3.5⭐️

Bummer Camp was not in fact a bummer, but rather a fun, light-hearted, if occasionally outlandish read. Perfect for when you have the urge to fulfill a bit of summer camp nostalgia without having to leave your home. It was a bit uneven at times, with one character in particular taking some bizarre turns, but it was still a quick and entertaining read for a sunny afternoon.

Thank you Ann Garvin, Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a great novel. You can relate to the characters and there is a great plot. Also, the chapter titles were great. You don't see titles for chapters that often anymore

LOVED the cover

This was a fun ride! Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin was filled with all the quirky lovable characters. I was not a kid who attended sleep away summer camp so I am certain this book will hit home even more for folks who did. I did however, day dream about what summer camp would be like. Parent Trap vibes?!

This book was about found family and home being truly where your heart is. Cat rushes back to the last place she ever wanted to go, the camp run by her family. She was certain she had washed her hands of this place but when her nephew, nickname “shirtless” sounded the alarm, she knew she had to go. Upon arrival, Cat is beyond frustrated by the state of things. Her sister Ginger is as scattered as always and truly things are in disarray. However, as Cat tries to save her financial situation from ruin, she starts to see the camp through the eyes of those going there and it’s not at all what she expected.

The book was a little drawn out for me. I found Cat to be way too whiny at times, but nonetheless, I enjoyed this read. The characters from the main sisters to the cook at the camp were all memorable and you found yourself really rooting for them.

I had high hopes for this book, because I really like Ann Garvin as an author and a person, I have happy summer camp memories, and I was in the mood for a fun read. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with it and the humour fell flat for me.

That said, humour is incredibly subjective, and I hope many others will connect. It was still a 3-star read for me because of Ann's obvious skill and talent, and I'm looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Bummer Camp in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a nostalgic read to take you back to your childhood, then this book is for you. Bummer Camp focuses on two sisters who were raised at a camp, because their parents owned the camp. It was a musical theater camp. Now one of the sisters is in charge of the camp and things are not going well. In fact, the camp is struggling/dying. And the people brought in to help are making the situation worse. This book has a cast of characters that will make you laugh and feel furious at the same time.

Thank you so much to Uplit Reads for including me on this tour and gifting me a copy!

Read a number of chapters and was frustrated by the characters depicted...Cat is already over stressed and I didn't care about the outcome at all.

Cat McCarthy returns home to help her sister, Ginger save their family’s theatre camp. When she realizes that Ginger has basically handed over the camp to someone who has fled with their money, Cat decides to step up and help save the camp.

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin was a slow burn story about sisterhood, family obligations, and realizing who you are. I struggled to get into it in the beginning, but once the pace picked up, I ended up enjoying it. The camp setting was fun, and I really liked the secondary characters.

This book has a fun plot, but it’s much more character driven. I found it hard to relate to Cat’s character in the beginning because she was so condescending and patronizing towards her sister and the camp staff. While her character did see growth throughout, I actually preferred Ginger and the quirky secondary characters like Shirtless and Gary, and the camp’s emotional support chicken, Connie more. They brought humor and heart to the story.

I found that pairing the audiobook with my physical copy helped with the pacing, and I enjoyed Andi Arndt’s narration. She was a great choice for Cat’s character.

I love books about sisterhood, and while I struggled with this one a bit, I do think it’s great for anyone who loves a found family story. There was a little romance, some touching moments, some funny scenes, a fun setting, and a great supporting cast of characters.

Thank you to the author, Uplit Reads, Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

There is a slew of drama and some laughs as Cat, detached, single and pregnant, is asked by her seemingly irresponsible sister, Ginger, to help revive their failing family legacy of a theater camp in central Wisconsin. Cat and Ginger enlist the assistance of several misfit characters to pull off a fundraising gala to that could save the camp's future if successful. The supporting characters added depth and dimension, as well as additional comedic relief. I appreciated the underlying message of the importance of belonging and family values, and the nostalgia of summer. I adored references to my home state and geographical area of the setting-a fun way to relate to a story!
3.75 stars

This novel takes you on a ride of two sisters struggling to get their family business in shape. I love the interactions between Cat and Ginger. I did find their story to be very humorous and heartwarming, they are two totally different personalities. Ginger made some unfavorable decisions for the family business and Cat jumps in and tries to help the camp. I would recommend this book to all that enjoy a good humorous family drama novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

"She understood the appeal of the place. The uncomplicated, playful life, the lure of group culture where everyone present was on the same page. A page they'd never considered turning before they arrived at camp."

Having exceptionally fond memories of my few summers at Summer Dance Camp in my early teens, I simply had to read Ann Gavin's book about two sisters tyring to save their family's Summer Camp for theatre kids. Bummer Camp tells the story of Cat, a fiercely independent mom-to-be, and her return to her family home to, once again, put in order what her sister Ginger has messed up. And this time, it is the family business and home: Summer Camp. When Cat returns and finds out Ginger has put the place in the hands of charlatan Bob, who has run for the hills, and left the sisters with a fundraiser gala taking place in just three days, things go from bad to worse, as the sister try to make things work.

So, I am going to start with the not so good. I really, and I mean really, didn't vibe with our main character Cat. She is snooty, and while she is meant to be written as a bit of a know-it-all, it almost became too much for me, meaning I wasn't really able to root for her in this whole summer-of-change storyline. Luckily, some of the other characters (most notably Cat's nephew Shirtless and mysterious groundskeeper Gary) made up for some of that.

Now, what I did really enjoy about the book is the way it managed to capture the feeling of summer camp. The togetherness of being thrown in a group of people you really don't know, but who share the same passion, the feeling of being able to be a little bit braver than you really are, or a little more anything really, testing out parts of who you are, the smell of possibility and overcoming every challenge being thrown your way, and the ultimate sense of dread of losing all that at the end of summer. When I finished the book, I mostly sat there with a "can Summer Camp for adults please become a real thing?"-feeling.

DNF
unfortunetly the writing style of this book wasn't for me. I also didn't like the main character that much

I think I went into this novel with really high expectations given the cover and theme of the book. I was expecting more of a focus no the camp aspect and less on the family tension between Cat & her sister, Ginger.

Cat was not a very likable character, I found her very judgmental, rude and short tempered. The way she treated her sister made my heart hurt to be treated that way by family.

Cat McCarthy left her childhood home/camp behind years ago, now she's seven months pregnant and trying to get everything ready for her future child. One call in the middle of the night from her sister, Ginger, drags Cat back to her home where Ginger is running things, but things are going wrong and Cat might have to pay a big price if she doesn't get things straightened out. Cat and Ginger have three days to create a gala that will convince people to invest in their ambitious summer camp. As Cat finds more reasons to leave the camp behind, she starts to rely on the people who are fully invested in making the camp work.

Thank you, NetGalley, for gifting me this book. From page one I found my new favorite author and devoured this book in a matter of days. Garvin's writing is artfully mixed with metaphors that will impress any reader. She did an amazing job making the story more chaotic as it went, creating a endearing ending that tied the entire story together. Garvin did an amazing job tying in the Cat's family's background in theater, it helped tie in the character's true feelings. I hope to see more from Garvin, but until then, I'll have to search for her other works.

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin is a cozy, end-of-summer read. This is my second Garvin novel, and I find her books both very funny, and hard to put down. I think that this book excellently sets itself up for a sequel should the author choose to pursue one. My only qualm with the book is that it did not do more to build on the premise of a camp for anxious adults. Given the author’s sense of humor, I could have seen this being a bit more of an interesting centerpiece. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy a light read with a summer camp setting.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, Uplit Reads and Ann Garvin for the arc!

Bummer Camp is a feel good story about two sisters with very different personalities and a band of misfit camp staff coming together to save their beloved theater camp. All the descriptions of the mountain & lake scenery plus the fun activities (craft cabin and concession store, I’m looking at you!) made me so nostalgic for my days at summer camp!

With sprinkles of humor, silliness and a little mystery, too … this was a fun and relaxing read, perfect for wrapping up summer! Plus ... lots of Wizard of Oz references which is ALWAYS a win!

A pregnant Cat McCarthy is seeking a quiet, comfy life for her and her baby when an urgent call pulls her back to her family's summer camp. Her sister, Ginger, has been running the camp but now faces the threat of bankruptcy. Cat feels almost obligated to step in and save the day.
This story had me laughing throughout, with a delightful cast of misfit characters and a quirky therapy chicken named Connie. Each character felt welcomed and accepted at the camp, and it was heartwarming to see two sisters, as different as night and day, try to learn from each other. The camp itself, rebranded from a theater camp to a retreat for anxious adults, provides a place of healing and relaxation.

While Cat's character was unique, I understood and appreciated her as the story developed. Ginger and the lovable camp staff like Shirtless Gary added to the charm and humor. The relationships and dynamics between the characters felt relatable, and I was touched by how their parents' story unfolded as well.

Although the pacing started slow, the book became a feel-good read with surprises along the way. I give this 3.5 stars!

Thank you Lake Union for this fun end of summer read, I picked this off NetGalley as a Labor Day weekend treat when I wanted to savor one more fun summer camp read. This was perfect for a quick escape and well developed themes that I enjoy: summer camp being repurposed for adults, family and sister relationships, humor, nostalgia and self growth. Ann Garvin's Bummer Camp was a fun snapshot of all that I love about a summer camp read wrapped in a funny and charming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I thought the premise was fun, the beginning of the book promising, but somewhere in the middle I really fell off and struggled to finish. The characters are all infuriating in different ways. The lack of clear communication is maddening. While I appreciate the "be yourself" type message, Ginger was the worst character of the book for me - a petulant child in a grown woman's body. I wanted to root for Cat so many times, but so often she is single-minded to the point of ridiculousness and it becomes frustrating - especially near the end of the book.

I was ultimately charmed by many of the side characters (although there were too many of them), and I always love a story about an underdog.

Thank you for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just ok. It was pretty slow and uneventful for most of the book and although it picks up toward the end it was just not a super enjoyable or fun read for me. There were a lot of characters, a lot of talking, but not a lot of action happening. I did appreciate Gary but sadly he was the only character I really liked or connected with...

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin has humor, heart, and all the feels!
I absolutely adored this book. It was funny, emotional and downright entertaining.
The characters are great and that’s what makes them stand out for me. They are unique, real, and compelling.
I just enjoyed this story tremendously.