If you are longing for the days of summer camp, this might be the book for you. There are some really interesting and many diverse characters to learn about. However, Perennials seems to start off following Rachel’s young adult years, but then becomes a scattered tale of events. The book contains multiple perspectives, and while the main story is intended to relate to Rachel and her experiences, it seems that there are many narratives that don’t fit together all the time.

The setting of Perennials is the lower Berkshires and it really is the perfect backdrop for a book of summertime adventures. Berman has captured this idyllic spot in Connecticut quite well through her descriptions of the region. The book will most definitely have you longing for a trip to this mountainous and quaint region of the U.S.

Rachel is definitely the most developed character in the novel, and the book follows her years as a young adult. At times she is very dislikable, and at first it is to show that she is learning from her mistakes. However, once she is in her 20s and is still acting inappropriately, the character becomes strange and hard to follow.

One thing that is really enjoyable in contemporary fiction are characters that are relatable and engaging. Berman has created quite a few unique characters that will appeal to many. Having said that, while this book has encompassed many different perspectives, and makes for a diverse read, it seems to contain too many points of view. There are also no clear indications of a change in perspective, which makes it difficult to follow along with the events in the story. Multiple perspectives definitely add to an understanding of the plot, but when it becomes too muddled it can be too much for the reader.

Perennials is a contemporary novel that has a beautiful setting, diversity, and a summer theme. Although there seems to be the perfect elements for a great beach read, this one falls a little flat. The book has far too many perspectives and story lines to follow.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of Mandy Berman's debut novel, Perennials, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Located in the Connecticut countryside, Camp Marigold, has impacted lives for generations. Fiona Larkin's parents met at Camp Marigold and now, she is the next generation making summertime memories. When she's nine, Fiona, who is from a privileged family, meets Rachel, who is being raised by a single-mom in New York City. Although they are from different backgrounds, the girls develop a deep friendship. When the girls are in college, they return to Camp Marigold to work as summer counselors and this one summer will dramatically alter the course of their lives.

LIKE- I loved Perennials. I was hooked from the first page and I tore through the novel in one day. I could not put it down. Perennials attracted me in several ways.

First, I never attended summer camp, but I desperately wanted to as a child. Summer camp is one of those things that I have romanticized based on friends talking about their own camp experiences and books like Perennials. I feel like I missed out on a quintessential American childhood experience, which attracts me to books on the subject. Perennials is not simply about camp, but it is about romanticizing the experience and that sense of nostalgia that keeps parents sending their children to camp. Perennials is about the ephemeral nature of growing up, where a summer truly is just a summer. Kids returning to camp can't hold on to the exact recipe that made the previous summer so great, because they too have changed. 

Second, Berman has created memorable characters. One of the most memorable is Rachel's mother, Denise. On the surface, Denise seems very scattered. In her twenties Denise was working as a secretary in a lawfirm and had an affair with a married, older lawyer; Rachel is the product of that relationship. Denise and Rachel have been a secret, second family for Rachel's father. When she finally realizes that he will never leave his wife, Denise only accepts money for her daughter and struggles to support them in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Although in many ways, Denise seems like a mess: she drinks, constantly smokes, and racks up speeding tickets, but beneath her rough exterior, she is fiercely protective of her daughter. Watching her character reveal itself through the course of the novel was a beautiful story arc and just one example of Berman's talent for character development.

Third, Perennials has a shocking and affecting twist. I could not have predicted the ending and it knocked me sideways, leaving a lasting impression. Have Kleenex handy.

DISLIKE- This is so minor, but I found the storyline between Nell and Mo to be less engaging than those of the other characters. However, I think their perspective did add another layer to the story. 

RECOMMEND- Yes!!! Berman is a gifted writer and I can't wait to read her next novel. I hope it's released soon. Perennials is a heartfelt story with rich characters and thought-provoking themes.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Perennials is author Mandy Berman’s debut novel. I was looking forward to reading this book because I spent seven summers at sleepaway camp as both a camper and a counselor, so I could relate to the subject matter and wanted to see how this (albeit fictional) account compared to my own experiences.

Rachel lives in an apartment in the city with her single mother and Fiona lives in a big house in Westchester with her family. But when they meet at summer camp as girls, they find that they have a lot in common.

The plot jumps forward to the summer after Rachel and Fiona’s first year in college when they return to camp as counselors. They have grown apart, and they are both beginning to realize that they don’t have as much in common as they used to. Fiona is self conscious about the weight she gained away at school, and Rachel is just looking to have some fun. Of course, neither of them have any idea what will transpire over the summer.

The most fascinating thing about this book is that it features multiple perspectives. It would be expected, of course, to hear Rachel and Fiona’s thoughts, but the reader is also treated to hearing part of the story from the perspective of Rachel’s mother, Fiona’s mother, and Fiona’s younger sister, who is a camper in Rachel’s bunk.

Perennials captures the essence of summer camp so well- the friendships, the contretemps, and everything in between. Camp is the perfect place to figure out who you want to be and what you want out of life, and this is evident in the text. Berman does a wonderful job of writing a variety of vastly different “voices” and it would be hard to pick which character I found to be the most interesting. I’ll end my review with a caveat: I’m sure Perennials’ summer camp theme will appeal to younger readers, this book contains mature subject matter and is not intended to be a YA or middle grade novel.

To be honest, as soon as I read the blurb, I was already in love with this novel. Female friendships AND camp? Count me in!

And yes. I'm perfectly aware that most of the reviews aren't glowing and that some of you didn't fall in love with this book as I did. But hey, sometimes those books are the most interesting ones. The same thing happened with You Don't Know Me. While I was reading, I knew it wouldn't be a story that I could recommend to everyone, but I was enjoying it so much that I didn't care.

This was so not what I expected in the first place. There wasn't a main character or two, but various protagonists sharing their camp routines. Some of the book was set in the year 2000, but most of it was in 2006, when two of the main characters, Rachel and Fiona, are nineteen and working as counselors in Camp Marigold. We also meet Helen, Fiona's much wilder sister, Sheera, Mo, Nell... and some of the other counselors as well.

My favorite character was, surprisingly, Rachel. I know that Rachel is not the typical choice and she did make some mistakes, but I admired her attitude towards life. Despite her flaws, she was a really good person and she loved Fiona for who she really was: they were opposites but they complemented each other. I think I enjoyed their interactions so much because we've all had those friends from childhood: years go by and you know you have nothing in common anymore, but you still try to stay friends because of everything you've been through together. Too many memories.

There are various themes portrayed in this beautiful novel. I'd say friendship is the most obvious one, but it was also what I'd call the "perfect coming of age novel". I don't think I've ever read a novel that captures the coming of age phase as well as Perennials did. It's about feeling left out, about first loves, about grief and, of course, about family, too.

The writing was the my favorite part. Although there wasn't much going on (this is not a novel filled with action) Mandy Berman had a way of describing their everyday lives that had me utterly absorbed. I could've read about this people's dreams and hopes forever. The writing was smooth and simple, beautiful and emotional at the same time. And by the time I reached the final part of the book, I was in tears.

They spent their whole summers at Camp Marigold, their whole summers! I can’t imagine this freedom, this opportunity to spend my childhood years with my summer friends without any parents around. It was usually the same set of kids and they’d pick right up where they left off last summer as if no time had separated them. They ‘d take time just to notice the physical differences that had occurred while they were apart, knowing that later they would take the time to talk about anything deep that needed to be exchanged. They had truly formed great friendships. With a whole summer ahead of them, counselors leading the way, the rules were stated but as the campers got older, the rules often got broken.

Inside this novel, we follow Rachel and Fiona, these two girls fill out each other’s voids. Rachel was the risk taker, the outgoing one, the one who seemed to be out there. Fiona, she’s the one who lies in the shadows, she is the girl who individuals can count on for she seemed to have what others want. Meeting at Camp Marigold, we read about how their relationship grows and changes as each year passes. When they first arrived many years ago, they were campers and now many years later, they have assumed the roles as counselors and are now guiding and instructing other female campers. On the outside, Rachel and Fiona looked responsible to the young campers but I had to wonder myself, if Rachel and Fiona were mature enough for these young campers and could handle this responsibility? It was the freedom of the camp and the individualism of each of these young women that had me questioning their role. Their actions and behaviors were questionable at times. Only time would tell, if this role fit them.

I loved the carefree atmosphere of the camp, the friendships of the individuals attending and the friendships that were promised next year. It brought back memories of my own experiences of summer camp. The anticipation of tomorrow’s activities, the promises of next year, the bond of being with your friends for a whole week without your parents and the stories. I enjoyed being away at Camp Marigold, the time walking through the woods, swimming, the late talks, the relationships that were formed and built upon and all the drama. It was good to be away, to experience camp again and to be reminded again of what camp was all about. There was a frustrating part about halfway through this novel, when I found myself whisked off into other individual’s stories, stories of secondary characters who suddenly got center stage. I didn’t really understand the need for these stories but nevertheless, the novel finally got back on track. I can’t say I was pleased with the ending but thinking about the novel, I can see why it ended that way, but it was not what I expected.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing me a copy of the novel. This is my own opinion of this novel.

I've never been to summer camp, but always wanted to as a kid (especially after watching The Parent Trap!), and am often drawn to stories set at camp so I can live vicariously. This book's best parts were set at the camp. I felt the early part, set in 2000, were well done - characters were introduced/developed well, and camp life was well described. However, I felt the later part sort of rambled a bit. There was quite a bit dedicated to peripheral characters who really didn't fit the narrative all that much, other than being at camp, and I didn't feel really added anything to the story. There were quite a few tragedies, as well, which felt kind of rushed, and not really dealt with fully, especially at the end. I think a little more focus on the main two characters would have made this a better story overall. Not a bad read - quick, and decent writing, but not my favorite. Certainly if you had spent summers at camp, it is likely to be quite nostalgic.

Rachel always got the feeling when they pulled into camp that time hadn’t moved since the previous summer. Everything was exactly the same: the wooden Camp Marigold sign with the fading painted orange flowers; the smells of the horse manure from the barn and cut grass from the athletic fields.
Perennials opens with a younger Rachel and Fiona, two girls from vastly different lives brought together over the shared experience of camp. Here Rachel is able to forget about her day to day life: the struggles she faces with her single mom, Denise, with her string of broken relationships and the drama surrounding her paternity.

They drove back to camp with the windows open. Their relationship felt different in the country, all the stresses of city life left behind. There was no smog, no subways or sirens. Here it was just Denise and Rachel pared down, mother and daughter driving along a country road.
Fiona, on the other hand, lives in a large suburban home with her siblings and parents. She lives a sheltered life, though not without its own struggles, however, through Rachel she is reminded just how fortunate she is. The naivety borne of her upbringing will plague her into adulthood- a resultant insecurity that stands in sharp contrast to Rachel’s brazen confidence.

Fast-forward 6 years and Rachel and Fiona return to Camp Marigold as counselors. They have completed their first year of collage but find themselves desperate to relive the magic of summer camp- to escape the expectations and the pressures of early adulthood. While Rachel appears to have blossomed, Fiona is struggling to navigate the treacherous landscape of college life both emotionally and socially.

The drinks, the unlimited d-hall, the late-night munchies— they were all just ways to make it through the discomfort of being herself, which of course resulted in the inverse: Now there was just more of herself to hate.
The narratives of Rachel and Fiona provide a constancy to the story as it branches into separate narratives of other campers and staff where is reaches a greater depth by tackling often overlooked storylines. Perennials explores the themes of race and sexual orientation through the stories of one black camp goer and a pair of counselors- one a lesbian and the other curious and questioning. The inclusion of these narratives elevates the story and carves out a place of belonging that doesn’t always exist in coming-of-age tales.

— but something about the appearance of seamless diversity intrigued her, as if nature itself was some kind of great equalizer.
The themes of growth and loss are also explored through the tumultuous experience of adolescence and the ever-present worry and wonder about the changes from girl to woman. Helen, Fiona’s younger sister, carries this narrative through her concern over getting her period, experiementing with a group of friends on the fringe and shedding the contrainsts of her innocence. Helen’s youthful eagerness and uncertainty will resonate with many female readers as she voices the experiences many of us have lived.

It was greatest loss to heap on top of an already broken summer.
Things at Camp Marigold take a more serious turn when tragedy strikes not once but twice. When the magic of camp threatens to dissolve, Jack, the middle-aged head of the camp, is tasked with keeping it together. This is a stretch as he has let his own life unravel so fully. As he sees his age reflected by the youth of the counselors he lets temptation get the best of him and when he takes it a step too far his choices will leave a bitterness so raw it burns.

Perennials is a gritty summer tale that dives beneath the surface to pull forth the hidden experiences of adolescent girls. Berman succeeds in her effort to prove that these secret musings and heartbreaking struggles are a profoundly shared experience. Glittering with feminist undertones, Perennials celebrates all that it means to be a girl at camp- the yearning and the questioning and the sheer exhilaration of it all.

And so, camp: Maybe she could feel there, finally. Maybe she could cry there, be less selfish there. If any place could bring it out of her, that would be it.

This book had so much potential. I really liked the camp, but I feel like there were way too many characters, and the book really lost its focus on Rachel and Fiona. It claimed it was about their relationship, but a lot of the narrations barely focused on them. Plus, the tragic event mentioned doesn't occur until nearly 90 percent into the book, and there just isn't enough time to show how it changed Rachel and Fiona.

Rachel and Fiona are as different as can be but become fast friends at summer camp, a friendship that is tested as each summer passes.

Rachel is confident and beautiful on the outside but living with the fact she is a naughty secret. She is the product of an affair and while her father visits her, he has another family. Fiona is awkward and responsible, balancing out Rachel's brashness. At first, their contrasts make for a great fit, but as they age and become women, they begin to tear everything apart as a series of tragic events rock the camp.

Nostalgic, but also full of the sense that summer camp is a pulsing hormone center of drugs, sex, and lies, this is a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I struggled with what to rate this book. I loved the setting-a summer camp that the two main characters, Fiona and Rachel, visit every year for the entire summer. Most of this book takes place in the summer of their 19th year where they have returned to this camp as counselors. The story is told from multiple points of view so I was able to realize the motives of most of the characters. Some of them were introduced mid-book though and I was confused as to why the reader needed to learn about them-then their stories were wrapped up really quickly. I felt like many of the younger characters acted like adults way too early, too. All that being said, the story was compulsively readable and I enjoyed reading it.

This was blurbed by and compared to so many great authors that I was so excited to read this one, plus SUMMER CAMP! Unfortunately, though, this spiraled off into so many directions with so many POV that the core of it was muddled beyond repair. In my opinion, there are not nearly enough books set at summer camp but this particular summer camp took on a desperate and sad tone. Not that such a tone would necessarily not work but, here, there were way too many divergent POV that the book seemed to focus on personal suffering more than anything else. This book should also have several trigger warnings and so many tragic events that I was so sad after finishing it. I'm sure that most of the characters were well developed but I didn't spend enough time with them in the book to feel this way -- many POV can be good sometimes but it takes a lot of effort to make it work. Sadly, it didn't work here and I think had the author focused on just two or even three POV, I would have enjoyed this much more.

Perennials comes out next month on June 6, 2017, and you can purchase HERE. Hopefully you have better luck with this one than I did!

Rachel always got the feeling when they pulled into camp that time hadn't moved since the previous summer. Everything was exactly the same: the wooden Camp Marigold sign with the fading painted orange flowers; the smells of the horse manure from the barn and the cut grass from the athletic fields. In the months leading up to camp opening, she would think maybe the grass wouldn't be as green. Maybe some building would be pained a different color. Maybe they'd fixed that one broken rail on the fence around the horse arena.

But none of that ever happened. Time didn't touch Camp Marigold, and that was what was so perfect about it.

Perennials by Mandy Berman is the coming of age story of two friends. Rachel Rivkin is a teenager from the mean streets of the city and Fiona Larkin is from suburbia. The two friends spend every summer together at Camp Marigold, the idyllic sleeping away camp where they forget they are from very different worlds. Until one summer when they return, as counselors, fresh from their freshman year at college. This summer is very different and Rachel and Fiona learn there may be some differences you cannot ignore. Suddenly when tragedy strikes while at camp, the two friends must decide if they will come together with support or allow the events of the summer to drive them further apart.
Perennials is a story about the point where childhood ends and adulthood begins with the event that opens their eyes to the cruel world. It is a story about one last summer of childhood innocence before the real world interferes. I really, really wanted to love this book. I usually love coming of age stories where the door on childhood must finally close. However, I felt Perennials had a great start and then there were so many characters to keep track of and side stories that I felt didn’t add to the main story of Rachel and Fiona. The tragic event in the story was a bit of a letdown for me. While the tragic event is sad, the build up to the discovery of this event, I think could have been better for more of an emotional impact. Despite my issues with the story, I feel that this book would be a good book for young adults and maybe even adults were remember summers away at camp.

Perennials
is available on Amazon
in hardcover and on the Kindle

2.5 stars
This book is slow and with very little action. Two girls are long time friends from their summers at camp. They come from very different backgrounds, one living in NYC with her single mother and the other from a well off family in the suburbs. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to care about either of these girls. Fiona’s self loathing made me feel irritation, not empathy, for her.

In addition to the two girls, there are chapters from Rachel’s mom, Fiona’s sister, her parents and other campers which really do nothing to advance the story. When Elizabeth Stout has intertwined stories, it works. Here, not as much although the stories themselves were ok. It's like a loosely based group of character studies. The author does a good job of getting the sense of summer camp, how quickly relationships form and dissolve over the summer months. The ending felt forced to me, and would have probably worked better if there had been some clues leading up to it.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I really gave this book a chance but I just couldn't get into. I liked the premise of the coming of age story but I couldn't get into the characters and the storyline was kind of jumping all over the place. I was disappointed because I really wanted to love this book.

A nice quick read... definitely enjoyable & glad I got to read it!

This book was not bad. It was actually an interesting character study, which presented snapshots of all these different people. The people were very different from each other, but they were connected through Camp Marigold.

My general issue is that I cannot accept this as a YA book. Yes, there were characters in this book who fit the age for upper YA, and maybe they did get the most page time, but there were all these other characters, who had entire chapters dedicated to them, and were unrelated to anything going on between Rachel and Fiona. In fact, some of the chapters were dedicated to peripheral adults, and they shared some very adult problems from very adult perspectives. I am in my 40s, so I appreciated reading these chapters. I found them to be a provocative look into these people's lives, and the issues they were dealing with. However, I felt like it took the focus off of Fiona and Rachel, and I was expecting their story.

I am ok with character studies and no plot, but this was a sad slice of life. I do tend towards books that are a little lighter or at least are laced with hope, but this on was imbued in woe. And then the ending was so abrupt. I was hoping to get a little bump there, but it just sort of ended.

I've been looking forward to Perennials since the deal was announced and it did not disappoint. Perennials is a multi-layered story that makes you ache with nostalgia. It is part coming-of-age, part family saga. Most of all, it is a vivid, nuanced look at relationships - relationships in families, friendships and love. Definitely recommend!

A twist on the normal summer camp story that will have you on the edge of your seat. A great summer read!

Lovely debut novel about girls coming-0f-age at Camp Marigold. We meet Fiona, Rachel, their families and friends as they move from campers to counselors at the yearly summer camp. Because they are able to somewhat "re-invent" themselves away from home, we witness their secret desires, hopes, and dreams come to fruition--or in some cases as reality intervenes--they are dashed. For anyone who has ever been to summer camp and can remember the magic of activities, crushes, and mess-hall madness, this is the book for you!