Olivia G.- This was defiantly one of my favorite books ever! its about a girl who leaves her best friend Mal and becomes a CIT at a sleep-away camp for the summer. It is realistic fiction book about friendship and love. ( )

Title: Sleepaway Girls Author: Jen Calonita Publisher: Little, Brown Number Of Pages: 298

Summary From Back Of Book: When Sam’s best friend gets her first boyfriend, she’s not ready to spend her summer listening to them call each other “pookie.” Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn’t realize is that it’s not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s’mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn’t ruin Sam’s summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who’s always teasing her but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls who become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.

Review: Sleepaway Girls was so cute! I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of pop culture references, okay a lot of Disney channel pop culture references. Anyway, I found it to be a really fast read and actually made me want to go to summer camp. (I probably will never go though.) Along with it being cute it was funny and I found myself either smiling or laughing most of the time while reading it. I loved all of Sam’s friends and wished they were my friends. It was very romantic in a cute way. (How many times am I going to say cute?) All in all I suggest this book when it comes out on May 1st.

I recommend this book if you like summer camp, friendships, kids, romance, and YA novels. ( )

For the first time ever, Sam Montgomery is going to summer camp. Faced with a boring summer at home (her BFF has a boyfriend now) or hanging out in Boca with grandma, it's decided that Sam will attend Whispering Pines camp as a Counselor in Training (CIT). Turns out she the only CIT never to have been at camp before and the testing begins right away. Queen Bee CIT Ashley (and the camp director's daughter) doesn't take to Sam right away, so like in school cliques everywhere, the cabin is divided among Ashley/Sam lines. And of course, the camp is co-ed and hot counselor Hunter is constantly panted after. This was fun read, the Sam and her new friends learn a lot about themselves and each other--they really have created a lasting friendship over the summer and I can only hope this will be the first of many summer novels about the Sleepaway Girls. ( )

All Around Enjoyable

Sleepaway Girls
By Jen Calonita
Pub. Date: May 2009
4.5 out of 5 stars
PG - Fine for all ages, but will appeal more to teens
Recommended

How does spending the summer with your best friend and her boyfriend making kissy noises around you, the third wheel, sound? Um… no thanks! Sam takes a bold step and applies to be a Counselor-in-Training at Whispering Pines, a summer camp, two hours away from home. Though she is accepted, not everyone is welcoming. Ashley, the camp director’s daughter, tried to alienate and humiliate Sam at every turn. Shadowed by her hit national commercial, Sam is instantly dubbed a threat to Ashley’s stardom at camp. Camp is turning out harder than she first thought it was going to be. Not to mention the hot and lardaceous counselor, Hunter, creating awkward moments. And then there’s Cole. Always joking and sarcastic, yet kind and gentle with his cabin’s kids. Will Sam’s eyes linger on the wrong boy? With three new unique friends by her side, the usually passive Sam knows it’s time to stand on her own two feet and take matters into her own hands. But will Sam learn to use her voice?

Sleepaway Girls was a lighthearted read perfect for summer reading. It had amiable characters, a respectable timeline, a benign plot, refreshing dialogue, and a pleasant wrap-up. The only con is its familiarity. It lacked a unique taste that would have separated it from other appetizers. Sadly, it’s not a delicacy. Though there are similar books out there, Sleepaway Girls was still all around enjoyable.

Date Reviewed: April 29th, 2009

For more book reviews and book information check out my blog at www.inthecurrent.blogspot.com ( )

To me this is a perfect summer fun book! Whipsering Pines is the ultimate camp for friends, flirtations, and finding out more about yourself. Makes my stints at Girl Scout camp look very yawn worthy! While nothing too out of the ordinary or different happens it was a thoroughly enjoyable book for me! It definitely makes me eager to read the author's Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.

I loved all the different parts of the plot, from the cute little campers that were home sick, to the camp director's youngest daughter who made sure camp wasn't easy for Sam, to the cute boys and the Sleepaway Girls videos! All the different parts of the plot blended together to make a summer that most girls dream of. It was just really fun to read!

I really liked Sam, though if I was in her shoes I'm sure I would have ratted out Ashley, the camp director's daughter for her antics a lot more often! I also really liked Sam's fellow CIT (counselor in training) Cole, he seemed like a really sweet and playful guy. It was totally cute to see him take care of his little campers, who couldn't fall for this guy! And the Sleepaway Girls, while they all sort of had their "thing" they were known for (Court loves to flirt, Em is shy and likes to read romance novels, and Grace is an athlete) they were a great part of the story. I can't help hope this might turn into a series!

Overall a perfect summer read for teens (or teens at heart) of any age! Slip on your flip flops, grab a lemonade and enjoy! ( )