This book started off a bit slow for me but, overall it turned out to be a solid read.

At first, I found Cat to be somewhat unlikeable, but over time, I started to understand her and even like her.

The camp staff - Ginger, Shirtless, Gary, and the others were a loveable group of “misfits”. They felt like very relatable characters and each one contributed something special to the camp.

It was a great summer read focusing on saving a beloved summer camp. I enjoyed the camp dynamics, the layers to the plot, and the little surprises along the way.

It takes place in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, which was a stop on mine and my husband’s recent road trip.

Bummer Camp is one of those books that draws you in and keeps you hanging on as Cat, hugely pregnant, takes charge to save her family's camp--the camp she's not supposed to be responsible for. Failure is not an option, because it will cost her everything, and just might, regardless.
Summer Camp for adults, everything has gone wrong. There's one chance to fix it, but they're running out of time, resources, and help. A motley crew of staff bands together as Cat rallies them. As everything falls into place, barriers, antural and unnatural, rear up, thwarting Cat at every turn. Cat realizes she has to delegate and trust others to do their part in order for it to work--she can't do it all. 
As it all comes together, Cat's personal life is exposed, and her vulnerability and strength are remarkable. She'll do anything to save the camp and protect her baby. And, she might even find love.
The nostalgia of summer camp combined by life's ups and downs makes this book a must-read!

I love Ann Garvin's books, and had high hopes for this one. I don't know why, but I had trouble getting into it. I wasn't connecting the characters, but thought it was a good, unique plot. I enjoyed it but give it a few chapters in to give it a solid chance.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a big fan of Ann Garvin’s previous books. This one, however, was a jumble to me. I enjoyed the plot, but there was so much going on that it just felt like too much! I did end up enjoying it and really look forward to the author’s future books!

After getting a series of calls and texts from her sister and nephew, Cat returns to her childhood home within a summer camp that her family runs to help save it from financial ruin. This book had a lot of fun qualities to it. I enjoyed the theater references and the way the camp became a home to everyone there, regardless of who they were. I loved the quirky characters and the way that they all came together in the end. I also found the ending to be very sweet, and a great way to tie it all together.

**spoilers below**
Overall though, I think it tried to be too many things at once. There are many times throughout the book that I couldn't tell if events were supposed to be taken seriously, or they were meant to be "campy." It was a mix of both that never really flowed well for me. There were also times when we were expected to suspend reality just a bit too much: Drugging people without their consent and then having them just be ok with it? Bob is supposed to be this mastermind after everything? The total 180 of the attitudes of the "rich people." The scenes didn't always flow smoothly and because it felt like the book couldn't decide what it wanted to be, the characters felt like caricatures of the different archetypes they represent.

This was a great end of summer read! I loved the family dynamic and fast yet thorough character development. Shirtless may need his own book!

Without spoiling the ending, the author managed to touch on so many real life issues and how we handle them in our own way, in our own time.

Fast and fun read with just a hint of reality thrown in to keep you grounded. I will be adding more Ann Garvin to my TBR list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(3.5/5)

“Her sister had opened her mouth to speak when a short, solid gargoyle of a woman moved silently and smoothly into the doorway, as if on rollers.” 🤣😂🤣 I’m like I already don’t like this woman and when she talked about signing the document she gave me serious Ursula the sea witch vibes. Which is even more hilarious after finishing the book because there actually is a little mermaid reference 🧜‍♀️

“Maybe love was as simple as showing up and doing what you don’t want to do.”

When Ginger finally started feeling a bit more confident with her sister Cat at her side and called Elaine “Ellen” even after Elaine corrected her it was too funny.

To be honest, I did struggle a bit to really get invested in this one but by the end I really became attached to the characters. I really enjoyed seeing the growth of all the characters.

I think that’s maybe the writing style for this one didn’t click with my brain’s reading style. It was decent and I loved the “everybody is welcome” vibes. Overall, a good feel good read for the summer.

Two sisters, a beloved summer camp and one summer’s fight to save it. This was a perfect way to end the summer and had a bit of everything- nostalgia, humor, a quirky cast of misfits banding together and was a combination of heartfelt women’s fiction, mystery/suspense and romance. Recommended for fans authors like Kristy Woodson Harvey, Kate Spencer and Ali brady!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @uplitreads for allowing me to be part of the book promo tour for this one! It was also great on audio narrated by Andi Arndt!

This book was exceptional. This is the perfect book if you just want k hold onto summer a bit longer, I loved the sisters aspect and the crazy cast of characters. I knew I would be in for a good ride and I was not disappointed. Absolutely loved it

I just finished reading Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin. This was a funny, riveting book that kept me turning the page to the very end.

Maybe this book just isn't for me.

I found this to be so incredibly slow. It took forever for anything to start really start happening, and even one it did start, that was slow too.

I felt like there were so many background/side characters in this book (and I usually LOVE a good side character), but I found these ones to not be as fully flushed out and developed as I like. And there were so many. The sheer number of side characters along with them not having that much background and development made it really hard for me to keep track of them all. I often had to go "wait, which one is this again." And that can really pull you out of the story.

And I'm never into a character getting pregnant...sorry, it always feels cheap or like a cop-out. It just didn't quite make sense to me here.

The premise of this book was so cool and had so much potential (it surrounds a summer camp that the main character's family owned) and that could've been so cool and really utilized. But it fell SUPER flat and really dragged. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely some good parts of this book, but overall, I wish it had given me more. Maybe there was just too much going on at once and being too slowly paced that just was not the right combination for a captivating read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My review on Goodreads in up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly wrap-up!

Bummer Camp by A. Garvin is an ok summer read. Cat and her sister Ginger are kind of estranged, but now Ginger needs her help.
Cat reluctantly goes to Summer Camp where everyday madness rules.
Reading this book was like watching a slapstick movie, watching something headless running around achieving nothing.

The cover first caught my eye! I mean, who can resist it? A book from the talented Ann Garvin gives a feeling of pure happiness. Her latest is a funny & sad book with lots going on. I’ve never been to summer camp, but in Bummer Camp, I felt like I was there. It gives a little feeling of holding onto summer a little longer when we’re wrapping up the season.

Thank you, Ann Garvin, Lake Union Publishing, Uplit Reads & netgalley, for my early copy! All opinions are my own.

Sisters Cat and Ginger scramble to save their family’s theater camp after a series unfortunate events threaten to destroy their family’s legacy.

I love anytime I’m able to relive the magic of camp and enjoyed how Bummer Camp puts a spin on the typical summer camp novel.

Bummer Camp is a beautiful story of people coming together to help save a place they care about. The characters are so wonderfully quirky and the easiest to root for. Ann’s humor is woven into the story in all the right places.

There’s also a Wizard of Oz element 🌈

⛺️Happy PUB DAY, Bummer Camp! This was a fun book to kind of wrap up my summer reading as I get ready to lean into more fall books! Thank you to @uplitreads and the author who shared this gifted copy with me.

⛺️ This book centers around two sisters who grew up at a summer camp in Wisconsin. One fled for a life away from camp, while one stayed. But THIS summer Cat gets a frantic call to come back, because camp is in trouble.

⛺️ When I tell you chaos ensued, it ENSUED, y’all. There was a lot going on here! Possible scams, a lot of random drugs, an accidental pregnancy, confusion over exactly who is doing what and who is at fault.

⛺️ At times, I found it all a bit hard to follow but this was also a book that didn’t take itself to seriously (I think). There were a lot of silly and out-there moments that I enjoyed. I really liked the way the sisters came together in the end. This is out today! Is it on your TBR?

This hilarious and touching story of sisters who come together to save the summer camp. But wait .. this story is about so much more. Love, loss, regret, angst, family bonds, possibility, and pregnancy! What an amazing combination brought together through the gifted hands of Ann Garvin. She makes us laugh while we're crying, and creates all the feelings stored inside each of us - as we relive our days at Summer camp!

Description: "Two sisters scramble to save their family’s legacy in a funny, huge-hearted novel about grandiose plans and summers to remember by the author of I Thought You Said This Would Work.

Cat McCarthy has spent years extricating herself from the family business—an increasingly run-down theater camp—and all the drama contained within it. At thirty-seven, she’s putting the final touches on a new life as she renovates her dream cottage and awaits her first child. Does it worry her that the McCarthy legacy is in the hands of her disastrously irresponsible sister, Ginger? Sure. But the camp’s not Cat’s problem anymore.

Then a series of frantic text messages pulls Cat back to center stage. Ginger has handed the reins to a crackpot motivational speaker, Bob Durand, and his scheming wife, Elaine. The couple’s plan to rebrand the camp as a “rehab” for anxious adults has nearly bankrupted the McCarthys. And now the Durands have skipped town days before investors arrive for a fundraising gala that could determine the camp’s future."

4.5 stars rounded up

The second 2/3 of Bummer Camp were a total win for me! The beginning felt a little slow and I was not sure there was going to be a spectacular story in this book, but I was wrong. Totally, and completely wrong.

Cat arrives at Summer Camp and that’s when she begins to crack open. Just a little at first, observing the folks working at camp, the state of things and her own life. Little by little, the crack gets bigger until it all breaks open! The story of how Cat lets go, embraces her family and allows herself to not be perfect is a beautiful one for sure.

Advance reader copy provided by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I love reading Ann Gavin's books and I was especially excited about Bummer Camp because hello, camp! Man do I have the best memories growing up attending summer camp. The friends I made, the crafts, swimming in the pool and lake, and all the amazing camp songs. So reading Bummer Camp got me feeling all those cozy feels. The book is about two sisters who grew up attending their families summer camp and later go on to run it themselves.
Cat has a life of her own and a baby on the way. Being alone and independant is exactly how she wants it. Her sister Ginger is set on dragging Cat back into camp drama and a call for help has Cat running back to her childhood home. The camp is in trouble and no matter how much Cat tries not to care deep down she does. The camp has struggled over the years and what started as a theater camp turned into a wellness retreat and really any kind of camp they can offer to get campers signed up!
Is it time to let the camp go or should the sisters come up with a plan to save it? First they need to stop battling each other, next they need to find out what one of the counselors is up to because it's not good, and lastly they need to bury the past and figure out how to move forward because soon Cat will be a mom and she'll need all the support she can get!

Cat’s life revolved around the summer camp her family owned for her whole life, but then she finally extracted herself from it - now she’s independent, pregnant, and very single. Then one night she gets a call from her nephew begging her to come help his mom who now runs the camp - she’s gotten herself into a mess and they need Cat to come save the camp from ruin. Cat runs up to find that they have let the camp be run by a charlatan named Bob and his evil wife and they has run off leaving the very young staff with no supplies or internet (since Bob believed everyone should unplug). In addition, Bob scheduled a gala for donors to visit the camp (although one is coming to try and convince the rest to turn it into a water park). Can Cat, her sister, the handsome groundskeeper and the young staff pull of a gala in less than a week (with no supplies) and try to save the camp from becoming a water park?

I really wanted to love this one, I love summer camp and I the idea behind this one - I just think there was too much going on. I think the basic story was great: family run camp, family drama, cute groundskeeper come together to save a camp - all ingredients for a wonderful feel good summer camp story. There were just too many other ingredients thrown in pot that muddied the water. Some parts of the book were really enjoyable but I did feel that the story got a bit unfocused at times and therefore my mind wandered while reading as well.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union for the ARC

Feeling woebegone because summer is almost over? Need one last infusion of summer vibes?
Bummer Camp offers that and much more. My sympathy lay with Cat for the majority of the book given what I was reading. I really had a strong dislike for Ginger based on what I believed was her messing up and Cat having to fix everything all the time.
Garvin fooled me with a lot, Including the true nature of some of the characters and even the real name of one of them!!!
I do wish Steve had been carried off by the storm but maybe in the future.
I love the colorful cover and also the feeling of the belonging Bummer Camp creates for its guests.
I was never a camp kid but I enjoyed reading about summer camps and their antics.