Brain Camp

This new graphic novel for young adults is really freaking weird.

That said, I love BRAIN CAMP.

Camp Fielding is not as it appears. Supposedly a camp designed for bright high school kids, where they will spend the summer learning things like advanced math and foreign languages, it’s not long before thuggish Lucas from a working class single-parent family in Queens and nerdy Jenna from a family of doctors in suburban New Jersey realize that something is amiss. I mean, there’s the fact that kids seem to get sick and then go missing. Or how the counselors don’t actually “teach” them anything. And, uh, yeah, the cabin in the woods where they saw a kid barfing up feathers.

The illustrations are fun and quirky, in bright colors that show more draw the eye. And the awkwardness of the characters relationships with each other and their families is strikingly real and genuine, despite the sci-fi premise.

Complete with camp antics, a wee bit of romance, conspiring adults and plenty of aliens, BRAIN CAMP is a fun, quick read. If you’re last-minute-gift-shopping right now, it would be great for the quirky ci-fi fans on your list. And, you know, I think you should check it out for yourself, too! show less

Both Jenna and Lucas, chronic underachievers, find themselves shipped off to the Camp Fielding, which promises to mold "losers" like themselves into instant brainiacs. It doesn't take long for the pair to realize that the camp is too good to be true, as strange disappearances, overnight personality changes, and disgusting bird corpses define their days. Fighting against the warping of their own minds, they team up to investigate.

While the art of the book is bright, crisp and well-defined, the plot does not have the same distinction. A message at odds with the initial appeal of its protagonists and an overall lack of clarity undercuts the story. One might expect the kids to triumph over the camp counselors through their unique strengths show more as people, thus postulating that academic achievement isn't the only measure of a person's worth. Instead, they only manage to beat the strange system through a mix of hormones and artificially created smarts administered by the camp itself. Their victory has a ring of hollowness to it, because they had to undergo an unnatural personality overhaul in order to achieve it. The motivations for, and mechanics of, the grotesque changes caused in the campers remain vague, to the point where it's unclear whether Jenna and Lucas have really saved anyone from anything. However, the book's art, excellent pacing, and startling twists bolster its quality, making for a solidly enjoyable reading experience. show less

Very far-fetched, but a good story nonetheless. Jenna and Lucas are underachievers sent to Camp Fielding, a camp that purports to turn losers into brilliant students. In reality, it's a breeding facility for an avian alien race, which Jenna and Lucas figure out just in time to save themselves and the other kids at camp. Great artwork--by Faith Erin Hicks, author of Friends with Boys.

Lucas and Jenna have both disappointed their parents for the last time, so when each set of parents is apporached by a mysterious man about openings at a prestigious private camp known to turn its campers into super-geniuses, Lucas and Jenna find themselves sent away the very next day...and in some creepy situations, indeed!

An interesting story - campers used as incubators - and it's nice to get a dual narrative (sort of). Jenna and Lucas are 14 or so, and while most of the book is about the two of them uncovering a camp conspiracy, they each experience 'firsts': Jenna gets her period and Lucas has a wet dream. Neither is graphic in anyway, but it was pretty clear to me...though, I'm not sure how clear it'd be to kids who haven't been show more through the experiences themselves.

Recommended for 13 & up. show less

Brain Camp is a fun, short graphic novel. It is fast paced, and the story moves well with some great pacing , a panels with dialog and without are well done throughout. The art work, dialog, and story are captivating. What was perhaps lacking was the depth of emotion that especially the two main characters should have been experiencing. There is some brutal disappointments in the story for these teenagers, and they seem to just go with the flow with no real bother. Interestingly, the story does try to explain this lack of emotion in a way, but it is not extremely convincing. Or perhaps, I am not convinced that a year later, these kids would be happily, or in any way, living with their parents as they used to, etc.

I loved this graphic novel of two teens at a creepy summer camp. It becomes apparent right away that things are not right at Camp Fielding. It’s up to Jenna and Lucas to find a way to save everyone. There are a few unanswered questions and I can see room for a sequel. This was a fun quick read 😄

Two kids reluctantly end up at a camp that is filled with secrets. Suprisingly dark, I thought this graphic novel had great dialogue and the illustrations were very nice. It doesn't mention that it is part of a series but I think another book is required to fill in the back story.