DNF: Camp Boyfriend

Synopsis:

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school half-way across the country. Amazing what losing your braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies. But Matt isn't giving up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

This book has a lot of things going for it. Don’t take my “DNF” rating as a judgment of the book’s quality. It has much more to do with personal preference than how good the book actually is.

It’s really my own fault for picking this up; I knew that it was a love triangle, and still I forged ahead. I can handle a love triangle that isn’t the central conflict; love triangles in Paranormal Romance or Sci-Fi are fine because while they are still irritating, I can focus on the rest of the plot and ignore most of the triangle gooeyness.

But a love triangle driven contemporary? Where the love triangle is the main point of conflict?

I liked the main character, Lauren; she seemed relatable and even though she wasn’t making great decisions in her love life, I liked the way J.K. Rock characterized her and her friends. All of the camp stuff was fun; the setting was something I wish I could have experienced in my own life—summer camp every year with great friends? Who doesn’t want that?

Maybe I’ll pick Camp Boyfriend up again when I’m feeling less hostile towards love triangles. The writing is solid.  There wasn’t really anything objectionable about the book itself. Like I said, it has a lot of things going for it. So if you’re the kind of person who thrives on love triangles, you’ll probably love Camp Boyfriend.