When I first saw the cover for The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson I knew I had to read this book. I mean, it’s got to be one of the cutest covers ever! I’m torn though on how to adequately review this story. On the one hand, the storyline and pacing make The Happy Camper an easy and enjoyable read. But on the other hand, there are a few things that just didn’t sit well with me, and that left me a little disappointed. To make this review simple, I’m just going to quickly bullet-point my likes and struggles.
LIKES
Dillon’s Grandpa is an excellent character. I loved everything about him. Grandpa alone is worth reading this unique story. His love for his granddaughter is obvious right from the start, but what I love the most about his character is his ability to see Dillon. He gets her! He sees all her hard work, her pain, frustrations, and anger. He also sees her spunk, creativity, and passion. Plus, he is always there for Dillon in a way no one else really is. Grandpa is an endearing character I won’t soon forget!
I absolutely love the campers in this story and want one right now! Watching Dillon undertake the job of cleaning out, rebuilding, and remodeling her little camper is the BEST part of this story. I enjoyed the attention to detail that Carlson put into these parts of the story. It felt like I was with Dillon the first time she saw — and smelled — her camper. When she went to the Silver Slipper to make her cute purchases, I was right there with Dillon. And, when it was all said and done, I could easily visualize The Desert Rose in all her camper glory! Who knew reading about campers could be so much fun?!
STRUGGLES
I absolutely hated Dillon’s ex-boyfriend. He is a creepy stalker. He made me so uncomfortable I wanted to stop reading the novel. When someone says, “NO!” they mean “NO!” I understand that the idea is for him to be a conflict that gets between Dillon and Jordan, but it did NOT work for me. I didn’t see him as a character that moved the plot forward. He just mega-creeped me out.
Dillon is a frustrating heroine. I had to keep reminding myself that she was in her 30s because she very rarely came off as an adult. Often, she felt like she was a 19-year old. Randomly, and without any real cause, Dillon would fly into these odd jealous moments, which made her seem incredibly immature. And, they didn’t make sense. If she just would have communicated with others, half of these weird jealous fits would never have been. Because of these jealous fits and her immaturity, I struggled really hard to relate to Dillon, and that was disappointing.
In my book, The Happy Camper is a solid 3-STAR story. The plot is engaging and fast-paced. There are some really quirky and sweet characters throughout. And, the campers are fabulous. I want to go camping ASAP! But I did have enough struggles with some parts of this novel to keep me from rating it higher than 3-STARS.
I purchased a review copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on April 6, 2020, in order to review. I also received a paperback copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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