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Wish You Weren't Here
Rising seniors Juliette Barrera-Wright and Priya Pendley have always tolerated each other. Ever since elementary school, the girls have mutually agreed to endure each other's presence in the overlapping parts of their lives, and once a year, Juliette attends Priyatopia--Priya's over-the-top birthday party that seems to get more and more lavish with every passing year--with the rest of their high school class and even brings her a gift.
Juliette acquiesces the spotlight to Priya all year long in exchange for her moment in the sun at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp--the place where no one is "too much." Entering her final year as a camper at Fogridge with the prestigious title of North Star, Juliette's ready to forget about Priya and enjoy the outdoors, her fellow campers, and an environment where she gets to be more than a side character. But her hopes for a Priya-free summer are shattered when her rival shows up at Fogridge on move-in day and is assigned to be her roommate.
Juliette's perfect summer continues to spiral out of control when everything that could possibly go wrong does and she is forced to spend even more time with the person she thought she couldn’t stand. But as she begins to see a new side of Priya, she’s forced to grapple with a new and unexpected feeling…love?
Juliette acquiesces the spotlight to Priya all year long in exchange for her moment in the sun at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp--the place where no one is "too much." Entering her final year as a camper at Fogridge with the prestigious title of North Star, Juliette's ready to forget about Priya and enjoy the outdoors, her fellow campers, and an environment where she gets to be more than a side character. But her hopes for a Priya-free summer are shattered when her rival shows up at Fogridge on move-in day and is assigned to be her roommate.
Juliette's perfect summer continues to spiral out of control when everything that could possibly go wrong does and she is forced to spend even more time with the person she thought she couldn’t stand. But as she begins to see a new side of Priya, she’s forced to grapple with a new and unexpected feeling…love?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2024
124 people are currently reading
21495 people want to read
About the author
Erin Baldwin
2 books263 followersAuthor of Wish You Weren't Here and Good Luck, Babe!, Erin Baldwin (she/her) is a free-range, ethically sourced human being on a quest to become the most interesting person on the face of the planet. In pursuit of this goal, she's travelled to 21 countries, lived in 6 states, and is attempting to learn the fiddle. It is not going well. She has two mischievous cats, The Baby Boy and The Baby Girl.
She is represented by Lauren Spieller at Folio Literary Management.
She is represented by Lauren Spieller at Folio Literary Management.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 869 reviews
April 16, 2025
my first love: ya contemporaries.
this reminded me why i love them! it's a fun, fluffy, summery romance with lots of character development and quirky dialogue.
at the beginning, i wasn't sure i would like this book. it was an immediate lurch into a high-energy, inconsistency-riddled world of carnival-like birthday parties for rich and famous teenage influencers and strict families of prodigy children run like circuses by doctors with very hyphenated last names.
but then we went off to camp and everything chilled out.
i love seasonally immersive books, whether they be autumnal halloween-y stories or cozy christmassy tales or summery s'mores-y fluffballs like this one.
bottom line: i had a good time!
(thanks to the author for the copy)
this reminded me why i love them! it's a fun, fluffy, summery romance with lots of character development and quirky dialogue.
at the beginning, i wasn't sure i would like this book. it was an immediate lurch into a high-energy, inconsistency-riddled world of carnival-like birthday parties for rich and famous teenage influencers and strict families of prodigy children run like circuses by doctors with very hyphenated last names.
but then we went off to camp and everything chilled out.
i love seasonally immersive books, whether they be autumnal halloween-y stories or cozy christmassy tales or summery s'mores-y fluffballs like this one.
bottom line: i had a good time!
(thanks to the author for the copy)
January 24, 2024
I suppose I should finally review this book, seeing as I've read it no less than 100 times.
Here's a story:
Growing up, I was the kind of kid who wanted to dance at parties, but I was self-conscious and deeply fearful, so I'd wait for someone to pull me up onto the dance floor.
A friend invited me to his junior prom after his girlfriend dumped him unexpectedly. I sat in my chair the entire time. I remember so clearly him crouching beside me and saying, "Erin, if I knew you weren't going to dance, I would've invited someone else."
Years later, in my early twenties, I was living in a rural town in upstate PA, desperately missing the bustle of the city I grew up in. A coworker noticed this and surprised me by driving me four hours south to her favorite hometown club for her sister's birthday.
You know what I'm about to say, so let's all say it together: I sat in my chair the entire time! Yes, very good work.
I spent weddings and parties and nights out saying, "You guys go dance, I'll sit here and watch the coats." Like a mom at an amusement park holding her children's churros and glasses as they ride The Rolling Thunder.
No matter how confident I got, it felt like I was never going to be able to dance on my own.
But then I worked at summer camp. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I was the one pulling people up onto the dance floor. At camp, I was just someone completely different. I was a version of me who could do the things I'd always been too afraid to do, for whatever reason.
This book is a love letter to camp, to becoming, to all the home-away-from-homes that people find for themselves.
And it also took a lot of effort to write.
So.
Five stars.
Here's a story:
Growing up, I was the kind of kid who wanted to dance at parties, but I was self-conscious and deeply fearful, so I'd wait for someone to pull me up onto the dance floor.
A friend invited me to his junior prom after his girlfriend dumped him unexpectedly. I sat in my chair the entire time. I remember so clearly him crouching beside me and saying, "Erin, if I knew you weren't going to dance, I would've invited someone else."
Years later, in my early twenties, I was living in a rural town in upstate PA, desperately missing the bustle of the city I grew up in. A coworker noticed this and surprised me by driving me four hours south to her favorite hometown club for her sister's birthday.
You know what I'm about to say, so let's all say it together: I sat in my chair the entire time! Yes, very good work.
I spent weddings and parties and nights out saying, "You guys go dance, I'll sit here and watch the coats." Like a mom at an amusement park holding her children's churros and glasses as they ride The Rolling Thunder.
No matter how confident I got, it felt like I was never going to be able to dance on my own.
But then I worked at summer camp. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I was the one pulling people up onto the dance floor. At camp, I was just someone completely different. I was a version of me who could do the things I'd always been too afraid to do, for whatever reason.
This book is a love letter to camp, to becoming, to all the home-away-from-homes that people find for themselves.
And it also took a lot of effort to write.
So.
Five stars.
October 24, 2023
My summer camp loving heart is so happy. Delightful.
March 13, 2024
Okay, first things first: if you're on the fence about this one—admiring that cute cover, thinking a summer camp novel sounds fun, that frenemies-to-lovers is obviously the best trope, but... just read it. It's 100% as cute as it looks. Is the set up contrived as all get out? Sure, but it's a summer camp novel. Every other scene is an activity. Literally contrived. By adults. For fun. Activities are fun! So is sharing a cabin with your sworn enemy / hot crush. Whose butt is just like right there. Not that you’re staring at it. (“‘Right … you were looking with it. Near it.’”) Also, said crush has so much more emotional intelligence than you that you think it's a fair fight but it's not. She has your number, babe. Anyway, read it. Great literature it is not (what was that? YA is for kids? wha?), but treat yourself.
I have more to say, things less fair and more complicated. Like: Juliette is an asshole? Kind of? And some of her jokes border on… bullying? A suspicion only strengthened by how clearly her behavior is rooted in insecurity? (but see above re: emotional maturity). That Galahad, the "mean" counselor, reacted to Juliette's little mental break over her new roomie about how I would have? And is maybe the real victim in this story? That I'm a little sceptical Juliette is ready for a serious relationship, and if this were real life and not YA romance she would almost certainly learn that by putting herself and some poor innocent (named Priya) through a one-to-six year ringer? (What was that? Not being "real life" is the whole point of summer camp? and YA? and romance? wha?)
I like Juliette, I really do. I like Priya, too, obviously (obviously!) but I'm not convinced she exactly knows herself, either. Especially not if she's been nursing this weird little crush since forever? It almost feels like something complicated is going on here with queerness, something perhaps not quite intended… (Of course, they weren't gonna let a boy and a girl share that cabin. We're coming for your bathrooms, straights, but your summer camp cabins are probs safe for now. Ish.) Or maybe kids being seventeen and idiots is just complicated and stupid and silly and sweet all at the same time, and so the book is those things too. Though now I think I’m making it all sound more sophisticated than it is (or should be!)
Anyway, weird review, I know, but it's a fun book. Super silly, but it gave me some things to think about, too. (That last might just be me, though. I could probably read psychological depth into a phonebook. Don't be me, overthinking. Read it like a kid. After your bed time. Go back and reread the flirty scenes for clues. Step out of reality for a sec. The water's great.)
I have more to say, things less fair and more complicated. Like: Juliette is an asshole? Kind of? And some of her jokes border on… bullying? A suspicion only strengthened by how clearly her behavior is rooted in insecurity? (but see above re: emotional maturity). That Galahad, the "mean" counselor, reacted to Juliette's little mental break over her new roomie about how I would have? And is maybe the real victim in this story? That I'm a little sceptical Juliette is ready for a serious relationship, and if this were real life and not YA romance she would almost certainly learn that by putting herself and some poor innocent (named Priya) through a one-to-six year ringer? (What was that? Not being "real life" is the whole point of summer camp? and YA? and romance? wha?)
I like Juliette, I really do. I like Priya, too, obviously (obviously!) but I'm not convinced she exactly knows herself, either. Especially not if she's been nursing this weird little crush since forever? It almost feels like something complicated is going on here with queerness, something perhaps not quite intended… (Of course, they weren't gonna let a boy and a girl share that cabin. We're coming for your bathrooms, straights, but your summer camp cabins are probs safe for now. Ish.) Or maybe kids being seventeen and idiots is just complicated and stupid and silly and sweet all at the same time, and so the book is those things too. Though now I think I’m making it all sound more sophisticated than it is (or should be!)
Anyway, weird review, I know, but it's a fun book. Super silly, but it gave me some things to think about, too. (That last might just be me, though. I could probably read psychological depth into a phonebook. Don't be me, overthinking. Read it like a kid. After your bed time. Go back and reread the flirty scenes for clues. Step out of reality for a sec. The water's great.)
September 22, 2024
“i feel like space garbage. straight-up low-orbit debris, incinerating in planet pendley's stratosphere."
camp fogridge has always been juliette’s home, one that’s wholly hers. except it isn’t anymore, not when childhood rival priya pendley shows up as juliette’s cabinmate and risks ruining her final summer before she says goodbye forever.
can we talk about summer camp for a sec?
it’s been a hot minute. over a decade, really. camp & i don’t exactly go hand in hand but i was stubborn. still am. i take quiet pride in being the first physically disabled kid in the country throwing it down in the wilderness.
i kind of hate that i grew up. that i started to forget.
or so i thought.
can you believe erin gave me all these memories back?
the heat of a campfire, sweaty bare shoulders pressed together, singalongs floating on a breeze. musty a-frame cabins, heads resting against splintery wooden beds. sliding face first into mud, kayaking across a river, shrieking down ziplines. a kind of magic once left behind.
i love how alive this book made me feel. for a moment, life has whimsy & i believe once again! all at once my bones are saturated in nostalgia & hope & melancholy & growing pains!
a difficult truth: in recent months, i rarely gravitate towards ya novels. ya is, & will always be, my forever home which makes it all the more terrifying to realize i’m straying from a path of comfort & familiarity. i’m changing, wrapped in unease.
juliette reflected some of this at me. the euphoria of finding something special & wholeheartedly Yours. how precious the family you forge through it is. the bittersweetness of loving that something so deeply you never want to let go but knowing some day, you’ll have to. the grief of not understanding who you are outside of it.
i hold tightly to the thought that for as long as this book–erin’s words–exist, then so will that quintessential ya home will. you will grow & you will stray. but you can drive for miles & miles & that home will always be there. you can change & your skin might fit differently & your features could shift but that home will always be there. & it will always recognize you whenever you feel like dropping by.
May 20, 2024
Juliette is heading to summer camp for her senior year. She’s super excited to be staying in the private tree house she earned as last year’s North Star award winner. But then she
discovers she has to share the cabin with newbie Prya who Juliette has disliked forever in their real life.
Lately, I’ve been reading books where the main character is beyond grumpy and is just a jerk so I end up screaming for the LI to run. Then I dnf the book. In the beginning of this story, Juliette is almost that insufferable character. Her longtime schoolmate, Prya, is just being herself. Prya’s a naturally warm, giving person which is why people gravitate towards her but Juliette doesn’t know how to deal with her confusing feelings about Prya.
I love camp stories and this put me right in the middle of the woods with everyone kayaking, hiking, crafting, and toasting their s’mores in the firepit. Mini campers pop in to add cute scenes and the older teens have their angsty crushes. But what resonates is Juliette’s battle with herself. She is the middle child of seven, accustomed to being a latchkey kid but also a child of privilege and expectations. Her parents are physicians and she is hoping to attend Yale next year. The author balances Juliette’s immature responses with reflection. She recognizes her own flaws and wants to be better. But she also wants validation. Prya’s character shines and how she interacts with Juliette is a thing of beauty. Small acts and kind words. Prya sees her. When Prya and Juliette do begin to click together, their banter is funny, their connection is sweet, and their affection is heartwarming. Very nice YA debut.
Received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
discovers she has to share the cabin with newbie Prya who Juliette has disliked forever in their real life.
Lately, I’ve been reading books where the main character is beyond grumpy and is just a jerk so I end up screaming for the LI to run. Then I dnf the book. In the beginning of this story, Juliette is almost that insufferable character. Her longtime schoolmate, Prya, is just being herself. Prya’s a naturally warm, giving person which is why people gravitate towards her but Juliette doesn’t know how to deal with her confusing feelings about Prya.
I love camp stories and this put me right in the middle of the woods with everyone kayaking, hiking, crafting, and toasting their s’mores in the firepit. Mini campers pop in to add cute scenes and the older teens have their angsty crushes. But what resonates is Juliette’s battle with herself. She is the middle child of seven, accustomed to being a latchkey kid but also a child of privilege and expectations. Her parents are physicians and she is hoping to attend Yale next year. The author balances Juliette’s immature responses with reflection. She recognizes her own flaws and wants to be better. But she also wants validation. Prya’s character shines and how she interacts with Juliette is a thing of beauty. Small acts and kind words. Prya sees her. When Prya and Juliette do begin to click together, their banter is funny, their connection is sweet, and their affection is heartwarming. Very nice YA debut.
Received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2024
although i’ve always wanted to go to summer camp growing up, i just feel like this book wasn’t necessarily for me? it was fun don’t get me wrong but it feels like the romance was in the background. it kinda reminds me of never have i ever meets high school musical the musical the series (season 4) in a way.
December 22, 2022
as a sapphic summer camp kid i felt called out by this one a bit too much but i'll tolerate it i guess... THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!
November 30, 2024
This book left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s adorable. It’s hilarious. It’s heartwarming. All you want in a YA rom-com really!
Juliette is relatable. She is confident, assertive but at the same time self-effacing. She feels like she disappears everywhere else except at camp where she is literally the North Star. But this summer, she has to share her safe space and her cabin(!) with her popular always-the-centre-of-attention nemesis, Priya. But during all the times they have to spend together, Juliette realises that there is more to Priya’s popular girl persona- She is kind, naturally lovable (so it’s not her fault everyone loves her 🤭) and has surprising depth and interests. Oh, I’m sure that you can guess what happens next? But I rather that you didn’t, and read the book instead!! 😚
My favourite part about this book is the relationship development between Juliette and Priya. I’m glad that the author didn’t take tooo long for Juliette’s feelings to switch because she was kind of a meanie at the start (understandably but still!). After the switch though, I can chew on their chemistry like it was a piece of slightly burnt smorse. Just DELICIOUS!!
The end feeling was 5🌟, it had the most perfect ending (what Juliette wrote on Priya’s jacket got me tearing up 🥹) and the best epilogue! Butttt, the overall reading enjoyment was a 4 for me. There are a couple of things that bumped the rating down:
- I think the book is a bit too long, the first half of the book can definitely get a good editing - we don’t need super detailed descriptions of every single activities at camp and introductions of new characters that didn’t add to anything. If this was a 300ish paged book, it would be perfect!
- the side/supporting characters lacked depth and felt cartoonish. Yes, Lucy and Gia were fun and hilarious, but they also didn’t feel real. The ‘villain’ character, Galahad, had nothing much to back her attitude towards Juliette. It would be great if we could’ve had more background stories on all these characters. Also, because I know that the writer can do it, Priya and Juliette felt real and had great character development and depth, just maybe share the love with your supporting characters too 🫶
Overall though, I still very much enjoyed this book and definitely wished I was there! If you need a summery comforting read to combat holiday anxieties, this is the perfect read 💖
—————————
RTC, I’m still buzzing with warmth and joy from this book ☀️
Juliette is relatable. She is confident, assertive but at the same time self-effacing. She feels like she disappears everywhere else except at camp where she is literally the North Star. But this summer, she has to share her safe space and her cabin(!) with her popular always-the-centre-of-attention nemesis, Priya. But during all the times they have to spend together, Juliette realises that there is more to Priya’s popular girl persona- She is kind, naturally lovable (so it’s not her fault everyone loves her 🤭) and has surprising depth and interests. Oh, I’m sure that you can guess what happens next? But I rather that you didn’t, and read the book instead!! 😚
My favourite part about this book is the relationship development between Juliette and Priya. I’m glad that the author didn’t take tooo long for Juliette’s feelings to switch because she was kind of a meanie at the start (understandably but still!). After the switch though, I can chew on their chemistry like it was a piece of slightly burnt smorse. Just DELICIOUS!!
The end feeling was 5🌟, it had the most perfect ending (what Juliette wrote on Priya’s jacket got me tearing up 🥹) and the best epilogue! Butttt, the overall reading enjoyment was a 4 for me. There are a couple of things that bumped the rating down:
- I think the book is a bit too long, the first half of the book can definitely get a good editing - we don’t need super detailed descriptions of every single activities at camp and introductions of new characters that didn’t add to anything. If this was a 300ish paged book, it would be perfect!
- the side/supporting characters lacked depth and felt cartoonish. Yes, Lucy and Gia were fun and hilarious, but they also didn’t feel real. The ‘villain’ character, Galahad, had nothing much to back her attitude towards Juliette. It would be great if we could’ve had more background stories on all these characters. Also, because I know that the writer can do it, Priya and Juliette felt real and had great character development and depth, just maybe share the love with your supporting characters too 🫶
Overall though, I still very much enjoyed this book and definitely wished I was there! If you need a summery comforting read to combat holiday anxieties, this is the perfect read 💖
—————————
RTC, I’m still buzzing with warmth and joy from this book ☀️
May 28, 2024
Juliette and her mortal enemy have a good thing going—they turn up to each other's parties, trade the same lackluster birthday gift back and forth, and generally stay out of each other's way. Priya reigns during the school year, but in summer camp is all Juliette's own...until her final summer as a camper, when Priya shows up. At her camp. In her cabin. And there's nothing Juliette can do about it.
I read this for 1) summer camp and 2) the novelty of YA enemies who aren't awful to each other, and it did not disappoint on either end. Now, make no mistake—this is not summer camp like you've seen it in real life. This is a very YA-novel summer camp in which, despite the director's protestations, money seems to be no object and a two-story cabin can be assigned to only two(!) campers. Some suspension of disbelief is required, as is an acceptance that side characters and plots will not get their fair due.
But the lack of enemy drama? I love it. The book is basically enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, but it's pretty low-key on the romance front and manages to keep the drama somewhere other than between Juliette and Priya. I'm reminded, minus the turn to romance, of a playful enmity I had with a classmate when I was about twelve—we didn't actually wish each other ill, but it was fun to argue, and neither of us took it personally. (We're no longer in contact beyond the barest of social media interaction, but I bet we'd get on well as adults.) Juliette and Priya have a similar dynamic—even when they're arguing, they're not cruel about it, and it makes it a much more fun book to read. I'd have been thrilled if this had been a book about friendship rather than romance, actually (as much as I love a good f/f story, I love a good friendship story more...and they're few and far between in YA), but the dynamic is fun enough here to bump it up to four stars.
(Don't pin your real-life summer-camp hopes and dreams on this book, though. That's like me pinning my early-2000s southern US boarding school hopes and dreams on 1940s British girls boarding school fiction. Expectation vs. reality...)
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
I read this for 1) summer camp and 2) the novelty of YA enemies who aren't awful to each other, and it did not disappoint on either end. Now, make no mistake—this is not summer camp like you've seen it in real life. This is a very YA-novel summer camp in which, despite the director's protestations, money seems to be no object and a two-story cabin can be assigned to only two(!) campers. Some suspension of disbelief is required, as is an acceptance that side characters and plots will not get their fair due.
But the lack of enemy drama? I love it. The book is basically enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, but it's pretty low-key on the romance front and manages to keep the drama somewhere other than between Juliette and Priya. I'm reminded, minus the turn to romance, of a playful enmity I had with a classmate when I was about twelve—we didn't actually wish each other ill, but it was fun to argue, and neither of us took it personally. (We're no longer in contact beyond the barest of social media interaction, but I bet we'd get on well as adults.) Juliette and Priya have a similar dynamic—even when they're arguing, they're not cruel about it, and it makes it a much more fun book to read. I'd have been thrilled if this had been a book about friendship rather than romance, actually (as much as I love a good f/f story, I love a good friendship story more...and they're few and far between in YA), but the dynamic is fun enough here to bump it up to four stars.
(Don't pin your real-life summer-camp hopes and dreams on this book, though. That's like me pinning my early-2000s southern US boarding school hopes and dreams on 1940s British girls boarding school fiction. Expectation vs. reality...)
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
April 24, 2024
Sapphic YA frenemies to lovers romance set at camp with a prickly heroine! I enjoyed this quite a lot. Wish You Weren't Here is a frothy summer camp romance between a misunderstood, hard-headed heroine who feels like camp is the only place she can be herself, and the Instagram-famous girl she cordially despises who shows up unannounced as her roommate for the summer. This is for girls who were told they were too much, too intense, not nice enough. Girls who just wanted to be seen and loved for who they are. It's a slow-burn and is almost entirely set at camp with all the requisite camp activities. A great book for heading into the summer! I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
February 1, 2024
rating: 3.75
i actually appreciated this more for the love letter to summer camp than the romance itself. the characters were nice enough, but i think calling this a rivals to lovers is a bit misleading. they themselves describe their relationship through mutuals friends as "eh"; there is a lot of envy on juliette's part, but it's one-sided and not a proper hatred or anything.
but it's understandable when little miss perfect priya shows up at her favorite place on earth for her last year there as a camper and juliette feels she's about to be robbed her best last summer ever. not only is priya quickly loved by everyone, but even juliette quickly succumbs to accepting her into the friend group. it didn't really have that rival drive, but i sympathized w juliette's feeling of her place in camp being threatened. juliette constantly describes herself as being too loud, too open w her opinions, but we really don't see that, we're only told so. i think we could've seen more examples of that played out, esp to have more juxtaposition and maybe conflict between the MCs.
the rest of the story had good pacing and believable chemistry build-up between the two. i felt a bit dissatisfied with one of the conflict subplots and wasn't a big fan of the epilogue .
overall, it was enjoyable but not a favorite.
an honest arc review <3
i actually appreciated this more for the love letter to summer camp than the romance itself. the characters were nice enough, but i think calling this a rivals to lovers is a bit misleading. they themselves describe their relationship through mutuals friends as "eh"; there is a lot of envy on juliette's part, but it's one-sided and not a proper hatred or anything.
but it's understandable when little miss perfect priya shows up at her favorite place on earth for her last year there as a camper and juliette feels she's about to be robbed her best last summer ever. not only is priya quickly loved by everyone, but even juliette quickly succumbs to accepting her into the friend group. it didn't really have that rival drive, but i sympathized w juliette's feeling of her place in camp being threatened. juliette constantly describes herself as being too loud, too open w her opinions, but we really don't see that, we're only told so. i think we could've seen more examples of that played out, esp to have more juxtaposition and maybe conflict between the MCs.
the rest of the story had good pacing and believable chemistry build-up between the two. i felt a bit dissatisfied with one of the conflict subplots and wasn't a big fan of the epilogue .
overall, it was enjoyable but not a favorite.
an honest arc review <3
July 30, 2024
YA perfection
September 17, 2024
I received an ARC from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
“Wish You Weren’t Here” is a sweet coming of age YA story. While this is classified as a romance, I’m not sure I’d go that far. While there is a romance, it’s more of a subplot than anything else. This is more about Juliette’s journey to finding self-discovery and acceptance.
I only went to summer camp once and unfortunately; I don’t remember much about it. However, this story has made me see what I was missing. Camp Fogridge is Juliette’s oasis from her home life and it’s the only place where she feels like she can really be herself. At home she’s a middle child that is ignored and considered “too much.” At school she has to deal with Priya, a social media influencer, that she’s known most of her life. Priya, while not an enemy exactly, gets on her nerves with how perfect her life is. Her plans to enjoy her last summer at Camp Fogridge come crashing down when she finds out Priya will be her roommate for the summer.
Juliette is an intense girl with intense feelings. She doesn’t make a great first impression as she is pretty insufferable to start. Because of her home life, she has some issues with her self-worth and being insecure. She doesn’t take Priya being at camp well and it takes a lot of work for her to accept the situation. Luckily, she has some friends that help.
Priya has known Juliette for long enough that she doesn’t let Juliette’s attitude get her down. Their relationships grows and evolves over the 5 weeks and I loved how sweet and funny they were with each other. I did have an issue with Juliette some of the time. She could verge on being a bully sometimes and I wanted to see her held accountable and deal with that more.
I appreciated all the queer and POC rep. I think it did a nice job of showing how differently things are now even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Especially with the younger generations. Race and sexuality were accepted without much discussion if any at all.
Also, kudos to the author. This is Baldwin’s debut and nothing about this felt like it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out she’s written under a pen name or something like that.
I want to end by saying this felt young adult. I read quite a bit of YA and it doesn’t always feel YA. There’s a lot of teen angst and emotions and I appreciated that the author did make this seem like 20 years old and slap a YA label on it.
“Wish You Weren’t Here” is a sweet coming of age YA story. While this is classified as a romance, I’m not sure I’d go that far. While there is a romance, it’s more of a subplot than anything else. This is more about Juliette’s journey to finding self-discovery and acceptance.
I only went to summer camp once and unfortunately; I don’t remember much about it. However, this story has made me see what I was missing. Camp Fogridge is Juliette’s oasis from her home life and it’s the only place where she feels like she can really be herself. At home she’s a middle child that is ignored and considered “too much.” At school she has to deal with Priya, a social media influencer, that she’s known most of her life. Priya, while not an enemy exactly, gets on her nerves with how perfect her life is. Her plans to enjoy her last summer at Camp Fogridge come crashing down when she finds out Priya will be her roommate for the summer.
Juliette is an intense girl with intense feelings. She doesn’t make a great first impression as she is pretty insufferable to start. Because of her home life, she has some issues with her self-worth and being insecure. She doesn’t take Priya being at camp well and it takes a lot of work for her to accept the situation. Luckily, she has some friends that help.
Priya has known Juliette for long enough that she doesn’t let Juliette’s attitude get her down. Their relationships grows and evolves over the 5 weeks and I loved how sweet and funny they were with each other. I did have an issue with Juliette some of the time. She could verge on being a bully sometimes and I wanted to see her held accountable and deal with that more.
I appreciated all the queer and POC rep. I think it did a nice job of showing how differently things are now even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Especially with the younger generations. Race and sexuality were accepted without much discussion if any at all.
Also, kudos to the author. This is Baldwin’s debut and nothing about this felt like it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out she’s written under a pen name or something like that.
I want to end by saying this felt young adult. I read quite a bit of YA and it doesn’t always feel YA. There’s a lot of teen angst and emotions and I appreciated that the author did make this seem like 20 years old and slap a YA label on it.
September 11, 2024
“No matter how Priya-free I try to make my life, our paths stay inextricably linked. Two planets, forever intertwined, wildly orbiting the same sun. Narrowly avoiding collision.”
1 Sentence Summary: Beautiful, popular Priya Pendley has everything, and Juliette is okay with that because she has Fogridge summer camp, the one place where she doesn’t have to worry about Priya stealing the spotlight and where she can just be herself—until Priya shows up at camp as Juliette’s cabinmate.
My Thoughts: This was a very fun, sweet, quick, lighthearted read! I loved the summer camp setting so much! The romance was lovely; Juliette and Priya were so cute together.
Despite all the fun vibes, there were still serious moments and topics, which I appreciated. Juliette’s and Priya’s different struggles felt very realistic.
Such a satisfying conclusion too with a super cute epilogue! This was the perfect summer read!!!
Random side note, that I thought this was funny and I aspire to be like Alison:
“Alison makes every hello feel like a return home from a decades-long war. We just saw each other in school last week, but I find myself choking back tears at her welcome.”
Recommend to: Fans of YA summer camp romance!
(Warnings: swearing)
January 23, 2024
Thanks to Viking Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!
This is such a fun book! Sweet characters, great pacing and a very fun setting. A perfect romance for the summertime!
Juliette and Priya were really great characters. I liked seeing Juliette’s internal struggles about how she is perceived and how she’s treated at home, and I really understood why she felt like the camp was the only place where she could really be herself. My only criticism is that I would’ve liked to see more of her school and home life, to really emphasize her struggles.
Priya was a really good LI! Juliette thinks she’s conceited and is afraid she’ll do a mockery of the summer camp activities that mean so much to Juliette, but Priya immediately proves her wrong by cheerfully participating in the activities, befriending people and just overall being a sweetheart! I also like that Priya is very confident and talented. I honestly would’ve loved to see more of her, just like with Juliette.
Both Priya and Juliette did some dumb things at times, but I’ll just chalk that up to them being teenagers haha. Overall, they were really good characters, individually. But I also really enjoyed their dynamic! Their polite distaste for each other quickly turning into admiration was really nice to see develop. I liked that Priya was clearly being very nice (and sometimes flirty) towards Juliette, but Juliette was completely oblivious and just assumed Priya still disliked her. Such a fun dynamic!!!!! 🤭
I also liked Lucy and Gia as SCs, though, once again, I would’ve liked to see more of them. (As you can tell, a lot of my review is just GIVE ME MORE!!!!!!!!! because I genuinely was having a really fun time in this story and I didn’t want it to end haha).
I also think the summer camp setting was suuuper fun! I personally don’t have this deep love for summer camp the way the characters and author clearly do, but I can imagine that someone with that kind of thing in their life will feel a deep appreciation for Juliette’s feelings about never going back to camp. But even though I couldn’t really relate to it, I still think the feeling of saying goodbye to something that means a lot to you and feeling nostalgia about your teen years is something everyone can relate to in some way, and I like the way it was shown in this story.
Regarding the writing: there were a couple of typos (which I’m sure will be corrected before the book is published) and some 4th wall breaks (which are not my personal favourite), but, overall, I think the author did a good job making me care for these characters and building up the story. I breezed through it!
Overall: this is a really fun summery book with great representation that I think any fans of YA romance will really enjoy!
(review written on 23/01/2024)
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GUYS I GOT AN ARC??!?!??!?!?!?!? LET'S GO LGTV COMMUNITY LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(19/01/2024)
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"Childhood rivals Juliette and Priya are forced to be summer camp cabinmates and must decide what they want more: to kill each other or to kiss."
say no more
(17/11/2022)
This is such a fun book! Sweet characters, great pacing and a very fun setting. A perfect romance for the summertime!
Juliette and Priya were really great characters. I liked seeing Juliette’s internal struggles about how she is perceived and how she’s treated at home, and I really understood why she felt like the camp was the only place where she could really be herself. My only criticism is that I would’ve liked to see more of her school and home life, to really emphasize her struggles.
Priya was a really good LI! Juliette thinks she’s conceited and is afraid she’ll do a mockery of the summer camp activities that mean so much to Juliette, but Priya immediately proves her wrong by cheerfully participating in the activities, befriending people and just overall being a sweetheart! I also like that Priya is very confident and talented. I honestly would’ve loved to see more of her, just like with Juliette.
Both Priya and Juliette did some dumb things at times, but I’ll just chalk that up to them being teenagers haha. Overall, they were really good characters, individually. But I also really enjoyed their dynamic! Their polite distaste for each other quickly turning into admiration was really nice to see develop. I liked that Priya was clearly being very nice (and sometimes flirty) towards Juliette, but Juliette was completely oblivious and just assumed Priya still disliked her. Such a fun dynamic!!!!! 🤭
I also liked Lucy and Gia as SCs, though, once again, I would’ve liked to see more of them. (As you can tell, a lot of my review is just GIVE ME MORE!!!!!!!!! because I genuinely was having a really fun time in this story and I didn’t want it to end haha).
I also think the summer camp setting was suuuper fun! I personally don’t have this deep love for summer camp the way the characters and author clearly do, but I can imagine that someone with that kind of thing in their life will feel a deep appreciation for Juliette’s feelings about never going back to camp. But even though I couldn’t really relate to it, I still think the feeling of saying goodbye to something that means a lot to you and feeling nostalgia about your teen years is something everyone can relate to in some way, and I like the way it was shown in this story.
Regarding the writing: there were a couple of typos (which I’m sure will be corrected before the book is published) and some 4th wall breaks (which are not my personal favourite), but, overall, I think the author did a good job making me care for these characters and building up the story. I breezed through it!
Overall: this is a really fun summery book with great representation that I think any fans of YA romance will really enjoy!
(review written on 23/01/2024)
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GUYS I GOT AN ARC??!?!??!?!?!?!? LET'S GO LGTV COMMUNITY LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
(19/01/2024)
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"Childhood rivals Juliette and Priya are forced to be summer camp cabinmates and must decide what they want more: to kill each other or to kiss."
say no more
(17/11/2022)
January 16, 2023
me, a sapphic kid who went to summer camp for eight years: wait... is this fucking play about us?!
July 20, 2024
4 stars. Joyous, just the tinest bit wistful, and all young adult romance excellence, Wish You Weren't Here is both an ode to summers as a teen and a love letter to summer camp.
July 1, 2024
Fun and fast-paced, but not at all memorable, and I really wasn’t feeling the romance.
August 9, 2024
They hate us (people from the southern hemisphere)! They're coming out with the perfect summer sapphic read in June (that's the start of winter here).
June 14, 2024
This is such a good summer read! I love a summer camp story, and this one has the right amounts of cuteness and heart. And, of course, an adorable sapphic romance!
December 15, 2024
if a rivalry lasts longer than 10 years then your are not enemies you’re gay
April 28, 2025
Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin is a stunning debut that blends humor, emotion, and a perfect summer camp setting. The story centers on Juliette, a flawed but lovable protagonist, and Priya, her perfect yet complex rival-turned-love interest. Their slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers dynamic is brilliantly written, with each character growing in meaningful ways as they challenge and support each other.
At the heart of the story are Juliette Barrera-Wright and Priya Pendley, two characters who start as friendly rivals, but slowly reveal the complexities of their personalities and flaws. Juliette, the story’s POV character, is incredibly well-developed—flawed, funny, and relatable. You’re not always supposed to root for her, and that’s part of what makes her journey so compelling. As she learns to grow and accept her own shortcomings, she also begins to see Priya in a new light. Priya, at first, seems like the perfect, untouchable girl, but the layers peel back to reveal her own flaws, making her just as human as Juliette.
The inclusion in the story feels seamless and authentic, not forced or one-dimensional. The characters are wonderfully diverse, and the way their different backgrounds and personalities are woven into the narrative only adds richness to the story. You truly feel like you're spending a summer at camp with these characters, and the genuine, inclusive atmosphere only strengthens the emotional pull of the novel. Highly recommend!
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
At the heart of the story are Juliette Barrera-Wright and Priya Pendley, two characters who start as friendly rivals, but slowly reveal the complexities of their personalities and flaws. Juliette, the story’s POV character, is incredibly well-developed—flawed, funny, and relatable. You’re not always supposed to root for her, and that’s part of what makes her journey so compelling. As she learns to grow and accept her own shortcomings, she also begins to see Priya in a new light. Priya, at first, seems like the perfect, untouchable girl, but the layers peel back to reveal her own flaws, making her just as human as Juliette.
The inclusion in the story feels seamless and authentic, not forced or one-dimensional. The characters are wonderfully diverse, and the way their different backgrounds and personalities are woven into the narrative only adds richness to the story. You truly feel like you're spending a summer at camp with these characters, and the genuine, inclusive atmosphere only strengthens the emotional pull of the novel. Highly recommend!
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Read
August 11, 2024I wasn’t sold on this story in first half, partly because while Priya and Juliette bickered—mostly because of Juliette’s prickly personality—there wasn’t that much conflict overall. (Also, the scene with her and her siblings stressed me out! No wonder she can’t wait to escape to summer camp.) The second half got me, though, because I thought the flirting and tension between them as their relationship shifted was so well done.
I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would, and it was such a fun summer read. I read this partially in print and partly as an audiobook, and I recommend both. The short chapters—all of which have fun titles—make this a quick read, and I think anyone who has a soft spot for summer camp will get a dose of nostalgia.
I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would, and it was such a fun summer read. I read this partially in print and partly as an audiobook, and I recommend both. The short chapters—all of which have fun titles—make this a quick read, and I think anyone who has a soft spot for summer camp will get a dose of nostalgia.
June 19, 2025
This was cute! Loved the quirky and funny moments as well as the wonderful character development. This was a light and easy read. It takes a bit to pick up but it was decent!
June 10, 2024
3.5? It was cute, but it never really hooked me in. If this were just a story about friendship and finding yourself at summer camp, it would've held up a lot more. But as a frenemies-to-lovers YA romance? It kinda let down. The initial "rivalry" between them is really one sided and in Juliette's head, and honestly Priya was so nice right off the bat, it was hard to root for the MC on that front. This story could've really benefitted from a dual-POV to see what both girls were going through.
February 27, 2025
RTC in a few hours
April 25, 2025
This was so cute!! The sapphics are really winning with the YA summer camp novels at the moment 🌲
Had a great time reading this. Lovable MCs with slight rivals to lovers vibes (but not too much) and some tension.
The story flowed well and felt perfectly paced: never a dull moment. The characters are well fleshed out and you root for both of them.
Rep// Bi Girl Mc, Sapphic Girl MC. Central relationship is WLW / sapphic.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW/ slight injury, hospital scene.
Had a great time reading this. Lovable MCs with slight rivals to lovers vibes (but not too much) and some tension.
The story flowed well and felt perfectly paced: never a dull moment. The characters are well fleshed out and you root for both of them.
Rep// Bi Girl Mc, Sapphic Girl MC. Central relationship is WLW / sapphic.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW/ slight injury, hospital scene.
April 10, 2024
This is one of the strongest debut novels I've had the pleasure of reading in a long while. The world building is just as vivid and lush as the characters themselves -- who have some of my favorite voices ever. Juliette and Priya are so lovable on their own, but especially together. I especially enjoyed the nuanced take of a 'not so' enemies to lovers dynamic. This is one of those books that will stick with me for a long time.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc!
June 11, 2024
A fantastic and fun YA Sapphic enemies to lovers, forced proximity summer camp romance that sees two frenemies forced to bunk together who realize they have more in common than they realized. I loved this on audio, there was great BIPOC rep and it was just a super fun summer read! Highly recommended for fans of authors like Jennifer Dugan and I can't wait to read more by this author!
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