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Whispering Pines #1
Момичешки клуб
Петнадесетгодишната Саманта е готина и секси, но никак не обича да е център на вниманието. А това е толкова трудно, когато си била главен герой в най-популярната телевизионна реклама за годината!
Саманта заминава на летен лагер като помощник-ръководител и веднага се превръща в магнит за погледите на момчетата и в същото време става непоносима пречка за момичетата, които искат да бъдат № 1. И колкото повече се опитва да не се натрапва и да стои встрани, толкова повече се оказва в центъра на събитията – комичните ситуации се редуват с гадни номера, истинското приятелство се преплита с ревност и отмъщения. Но когато се появява и първата любов, Саманта трябва да реши дали да остане нерешителна и плаха или да повярва в себе си и да се бори за щастието си.
Саманта заминава на летен лагер като помощник-ръководител и веднага се превръща в магнит за погледите на момчетата и в същото време става непоносима пречка за момичетата, които искат да бъдат № 1. И колкото повече се опитва да не се натрапва и да стои встрани, толкова повече се оказва в центъра на събитията – комичните ситуации се редуват с гадни номера, истинското приятелство се преплита с ревност и отмъщения. Но когато се появява и първата любов, Саманта трябва да реши дали да остане нерешителна и плаха или да повярва в себе си и да се бори за щастието си.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
83 people are currently reading
5195 people want to read
About the author
Jen Calonita
72 books3,755 followersHi Goodreads!
I'm Jen Calonita, a MG and YA author who loves what I do because it lets me connect with all of you (and no, I wasn't intending for that to rhyme!).
I've been writing ever since I can remember, but it was fourth grade when I put my "three wishes" for a genie down on paper. They were:
#1. Buy all the Cabbage Patch Kids in the world and give them away for free (because apparently that was how I rolled).
#2. I wanted a mansion, limo, lake house, pool and speed boat (still sounds quite nice).
#3. I wanted to be an author for young readers, which I am!
I love writing novels for teens (and for savvy grown ups who know that YA rocks at any age). My first series was "Secrets of My Hollywood Life" and it followed a teen star named Kaitlin Burke who struggled with the fame game. I have also written the stand-alone novels Sleepaway Girls, it's companion book, Summer State of Mind and the Belles series.
I've been writing middle grade too and am having so much fun with my series Fairy Tale Reform School! The fourth book in this series about a school run by former villains is called Tricked and will be out March 2018. Ever wonder what it would be like if your parents got a job with someone like Taylpr Swift? My other middle grade series, VIP, follows super fan Mackenzie Lowell as she tours with her favorite band, Perfect Storm.
I promise to give book updates here, and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or my website. I hope I hear from you!
xo
Jen
I'm Jen Calonita, a MG and YA author who loves what I do because it lets me connect with all of you (and no, I wasn't intending for that to rhyme!).
I've been writing ever since I can remember, but it was fourth grade when I put my "three wishes" for a genie down on paper. They were:
#1. Buy all the Cabbage Patch Kids in the world and give them away for free (because apparently that was how I rolled).
#2. I wanted a mansion, limo, lake house, pool and speed boat (still sounds quite nice).
#3. I wanted to be an author for young readers, which I am!
I love writing novels for teens (and for savvy grown ups who know that YA rocks at any age). My first series was "Secrets of My Hollywood Life" and it followed a teen star named Kaitlin Burke who struggled with the fame game. I have also written the stand-alone novels Sleepaway Girls, it's companion book, Summer State of Mind and the Belles series.
I've been writing middle grade too and am having so much fun with my series Fairy Tale Reform School! The fourth book in this series about a school run by former villains is called Tricked and will be out March 2018. Ever wonder what it would be like if your parents got a job with someone like Taylpr Swift? My other middle grade series, VIP, follows super fan Mackenzie Lowell as she tours with her favorite band, Perfect Storm.
I promise to give book updates here, and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or my website. I hope I hear from you!
xo
Jen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
March 26, 2014
I have read this book 4 times now, and loved it every time. Of course, I am almost 14, so I get a different view of novels than some people. I fell in love with all the characters and the twisted romances. I did like how there was subtle humor through-out the book.
This is about a teenage girl whos best friend get's her first boyfriend and is with him all the time. Sam decides she doesn't want to be around that all summer, so she decides to goes to a sleepaway camp for the first time and learns more about herself while becoming a better person to herself. She makes friends and enemies, pranks, and falls in lust and love. I can tell if a book is really well written when I'm wanting to scream at the characters, jump around, and feel frusterated, and I felt all these emotions reading this book. Unlike fantasy books which I really enjoy, I could relate to all the people in "Sleepaway Girls." It makes me wish the Pines existed so I could go.
I reccomend this book to readers who like romance, suddle humor and teenage drama.
This is about a teenage girl whos best friend get's her first boyfriend and is with him all the time. Sam decides she doesn't want to be around that all summer, so she decides to goes to a sleepaway camp for the first time and learns more about herself while becoming a better person to herself. She makes friends and enemies, pranks, and falls in lust and love. I can tell if a book is really well written when I'm wanting to scream at the characters, jump around, and feel frusterated, and I felt all these emotions reading this book. Unlike fantasy books which I really enjoy, I could relate to all the people in "Sleepaway Girls." It makes me wish the Pines existed so I could go.
I reccomend this book to readers who like romance, suddle humor and teenage drama.
March 1, 2024
Man, do I wish I found this book back when it came out! This is the kind of book I would have ate up back in 2009! The Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, the Cheetah Girls... these references were MADE for me.
This book is a delightful middle grade/preteen read about a girl who goes away to camp to work as a counselor in training and makes brand new friends. Of course, every preteen drama comes with a mean girl, crushes on the boys, and lots of drama and giggles. This entire book screams the joys of 2009 high school and I loved every second of it.
Sam decides to spend the summer working at a camp when her best friend gets a boyfriend and will be too busy to hang out with her. When she gets to camp, Queen Bee Ashley does NOT like her at all. Why? Well, Sam happened to star in a television commercial to help her Mom in her advertising gig. Ashley thinks she's an actress since her Dad had her do the commercials for camp, and she's your typical popular, mean girl. So we all know how that goes... Throw in a cute, older guy named Hunter who everyone loves, a new potential crush for Sam, and a bunch of girls bonding together over the struggles of preteen life... and you've got a beautiful read.
I seriously love this book. It was nostalgic for me and brought me back. I think middle graders these days won't get the references as much, but I really think it's a positive book for them to read. With all of the dark stuff you can find in middle grade and young adult books, this one is harmless and sweet.
Three out of five stars.
This book is a delightful middle grade/preteen read about a girl who goes away to camp to work as a counselor in training and makes brand new friends. Of course, every preteen drama comes with a mean girl, crushes on the boys, and lots of drama and giggles. This entire book screams the joys of 2009 high school and I loved every second of it.
Sam decides to spend the summer working at a camp when her best friend gets a boyfriend and will be too busy to hang out with her. When she gets to camp, Queen Bee Ashley does NOT like her at all. Why? Well, Sam happened to star in a television commercial to help her Mom in her advertising gig. Ashley thinks she's an actress since her Dad had her do the commercials for camp, and she's your typical popular, mean girl. So we all know how that goes... Throw in a cute, older guy named Hunter who everyone loves, a new potential crush for Sam, and a bunch of girls bonding together over the struggles of preteen life... and you've got a beautiful read.
I seriously love this book. It was nostalgic for me and brought me back. I think middle graders these days won't get the references as much, but I really think it's a positive book for them to read. With all of the dark stuff you can find in middle grade and young adult books, this one is harmless and sweet.
Three out of five stars.
March 17, 2011
it's not that the book is bad or so-so, i enjoyed reading it, it's just that it is so cliché that i kept thinking you could switch the mean girl's name, Ashley, for Tess, aka mean girl in Camp Rock, and nobody could see the diference. and during a big part of the book i was expecting them to jump out and start to sing or something v.v
probably the main problem is that i never had the oportunity to go to a camp, but this book fulfills every cliché and stereotype i've ever seen in american teen movies, series and books.
positive point: the main character and her friends are very lovable and funny.
probably the main problem is that i never had the oportunity to go to a camp, but this book fulfills every cliché and stereotype i've ever seen in american teen movies, series and books.
positive point: the main character and her friends are very lovable and funny.
February 18, 2021
¿Qué? ¿Ya está? ¡Pero si quedan como 10 páginas de ebook!
Aaawww ha sido muy genial. A ver, es muy predecible y sencillo y salta algunos días así por encima. Literalmente sabía que iba a pasar a cada momento pero eso no me ha quitado la tensión y los gritos de alegría. Es un libro muy muy sencillo cuya historia es muy simple y predecible pero me he divertido mucho y los pequeños momentos de parejita me han dado vida. Es la simpleza perfecta ♥
Reseña: https://librosdelcielo.blogspot.com/2...
Aaawww ha sido muy genial. A ver, es muy predecible y sencillo y salta algunos días así por encima. Literalmente sabía que iba a pasar a cada momento pero eso no me ha quitado la tensión y los gritos de alegría. Es un libro muy muy sencillo cuya historia es muy simple y predecible pero me he divertido mucho y los pequeños momentos de parejita me han dado vida. Es la simpleza perfecta ♥
Reseña: https://librosdelcielo.blogspot.com/2...
March 20, 2022
Such a cute read! Definitely will recommend this to my friends!
June 17, 2023
**3.5
Ok, this was like a 2000s rom-com but make it a book. It definitely had the summer camp feel, and the scenery/cabins were well described and I could picture it really well. The characters were all sweet, and had their own personalities, but they worked well together. The only thing was a lot of it was super dramatized and unbelievable but like in a good binge-able reality tv way, ya know? Maybe not the most deep book, but this was the perfect summery quick read. It had its fair share of drama, including a full fledged love triangle, and a classic 2000s mean girl. You know that kind of mean girl who is all "Oops I totally didn't mean to do that are you ok?!" One thing I will say is there were soooo many side characters which I actually loved and they were all nicely included, and not just randomly mentioned once. The main reason I picked this up was my sudden very strong urge to go to summer camp in the mountains so this worked perfectly! Also! Omg the way she made up all these awesome sounding camp activities like um yes sign me up! The guess the councilor game was top notch. Its like hide-and-seek but make it halloween but make it in the dark but make it elite. Perfection!
Ok, this was like a 2000s rom-com but make it a book. It definitely had the summer camp feel, and the scenery/cabins were well described and I could picture it really well. The characters were all sweet, and had their own personalities, but they worked well together. The only thing was a lot of it was super dramatized and unbelievable but like in a good binge-able reality tv way, ya know? Maybe not the most deep book, but this was the perfect summery quick read. It had its fair share of drama, including a full fledged love triangle, and a classic 2000s mean girl. You know that kind of mean girl who is all "Oops I totally didn't mean to do that are you ok?!" One thing I will say is there were soooo many side characters which I actually loved and they were all nicely included, and not just randomly mentioned once. The main reason I picked this up was my sudden very strong urge to go to summer camp in the mountains so this worked perfectly! Also! Omg the way she made up all these awesome sounding camp activities like um yes sign me up! The guess the councilor game was top notch. Its like hide-and-seek but make it halloween but make it in the dark but make it elite. Perfection!
April 4, 2011
Meh, this book was just ok. I think it's a little younger than what I'm used to reading. I love YA, but this was a bit cheesy. I liked how it was a light summer read. I liked that there was some summer romance, but the whole 'togetherness' with Sam's new friends was a bit much. I think younger readers would really like it. I would have loved having friends I was that close to at that age too. The idea of being at a summer camp all summer was very appealing to. That was something I always wanted to do. Ever since seeing movies like "The Parent Trap" and "Heavyweights" where they spent the whole summer at camp, it brought back memories. This book had its good moments, but all in all it was just ok for me.
June 13, 2014
Being a lover of camp, when I saw this book at my library, I just had to pick it up. I was surprised to find this an actually intriguing book about camp and not too much like the rest. I fell in love with the characters, and this book put me through so many emotions. I've been reading this book non-stop all day, probably the most time I've ever spent on any book (besides tfios and the traveling pants series). This is an amazing light summer read, and it has put me in the camp spirit; I'm leaving next week! This is one of my new favorite books. It highlights all of the great aspects of camp, as well as adding lots of humor, romance, and teen drama. So, of course I'm giving it five stars. :)
December 19, 2009
It was kind of mix between Camp Rock and a tad The Parent Trap. Except without the Rock and switching twins thing. It was pretty good though. Had some originality. Could be better. Fast and easy read.
April 14, 2025
Brb applying to sleepaway camps this summer
July 4, 2009
Sam Montgomery decides to go away to Camp Whispering Pines for the summer to be a counselor in training (CIT) when her best friend, Mal, starts dating Mark. It’s the first time she’s ever really struck out on her own to do something that she wants (and the first time she’s going to camp), and she’s not really sure what to expect (she’s even a little scared). But almost from the start, Sam is a great camper and a great CIT. She’s funny, popular, and she gets along great with most of the girls in her bunk, the campers in her care, and the counselor (Alexis) she’s assigned to. She’s also popular with some of the guys – Cole and Hunter, in particular. Unfortunately, Ashley, daughter of the camp’s owner, and camp prima donna is accustomed to being in the spotlight and she hates Sam. Ashley does everything in her power to make Sam’s life miserable – playing pranks on her, telling lies about her, and getting her in trouble. When Sam finally loses her temper, she starts a camp-wide food fight that gets her and Ashley sentenced to the isolation cabin where they have to learn to get along. Sleepaway Girls is what Sam and her friends end up calling their secret meetings about camp – where they get together and discuss camp life, their feelings, their problems, etc. and record it all on video.
Ah, the camp experience! I was looking forward to reliving my days as a camper with Sleepaway Girls, but this was a frustrating read for a number of reasons. 1.) Sam starts out being a mostly likeable character – until you find out that she’s kind of a doormat and does everything her friends tell her. 2.) Ashley is so mean, and she doesn’t ever really get her comeuppance. No authority figure ever hears Sam’s side of the story about all the horrible things that Ashley’s done to her. Everyone expresses how disappointed they are in Sam for allowing Ashley to goad her into responding – but really, it’s refreshing to see Sam actually stand up for herself. 3.) Some of the characterizations fall back on stereotypes – the boy-crazy girl, the sporty girl, the bookworm. 4.) Sam and Ashley’s punishment is right out of The Parent Trap, where the twins are forced to live and do everything together until they can learn to get along (no reference is made to The Parent Trap, either). I was really hoping to enjoy this light summer camp read a lot more than I did, but it was too fluffy, too superficial, and too predictable for me.
Ah, the camp experience! I was looking forward to reliving my days as a camper with Sleepaway Girls, but this was a frustrating read for a number of reasons. 1.) Sam starts out being a mostly likeable character – until you find out that she’s kind of a doormat and does everything her friends tell her. 2.) Ashley is so mean, and she doesn’t ever really get her comeuppance. No authority figure ever hears Sam’s side of the story about all the horrible things that Ashley’s done to her. Everyone expresses how disappointed they are in Sam for allowing Ashley to goad her into responding – but really, it’s refreshing to see Sam actually stand up for herself. 3.) Some of the characterizations fall back on stereotypes – the boy-crazy girl, the sporty girl, the bookworm. 4.) Sam and Ashley’s punishment is right out of The Parent Trap, where the twins are forced to live and do everything together until they can learn to get along (no reference is made to The Parent Trap, either). I was really hoping to enjoy this light summer camp read a lot more than I did, but it was too fluffy, too superficial, and too predictable for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2009
Sleepaway Girls piles overdone cliche on top of overdone cliche, and tops it all off with hokey pop-culture references & absurdly self-aware psychobabble (witness the fifteen year-old girl earnestly telling her friends "I'm a people pleaser...").
It is incredibly unbelievable in parts (at one point, dozens of people fail to recognize a girl they've spent the last 7 weeks living with because she has painted red circles on her cheeks & put on a yarn wig. Puh-leez!) and by the second chapter, you already know pretty much everything that is going to happen in the entire book.
It's completely unoriginal, but as far as mindless beach reads go, it could be much worse.
It is incredibly unbelievable in parts (at one point, dozens of people fail to recognize a girl they've spent the last 7 weeks living with because she has painted red circles on her cheeks & put on a yarn wig. Puh-leez!) and by the second chapter, you already know pretty much everything that is going to happen in the entire book.
It's completely unoriginal, but as far as mindless beach reads go, it could be much worse.
June 9, 2017
This book was really cute, but I liked the sequel, Summer State of Mind a little bit better. It felt like it had more substance...it was about finding friends and figuring out who you really are, not just about boys. This did have some good character development moments, but I felt like, overall, the main problem was just how to get the guy. And I wanted a little bit more than that.
That's not to say there weren't adorable parts as well! I loved Cole...sweet guys are just my favorite. I did enjoy reading it, just not as much as the second one--but I think that's a good thing and that the author is improving, which is awesome!
That's not to say there weren't adorable parts as well! I loved Cole...sweet guys are just my favorite. I did enjoy reading it, just not as much as the second one--but I think that's a good thing and that the author is improving, which is awesome!
July 17, 2020
*3.5 stars*
This was a very cute YA book based at camp which is one of my fav summer settings because it makes me so nostalgic. It definitely reminded me a little of Parent Trap if you took out the actual Parent trap part and not twins but she has a girl rival. The mean girl was REALLY annoying but the main girl was so precious. The romance was super sweet. I loved their friendship. I will say it was a little young for me. I wish it had been a little more mature. But it was still a great Summer read!!
This was a very cute YA book based at camp which is one of my fav summer settings because it makes me so nostalgic. It definitely reminded me a little of Parent Trap if you took out the actual Parent trap part and not twins but she has a girl rival. The mean girl was REALLY annoying but the main girl was so precious. The romance was super sweet. I loved their friendship. I will say it was a little young for me. I wish it had been a little more mature. But it was still a great Summer read!!
July 19, 2018
Thank goodness it’s finally over. From the extremely dated pop culture references, to the bad fanfic outfit descriptions and cliched rivalry, to the EXTREMELY cringey older teen who hits on (and eventually assaults one of) his underage subordinates, I hated every second of this book and couldn’t wait for it to be done. So yay, it’s done?
April 12, 2019
I think a possible theme for this book is that you have friends for a reason. Sam went to pines camp for the first time, by herself, not knowing anyone. She was very brave and met some girls there that she became very close to. Sam went through many hardships throughout camp, but her friends were always there to help her no matter what.
August 28, 2023
This book was a very big part of my early teen years. I found it while I was cleaning my room and messaged my childhood best friend about it. We read it together 10 years ago and we decided to reread it together again. So much nostalgia. (Still Team Cole btw hehe.)
June 12, 2022
an enjoyable summe read
December 30, 2024
Very much a book of its time
September 5, 2025
loved this! was giving parent trap vibes a bit too. super enjoyable and clean for young adult readers
May 29, 2024
Беше лека тийн история, главния фокус - момчета xd
Доста напомняше на филма "Капан за родители", даже помня един цитат все едно изваден от филма. Но не беше проблем. Това, което представляваше проблем за мен беше част от финала. Боже, колко cringe ми стана xD
Но не ми беше неприятно да я чета!
⭐⭐⭐ звезди :p
Доста напомняше на филма "Капан за родители", даже помня един цитат все едно изваден от филма. Но не беше проблем. Това, което представляваше проблем за мен беше част от финала. Боже, колко cringe ми стана xD
Но не ми беше неприятно да я чета!
⭐⭐⭐ звезди :p
November 11, 2011
When I found this book at the store, I was actually in the midst of my summer holidays. So I thought, why not? I should buy a book with a really summery feel to it. And I'm so glad that I bought Sleepaway Girls. So, from the synopsis above you could already see what the story is all about! Summer Camp! There's Sam Montgomery, your average fifteen year old girl in her summer holiday. She has a best friend who apparently has found a new boyfriend and she hated feeling left out. Sam loves her, but she just doesn't like being treated that way. But then she finds her way out, by applying for a job as a counselor-in-training (CIT) at a summer camp called Whispering Pines.
Sam is in for quite the ride at Whispering Pines, this book wasn't all about the smooth ride of spending your summer at a camp. There were quite the amount of drama in this book. It involves the mean girl Ashley and her little entourage, and they didn't exactly make Sam's life fine and dandy at Whispering Pines. Then there are the two guys, the handsome and dreamy Hunter and the cool, pleasant, laid-back Cole. Well, they definitely brought a lot of sweetness in Sam's life at the camp. Yet she still made some funky friends that she got to know, and they really did had her back, and were with her through Ashley's backstabbing way. Okay, but Sleepaway Girls isn't only about the drama, there were actually a lot of details about Whispering Pines and the camp traditions. And since Sam is a counselor in training at the camp, she had to learn to take care of the little campers. I loved how they were described based on their age levels. Pez, marshmallows. It's one of many delights that I found in this book. I never really got bored while reading and I found the book very colorful.
I love the excitement of Sleepaway Girls, but it's also a book about Sam standing up for herself and deciding on her own. It's about friendship, loyalty and love. It is actually a meaningful story and not the typical Summer book that is mostly focused on the drama and stereotypes. As I said, I was never bored and I loved the feeling of looking forward to turning the page and reading more. The plot of the story was very real and it got me to look a little differently on summer camp. The characters were well defined and described, although I wished it could have been done more on some. From this book I also learned about the sacrifices we make for others, standing up for yourself. But I also learned that we don't always have to follow the path people want us to take, we could make a path of our own. It's definitely a great book to read during a car ride, (unless you get a little car sick) the beach or the pool with the sun kissing your face.
Sam is in for quite the ride at Whispering Pines, this book wasn't all about the smooth ride of spending your summer at a camp. There were quite the amount of drama in this book. It involves the mean girl Ashley and her little entourage, and they didn't exactly make Sam's life fine and dandy at Whispering Pines. Then there are the two guys, the handsome and dreamy Hunter and the cool, pleasant, laid-back Cole. Well, they definitely brought a lot of sweetness in Sam's life at the camp. Yet she still made some funky friends that she got to know, and they really did had her back, and were with her through Ashley's backstabbing way. Okay, but Sleepaway Girls isn't only about the drama, there were actually a lot of details about Whispering Pines and the camp traditions. And since Sam is a counselor in training at the camp, she had to learn to take care of the little campers. I loved how they were described based on their age levels. Pez, marshmallows. It's one of many delights that I found in this book. I never really got bored while reading and I found the book very colorful.
I love the excitement of Sleepaway Girls, but it's also a book about Sam standing up for herself and deciding on her own. It's about friendship, loyalty and love. It is actually a meaningful story and not the typical Summer book that is mostly focused on the drama and stereotypes. As I said, I was never bored and I loved the feeling of looking forward to turning the page and reading more. The plot of the story was very real and it got me to look a little differently on summer camp. The characters were well defined and described, although I wished it could have been done more on some. From this book I also learned about the sacrifices we make for others, standing up for yourself. But I also learned that we don't always have to follow the path people want us to take, we could make a path of our own. It's definitely a great book to read during a car ride, (unless you get a little car sick) the beach or the pool with the sun kissing your face.
May 9, 2010
Product Details
* Pub. Date: May 2010
* Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
* Format: Paperback, 297pp
* Sales Rank: 79,899
* Age Range: Young Adult
* ISBN-13: 9780316017183
* ISBN: 0316017183
Sam decides that she is going to be a CIT (counselor in training) at a sleepaway camp called Whispering Pines because her best friend, the one that she does everything for, has a boyfriend that makes Sam feel like a third wheel. She is at a disadvantage though because she knows no one and everyone else seems to know each other. They have all been to camp before and she is the only new girl. Lucky for her, she finds a few great friends that help her through all of her trials through camp. These speed bumps happen to be from two boys, Hunter and Cole, and the camp queen bee, Ashley. This is a fun camp story that includes all of the great things from summer camp: a summer romance, sneaking out, pranks, a bit of rivalry, and many learned lessons.
This was a great quick read that lifted my spirits as I read through it. It reminded me of my few sleepaway camp stories. I’m sure that my friends that were always in summer camp would love it even more than I did. Calonita is always an excellent quick read. She is funny and overly dramatic all at the same time. This is perfect for younger readers that have short attention spans because there are a lot of little conflicts that keep the story always moving.
5/5 stars
* Pub. Date: May 2010
* Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
* Format: Paperback, 297pp
* Sales Rank: 79,899
* Age Range: Young Adult
* ISBN-13: 9780316017183
* ISBN: 0316017183
Sam decides that she is going to be a CIT (counselor in training) at a sleepaway camp called Whispering Pines because her best friend, the one that she does everything for, has a boyfriend that makes Sam feel like a third wheel. She is at a disadvantage though because she knows no one and everyone else seems to know each other. They have all been to camp before and she is the only new girl. Lucky for her, she finds a few great friends that help her through all of her trials through camp. These speed bumps happen to be from two boys, Hunter and Cole, and the camp queen bee, Ashley. This is a fun camp story that includes all of the great things from summer camp: a summer romance, sneaking out, pranks, a bit of rivalry, and many learned lessons.
This was a great quick read that lifted my spirits as I read through it. It reminded me of my few sleepaway camp stories. I’m sure that my friends that were always in summer camp would love it even more than I did. Calonita is always an excellent quick read. She is funny and overly dramatic all at the same time. This is perfect for younger readers that have short attention spans because there are a lot of little conflicts that keep the story always moving.
5/5 stars
April 22, 2009
Sleepaway Girls is the birth child from a combination of Disney and Nickelodeon. Cavity producing sweet, annoying moral at the end, and childish.
Sam seemed almost perfect. Nice, generous, and a complete wuss. Ashley was the perfect villain--evil, cruel, mean, heartless, and so into herself. But what was so funny to me was that in the end they start to become friends. Turns out Ashley was just jealous and Sam forgave her--shocker isn't it?
Sam needed to get a backbone and fight against Ashley. She humiliates her, lies to people about her and yet she does nothing. Absolutely nothing. Swallows her pride and moves on. The one time she did confront Ashley was the food fight where Sam throws orange juice at her.
Ashley was the most annoying, brat ever. She was the essence of a queen bee! Can't get what she wants? Then your life at camp will be hell. But never aim at someone who might fight back! Oh no! Target Sam because she's a pushover! I wanted to slap them both so much!
That was the main issue with Sleepaway Girls. Other than that I thought it was a fun camp-themed book. The other characters were much better (well mostly all) and were a pleasure to read.
I love the interactions between Ashley's dad and Sam's mom--a cute little relationship blooming in the background.
Overall: An aggravating book nonetheless still sugary.
Sam seemed almost perfect. Nice, generous, and a complete wuss. Ashley was the perfect villain--evil, cruel, mean, heartless, and so into herself. But what was so funny to me was that in the end they start to become friends. Turns out Ashley was just jealous and Sam forgave her--shocker isn't it?
Sam needed to get a backbone and fight against Ashley. She humiliates her, lies to people about her and yet she does nothing. Absolutely nothing. Swallows her pride and moves on. The one time she did confront Ashley was the food fight where Sam throws orange juice at her.
Ashley was the most annoying, brat ever. She was the essence of a queen bee! Can't get what she wants? Then your life at camp will be hell. But never aim at someone who might fight back! Oh no! Target Sam because she's a pushover! I wanted to slap them both so much!
That was the main issue with Sleepaway Girls. Other than that I thought it was a fun camp-themed book. The other characters were much better (well mostly all) and were a pleasure to read.
I love the interactions between Ashley's dad and Sam's mom--a cute little relationship blooming in the background.
Overall: An aggravating book nonetheless still sugary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2015
Ha! I wish I could go back to those days when all that was troublesome was what I was going to wear and what to say the mean girl down the block. Ahh...so naive and innocent.
Anyways, I saw this book in a magazine when I was thirteen and I recently saw it on my library's website. So I just thought, hey? Why not?...Wow has my taste in books changed.
Obviously this book is meant for thirteen to fourteen year old girls. I'm pretty sure anyone younger could even read this. There was absolutely no moderately explicit material at all, which kind of suprised me considering the main character was fifteen.(Which was strange, reading about someone younger than me)
Overall the book was good. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated by sleepaway camps even though I've never been to one. I'll just blame the Parent Trap.
It was cliche, girly and cheesy, yes, but I enjoyed it. Though, I really wanted to punch Ashley (or throw the book against the wall at least) because she was so stuck-up. I doubt girls are that catty towards each other in real life...or are that melodramatic! She got away with so much, I started to question whether or not this was boderlining fantasy. It's safe to say this book hasn't entered the "real world" yet. Which is perfect for tweens who need to have every ounce of fun they can before they enter high school and EVERYTHING changes.
Anyways, I saw this book in a magazine when I was thirteen and I recently saw it on my library's website. So I just thought, hey? Why not?...Wow has my taste in books changed.
Obviously this book is meant for thirteen to fourteen year old girls. I'm pretty sure anyone younger could even read this. There was absolutely no moderately explicit material at all, which kind of suprised me considering the main character was fifteen.(Which was strange, reading about someone younger than me)
Overall the book was good. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated by sleepaway camps even though I've never been to one. I'll just blame the Parent Trap.
It was cliche, girly and cheesy, yes, but I enjoyed it. Though, I really wanted to punch Ashley (or throw the book against the wall at least) because she was so stuck-up. I doubt girls are that catty towards each other in real life...or are that melodramatic! She got away with so much, I started to question whether or not this was boderlining fantasy. It's safe to say this book hasn't entered the "real world" yet. Which is perfect for tweens who need to have every ounce of fun they can before they enter high school and EVERYTHING changes.
August 13, 2010
This was a very cute and fun read. A perfect summer, easy-breezy novel. If you have ever gone away to a summer camp, or dreamed of doing it then you will love this book. It reminded me a lot of when I was younger and went to a 3 week long summer camp for a bunch of summers in a row. All the activites were there and plenty of friends and mean girls and not to mention hunky boys.
At 1st I was sort of annoyed, by how simple and shallow some of the characters seemed, but then I had to take a step back and remember the big picture. It was pretty predictable for the most part, but the friendship, the quirky characters and the budding romance was all worth it. I think that Sam and her friends will have more adventures down the road, even though Calonita says on her website that there isn't another book planned at this time, I am willing to bet there will be another Sleep Away Girl's novel or two down the road. And that makes me very happy.
There were some aspects of this book that I felt weren't quite resolved enough and that is what leads me to believe that we'll be seeing more from all these wonderful characters. Overall, this was a light-hearted summer book perfect for reading on the beach, by the pool or even on a road trip.
At 1st I was sort of annoyed, by how simple and shallow some of the characters seemed, but then I had to take a step back and remember the big picture. It was pretty predictable for the most part, but the friendship, the quirky characters and the budding romance was all worth it. I think that Sam and her friends will have more adventures down the road, even though Calonita says on her website that there isn't another book planned at this time, I am willing to bet there will be another Sleep Away Girl's novel or two down the road. And that makes me very happy.
There were some aspects of this book that I felt weren't quite resolved enough and that is what leads me to believe that we'll be seeing more from all these wonderful characters. Overall, this was a light-hearted summer book perfect for reading on the beach, by the pool or even on a road trip.
September 10, 2017
I read this at an interesting point in my life; had I read this when it came out, 16 year old Cecelia would've thought it was ridiculously stupid. However 24 year old Cecelia could not 👏 stop 👏 laughing 👏 at the insane 2009 pop culture references. Man, what a trip.
It's been a very long time since I've binged an entire book in one sitting, but this was it. It's a very simple, easy, mindless read. I love camp, so a lot of the camp culture was enjoyable to read about.
I had some pet peeves with a lot of aspects of this book however. First, it was so insanely cliché; from basically the second chapter you knew exactly what was going to happen. Second, I craved more details on the friendships between Sam, Court, Em, and Grace and wayyyyy less of their boy-crazed drama. Third, there was a lot of negative body image commentary that was unnecessary and uncomfortable.
Ultimately, it was a fun, trashy teen read that was exactly what I needed to get out of a reading slump. My favorite part of the book was when Sam got "dressed up" by putting on a pink American Eagle polo and rhinestone flip flops!!!!!!
It's been a very long time since I've binged an entire book in one sitting, but this was it. It's a very simple, easy, mindless read. I love camp, so a lot of the camp culture was enjoyable to read about.
I had some pet peeves with a lot of aspects of this book however. First, it was so insanely cliché; from basically the second chapter you knew exactly what was going to happen. Second, I craved more details on the friendships between Sam, Court, Em, and Grace and wayyyyy less of their boy-crazed drama. Third, there was a lot of negative body image commentary that was unnecessary and uncomfortable.
Ultimately, it was a fun, trashy teen read that was exactly what I needed to get out of a reading slump. My favorite part of the book was when Sam got "dressed up" by putting on a pink American Eagle polo and rhinestone flip flops!!!!!!
June 23, 2020
Description
When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer listening to the two of them call each other "pookie." Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn't realize is that it's not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s'mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who's always teasing her, but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls that become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.
First Impressions
So, let’s just get into it. It wasn’t my favourite book in the whole entire world, but I wouldn’t read it again. I was excited to read it because i have always wanted to go to overnight camp, so I searched on google “books about camp.” I looked through the list, and I found one and I borrowed it from the library. This book was super religious, not that it’s a bad thing but the main character’s flaw was pretty much being too Catholic. I just couldn’t get behind that, especially because I am a Catholic. So then I returned it after reading two chapters because I was not invested enough to keep going and didn’t care enough. So then I went back to this list, and found ‘Sleepaway Girls’. Let me just say that the title is very cheesy, and if I didn’t see it on this list, I would've never picked it up. But I saw the little blurb on this website, and searched it up on Goodreads. I skimmed some of the reviews (without spoilers of course) and saw some that were raving about this book. So I decided to borrow it from the library. After like 4 weeks of it being on hold, it was finally ready for me. I read very fast (two nights in fact) for 2 reasons; it is a quick read, and the beginning is actually very captivating. I was very interested in Cole, he would be the exact boy I would go for. So first impressions, loved the beginning, and it was interesting.
Things I liked
I loved Cole. He was obvi the perfect boy. I liked the way Sam originally liked Hunter, because any teenager, who has not much experience in the love department, would 100% go for a guy like Hunter. I thought that was a great touch and helped set the scene of how young and naive Sam was. Of course I hated Ashley at the beginning, her stuck up, daddy’s girl, “I'm better than everyone else” attitude was the worst. But I gotta say, when Sam and Ashley were forced to stay together I really loved her. I understood where she was coming from about being in her sister’s shadow. I really liked how Sam was great with kids, but she was so great with kids so i was confused why she hadn’t thought of being a counselor before. When Cole hit Hunter for kissing Sam, my exact words were, “Yes bitch.” If a dude punches another guy for kissing you, I'm sorry but he’s definitely in love with you.
Things I didn’t like/would change
So, as I said the beginning was great, but it definitely went downhill. I think no boy would kiss you if you proclaim your love for another boy, unless they are a full blown jack-ass. I thought the beginning of the book was kinda jam packed, the timeline was a little messy, there was no real segway between the time. Like when july 4th came up I was like what. It could have definitely been a longer book and it would've made more sense for the timeline. I thought everything happened kinda fast, like there should've been more friendship between Cole and Sam first. My overall top thing I would change would be to make it longer. I think it would've been more effective if there was more friendship and bonding between Cole and Sam, with more of Sam dreaming about Hunter. I hated Hunter and his “champ” business, it was so cringey and gross. Like why would anybody like someone who says, “Sweet dreams, champ, I hope they are of me.” Like gross. When Ashley said that Sam’s bathing suit looked too small, I thought that was too low. The other stuff i could’ve handled but if someone said something about my body, I would have definitely gotten mad at her. I was very confused on why Sam’s friends hated that she liked to help people. Like letting someone go ahead of you in a line is just a nice thing to do. But her friends were always like here we go again, whenever she tried to do something nice. I get that she was a people pleaser, but it wasn’t like she was giving up all the things she wanted to do, to help someone else.
My smart brain’s predictions
When Sam and Court kept getting slammed in the capture the flag game, I said, “I bet Ashley told them to hurt them.” And guess what they did. I think I just read books with massive cliches and very predictable plots. When Sam was looking for Cole my note was, “I think she’s gonna tell the wrong person like Hunter or one of the guys someone has a crush on.” Once again, I am super smart and she ended up telling Hunter because he’s annoying and stole Cole’s costume.
Finished the book: thoughts
Well, I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again. I think it was a cute book, cushy romance (sorta), but there were definitely some issues. I think if the book was longer and the timeline was fixed, it would've been better. Also I didn’t check when this book came out but I'm pretty sure early 2000’s because the outfits were amazing and there was a reference to MySpace (just checked, it came out in 2009).
Favourite Quotes
“We've never had a camp-wide food fight before! What do you two think this is? A Disney Channel movie?”
Hitch on Ashley and Sam’s fight
Chapter 18 page 171
When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer listening to the two of them call each other "pookie." Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn't realize is that it's not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s'mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who's always teasing her, but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls that become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.
First Impressions
So, let’s just get into it. It wasn’t my favourite book in the whole entire world, but I wouldn’t read it again. I was excited to read it because i have always wanted to go to overnight camp, so I searched on google “books about camp.” I looked through the list, and I found one and I borrowed it from the library. This book was super religious, not that it’s a bad thing but the main character’s flaw was pretty much being too Catholic. I just couldn’t get behind that, especially because I am a Catholic. So then I returned it after reading two chapters because I was not invested enough to keep going and didn’t care enough. So then I went back to this list, and found ‘Sleepaway Girls’. Let me just say that the title is very cheesy, and if I didn’t see it on this list, I would've never picked it up. But I saw the little blurb on this website, and searched it up on Goodreads. I skimmed some of the reviews (without spoilers of course) and saw some that were raving about this book. So I decided to borrow it from the library. After like 4 weeks of it being on hold, it was finally ready for me. I read very fast (two nights in fact) for 2 reasons; it is a quick read, and the beginning is actually very captivating. I was very interested in Cole, he would be the exact boy I would go for. So first impressions, loved the beginning, and it was interesting.
Things I liked
I loved Cole. He was obvi the perfect boy. I liked the way Sam originally liked Hunter, because any teenager, who has not much experience in the love department, would 100% go for a guy like Hunter. I thought that was a great touch and helped set the scene of how young and naive Sam was. Of course I hated Ashley at the beginning, her stuck up, daddy’s girl, “I'm better than everyone else” attitude was the worst. But I gotta say, when Sam and Ashley were forced to stay together I really loved her. I understood where she was coming from about being in her sister’s shadow. I really liked how Sam was great with kids, but she was so great with kids so i was confused why she hadn’t thought of being a counselor before. When Cole hit Hunter for kissing Sam, my exact words were, “Yes bitch.” If a dude punches another guy for kissing you, I'm sorry but he’s definitely in love with you.
Things I didn’t like/would change
So, as I said the beginning was great, but it definitely went downhill. I think no boy would kiss you if you proclaim your love for another boy, unless they are a full blown jack-ass. I thought the beginning of the book was kinda jam packed, the timeline was a little messy, there was no real segway between the time. Like when july 4th came up I was like what. It could have definitely been a longer book and it would've made more sense for the timeline. I thought everything happened kinda fast, like there should've been more friendship between Cole and Sam first. My overall top thing I would change would be to make it longer. I think it would've been more effective if there was more friendship and bonding between Cole and Sam, with more of Sam dreaming about Hunter. I hated Hunter and his “champ” business, it was so cringey and gross. Like why would anybody like someone who says, “Sweet dreams, champ, I hope they are of me.” Like gross. When Ashley said that Sam’s bathing suit looked too small, I thought that was too low. The other stuff i could’ve handled but if someone said something about my body, I would have definitely gotten mad at her. I was very confused on why Sam’s friends hated that she liked to help people. Like letting someone go ahead of you in a line is just a nice thing to do. But her friends were always like here we go again, whenever she tried to do something nice. I get that she was a people pleaser, but it wasn’t like she was giving up all the things she wanted to do, to help someone else.
My smart brain’s predictions
When Sam and Court kept getting slammed in the capture the flag game, I said, “I bet Ashley told them to hurt them.” And guess what they did. I think I just read books with massive cliches and very predictable plots. When Sam was looking for Cole my note was, “I think she’s gonna tell the wrong person like Hunter or one of the guys someone has a crush on.” Once again, I am super smart and she ended up telling Hunter because he’s annoying and stole Cole’s costume.
Finished the book: thoughts
Well, I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again. I think it was a cute book, cushy romance (sorta), but there were definitely some issues. I think if the book was longer and the timeline was fixed, it would've been better. Also I didn’t check when this book came out but I'm pretty sure early 2000’s because the outfits were amazing and there was a reference to MySpace (just checked, it came out in 2009).
Favourite Quotes
“We've never had a camp-wide food fight before! What do you two think this is? A Disney Channel movie?”
Hitch on Ashley and Sam’s fight
Chapter 18 page 171
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
Personally, as someone who loves young romance books, I love this book. I thought it had just the right amount of comedy, cute moments, friendship building, and just relatable teenager moments. When I read this for the first time, it was such a quick read, and this would be a great book to try and get through quickly because it wasn't that long. For me, this is definitely a book I'm recommending to my friends.
February 2, 2015
I've been at a camp just two times in my life and I didn't like it so much. But I actually really enjoyed reading this book ;-) It was pretty funny and I like the story. Sleepaway girls make me think that being a counselor-in-training at a summer camp could be really great! <3
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