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Tent City #1
Tent City
The starvation that followed the locust invasion nearly decimated the human population. Now five years later, America’s citizens are faced with a choice. Send their children to safety camps designed to rebuild the human race or fight back.
Dani Campbell, a shy dreamer, lives out her days on a South Dakota farm running away from a devastating past. Dani and her family work hard to stay under the radar and out of the way of the new totalitarian government. They dutifully cooperate as their crops are stolen and their liberties disappear.
But that was before The Council’s newest order. Unable to accept her fate, Dani decides it’s finally time to do something. Driven by her refusal to hand over her brother to the government, Dani makes the only choice she can. Will it be enough to survive?
Tent City is a dystopian novel that takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Part survival, part coming of age with a dash of romance, Tent City asks, what lengths would you go to in order to ensure the survival of the ones you love?
Dani Campbell, a shy dreamer, lives out her days on a South Dakota farm running away from a devastating past. Dani and her family work hard to stay under the radar and out of the way of the new totalitarian government. They dutifully cooperate as their crops are stolen and their liberties disappear.
But that was before The Council’s newest order. Unable to accept her fate, Dani decides it’s finally time to do something. Driven by her refusal to hand over her brother to the government, Dani makes the only choice she can. Will it be enough to survive?
Tent City is a dystopian novel that takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Part survival, part coming of age with a dash of romance, Tent City asks, what lengths would you go to in order to ensure the survival of the ones you love?
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2013
63 people are currently reading
1461 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Van Hull
2 books98 followersFOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK :)
https://www.facebook.com/TentCityByKe...
Where do we go from here? Tent City and Red River have reached further in the world than I could have ever imagined, even surprisingly finding homes in the hearts of readers I would never expect would care to hang out with Dani, Brody, and the rest of the gang in Tent City. Readers are the most amazing creatures I've ever come across. I have such a huge adoration for them, all readers, not just the ones who read my work.
Just for a sneak peak of what's coming next, my latest work in progress has taken an interesting turn and I won't say much, but it's looking to be a companion novel for Tent City series, and maybe not in the way you would expect.
As far as what's going on in my life, this last little kiddo keeps me from finishing that novel, but I'm more determined than ever and I hope to have something for you by September.
Happy Reading Everyone!
https://www.facebook.com/TentCityByKe...
Where do we go from here? Tent City and Red River have reached further in the world than I could have ever imagined, even surprisingly finding homes in the hearts of readers I would never expect would care to hang out with Dani, Brody, and the rest of the gang in Tent City. Readers are the most amazing creatures I've ever come across. I have such a huge adoration for them, all readers, not just the ones who read my work.
Just for a sneak peak of what's coming next, my latest work in progress has taken an interesting turn and I won't say much, but it's looking to be a companion novel for Tent City series, and maybe not in the way you would expect.
As far as what's going on in my life, this last little kiddo keeps me from finishing that novel, but I'm more determined than ever and I hope to have something for you by September.
Happy Reading Everyone!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
April 29, 2015
I just couldn't understand how he could just take a life as if it meant nothing.
But that's not how it was. It was necessary. Necessary for survival. I feel bad about the lives I may have taken, but I understand. It was me or them.
If I had only known that I was capable of all this before we left, this might have been a little easier. Back then, I was scared all the time. But maybe this journey is what got me here.
BOOK #11 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
Boom!
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It's the future and America is a dictatorship run by a man called General Burke. After a plague of locusts 7 years ago, food shortages and illness have ravaged the country. That's when General Burke took over the government and started issuing commands. He (the government) now owns all lands and property. He monitors all calls and mail. Dissenters are disappeared. All of this is tolerated, but when he demands all children aged 5-18 be rounded up and put in camps, Dani's father has decided he's had enough. He asks Dani if she would be willing to 'run away' to the family's summer cabin in the woods, taking her little brother Brody with her. She agrees - under the condition that her brash best friend Kit come along.
They venture out into the woods, hoping to hide from the government's agents and survive until the family can be reunited once again.
...
There was some stuff I liked, and some stuff that made me angry. Let's break it down:
PROS:
1.) This book has a pretty good plot. Two 17-year-old girls on the run in the forest with a little boy in tow. Who will they meet? Can they survive? Who can they trust?
2.) Dani is a runner. I loved reading about how much running means to her, how running helps keep her sane, and how running is amazing in general. Nice touch.
3.) Religious subplot and undertones. I can't say much more without giving stuff away, but I thought Van Hull did a good job of being artful in weaving this into the story.
4.) How the book approaches make-up and appearances. Dani usually doesn't wear make-up, but her best friend Kit does. And in one point in the book, Kit puts a bit of make-up on Dani.
"Now, just sit still." She begins with some eye shadow. "I know you don't like all this stuff, but it can't hurt to put a little time into yourself. I know you think it's not important how you look, but it's not just about other people. I do this because when I walk out of here, I'm going to feel good about myself because I like what I see."
Well, I don't wear make-up (unless I'm in the wedding party or going to a formal dance - so very rarely) but I like this idea that make-up is about yourself. Not to please others but to please yourself and make yourself more confident.
And, I really like that Van Hull doesn't make Dani putting on a little make-up into a big deal. No one comments on it, it doesn't make the boys more interested in her - nothing. This is good. More normal and real than what I usually see in novels.
5.) The whole "Say My Name, Say My Name" subplot. This basically revolves around Bentley saying Dani's name in every sentence and her wondering what his deal is. The way it plays out is subtle and nicely done.
6.) Dani flirting / being friendly in order to get information out of people. Instead of being skeeved by this behavior, I am actually relieved. I infinitely prefer this to when MCs just make really bad decisions being friendly and flirting with people who they should be suspicious/wary of. And it shows that Dani has (at least some) brains.
7.) The romance is not weird, trite, overly stressed, or dramatic. It's pretty straightforward and normal (for a love triangle.) It's not very sexual, it's not very possessive, obsessive or overwrought. Well done. Dani doesn't completely lose her head over the boys vying for her attention.
8.) Killing. Dani kills people, Bentley kills people. I hate these YA dystopian books where the world has obviously gone to shit but people are too bleeding-heart (or the author is too "think of the children!") to actually bring themselves to kill. In this book, killing is sometimes necessary and so that's what happens. End of story. Loved it.
9.) Becoming a badass. Dani goes from being an ingenue to someone who is a survivalist badass. This transformation doesn't even begin until 40% and I really liked how it went down. After a disastrous event, Kit tells Dani
"I said, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit around and mope about how 'unwildernessy' you are?"
"That's not even a real word, Kit." She smiles and I can tell she is considering herself quite clever now.
"Yes, it is. I just said it. And I mean it. You think you're not good at this stuff? Do something about it. It's not like you don't have time... Why don't you start some kind of training? Study maps, learn the land, learn to fight... do something about it!"...
...my mind is spinning with the idea of remaking myself. She's right. I don't have to be this helpless girl anymore.
Booyah! So she trains, learns how to fight, learns a bit of medicine, etc. etc. Over the course of months, she turns into a more badass version of herself. Great! I liked the message that you need to work for that (unlike heroines who just "naturally" have all sorts of skills with no training) and the fact that it takes time.
It's funny how I just realized there is no one to help us. I think we just get panicked and look to someone else to save us, but really out here, there's no one but us. We either figure out a way to solve it ourselves, or die.
10.) Great ending.
...
CONS
1.) Van Hull employs this "I know what I'm doing is stupid but I'm doing it anyway because I just can't help myself" thing that seriously annoys me. It's as if she knows her characters are doing something dumb, but can't think of a good reason that they're doing this dumb stuff. She knows the reader will think it's dumb, so she tries to justify it by saying this kind of thing:
I don't know if I should turn around and go back, or keep going to see what it is. Maybe it's just a reflection off of something.
Common sense tells me I should turn around and go back, but somehow I'm drawn in like a bug to a zapper.
Mmmmm-hmmmmm. Sure. What about:
I forget I should worry about whether he's safe or not and now I'm just interested in seeing what he's got. It brings me back to fishing with my dad and I'm overwhelmed with the desire to be sitting on the boat with him.
Let me get this straight. You see a teenager fishing. You are supposed to be on the run and not talking to anybody because you don't know who you can trust. You KNOW you shouldn't approach/talk to him but you do anyway because... you used to fish with your dad!?!?!? How stupid are you?!!?!?
Another way Van Hull can be seen to be deliberately manipulating the plot is this example: when Dani leaves home her father gives her an envelope with a letter. For the first few days out, she's all like "I'll just read this letter later." For no good reason, and with the reader screaming at her to "Read it now!" because you can see a mile off what's coming. Yes, of course, the letter is damaged and becomes unreadable and now we'll never know the important stuff her father might have put in there.
I'd rather have Van Hull destroy the letter right off instead of making Dani seem like an absolute idiot for putting off reading it. If you were leaving your family and your home to go into the woods, not knowing when or if you'd see them again, do you think you'd just NOT open a letter your dad gave you? Or put it off till later? NO. Of course you wouldn't. Ridiculous. Just bad writing.
What about this: Dani & Co. are ambushed by a man with a ski mask and a gun. He interrogates them. Then he takes off his mask.
I know he's still talking, but I'm too distracted by his face to hear what he's saying. I was expecting some sort of ruffian with a long beard and missing teeth, certainly not this. He has blond hair... his skin is tan, ... his eyes are green...
OMG. Seriously!?!?! This man, who 2 seconds ago had a gun trained on you, is talking to you and might be saying anything - could be really important - and you can't focus because he is handsome!?!?! WTF?!?!?! I can't even with this. Listen, I love men. Love them. But you'd best believe there's not a man on Earth handsome enough that I would be checking him out after he just threatened my life and the lives of my best friend and my little brother. No way in hell.
How about when Dani meets some people in the woods at about 64%
They can't possibly be dangerous if they have a little girl with them.
*bangs head against wall* How can you be this dumb? HOW??!!??
2.) Love triangle. Even worse, a love triangle involving Does every YA book have to have a love triangle in it? There are other ways to build suspense and make things interesting, you know.
3.) Both Kit and Dani seem to have problems keeping their mouths shut and are always blabbing their business to people they shouldn't. It's highly frustrating to the reader.
4.) Avoidance. Both the boys in the love triangle (Jack and Bentley) are lying, evasive, secretive people who hide a lot of important information from Dani. I really wanted to beat the shit out of both of them. Grrrrrrr. And Dani always forgives them because "they are just so dreamy!"
5.) The fight scenes are unclear, vague, and not exciting.
6.)
...
NEUTRAL:
1.) When we are first introduced to Callie we get descriptions like
She has the whitest teeth I've ever seen, which only makes her mocha skin seem deeper brown, almost velvety. Or is it the tan skin that makes her teeth whiter? Either way, she is striking in an exotic way.
Okay, that grates my cheese for a number of reasons. First, non-white DOES NOT equal exotic. Just no. No, no, no. Especially since everyone is American in this book. That means they are all citizens of the same country. Someone who is a 6th-generation (let's say) Chinese-American is just as non-exotic (regular? Normal? Typical?) as a 6th-generation Irish-American. Secondly, if you are going to put a character in your book and talk about their skin color, just explain what ethnicity/race they are. JUST SAY IT. I am not offended if you say, "She was white/ she was black/ she was Asian / she was Latina" or whatever, I mean JUST SPIT IT OUT. Stop being so coy. It's very annoying. Either don't mention race/ethnicity at all or tell us what's up point-blank.
I forgave Van Hull for annoying me when she finally reveals, about 55% of the way through the book, that Callie is Native American. What a relief! You could have just said that at the beginning. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just saying, "She's Native American." JUST SAY IT instead of going on and on about her "velvety brown skin" which frankly could mean anything. Vague is NOT your friend.
...
Tl;dr - This was a mixed bag. I usually don't like YA, and this book has some of the tropes I hate (love triangle, heroine who sometimes seems to have a case of "the dumb,") but did some other things well. I liked the ending and am actually considering reading the next book in the series. (You're shocked, I know.)
Can I mention just one more thing? Usually, at the end of a self-published novel, I will run into some spiel about "If you enjoyed this book, please write a review on Amazon!" or something similar. I completely understand this and don't mind it, but it miffs me that they only say, "if you liked it" or "if you enjoyed it." To me, this insinuates that if you DIDN'T enjoy it, you should keep your mouth shut. Van Hull surprised me with her classy:
Tent City is a self-published novel. If you enjoyed the read (and even if you didn't), please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. The most valuable asset for an indie author is their reviews.... Writing is our passion and seeing your thoughts (good or bad), is the best feeling in the world...
THIS IS WINNING SO MANY POINTS FROM ME. Wow, it is so refreshing and such a relief to read this at the end of an indie book, I can tell you. Extra points to Van Hull. So classy.
I got this for free on my Kindle by just browsing through Amazon, they were having a special. This was entry #11 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
But that's not how it was. It was necessary. Necessary for survival. I feel bad about the lives I may have taken, but I understand. It was me or them.
If I had only known that I was capable of all this before we left, this might have been a little easier. Back then, I was scared all the time. But maybe this journey is what got me here.
BOOK #11 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
Boom!
I have mixed feelings about this book.
It's the future and America is a dictatorship run by a man called General Burke. After a plague of locusts 7 years ago, food shortages and illness have ravaged the country. That's when General Burke took over the government and started issuing commands. He (the government) now owns all lands and property. He monitors all calls and mail. Dissenters are disappeared. All of this is tolerated, but when he demands all children aged 5-18 be rounded up and put in camps, Dani's father has decided he's had enough. He asks Dani if she would be willing to 'run away' to the family's summer cabin in the woods, taking her little brother Brody with her. She agrees - under the condition that her brash best friend Kit come along.
They venture out into the woods, hoping to hide from the government's agents and survive until the family can be reunited once again.
...
There was some stuff I liked, and some stuff that made me angry. Let's break it down:
PROS:
1.) This book has a pretty good plot. Two 17-year-old girls on the run in the forest with a little boy in tow. Who will they meet? Can they survive? Who can they trust?
2.) Dani is a runner. I loved reading about how much running means to her, how running helps keep her sane, and how running is amazing in general. Nice touch.
3.) Religious subplot and undertones. I can't say much more without giving stuff away, but I thought Van Hull did a good job of being artful in weaving this into the story.
4.) How the book approaches make-up and appearances. Dani usually doesn't wear make-up, but her best friend Kit does. And in one point in the book, Kit puts a bit of make-up on Dani.
"Now, just sit still." She begins with some eye shadow. "I know you don't like all this stuff, but it can't hurt to put a little time into yourself. I know you think it's not important how you look, but it's not just about other people. I do this because when I walk out of here, I'm going to feel good about myself because I like what I see."
Well, I don't wear make-up (unless I'm in the wedding party or going to a formal dance - so very rarely) but I like this idea that make-up is about yourself. Not to please others but to please yourself and make yourself more confident.
And, I really like that Van Hull doesn't make Dani putting on a little make-up into a big deal. No one comments on it, it doesn't make the boys more interested in her - nothing. This is good. More normal and real than what I usually see in novels.
5.) The whole "Say My Name, Say My Name" subplot. This basically revolves around Bentley saying Dani's name in every sentence and her wondering what his deal is. The way it plays out is subtle and nicely done.
6.) Dani flirting / being friendly in order to get information out of people. Instead of being skeeved by this behavior, I am actually relieved. I infinitely prefer this to when MCs just make really bad decisions being friendly and flirting with people who they should be suspicious/wary of. And it shows that Dani has (at least some) brains.
7.) The romance is not weird, trite, overly stressed, or dramatic. It's pretty straightforward and normal (for a love triangle.) It's not very sexual, it's not very possessive, obsessive or overwrought. Well done. Dani doesn't completely lose her head over the boys vying for her attention.
8.) Killing. Dani kills people, Bentley kills people. I hate these YA dystopian books where the world has obviously gone to shit but people are too bleeding-heart (or the author is too "think of the children!") to actually bring themselves to kill. In this book, killing is sometimes necessary and so that's what happens. End of story. Loved it.
9.) Becoming a badass. Dani goes from being an ingenue to someone who is a survivalist badass. This transformation doesn't even begin until 40% and I really liked how it went down. After a disastrous event, Kit tells Dani
"I said, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit around and mope about how 'unwildernessy' you are?"
"That's not even a real word, Kit." She smiles and I can tell she is considering herself quite clever now.
"Yes, it is. I just said it. And I mean it. You think you're not good at this stuff? Do something about it. It's not like you don't have time... Why don't you start some kind of training? Study maps, learn the land, learn to fight... do something about it!"...
...my mind is spinning with the idea of remaking myself. She's right. I don't have to be this helpless girl anymore.
Booyah! So she trains, learns how to fight, learns a bit of medicine, etc. etc. Over the course of months, she turns into a more badass version of herself. Great! I liked the message that you need to work for that (unlike heroines who just "naturally" have all sorts of skills with no training) and the fact that it takes time.
It's funny how I just realized there is no one to help us. I think we just get panicked and look to someone else to save us, but really out here, there's no one but us. We either figure out a way to solve it ourselves, or die.
10.) Great ending.
...
CONS
1.) Van Hull employs this "I know what I'm doing is stupid but I'm doing it anyway because I just can't help myself" thing that seriously annoys me. It's as if she knows her characters are doing something dumb, but can't think of a good reason that they're doing this dumb stuff. She knows the reader will think it's dumb, so she tries to justify it by saying this kind of thing:
I don't know if I should turn around and go back, or keep going to see what it is. Maybe it's just a reflection off of something.
Common sense tells me I should turn around and go back, but somehow I'm drawn in like a bug to a zapper.
Mmmmm-hmmmmm. Sure. What about:
I forget I should worry about whether he's safe or not and now I'm just interested in seeing what he's got. It brings me back to fishing with my dad and I'm overwhelmed with the desire to be sitting on the boat with him.
Let me get this straight. You see a teenager fishing. You are supposed to be on the run and not talking to anybody because you don't know who you can trust. You KNOW you shouldn't approach/talk to him but you do anyway because... you used to fish with your dad!?!?!? How stupid are you?!!?!?
Another way Van Hull can be seen to be deliberately manipulating the plot is this example: when Dani leaves home her father gives her an envelope with a letter. For the first few days out, she's all like "I'll just read this letter later." For no good reason, and with the reader screaming at her to "Read it now!" because you can see a mile off what's coming. Yes, of course, the letter is damaged and becomes unreadable and now we'll never know the important stuff her father might have put in there.
I'd rather have Van Hull destroy the letter right off instead of making Dani seem like an absolute idiot for putting off reading it. If you were leaving your family and your home to go into the woods, not knowing when or if you'd see them again, do you think you'd just NOT open a letter your dad gave you? Or put it off till later? NO. Of course you wouldn't. Ridiculous. Just bad writing.
What about this: Dani & Co. are ambushed by a man with a ski mask and a gun. He interrogates them. Then he takes off his mask.
I know he's still talking, but I'm too distracted by his face to hear what he's saying. I was expecting some sort of ruffian with a long beard and missing teeth, certainly not this. He has blond hair... his skin is tan, ... his eyes are green...
OMG. Seriously!?!?! This man, who 2 seconds ago had a gun trained on you, is talking to you and might be saying anything - could be really important - and you can't focus because he is handsome!?!?! WTF?!?!?! I can't even with this. Listen, I love men. Love them. But you'd best believe there's not a man on Earth handsome enough that I would be checking him out after he just threatened my life and the lives of my best friend and my little brother. No way in hell.
How about when Dani meets some people in the woods at about 64%
They can't possibly be dangerous if they have a little girl with them.
*bangs head against wall* How can you be this dumb? HOW??!!??
2.) Love triangle. Even worse, a love triangle involving Does every YA book have to have a love triangle in it? There are other ways to build suspense and make things interesting, you know.
3.) Both Kit and Dani seem to have problems keeping their mouths shut and are always blabbing their business to people they shouldn't. It's highly frustrating to the reader.
4.) Avoidance. Both the boys in the love triangle (Jack and Bentley) are lying, evasive, secretive people who hide a lot of important information from Dani. I really wanted to beat the shit out of both of them. Grrrrrrr. And Dani always forgives them because "they are just so dreamy!"
5.) The fight scenes are unclear, vague, and not exciting.
6.)
...
NEUTRAL:
1.) When we are first introduced to Callie we get descriptions like
She has the whitest teeth I've ever seen, which only makes her mocha skin seem deeper brown, almost velvety. Or is it the tan skin that makes her teeth whiter? Either way, she is striking in an exotic way.
Okay, that grates my cheese for a number of reasons. First, non-white DOES NOT equal exotic. Just no. No, no, no. Especially since everyone is American in this book. That means they are all citizens of the same country. Someone who is a 6th-generation (let's say) Chinese-American is just as non-exotic (regular? Normal? Typical?) as a 6th-generation Irish-American. Secondly, if you are going to put a character in your book and talk about their skin color, just explain what ethnicity/race they are. JUST SAY IT. I am not offended if you say, "She was white/ she was black/ she was Asian / she was Latina" or whatever, I mean JUST SPIT IT OUT. Stop being so coy. It's very annoying. Either don't mention race/ethnicity at all or tell us what's up point-blank.
I forgave Van Hull for annoying me when she finally reveals, about 55% of the way through the book, that Callie is Native American. What a relief! You could have just said that at the beginning. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just saying, "She's Native American." JUST SAY IT instead of going on and on about her "velvety brown skin" which frankly could mean anything. Vague is NOT your friend.
...
Tl;dr - This was a mixed bag. I usually don't like YA, and this book has some of the tropes I hate (love triangle, heroine who sometimes seems to have a case of "the dumb,") but did some other things well. I liked the ending and am actually considering reading the next book in the series. (You're shocked, I know.)
Can I mention just one more thing? Usually, at the end of a self-published novel, I will run into some spiel about "If you enjoyed this book, please write a review on Amazon!" or something similar. I completely understand this and don't mind it, but it miffs me that they only say, "if you liked it" or "if you enjoyed it." To me, this insinuates that if you DIDN'T enjoy it, you should keep your mouth shut. Van Hull surprised me with her classy:
Tent City is a self-published novel. If you enjoyed the read (and even if you didn't), please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. The most valuable asset for an indie author is their reviews.... Writing is our passion and seeing your thoughts (good or bad), is the best feeling in the world...
THIS IS WINNING SO MANY POINTS FROM ME. Wow, it is so refreshing and such a relief to read this at the end of an indie book, I can tell you. Extra points to Van Hull. So classy.
I got this for free on my Kindle by just browsing through Amazon, they were having a special. This was entry #11 in Carmen-Downloads-20-Free-Ebooks-Onto-Her-Kindle-Day. More widely known as March 3rd, 2015.
October 28, 2013
For book reviews and more, please visit my book blog, The Book Stop
Tent City was a book I was more then excited to read. What intrigued me most, was the original concept of the plot. It’s hard to find an original dystopian novel, with the genre at it’s peak these days. But it’s not everything to have a glowing concept, as we all know. And Tent City greatly disappointed me with most of the basic aspects of a good book. The idea had potential, but as a novel overall, Tent City has less than impressed me.
When we start Tent City we’re thrust right into the action. In most instances, this is an exciting way to introduce the reader into the story. But in the case of Tent City, as we’re reading we have no idea who these characters are, what their relationship with each other is, what their surroundings look like, what they look like. There is no character description or development. We’re hopeful maybe this will change, but as we keep reading we notice as the story goes on, we see that the characters are as bland and typical as twigs. The story is speeding along, too fast, without fully explaining what’s happening. Tent City is plot driven, but unfortunately the plot didn’t live up to my expectations.
As I said before, the original concept is the reason I was so excited to read this. But unfortunately, because of the lack of depth in the writing, and the underdeveloped plot, I was very disappointed. The story could have been so gripping.
There were a lot technical problems in Tent City, distracting me from the story line. For example…
“I helped Mom clean up and then we all went into the sunken living room and Dad started a fire. It cracked and popped, which Dad always said was because the wood was a little wet, or was it because it was cedar? I can remember. Brody is playing with his train set on the floor, making choo-choo sounds as the trains exchange cargo on the track. Dad sits patiently waiting for me to start.”
Do you spot it? Yes, it changes from past tense narration to present tense. And this isn’t a once off mistake. It came up numerous times throughout the novel, and to be honest it’s really off putting. Here is another thing that kind of bugged me:
“‘Ya, but it’s been a couple of months, so they won’t be expecting us.’”
“‘What are ya gonna do?’”
The extensive use of ‘ya’. No, just no. I get the author is trying to interpret the accent, but constantly using ‘ya’ is not the right way in doing it. Really irritating.
Other technical problems I had with the writing included the overuse of exclamation points, the choppy dialogue, and the repetition of words multiple times in the same sentence.
Moving on from the technical side of things. I thought the writing was shallow, too much ‘tell’ instead of ‘show in terms of world building, and we had no background development to base the characters off of. I just feel like the novel had so much potential. If only it was written better, and the characters were more developed, described. I must admit I liked where the plot was going and how it developed throughout the novel, but it was so underdeveloped I found it hard to even focus on the story line.
Overall, Tent City was a let down. It had an epic story line, but that’s as far as it goes because the story wasn’t told properly and the characters really let the book down. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend this book, but you might be intrigued regardless of my review. I won't be continuing with the series, for obvious reasons, but I wish the author all the luck in the world because she’s lovely!
Tent City was a book I was more then excited to read. What intrigued me most, was the original concept of the plot. It’s hard to find an original dystopian novel, with the genre at it’s peak these days. But it’s not everything to have a glowing concept, as we all know. And Tent City greatly disappointed me with most of the basic aspects of a good book. The idea had potential, but as a novel overall, Tent City has less than impressed me.
When we start Tent City we’re thrust right into the action. In most instances, this is an exciting way to introduce the reader into the story. But in the case of Tent City, as we’re reading we have no idea who these characters are, what their relationship with each other is, what their surroundings look like, what they look like. There is no character description or development. We’re hopeful maybe this will change, but as we keep reading we notice as the story goes on, we see that the characters are as bland and typical as twigs. The story is speeding along, too fast, without fully explaining what’s happening. Tent City is plot driven, but unfortunately the plot didn’t live up to my expectations.
As I said before, the original concept is the reason I was so excited to read this. But unfortunately, because of the lack of depth in the writing, and the underdeveloped plot, I was very disappointed. The story could have been so gripping.
There were a lot technical problems in Tent City, distracting me from the story line. For example…
“I helped Mom clean up and then we all went into the sunken living room and Dad started a fire. It cracked and popped, which Dad always said was because the wood was a little wet, or was it because it was cedar? I can remember. Brody is playing with his train set on the floor, making choo-choo sounds as the trains exchange cargo on the track. Dad sits patiently waiting for me to start.”
Do you spot it? Yes, it changes from past tense narration to present tense. And this isn’t a once off mistake. It came up numerous times throughout the novel, and to be honest it’s really off putting. Here is another thing that kind of bugged me:
“‘Ya, but it’s been a couple of months, so they won’t be expecting us.’”
“‘What are ya gonna do?’”
The extensive use of ‘ya’. No, just no. I get the author is trying to interpret the accent, but constantly using ‘ya’ is not the right way in doing it. Really irritating.
Other technical problems I had with the writing included the overuse of exclamation points, the choppy dialogue, and the repetition of words multiple times in the same sentence.
Moving on from the technical side of things. I thought the writing was shallow, too much ‘tell’ instead of ‘show in terms of world building, and we had no background development to base the characters off of. I just feel like the novel had so much potential. If only it was written better, and the characters were more developed, described. I must admit I liked where the plot was going and how it developed throughout the novel, but it was so underdeveloped I found it hard to even focus on the story line.
Overall, Tent City was a let down. It had an epic story line, but that’s as far as it goes because the story wasn’t told properly and the characters really let the book down. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend this book, but you might be intrigued regardless of my review. I won't be continuing with the series, for obvious reasons, but I wish the author all the luck in the world because she’s lovely!
March 6, 2015
This is a survivalist type story involving a girl named Dani who must flee with her young brother or risk being sent to a camp and made into a breeder. The author throws you straight into the story, which I loved. I was flipping pages immediately. The writing is clean with neat descriptions, making note of interesting details. I did find the main character a little hard to relate to, but that's not a problem for me. I don't need happy, go lucky main characters. I like real people, and Dani is that. The pacing of the book is excellent and there's really never a dull moment. There are a few editorial problems, but nothing that detracts too much from story. The reason that I gave this book four instead of five star is that I thought there were some strange plot things that came out of nowhere and could have been flushed out better. Also, and this is the biggest for me, the story is told to the reader too often. I would have preferred to be shown the story. I know, it's that stupid, show, don't tell adage, but it's true and here it holds true. I wanted to see the story through Dani's eyes, instead of her telling it to me. Anyway, all in all, a really great read!
September 11, 2013
I LOVE this book! Great Dystopian novel and I really could NOT put it down once I got going. Here is the blurb from Goodreads.............
After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to "safety camps" designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be.
Now.... there is so much more you need to know. This a story of a girl, Dani, on the run with her best friend Kit and her younger brother Brody. They flee when they are warned by Dani's parents that all kids within their age group would be sent to "safety camps". They get the warning from their Uncle Randy, who happens to work for the new government that is led by a manipulating religious crazy man. So, the kids flee, leaving their families behind, to a family owned cabin which turns out to already be inhabited by other teenagers and young adults, which is called Tent City. The unofficial leader of Tent City is Bentley. He is one of the two lead males in this stories love triangle. The other is Jack, who Dani, Kit, and Brody actually run into on their travels to Tent City and then they are reunited once again once they are living in Tent City with the others. All the while Dani truly finds herself and becomes a bit of a warrior by the books end, due to the trials and tribulations she endures when she finds herself responsible for taking care of her younger brother and her best friend, out on the run in the wilderness of South Dakota. She really does become a fierce force to be reckoned with. All of this, while growing to like the two boys (Jack & Bentley), who are distinctly different in their own way and similar in others. She later finds out some of their secrets, which you will have to read to find out.... :). She learns that they are both amazing and has no idea what to do about it and I truly do not know which I would choose either.... which makes me love this story even more! The ending wraps up nicely, not leaving you tortured with a crazy cliffhanger that drives you nuts until the next book comes out.... do not get me wrong.... there are still lots of "What Ifs" and questions that I need answered, so I CANNOT wait to read the sequel which is coming out soon...... so until then.... I will probably read this book once or twice or three times more! Lovers of YA/NA, Paranormal, Dystopian, Apocalyptic.... you will need to read this one! Kelly Van Hull is an amazing Indie Author and I cannot wait to see what she brings next!
After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to "safety camps" designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be.
Now.... there is so much more you need to know. This a story of a girl, Dani, on the run with her best friend Kit and her younger brother Brody. They flee when they are warned by Dani's parents that all kids within their age group would be sent to "safety camps". They get the warning from their Uncle Randy, who happens to work for the new government that is led by a manipulating religious crazy man. So, the kids flee, leaving their families behind, to a family owned cabin which turns out to already be inhabited by other teenagers and young adults, which is called Tent City. The unofficial leader of Tent City is Bentley. He is one of the two lead males in this stories love triangle. The other is Jack, who Dani, Kit, and Brody actually run into on their travels to Tent City and then they are reunited once again once they are living in Tent City with the others. All the while Dani truly finds herself and becomes a bit of a warrior by the books end, due to the trials and tribulations she endures when she finds herself responsible for taking care of her younger brother and her best friend, out on the run in the wilderness of South Dakota. She really does become a fierce force to be reckoned with. All of this, while growing to like the two boys (Jack & Bentley), who are distinctly different in their own way and similar in others. She later finds out some of their secrets, which you will have to read to find out.... :). She learns that they are both amazing and has no idea what to do about it and I truly do not know which I would choose either.... which makes me love this story even more! The ending wraps up nicely, not leaving you tortured with a crazy cliffhanger that drives you nuts until the next book comes out.... do not get me wrong.... there are still lots of "What Ifs" and questions that I need answered, so I CANNOT wait to read the sequel which is coming out soon...... so until then.... I will probably read this book once or twice or three times more! Lovers of YA/NA, Paranormal, Dystopian, Apocalyptic.... you will need to read this one! Kelly Van Hull is an amazing Indie Author and I cannot wait to see what she brings next!
October 19, 2015
Update Oct 26/15 - Enough time has passed since I read Tent City that I thought a re-read was in order before I moved on to Red River. As it turns out, the copy I originally read (which the author provided me) was not the final book that was published. It threw me off a bit while reading and it ultimately changed my view on the story. I still liked it, but there were some not-quite-super powers added which took away from what I thought was a really good read.
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Original review May 9/13 - First, you should know the author provided me with this book for an honest review.
Second, you should know that I feel guilty about this because it's a book well worth paying for!!
It is a young adult book, with a Government-is-out-to-get-us theme. It also has a bit of a religious aspect to it. The writing was smooth and it was edited. It was a very easy read - I only started it this morning. My only complaint was on about 5 or 6 occasions throughout the book, it went from a regular font to a large size all in bold print for about a paragraph. This threw me out of the story a bit...like the author was yelling at me.
You are given bits and pieces throughout the story that don't mean much until the last chapter. That's where it all comes together and the book changes from good to fantastic.
I'm sure this author will be one to watch having done such a great job with her first book.
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Original review May 9/13 - First, you should know the author provided me with this book for an honest review.
Second, you should know that I feel guilty about this because it's a book well worth paying for!!
It is a young adult book, with a Government-is-out-to-get-us theme. It also has a bit of a religious aspect to it. The writing was smooth and it was edited. It was a very easy read - I only started it this morning. My only complaint was on about 5 or 6 occasions throughout the book, it went from a regular font to a large size all in bold print for about a paragraph. This threw me out of the story a bit...like the author was yelling at me.
You are given bits and pieces throughout the story that don't mean much until the last chapter. That's where it all comes together and the book changes from good to fantastic.
I'm sure this author will be one to watch having done such a great job with her first book.
September 19, 2013
*There may be spoilers in this review, but big ones will be marked*
Actual Rating: Really hard for me to decide, so 4.5
Favourite Character: Kelly has made some absolutely amazing characters, and I can't choose just one. So Bentley (Who I need to remember has an ‘e’ in his name), Jack and Brody.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, from the "David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite!" group on Goodreads.
I remember when I first saw this book, I immediately wanted to read it. I put it on my want-to-read shelf and then when I found out it was going to be a R2r I crossed it out on my calendar and stalked the r2r thread on my phone every five seconds on the day to see if it had been posted.
Anyway, about the ending. Oh, my god. You have got to be kidding me. I need the next one. NOW. Spoilers ahead!(Seriously. Massive spoilers. I mean MASSIVE.) I don't know what to say because this book is just so amazing and seriously, read it. Everyone. Read it now. Oooh, wait. Wait until the second book is closer because seriously; that cliff-hanger.
This is definitely one of the best dystopia’s I've read, (And I’m a massive fan of zombies and this didn't have zombies in it so that's an extra bonus. Dystopia’s really can be awesome without zombies!! And this book proved that.)
And Jack and Bentley....Seriously all that stuff, I almost died because of all the twists with them. I loved both of them from the start and didn't know which one I would have chosen, but then realised who she had chosen And then I started to love him more, too. And now I just NEED them to be together and for everyone to be safe and have the best HEA ever!
Seriously, no matter how many times I guessed correctly (or incorrectly, for that matter), I was still surprised.
This is definitely one of the best books of 2013. It sits proudly on my favorites shelf :)
Oh, and I need book two now...Did I mention that already?
(And thanks Kelly for giving me that extension, because seriously, you can't rush a book this amazing. You just can't. You have to process all the awesomeness.)
Actual Rating: Really hard for me to decide, so 4.5
Favourite Character: Kelly has made some absolutely amazing characters, and I can't choose just one. So Bentley (Who I need to remember has an ‘e’ in his name), Jack and Brody.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, from the "David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite!" group on Goodreads.
I remember when I first saw this book, I immediately wanted to read it. I put it on my want-to-read shelf and then when I found out it was going to be a R2r I crossed it out on my calendar and stalked the r2r thread on my phone every five seconds on the day to see if it had been posted.
Anyway, about the ending. Oh, my god. You have got to be kidding me. I need the next one. NOW. Spoilers ahead!(Seriously. Massive spoilers. I mean MASSIVE.) I don't know what to say because this book is just so amazing and seriously, read it. Everyone. Read it now. Oooh, wait. Wait until the second book is closer because seriously; that cliff-hanger.
This is definitely one of the best dystopia’s I've read, (And I’m a massive fan of zombies and this didn't have zombies in it so that's an extra bonus. Dystopia’s really can be awesome without zombies!! And this book proved that.)
And Jack and Bentley....Seriously all that stuff, I almost died because of all the twists with them. I loved both of them from the start and didn't know which one I would have chosen, but then realised who she had chosen And then I started to love him more, too. And now I just NEED them to be together and for everyone to be safe and have the best HEA ever!
Seriously, no matter how many times I guessed correctly (or incorrectly, for that matter), I was still surprised.
This is definitely one of the best books of 2013. It sits proudly on my favorites shelf :)
Oh, and I need book two now...Did I mention that already?
(And thanks Kelly for giving me that extension, because seriously, you can't rush a book this amazing. You just can't. You have to process all the awesomeness.)
October 29, 2014
I was given my copy via the author for an honest review.
This is one of those books I search for and never find when I desperately need them! Its fast paced, there's great character development, you can actually see the main protagonist grow and even though it was only during a five months span she flourished near the end. It was rewarding to take this journey with the characters. Some I didn't quite care for as much as others Brody her little brother is amazing for some reason I was expecting him to be a bit more whiney about leaving the mother but he wasn't which in many ways throughout I found a bit sad. You sort of feel as though he grew up a tad too fast in that five month period away. Kit drove me insane she was this light bubble character who without Dani probably wouldn't have lived past her front porch! The guys Jack and Bentley have been made swoon worthy, its not a cliché love triangle either so it was a bit of a fresh feel for it. Sure they both had an interest in her and both in subtle but there hints at flirtation. I went in to those to relationships thinking to myself "Great this is where I'm going to want to stop its going to drag on and I'll regret this entire book..." But it wasn't like that she NEVER made their relationships or friendships seem more important then what was actually going on in the horrid world around them and for that I loved it! Still I'm sorta leaning more on team Jack. :) Think the only thing that really grinds my gears is the ending... Did it have to end I cannot wait for the second installment and will definitely be getting copies of these books to add to my bookshelves. This was completely worth reading. Little romance, action, great descriptions, and a very flow worthy story line. Honestly what more could I want from a book. The genre dystopian is growing and Kelly Van Hull has wrote a book that many ages can read and love.
This is one of those books I search for and never find when I desperately need them! Its fast paced, there's great character development, you can actually see the main protagonist grow and even though it was only during a five months span she flourished near the end. It was rewarding to take this journey with the characters. Some I didn't quite care for as much as others Brody her little brother is amazing for some reason I was expecting him to be a bit more whiney about leaving the mother but he wasn't which in many ways throughout I found a bit sad. You sort of feel as though he grew up a tad too fast in that five month period away. Kit drove me insane she was this light bubble character who without Dani probably wouldn't have lived past her front porch! The guys Jack and Bentley have been made swoon worthy, its not a cliché love triangle either so it was a bit of a fresh feel for it. Sure they both had an interest in her and both in subtle but there hints at flirtation. I went in to those to relationships thinking to myself "Great this is where I'm going to want to stop its going to drag on and I'll regret this entire book..." But it wasn't like that she NEVER made their relationships or friendships seem more important then what was actually going on in the horrid world around them and for that I loved it! Still I'm sorta leaning more on team Jack. :) Think the only thing that really grinds my gears is the ending... Did it have to end I cannot wait for the second installment and will definitely be getting copies of these books to add to my bookshelves. This was completely worth reading. Little romance, action, great descriptions, and a very flow worthy story line. Honestly what more could I want from a book. The genre dystopian is growing and Kelly Van Hull has wrote a book that many ages can read and love.
January 29, 2016
I am so disappointed with this damn book. Everything about it was wrong. It sounded like a book right up my alley and I was excited to read it since the reviews were so good. I felt like I was reading a shitty summer camp romance novel. The story was rushed and there was no character development what so ever. Jack was described as "a young Tom Cruise with grey eyes". Really? There was some great ideas in this book but it came out wrong. The ideas were there and they were actually really good! I would have been such a good book.
I have never hated a main character as much as I hate Dani. I HATE HER. She was whiney, bitchy, entitled, and self absorbed. She makes no sense the whole entire book. She says she can't trust Jake or Bently but yet she is always asking Bently to go on runs with her in the middle of the woods..if I don't trust somebody I am not going to ask them to go on a run...in the middle of the woods...where they can KILL me. Just saying. She would demand answers from them and didn't even know them and get mad that they had secrets or would "with hold information from her". Well yea, they are complete strangers..of course they have secrets and don't want to tell you anything. But yet she can never stay away from either one. She constantly depends on them for everything and after she has her hissy fits they give her what she wants. Every time she would get mad she would run away and one of them would always chase her. If I could jump into a book I would have got in there shake her and then throw her off a cliff.
I am seriously so mad that I hate this book this much. Such a good concept wasted. Stupid, stupid, stupid book. If Dani wasn't alive I might have actually liked it...I have never been this angry after finishing a book..EVER!! DAMN YOU, TENT CITY!!
I have never hated a main character as much as I hate Dani. I HATE HER. She was whiney, bitchy, entitled, and self absorbed. She makes no sense the whole entire book. She says she can't trust Jake or Bently but yet she is always asking Bently to go on runs with her in the middle of the woods..if I don't trust somebody I am not going to ask them to go on a run...in the middle of the woods...where they can KILL me. Just saying. She would demand answers from them and didn't even know them and get mad that they had secrets or would "with hold information from her". Well yea, they are complete strangers..of course they have secrets and don't want to tell you anything. But yet she can never stay away from either one. She constantly depends on them for everything and after she has her hissy fits they give her what she wants. Every time she would get mad she would run away and one of them would always chase her. If I could jump into a book I would have got in there shake her and then throw her off a cliff.
I am seriously so mad that I hate this book this much. Such a good concept wasted. Stupid, stupid, stupid book. If Dani wasn't alive I might have actually liked it...I have never been this angry after finishing a book..EVER!! DAMN YOU, TENT CITY!!
October 3, 2013
I was at the SD Festival of Books when I saw this attractive book cover and display. So I was drawn to the book. I knew immediately after reading the back cover that I was going to buy this book. It was the only independent that I bought at the festival.
I was not disappointed. I won't go into details because I hate spoilers, but the main character Dani finds herself living in a tent (obviously) along with her little brother after society has begun to collapse (there is explanation for the downfall of society which I like, I hate it when you're left hanging as to why stuff has hit the fan!). The story is about her struggle to adapt, survive and protect her brother.
There are some supernatural elements that lend a distinct voice to Tent City as opposed to other dystopian/survival novels out there. And yet they're not so far out there that people (like myself) who don't have a great love for the supernatural will be distracted by them.
Also there is a romantic element that is believable and interesting.
The end left me wanting more and I find, as I drive through the forest and hills that I live in, imagining Dani in a tent somewhere out there.
The writing is good, clear, concise and well edited.
I was not disappointed. I won't go into details because I hate spoilers, but the main character Dani finds herself living in a tent (obviously) along with her little brother after society has begun to collapse (there is explanation for the downfall of society which I like, I hate it when you're left hanging as to why stuff has hit the fan!). The story is about her struggle to adapt, survive and protect her brother.
There are some supernatural elements that lend a distinct voice to Tent City as opposed to other dystopian/survival novels out there. And yet they're not so far out there that people (like myself) who don't have a great love for the supernatural will be distracted by them.
Also there is a romantic element that is believable and interesting.
The end left me wanting more and I find, as I drive through the forest and hills that I live in, imagining Dani in a tent somewhere out there.
The writing is good, clear, concise and well edited.
July 7, 2013
This story is AMAZING!! Kelly did such a great job. I loved the ending,it was so cool, I actually said "OOOHHHH WOW!" outloud! So I hope Kelly, who is a mom & wife, continues with the story soon, as I need to know what happens next! I am interested in all her characters, even the "minor" ones. I am interested in the "love triangle" and wonder how Dani will ever ever choose, they are both such great guys. Get to work Kelly! I need to know what happens next!
I will be giving my copy of this great book to my friend Chloe, who is also on Goodreads, I know she will love it too.
I will be giving my copy of this great book to my friend Chloe, who is also on Goodreads, I know she will love it too.
May 9, 2013
I read Tent City on a "read for an honest review" premise, with a copy supplied by the author.
Tent City by Kelly Van Hull is an intriguing read. The novel is written in first person present tense, from the point of view of Dani, a teenager in a dystopian or perhaps pre-apocalyptic world. I enjoyed the story, which although slightly predictable, was a pleasant journey. The idea of "advancements" was interesting, and I would have loved to see this more fully explored. However, this is probably a clever plot device on the part of the author - because I'd happily buy the next book just for this point alone.
The character of Dani, the main protagonist, was quite well written. She's a teen girl, suddenly thrust into the wilderness with her best friend and her five year old brother, Brody. Most of the time, her reactions were realistic and well thought out.
The setting was an interesting one, but one that I found slightly confusing. It took me some time to sort out what the political situation probably was, and I will say probably, because I'm still not sure. Military dictatorship? Religious dictatorship? Or a combination of both? Building a dystopian world is a difficult thing. Making it cohesive is even more difficult. This book is obviously the first in a series, so I'm hoping that this might become more clear in the next book.
I liked the premise of a family sending their children into hiding to protect them from the government, and I liked the little hints that the author gave that there was always more to be revealed around the next page. I did struggle with a few plot issues, though. There was some plot revealed by dialogue that Dani was not personally a part of, that was not always clear until I'd re-read it a number of times.
I enjoyed Jack and Bentley. This is a YA novel, and although dystopian, does employ the love triangle (or in this case almost a quadrangle) so familiar to readers of teen novels. For some, this will be an attraction, but for others, the opposite.
The dialogue was at times excellent, but at other times somewhat wooden. When the dialogue was excellent, the story really moved along, but when it hit a wooden phase it pulled me away from the characters.
There were a few instances of dropping in and out of tense. Whilst the novel is written in present tense, every now and then a paragraph popped up which was written in past tense, and I found it momentarily jarring.
On the whole though, a pleasant read from a new author who has some great ideas. I'll be interested to see how she links the hints of a coming apocalypse with the dystopian society already in place.
Tent City by Kelly Van Hull is an intriguing read. The novel is written in first person present tense, from the point of view of Dani, a teenager in a dystopian or perhaps pre-apocalyptic world. I enjoyed the story, which although slightly predictable, was a pleasant journey. The idea of "advancements" was interesting, and I would have loved to see this more fully explored. However, this is probably a clever plot device on the part of the author - because I'd happily buy the next book just for this point alone.
The character of Dani, the main protagonist, was quite well written. She's a teen girl, suddenly thrust into the wilderness with her best friend and her five year old brother, Brody. Most of the time, her reactions were realistic and well thought out.
The setting was an interesting one, but one that I found slightly confusing. It took me some time to sort out what the political situation probably was, and I will say probably, because I'm still not sure. Military dictatorship? Religious dictatorship? Or a combination of both? Building a dystopian world is a difficult thing. Making it cohesive is even more difficult. This book is obviously the first in a series, so I'm hoping that this might become more clear in the next book.
I liked the premise of a family sending their children into hiding to protect them from the government, and I liked the little hints that the author gave that there was always more to be revealed around the next page. I did struggle with a few plot issues, though. There was some plot revealed by dialogue that Dani was not personally a part of, that was not always clear until I'd re-read it a number of times.
I enjoyed Jack and Bentley. This is a YA novel, and although dystopian, does employ the love triangle (or in this case almost a quadrangle) so familiar to readers of teen novels. For some, this will be an attraction, but for others, the opposite.
The dialogue was at times excellent, but at other times somewhat wooden. When the dialogue was excellent, the story really moved along, but when it hit a wooden phase it pulled me away from the characters.
There were a few instances of dropping in and out of tense. Whilst the novel is written in present tense, every now and then a paragraph popped up which was written in past tense, and I found it momentarily jarring.
On the whole though, a pleasant read from a new author who has some great ideas. I'll be interested to see how she links the hints of a coming apocalypse with the dystopian society already in place.
June 5, 2013
I'm a little torn on an accurate rating for my feelings regarding Tent City. This stems from a personal conflict I have between the things I appreciate in this story and the things that fell a little flat. What I liked (not loved mind you) is the transformation that Dani goes through from being a typical, teenage girl to a strong minded and capable leading character. The love triangle didn't feel deep rooted in emotion, although I really like Jack...Bentley I could do without. Part of that is because I feel like I know Jack; he's kind, selfless, tender and self-sacrificing, but a bit obvious as the love interest. Although Bentley is a good leader, he's cold, sometimes heartless and demonstrates excessive violence, and deep down he seems a little manic. I liked Kit's spunk...she reminds me of the goofy best friend from Full House, BUT her character just melts into the background once they reach Tent City and I'm not sure what her purpose is. Brody is perfect, but I predicted the big reveal on the last page (no spoiler here), as well as Burke's true identity (and what's with Dani's sympathy for him at the end?).
The plot follows a pretty typical apocalyptic script...a run, survive, hide, fight and rescue format...I draw direct parallels to the story outline for Star Wars with Jack being the "frozen" Han Solo and Burke the not so fatherly Darth Vader. Here's the thing, I can't think of a single original element. Oh wait, there is one acception, the introduction of "advancements" or supernatural gifts, but it was so late into the story and came across as a strange diversion and felt out of place, as well as Brody's guardian wolf...just hit way out in left field. The other thing that bothered me was the dialogue at times felt contrived and didn't "sound" right...it was sort of canned and ordinary. Maybe I'm getting a little jaded or too picky because I love this genre and I've read so many apocalyptic books that it's hard to find something fresh and inspiring.
I do like the book cover and I will read the next book in this series because Van Hull does set the reader up with a little intrigue at the conclusion, but for a rating , well that's a tough one. I liked it, so it deserves at least 3 stars. I think Van Hull is talented and the writing got better and better as the story continued, which leaves me hopeful for the sequel. I'm going to have to go with 3.5 stars.
The plot follows a pretty typical apocalyptic script...a run, survive, hide, fight and rescue format...I draw direct parallels to the story outline for Star Wars with Jack being the "frozen" Han Solo and Burke the not so fatherly Darth Vader. Here's the thing, I can't think of a single original element. Oh wait, there is one acception, the introduction of "advancements" or supernatural gifts, but it was so late into the story and came across as a strange diversion and felt out of place, as well as Brody's guardian wolf...just hit way out in left field. The other thing that bothered me was the dialogue at times felt contrived and didn't "sound" right...it was sort of canned and ordinary. Maybe I'm getting a little jaded or too picky because I love this genre and I've read so many apocalyptic books that it's hard to find something fresh and inspiring.
I do like the book cover and I will read the next book in this series because Van Hull does set the reader up with a little intrigue at the conclusion, but for a rating , well that's a tough one. I liked it, so it deserves at least 3 stars. I think Van Hull is talented and the writing got better and better as the story continued, which leaves me hopeful for the sequel. I'm going to have to go with 3.5 stars.
June 22, 2021
Tent City by Kelly Van Hull is an amazing page turner, full of mystery, action and a dose of love. To make it short I was really caught up in this book, it is really fast paced, creative, the descriptions are beautifully done, you could actually see the place as if you were there, and most importantly, the characters, their relationship, and the situations they get into are believable and well crafted.
Kelly really did an excellent job with her debut novel, and has definitely won a fan in me. This is an author to keep an eye out for.
Tent City, follows a 17-year old, Dani, that has been forced to escape into the wild with her best friend, Kit, and her little and adorable brother, Brody, in order to escape the “safety camps” where children from 5 to 18 will be forced to go to. The plot is truly engaging, it grabs you right from the first page up until the end, keeping you always on an edge. It’s filled with suspense and tension, and as the plot develops you find that everything is not what it seems. The writing was excellent, you would be thrown straightly into the action and forget you were reading, as if you were a character of your own, accompanying Dani in every new situation she had to face.
Totally loved the characters. Dani, started as a weak girl who couldn’t have survived a day on her own, but you actually see her grow up into a strong, independent and autonomous girl. I specially loved the fact that when things were at the worst for her, instead of crumbling into pieces she decides to take matters into her hands and do something about it, which allows her to grow in such a way that now she can not only take care of herself but of others too. Jack and Bentley, are just the opposite of one another, but in their own particular way is impossible not be drawn to both of them, they have this mysterious vibe going on which is very appealing. Summing it up, the characters were enticing and their relationships filled with tension, anger, love and kindness.
Lots of questions and lose ends weren’t answered nor solved, but I really hope we will get our answers in the sequel, that I hope is coming out soon. I can’t wait for it. Tent City is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year!
*Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.
Kelly really did an excellent job with her debut novel, and has definitely won a fan in me. This is an author to keep an eye out for.
Tent City, follows a 17-year old, Dani, that has been forced to escape into the wild with her best friend, Kit, and her little and adorable brother, Brody, in order to escape the “safety camps” where children from 5 to 18 will be forced to go to. The plot is truly engaging, it grabs you right from the first page up until the end, keeping you always on an edge. It’s filled with suspense and tension, and as the plot develops you find that everything is not what it seems. The writing was excellent, you would be thrown straightly into the action and forget you were reading, as if you were a character of your own, accompanying Dani in every new situation she had to face.
Totally loved the characters. Dani, started as a weak girl who couldn’t have survived a day on her own, but you actually see her grow up into a strong, independent and autonomous girl. I specially loved the fact that when things were at the worst for her, instead of crumbling into pieces she decides to take matters into her hands and do something about it, which allows her to grow in such a way that now she can not only take care of herself but of others too. Jack and Bentley, are just the opposite of one another, but in their own particular way is impossible not be drawn to both of them, they have this mysterious vibe going on which is very appealing. Summing it up, the characters were enticing and their relationships filled with tension, anger, love and kindness.
Lots of questions and lose ends weren’t answered nor solved, but I really hope we will get our answers in the sequel, that I hope is coming out soon. I can’t wait for it. Tent City is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year!
*Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.
August 5, 2013
I received a free copy of this book.
What would you do if you had to send your kids away? What would you do if you could never see your family again?
Famine has hit, locust have eaten all the crops and the U.S. Government has been toppled by the Military. All children between the ages of 5 to 18 are required to go to Security Camps. Not all parents feel warm and fuzzy about this and decide to send their kids away to live/survive in the woods. That’s what Dani and Brody’s parents have decided too. Dani, her best friend Kit, and Brody head off to the Black Hills, where her parents have a cabin. They can live there and never return home, not matter what. The trip gets off to a rather rocky start. The three arrive to the cabin, only to find it’s been over run by other teenagers, trying to escape the Security Camps or their own families. Tent City is run like any other city, everyone has jobs that they need to do for it to work. Dani, Kit, and Brody settle in. The leader takes a shine to Dani, but she doesn’t see it right away. They go on raids, they hunt, they run, they train. It’s almost like boot camp.
You find out later, what the original plan of the Security Camp is for. The General is searching for someone. Someone that will trump him. And he can’t allow that to happen.
I had this figured out pretty quickly, but it didn’t deter me from wanting to finish the book. I loved how this book had a little romance in it, but it wasn’t the main focus. This is a great YA/Dystopia novel that anyone would enjoy. The voice of the story is Dani, you see her grow from a 17 year old, who just gets by, to someone who takes actions and thinks thing thru.
It is a book that I would recommend to YA and to adults alike. For Dystopia it wasn’t so dark, dreary and negative that it put me off. It gave me hope in the younger generation, that maybe all is NOT lost.
What would you do if you had to send your kids away? What would you do if you could never see your family again?
Famine has hit, locust have eaten all the crops and the U.S. Government has been toppled by the Military. All children between the ages of 5 to 18 are required to go to Security Camps. Not all parents feel warm and fuzzy about this and decide to send their kids away to live/survive in the woods. That’s what Dani and Brody’s parents have decided too. Dani, her best friend Kit, and Brody head off to the Black Hills, where her parents have a cabin. They can live there and never return home, not matter what. The trip gets off to a rather rocky start. The three arrive to the cabin, only to find it’s been over run by other teenagers, trying to escape the Security Camps or their own families. Tent City is run like any other city, everyone has jobs that they need to do for it to work. Dani, Kit, and Brody settle in. The leader takes a shine to Dani, but she doesn’t see it right away. They go on raids, they hunt, they run, they train. It’s almost like boot camp.
You find out later, what the original plan of the Security Camp is for. The General is searching for someone. Someone that will trump him. And he can’t allow that to happen.
I had this figured out pretty quickly, but it didn’t deter me from wanting to finish the book. I loved how this book had a little romance in it, but it wasn’t the main focus. This is a great YA/Dystopia novel that anyone would enjoy. The voice of the story is Dani, you see her grow from a 17 year old, who just gets by, to someone who takes actions and thinks thing thru.
It is a book that I would recommend to YA and to adults alike. For Dystopia it wasn’t so dark, dreary and negative that it put me off. It gave me hope in the younger generation, that maybe all is NOT lost.
December 5, 2013
This story came very close to knockin’ my socks off and earning a 5th star, but I can’t easily or adequately identify the reason that it didn’t take my socks. Still, this is a romping good tale, exceptionally well told.
The characters were all so full of ups and downs, goods and bads, harmony and conflict, that you just know they are real people doing real things. For me, reality and plausibility are the major differences between good books and really good books. Ms. Van Hull’s story is full of verisimilitude. From the characters to the fight scenes, to the emotional ups and downs in the interaction between the players, I found myself actually nodding my head and thinking, “Yep, I can see that” or “I know a person who acts just like that!”
After all that praise for plausibility in the characters and action, I have to point out one disclaimer, and perhaps that is why I’m still wearing my socks. The story is written for YA and as such, some of the realism is necessarily and intentionally omitted. This doesn’t, however, take very much away from the story. There are twists and turns and several interesting sub-plots that keep the story moving to its inevitable conclusion – a small cliffhanger that leads to the next book in the series, “Red River”; a book I’ll be reading soon.
The characters were all so full of ups and downs, goods and bads, harmony and conflict, that you just know they are real people doing real things. For me, reality and plausibility are the major differences between good books and really good books. Ms. Van Hull’s story is full of verisimilitude. From the characters to the fight scenes, to the emotional ups and downs in the interaction between the players, I found myself actually nodding my head and thinking, “Yep, I can see that” or “I know a person who acts just like that!”
After all that praise for plausibility in the characters and action, I have to point out one disclaimer, and perhaps that is why I’m still wearing my socks. The story is written for YA and as such, some of the realism is necessarily and intentionally omitted. This doesn’t, however, take very much away from the story. There are twists and turns and several interesting sub-plots that keep the story moving to its inevitable conclusion – a small cliffhanger that leads to the next book in the series, “Red River”; a book I’ll be reading soon.
May 7, 2013
4.5 Stars
An amazing story. One that I will reread. Extremely visual without over-doing it.
The characters in this story are extremely real to me. I enjoyed the narrative, and although sometimes seemed a little choppy, it never slowed me down. I read this book in under a day.
I'm completely in love with Jack. Oh, Jack! And, who doesn't have a friend like Kit? There are so many characters to keep track of, and at one point I had to ask myself, 'Wait, who is Jess again?', but overall, I would highly recommend this read. But you have to be paying attention, because this book is packed with things you need to remember later on.
A very impressive work. The author didn't leave any stone unturned and answered any question I had as soon as I had it. Loved the present tense, loved the first person perspective. Tent City is well-written and timeless.
The ending was a little abrupt to me, it is definitely a cliffhanger. But I wasn't mad at all - all I could do was smile.
An amazing story. One that I will reread. Extremely visual without over-doing it.
The characters in this story are extremely real to me. I enjoyed the narrative, and although sometimes seemed a little choppy, it never slowed me down. I read this book in under a day.
I'm completely in love with Jack. Oh, Jack! And, who doesn't have a friend like Kit? There are so many characters to keep track of, and at one point I had to ask myself, 'Wait, who is Jess again?', but overall, I would highly recommend this read. But you have to be paying attention, because this book is packed with things you need to remember later on.
A very impressive work. The author didn't leave any stone unturned and answered any question I had as soon as I had it. Loved the present tense, loved the first person perspective. Tent City is well-written and timeless.
The ending was a little abrupt to me, it is definitely a cliffhanger. But I wasn't mad at all - all I could do was smile.
September 12, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so here it is! (keep in mind - I'm a reader, not a writer)
This book was fantastic and unlike anything I've read before, there is a strong female protagonist, Dani, who finds herself, the love triangle wasn't cliché and only a small part of the story, and I found myself actually caring about what happened to Most of the characters, which were very well developed.
Normally I don't care for love triangles, they are extremely annoying and the choice is always obvious. However, I surprisingly found myself not able to choose between Bentley or Jack. I also found myself caring, a lot, about Brody, who also grew up quite a bit in the 5 month time span.
All in all i would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of any novel, and would love a good read. :)
This book was fantastic and unlike anything I've read before, there is a strong female protagonist, Dani, who finds herself, the love triangle wasn't cliché and only a small part of the story, and I found myself actually caring about what happened to Most of the characters, which were very well developed.
Normally I don't care for love triangles, they are extremely annoying and the choice is always obvious. However, I surprisingly found myself not able to choose between Bentley or Jack. I also found myself caring, a lot, about Brody, who also grew up quite a bit in the 5 month time span.
All in all i would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of any novel, and would love a good read. :)
September 24, 2013
This book explores a dystopian future where all the teenagers are threatened with being taken to "safety camps," where their purpose is to reproduce. Dani's parents help her to run away, and she takes her younger brother and her best friend with her. They stumble across "Tent City" and become part of the camp...
Dani is a likeable heroine - both brave and vulnerable. As Dani faced challenge after challenge in the book, I found myself rooting for her. I also enjoyed the hints of romance, as Dani attracts the affections of two of "tent city's" fittest men; doctor Jack and camp leader Bentley. But is there more to these mysterious men than meets the eye? And what is it that they aren't telling Dani?
Similar in style to "the Hunger Games", "Tent City" will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
Dani is a likeable heroine - both brave and vulnerable. As Dani faced challenge after challenge in the book, I found myself rooting for her. I also enjoyed the hints of romance, as Dani attracts the affections of two of "tent city's" fittest men; doctor Jack and camp leader Bentley. But is there more to these mysterious men than meets the eye? And what is it that they aren't telling Dani?
Similar in style to "the Hunger Games", "Tent City" will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
August 10, 2013
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It is a dystopian with a twist. Not your normal plague or power disaster or world war. The cause of the current disaster was locusts and a government take over by an extreme religious zealot. It is hinted but not confirmed that there was more to the plague and deaths than what the government was saying. The characters were well developed. There's even a romantic triangle. I figured out early on the secret that Jack and Bentley shared but was definitely not expecting the ending. Can't wait for the sequel to see how all these twists play out. Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA dystopian books in the same vein as Divergent or the Hunger Games.
August 12, 2013
I became immersed immediately in this book, and read it continually until I completed it. The characters are well drawn, the heroine likable, and there is just enough tension in the romantic triangle to having you rooting for both of the men in her life to win her simultaneously. I suspect that a sequel is around the corner, and as the characters mature and the plague story plays out, each character will bring their particular "advancements" to the table to play their part in the unfolding story that was written two thousand years ago.
April 10, 2015
It was okay, I just wished more happened or at least a better explanation of how and why we got to this dystopia/dictatorship.
I know the author left a lot of ideas floating around to hook people for upcoming books, but I was let down because it felt like nothing really happened.
The two main male characters seem to fall for shy Dani (introverted Dani) who is anything but introverted from day 1. Really? There is room for improvement.
It was free, so I won't complain. It was even edited decently.
Will I buy book 2? No rush.
I know the author left a lot of ideas floating around to hook people for upcoming books, but I was let down because it felt like nothing really happened.
The two main male characters seem to fall for shy Dani (introverted Dani) who is anything but introverted from day 1. Really? There is room for improvement.
It was free, so I won't complain. It was even edited decently.
Will I buy book 2? No rush.
April 13, 2013
Van Hull creates a convincing dystopia with her intriguing premise about what would happen if our world was devastated by the 10 deadly plagues. I felt sympathetic toward this gutsy, complex heroine. Lots of action, suspense, and an irresistible love triangle makes this a must read. Page turner, for sure! I cannot wait for the sequel to see how these characters navigate the unexpected development at the end of this novel.
October 25, 2015
4-4 1/2 stars. This book is a unique take on and apocalyptic/rapture style story.
I enjoyed the characters one sell and how they became stronger throughout the book.
I loved how they kept throwing something new at you to make it more interesting also.
It left me wanting more and I had to quickly purchase the next one on my kindle.
Thankyou Kelly for an amazing read!!
I enjoyed the characters one sell and how they became stronger throughout the book.
I loved how they kept throwing something new at you to make it more interesting also.
It left me wanting more and I had to quickly purchase the next one on my kindle.
Thankyou Kelly for an amazing read!!
July 10, 2019
Excellent story. Lots of unique aspects to it. I get the feeling that at the end of book 1, the story is going to lean towards a religious side. That's ok. We'll just have to see how far it goes.
January 12, 2014
I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Tent City is a start of a new dystopian series that is unlike any I've read so far. While reading it, I was actually thinking of the book In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Although the plots are really not the same at all, it just had that dark, religious fervor kind of feel. The actual concept of the novel and the atmosphere of it was definitely my favorite things about Tent City!
Basically, in this future world, or world has gone to crap, and there is a new government (run by what's called The Council) and headed by a religious prophet (or so he calls himself), Burke. Burke is plain evil and has started taking all the children to "safe" camps. Dani is 17, and her parents ask her to run away to her uncle's cabin in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota with her little brother, Brody (who is 5). Only when they get there, a whole group of rebel kids have taken over the cabins and surrounding area and started "Tent City."
Bentley is the head of Tent City, and he and Dani immediately feel a connection. But even though Dani is attracted to him, she meets another boy by the name of Jack, and so somewhat of a love triangle results, even though its obvious both boys are hiding some big things from Dani.
My biggest problem with the story was all of the secrets. It frankly drove me crazy in how not only where there so many secrets being kept, but that Dani wasn't trying too hard to get to the bottom of things. Certain scenes were just frustrating to read.
Things I loved about this book? There were many! Like I said, the setting and atmosphere, a decent amount of action, the originality of the plot, the characters--especially Jack, Brody, and Jonah. I wasn't a huge fan of the MC, Dani, just because I got a little tired of her sarcasm. But I still liked her enough to sympathize with her plight.
The ending of this one was beyond amazing! I kind of wish the rest of the book had been as good! Really, the ending is what bumped it up to 4 stars for me, until then it was more like a 3.5 maybe. But be forewarned, there is a big cliffhanger, so you will want to have Red River all ready to read!
Tent City is a start of a new dystopian series that is unlike any I've read so far. While reading it, I was actually thinking of the book In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Although the plots are really not the same at all, it just had that dark, religious fervor kind of feel. The actual concept of the novel and the atmosphere of it was definitely my favorite things about Tent City!
Basically, in this future world, or world has gone to crap, and there is a new government (run by what's called The Council) and headed by a religious prophet (or so he calls himself), Burke. Burke is plain evil and has started taking all the children to "safe" camps. Dani is 17, and her parents ask her to run away to her uncle's cabin in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota with her little brother, Brody (who is 5). Only when they get there, a whole group of rebel kids have taken over the cabins and surrounding area and started "Tent City."
Bentley is the head of Tent City, and he and Dani immediately feel a connection. But even though Dani is attracted to him, she meets another boy by the name of Jack, and so somewhat of a love triangle results, even though its obvious both boys are hiding some big things from Dani.
My biggest problem with the story was all of the secrets. It frankly drove me crazy in how not only where there so many secrets being kept, but that Dani wasn't trying too hard to get to the bottom of things. Certain scenes were just frustrating to read.
Things I loved about this book? There were many! Like I said, the setting and atmosphere, a decent amount of action, the originality of the plot, the characters--especially Jack, Brody, and Jonah. I wasn't a huge fan of the MC, Dani, just because I got a little tired of her sarcasm. But I still liked her enough to sympathize with her plight.
The ending of this one was beyond amazing! I kind of wish the rest of the book had been as good! Really, the ending is what bumped it up to 4 stars for me, until then it was more like a 3.5 maybe. But be forewarned, there is a big cliffhanger, so you will want to have Red River all ready to read!
May 6, 2013
I can't wait for the sequel. I'm stuck in a book hangover and I need my sequel!!
Initially, I had no idea of what to expect in terms of the writing or the development of the story. Needless to say, Van Hull amazed me. She could hold a candle to Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth and other Dystopian legends.
It was very hard for me to write a review for this book. It feels like I just can't express how much in love I am with this book. The plot was very creative, the pace of the book was just perfect - not too fast and not too slow, her descriptions were emotion evoking and her writing was very clean and easy to understand.
But my favorite aspect of this book was the characters. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED LOVED LOVED <3 THE CHARACTERS. It is very difficult to create a character that is good, let alone awesome! Dani, the main character was immaculate. It was very easy to identify with her and sympathize with her. She was just a regular girl thrust into her worst nightmare. A story of how a girl had to brave it out and along the way found new friendships, trust and even romance.
The only problem I had with this book was its setting. It is supposed to be a post-famine nation, I would think that the lack of food would have an impact on the other spheres of life. It felt a bit like everything else was perfect except for the fact that the whole world was starving. It would've been nice to see a little more problems in this society, as the people in this world seemed very desperate.
But overall, this book is terrifyingly impressive and EVERYBODY should give it a chance!
October 25, 2013
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
This is one of those books that you to read not knowing what to expect of i tand after finishing ityou just can't help thinking, where have you been my whole life?
The story start in a US that is falling apart after a plague of biblical proportions the new goverment decides all the young people are to be sent to "safety" camps 17 year old Dani Campbell's parents ask her to take her little Brody to the family cabin so they won't be separated, Dani agrees to the plan but asks to take her best friend Kit. After some problems they arrive to the cabins only to realize that they are now converted to a refuge for young adults called Tent City and the fight for survival begins.
The Good
-The character growth especially Kit and Dani. At the beginning Dani was just a girl that got thrown into the wild but with time she noticed that she had to step up her game so she went and got help and learned how to defend herself and others. As for Kit at first she was a typical teenage girl and didn't seem to take the situatuion seriously but once she got to Tent City I felt like she had matured very much.
-The whole idea of Tent City was very original and very well executed.
-Bentley. He is hands down my favorite character, the way he ran Tent City with responsability but he never was cruel. I don't know what it is about him but I hope he wins Dani's heart in the end.
The Bad
-I wish we knew more about the General and the camps. They seemed so interesting.
- For a smart girl Dani could be very clueless at times, especially when it came to Bentley's feelings for her.
*Thank you Kelly Van Hull for giving me a free copy and letting me enjoy her book*
This is one of those books that you to read not knowing what to expect of i tand after finishing ityou just can't help thinking, where have you been my whole life?
The story start in a US that is falling apart after a plague of biblical proportions the new goverment decides all the young people are to be sent to "safety" camps 17 year old Dani Campbell's parents ask her to take her little Brody to the family cabin so they won't be separated, Dani agrees to the plan but asks to take her best friend Kit. After some problems they arrive to the cabins only to realize that they are now converted to a refuge for young adults called Tent City and the fight for survival begins.
The Good
-The character growth especially Kit and Dani. At the beginning Dani was just a girl that got thrown into the wild but with time she noticed that she had to step up her game so she went and got help and learned how to defend herself and others. As for Kit at first she was a typical teenage girl and didn't seem to take the situatuion seriously but once she got to Tent City I felt like she had matured very much.
-The whole idea of Tent City was very original and very well executed.
-Bentley. He is hands down my favorite character, the way he ran Tent City with responsability but he never was cruel. I don't know what it is about him but I hope he wins Dani's heart in the end.
The Bad
-I wish we knew more about the General and the camps. They seemed so interesting.
- For a smart girl Dani could be very clueless at times, especially when it came to Bentley's feelings for her.
*Thank you Kelly Van Hull for giving me a free copy and letting me enjoy her book*
September 25, 2015
Tent City Review
So, I have mixed feelings about this novel...
What I liked: the writing is clean and expressive without being long-winded or extraneous. I found it easy to like the characters, and enjoyed getting to know new characters throughout the book.
What I didn't like: The story took a long time to get to the "mystery", and overall I found the plot to be predictable and lacking in the level of conflict one would expect in a group of teenagers living in the wild.
In the end, even though the writing is excellent, I didn't feel connected enough to the characters to see where the stories go.
My best wishes to Kelly Van Hull in her future writing endeavors!
So, I have mixed feelings about this novel...
What I liked: the writing is clean and expressive without being long-winded or extraneous. I found it easy to like the characters, and enjoyed getting to know new characters throughout the book.
What I didn't like: The story took a long time to get to the "mystery", and overall I found the plot to be predictable and lacking in the level of conflict one would expect in a group of teenagers living in the wild.
In the end, even though the writing is excellent, I didn't feel connected enough to the characters to see where the stories go.
My best wishes to Kelly Van Hull in her future writing endeavors!
December 9, 2013
Tent City caught my interest right away, and never let it go. I love that the story is based in South Dakota and takes place largely in the Black Hills. The characters are engaging and it was fun to get to know them. There are twists and turns aplenty that kept the pages turning, right up to the end, when I realized I should have purchased the sequel, Red River, at the same time. Now I have to wait to find out what happens as the story continues.
Kelly did a great job! I look forward to more from this talented author.
Kelly did a great job! I look forward to more from this talented author.
August 1, 2013
my good friend laura Thomson gave me this book a couple weeks ago and I finally read it last night. let me just say it was an AWSOME!!! read. I truly fell in love with all the characters and want to read tent city 2 with all my heart! I loved it!!!! I don't usually take the time to write a review, but I felt your tent city was worth it! i am anticipating number 2 with glee. thank you for a "full book stomach"!
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