after 7 straight years, and I was drawn to Slept Away as a way of reliving those great memories. Through Laney's eyes, the fun and turmoil of the summer camp experience was captured perfectly- making this a great book for anybody from camp virgin to veteran. Laney's a great character, with a lot of heart, wit and relatable insecurities. I half expected to hate her when I started the book- assuming she'd be the typical, one-sided, spoiled brat- but I actually really liked her and found that I could easily empathize with her. I also loved the author's use of humor throughout- so much teen fiction is super corny and dull! The writing was quick, smart and unique. I didn't want to put it down once I got into it, and then I didn't want it to end. I'd love see what happens after camp ends...sequel?
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