LONG STORY SHORT
BY: SERENA KAYLOR

Such a lighthearted and fun read about theater camp and a homeschooled math genius getting ready to go to Oxford. This was such a fun read and I enjoyed the relationship between Beatrice and Nik, the theater camp setting and playing the role of a well developed normal teenager. Better said than done, but the story arc and the was Beatrice developed her character was such an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 7/26/22
Genre: YA romance, coming of age
In one sentence: Homeschooled math genius Beatrice Quinn has been accepted to Oxford - but she has to prove to her parents that she can live on her own by surviving the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy.

I love YA coming of age tales, and Beatrice's character truly blossoms during this book. I loved her passion for math and determination to get to Oxford. Her summer camp friends were the best friends she could have asked for - helping her learn to open up to others and trust herself. I had a bit more trouble with the romance - it didn't feel as genuine in the text as Beatrice's friendships. That being said, the Shakespeare summer camp setting was a winner, and I still enjoyed this book! 3.5 stars.

Thank you to netgalley and Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this arc! Long Story Short is a beautiful debut and a perfect summer read. I flew through it in one sitting. What's not to love about theatre kids at camp, stepping out of your comfort zone and growing into yourself? This is exactly what Bea does. In order to be allowed to attend Oxford in the fall, her parents send her on a trial run to overcome her social anxiety: a Shakespeare camp in the middle of nowhere. Despite her scepticism, Bea makes friends immediately and they are delightful.
Mia is mesmerizing and Nolan has golden retriever energy. It is in the characters that this book really shines. The enemies to lovers arc is executed beautifully and the heaps of sarcasm in this novel are very much appreciated.
I never thought that a competition about who knows more Shakespeare could be romantic, but I was wrong. It is. And it's one of my favourite scenes in the book.

Skylit tells such a powerful story with is book. Beatrice! I loved her! I saw myself in her and it was amazing to see somebody with true anxiety in such a wonderful book. Highly recommend this lovely story!

3.75⭐
G for a YA book good for any young adult

Wow, I have conflicting feelings on this book. In the beginning, I considered DNFing it because I was not loving the story, but by the end, I could not put it down and wanted to see Beatrice get a happy ever after and how the Shakespeare camp Romeo and Juliet play went.

So what was good? Beatrice is the quirky science loving girl who doesn't quite feel like she belongs and as a science lady, I loved seeing that represented in a YA book. The banter between Bea and Nik was fun and I loved watching Bea figure out how she felt about him. And my favorite thing is just how much Bea grew throughout this book--it was truly a coming of age and figuring out your life book which was so satisfying.

What was not so good? The characters were stereotypical and one dimensional, so even the characters that changed over time did not experience a ton of growth. Each side character has their one unique trait, but other they served as way to help Beatrice grow as a person and that's it. It made me care about the story less and interrupted the pacing in the first part of the novel.

This is an own voices neurodivergent book. I am neurotypical so it is hard to judge, but I felt like some of the actions Beatrice's parents took created some of her stunted socializing skills. Compared to Helen Hoang or Chloe Liese, I just found the neurodivergent representation in this book lack some depth and encourage readers to check out own voices reviews.

Overall this book was a solid debut though it had some challenges in execution. If you enjoy Shakespeare and YA coming of age, this could be a good one to pick up.

Summer camp was never on Bea's carefully laid out academic plan but she's gotta go or her parents won't let her go to Oxford. So off to Shakepeare camp so goes and her whole world changes in a very good way, Bea makes friends (Mia is a standout) and finds first love in Nik. It's a delightful read about a smart young woman expanding her horizons. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Meant as a YA book (and highly recommend for them) but I'm nowhere near that age and enjoyed it as well.

This book is adorable! It was a bit of a slow start for me but after about halfway through, it got much better. I found myself laughing out loud and not able to put it down! I love that Beatrice tried something (several things!) new and really grew as a character. I felt like she was on the autistic spectrum and I wish the author would have clarified if she was. Nik was also a really interesting character. I enjoyed how many mistakes in communication there were because these are all teens after all and it felt realistic. I could have done with a few less supporting characters because they took the focus away at the beginning. However, this was such a cute story of friendship and I highly recommend reading it!

I loved this book! I wish I had it when I was a teen. It was a beautiful compilation of growing out of your comfort zone, friendships and romance. The main character, Beatrice. was someone i found myself rooting for with my whole heart. Her social awkwardness was something I found to be very relatable and I loved watching her step out of her comfort zone and make friends, no matter how hard it felt in the beginning!

Her friends she made on camp were so wholesome and wonderful. Even the bitter Shelby has amazing character growth and ended up being one of my favorites. And our love interest Nik is swoonworthy; sweet, witty and full of Shakespeare one-liners.🤣

This book was cheesy and predictable, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I even stayed up way too late last night finishing it because I couldn't fall asleep otherwise.

The idea that someone that is so socially isolated comes out of her shell so quickly was a little hard to believe, but I appreciated that she still struggled with her identity throughout, it made the trope more believable.

I think younger teenagers would like this book, older students may find it a little sophomoric.

What a sweet, fun, romantic YA book. The characters were mostly on point though some seemed a little too” mean teen”. .I enjoyed the Shakespeare theme as well as the Jane Austen theme that ran through the book. My one criticism of the book, Would be that Bea seem to instantly dislike Nik. With her being such a shy and awkward teen, I don’t think she would’ve been so aggressive at first. Overall as the ice melted they both became favorite characters and I enjoyed how the book ended.. ii would recommend this one to teens i know..
Also, thanks Net Galley for this advanced copy.

I'm conflicted on what to rate this book. The scenes and most of the characters are compelling and engaging, and the chemistry between Beatrice and Nik is described incredibly well. (Overall, a great enemies-to-lovers arc here.) That being said, I felt like Beatrice's parents are ableist in making their daughter (who is clearly neurodivergent) go to this camp to prove that she can survive on her own at Oxford, and the side characters are really aggressive with her. This also plays into how abruptly Beatrice changes during the course of the book--at times her actions and dialogue didn't make sense with her progression.

I'm settling for a rating somewhere in the middle, but I'm still thinking about this book and how its entertainment value compares to its plot points.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

This book was just an absolute delight from beginning to end.

Beatrice Quinn is the socially awkward teen that we all were at one point. Her total ineptitude at understanding and interpreting social situations felt real and genuine, and I loved how Serena develops this character over the course of the novel.

The Shakespeare summer camp setting made both this former theater kid and HS English teacher so happy, and when that was combined with serious Pride & Prejudice retelling vibes, I adored how everything played out (pun intended!). The dialogue and banter was fast-paced, witty and made all of these characters come alive.

And speaking of characters, gosh I loved Mia and Nolan so much. They accept Beatrice without reservation, and I found myself being a little jealous of their found family friend group.

While this story has a perfect teen romance storyline (Nik makes a great Darcy stand-in), I love that this is also about Beatrice discovering more about herself and recognizing her own strengths and what she wants for her future.

One final note: I love that this is a true young adult novel. The content is age-appropriate for the target audience. Other than mild language, this book never strays to explicit topics.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Age Level: Young Adult
Content: Kisses, mild language

Beatrice is a brilliant 16-year-old who has already been accepted into the university of her dreams; Oxford. The only problem is that Beatrice suffers extreme social anxiety, so much so she has been homeschooled for most of her life. Beatrice has never been to a party. She's never had a friend; she has never even deviated from a specific weekly dinner menu. Needless to say, her parents aren't thrilled with her acceptance, so they decide that Beatrice will have to prove to her parents that she is emotionally and mentally ready before they allow her to go. and boy do her parents have the perfect challenge for her, she will have to successfully a program, well actually a summer camp that is completely out of her comfort zone; camp where she will have to interact with others, speak in public, and share personal space...a Shakespearian Theatre camp! And while she is there, she'll have to fulfil a list of accomplishments her parents create for her.

The dream of attending Oxford is enough to get Beatrice out the door and onto the bus that will take her to camp; however, she soon faces embarrassment and rejection when she tries to cross a task off her list and talk to a stranger who just happens to be the most popular girl at camp; the "Ice Queen".

I found this novel charming and a wonderful break from popular teenage angst-riddled dystopian literature. It is very well written with endearing characters (I absolutely LOVE Mia and Nolan!) It is a sweet, light-hearted novel that will be the perfect light summer reading fare.

I both like this story and have some pretty big grievances about it.

I enjoyed the bonding aspect of the theatre. I know a lot of theatre kids find it as a second home for a multitude of reasons and I can tell Bea certainly did at the end.

Another thing I like is that I found myself in Bea. Bad at social cues, awkward, kind of walk to the beat of my own drum kind of person. I lock down when overstimulated. I can definitely see my 16-year-old self in this character. I also never really had those teenage experiences, either. So I can deeply resonate with this character.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the feeling. After the initial breaking in of the book, I tore through it and wanted to know what happened next. I think once I sat down, it took me a couple of days to read it.

And while I enjoyed this book, there were some major issues for me. This is coming from someone who is neurodivergent and it’s kind of implicated that Bea is also, as her parents didn’t want to get her diagnosed with anything to keep her from being held back. (That in itself I have a big bone to pick because having resources helps so much more.)

The biggest issue I have are her parents. The fact that they would put her out of her comfort zone in such a severe way to prove that she can survive outside of the US is jarring. They kept her homeschooled. They didn’t take proper steps to try and help her with any possible neurodivergence. And after that, they want her to survive away from any resources during the week? I didn’t like her parents. Not at all.

I mostly liked her friends. However, Nolan felt slightly stereotyped with the amount of “darlings” and “babys” he used. I also didn’t really like how they didn’t consider neurodivergence because most kids her age—long line of theatre kids in my family—would most definitely be attuned to that. They would take it into account and help her feel accommodated, but ostracized for her “weirdness.”

There could’ve been some awesome autistic rep in this story if it was handled correctly. I think just changing a few places could even fix it—pointing out what her parents are doing isn’t okay, Mia and Nolan giving her solace and helping out, things of that nature. Or, if it was framed where she was an introvert could also be doable. But there would need to be emphasis on that.

Other than the major issue surrounding autistic-coding and following through sloppily, I enjoyed the read!

This book had me giggling, smiling, screaming, and blushing. Beatrice was probably one of the most relatable main characters I’ve ever read and watching her come out of her shell was heartwarming and made me so happy. Nik was just… he speaks for himself honestly. I love him to bits. Mia and Nolan were just perfect and weren’t just reduced to side characters. They had vibrant personalities and were just great overall.

The use of Shakespeare in this book was great. Even if you don’t have a complete understanding of some of his works the book still made sense which was nice.

The only thing that I didn’t really like was her parents. It made no sense to my that her parents, who are psychologists may I add, would just try to continuously change their child (and not to mention that Bea is very autistic-coded) so it just makes me feel super uncomfortable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this story—it moved at a nice pace, and the camp sounded like a super-fun place that an English nerd like me would have loved to spend my summers as a teen. There were some really great friendships introduced in this story that I liked to follow along with, and I actually liked the love interest in the end, despite really not feeling any type of away about him in the beginning. I like stories where the characters have to check things off a list or follow an adventure already mapped out for them.

That being said, I didn’t love how the main character, Bea, was portrayed. She is obviously on the autism spectrum, which her camp friends seemed to realize and embrace quite quickly, but the fact that her parents were forcing her to be something she wasn’t didn’t sit well with me. If you’re naturally very introverted, no one should be forced to perform on a stage in front of people—how would that possibly mean that she’s ready to go off to school on her own? Although everything worked out in the end, I’m not sure it would have happened that way had Bea been a real person because that was a lot of change for a person in a very short time. I wish the author would have been clearer about Bea instead of making her (and many of the people at camp, if I’m being honest) stereotypical.

I really liked the love story between Bea and Nik. It was nice to see how it blossomed and how they grew to learn about each other throughout the summer, and if you know anything about me, you know I love a good enemies-to-lovers story (though this one is very, very chaste—as it should be!). I would almost like to see where Bea ends up next, with a few tweaks, of course. It made me miss summer camp, even though I never went to one that was anything like this. I wish I did!

3.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I'm not usually drawn towards YA summer camp books, but wow, this one is WORTH THE READ. It exceeded all expectations. I absolutely loved Beatrice, the MC. I definitely related to her social awkwardness, but I loved her dedication to trying new things and her ability to stand up for herself. I loved her story of finding out who she is and accepting that she can change and still be herself. And I loved her interactions with her two new friends, especially Mia. Their friendship is so wholesome and heartwarming.

AND DON'T FORGET THE ADORABLE ROMANCE. The loathe to lovers was absolute perfection with all the teenage angst and crushes. I loved that Nik had some Mr. Darcy-inspired traits. And the Shakespeare camp backdrop was perfect for developing the romance!

Don't miss this one! I devoured this in one day, staying up late to finish it. It's delightful, and the perfect summer read with lighthearted friendship, an angsty romance, and a heartwarming message.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the ARC!

ADORABLE. The characters were loveable and the pace was perfect. I did find at times that the main character was neurodivergent coded which made MANY of the interactions between character uncomfortable and oftentimes mean...Otherwise, the story was cute, the story was fun and extremely cute.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I devoured this sweet, endearing book! Beatrice is an incredibly bright young woman. Her intellect has gotten her into Oxford but her parents are concerned about her moving out of the country, especially since she has limited social interactions as a homeschooled student and she has a very regimented life. They challenge her to attend camp…. Theater camp. If she can make it through, and complete the list of “teenage” things to do, they will seriously consider her going to Oxford.

As a teen, I was very introverted and ahead of my class, so there were elements of this book that hit home. I would have loved reading a book with this premise because it would have made me feel less alone at that age… and like I could still be something.

Beatrice, or Bea as she decides, is taken under the wing of two amazing people when she gets to camp. There are still good, caring people in this world, and their impact on Bea is tremendous. They seem to know the right time to push her and when to back off. And though she’s out of her element, Bea begins to blossom… even if she doesn’t realize it.

A beautiful story about growth, finding inner strength and being your true self.

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It was a standard YA novel set in a camp with good friendships and a summer romance. The thing is, and I'm not sure if the author intended this or not, the main character is implied to be autistic. Which is great, because I'd love to read more books with autistic main characters... but every single person spends the entire book trying to "fix" Beatrice. The way she eats (her unchanging meals, ie: asparagus on Mondays and mushroom pizza on Fridays, etc), the way she dresses (her mother calls it "her uniform", polos and khakis), the way she attacks problems (a big white board with red or blue marker, depending on if she has the solution), not understanding social cues, sensory processing issues, etc.

Her parents honestly kind of sucked! If she was just introverted, maybe they wouldn't seem so bad in my eyes, but if she's autistic... They just seem kinda cruel. Her therapist seemed good but we unfortunately don't get a lot of him. Anyway, her parents (and her new friends) seem to want her to change almost every aspect of her personality. And by the end of the novel.... she kind of does. Probably a spoiler, but she ends up making out with someone by the end of the novel when at the beginning (simply 4 weeks earlier) she can barely hug people.

I think this novel would have been better if Beatrice was simply just a little different; homeschooled, introverted, etc., because then when she "changes" it doesn't feel quite as icky. I think there were better ways to have Beatrice open up by the end of camp besides the romance, like keeping her having real friends and "flirting for the hell of it" would have been great. Instead, what I got out of the novel was that autism could—and should—be fixed.