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Chiggers
Abby is back at the same old camp she goes to every summer -- except for the fact that this summer, nothing is the same. Her friend Rose is a cabin assistant, her friend Beth is pierced, and now the only person who doesn't seem too cool for Abby is Shasta, the new girl. Shasta, who was struck by lightning, whose Internet boyfriend is a senior in high school, and who is totally annoying to everyone but Abby....
176 pages, Paperback
First published June 17, 2008
11 people are currently reading
1543 people want to read
About the author
Hope Larson
141 books716 followersHope Larson is an American illustrator and comics artist. Hope Larson is the author of Salamander Dream, Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercury. She won a 2007 Eisner Award. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
January 6, 2015
I normally like Hope Larson, but wow, this totally didn't do it for me. It's summer camp. And... that's about it. I suppose there's some novelty factor if you're eager to relive your summer camp experiences, or if, like me, you never went to summer camp and want to know what it's really like. And this, I imagine, is what it would be really like. Activities that probably seem much more exciting as a young teen. Friendships that are totally forever, but don't last beyond camp. Petty conflicts. Meh. It's high school writ small, basically. There's just so much that isn't expanded on, isn't explained, isn't really talked about. Which I suppose is authentic to the camp experience, but it isn't really the most compelling read in the world.
July 7, 2011
Umm, what? What was the point of this book? I thought it was going to be some sort of coming of age story, but it wasn't.
I liked how the character's emotions were drawn, but I got confused with the amount of characters (there are 2 who look exactly the same except for hair length). I liked the supernatural element that *almost* became a plot line.
The story didn't connect to itself. Why have a girl get sent home with Chiggers (why have that be the TITLE) if they don't play a vital role in the story. Do they represent something? ...no, it just doesn't make sense.
Maybe a middle school kid would like this, but...I just thought it was pointless.
I liked how the character's emotions were drawn, but I got confused with the amount of characters (there are 2 who look exactly the same except for hair length). I liked the supernatural element that *almost* became a plot line.
The story didn't connect to itself. Why have a girl get sent home with Chiggers (why have that be the TITLE) if they don't play a vital role in the story. Do they represent something? ...no, it just doesn't make sense.
Maybe a middle school kid would like this, but...I just thought it was pointless.
August 12, 2022
📚 Hello Book Friends! CHIGGERS by Hope Larson is a cute graphic novel about a young girl going to summer camp. The book covers friendship and puppy love. There are some drama moments but they all make up in the end. It is a quick and fun read.
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September 24, 2009
Chiggers are a genus of mite found in North America, locally abhorred even more than the mosquito. Unlike mosquitoes, a chigger is extremely difficult to see with the naked eye, and frequents places where people sometimes must pass through (grassy areas, forested regions, or even alongside bushes), thriving indiscriminately upon the skin cells of living beings. And not only do these bites itch and become inflamed, but sometimes the chiggers themselves remain just beneath the skin of their hapless hosts.
It is with no small degree of sympathy, then, when a particularly obnoxious summer camper gets sent home, ostensibly because she was suffering from a high degree of chigger bites ("in the worst place," as her fellow campers delicately phrased it). True, the girl emitted nothing but scathing comments against her fellow campers, her surroundings, and everything else she could think of... but when she thought that she was alone, or that no one else was awake to notice her, she allowed herself to give into this plague of intolerable itching... scratch-scratch-scratching almost to the point of pure despondence.
Abby, the protagonist of Hope Larson's Chiggers, is innocently unfamiliar with the girl's secret plight... yet has come to see a side to her which had remained well-concealed and hidden behind her exterior "tough girl" persona. And thus, the girl is "mysteriously" sent home from camp one night, as she represents one of the most poignant symbols throughout the story.
The crux of the tale revolves around Abby and this girl's "replacement," Shasta. Much like her predecessor, Shasta feels unwelcome within her environment, but she has good reason to. Nobody at the camp has shown any real interest in getting to like her, save for Abby herself. The reasons for this are never made clear - there are some remarks about Shasta's "snobbish" behaviour, although her actions do not represent any such characteristic (which leads the reader to believe that, perhaps, her shallow dismissal by all but Abby has something to do with the fact that she is not the original camper, the one suffering so from the chiggers).
This is not to say that Shasta does not suffer in much the same way as the plagued camper. In fact, Shasta shares with her peers a tale of being struck by lightning -- and, truth be told, the thunder clouds which creep over the camp do, indeed, seem to have a certain vendetta against the girl. She is wholly aware of this phenomenon, too, and dumps her stoic exterior in favour of her "real" self, the scared little girl who relies upon the discarded sympathies of her camp mates.
Abby's character does not come across as a do-gooder. Instead, she appears as a real person of her representative age group. So when she befriends Shasta, it is entirely natural, and within the realm of believability. She enjoys Shasta as the unique, exotic person she is, not some tragic downcast non-entity. Her friendship is perfect, without any underlying disingenuous "social causes." Abby just sincerely likes the new girl, and that's all there is to it.
It is the flaws within the characters which create the most pathos within Chiggers. Young girls have their hearts bruised by each other, by their own actions, and they have to find a way to keep functioning as if nothing happened. It is the ritual of growing up amongst other like-minded people, realizing that the world is not solid nor static, but perpetual in its changing nature. Abby, Shasta, and all of the teenagers at the camp are growing inside. Today, life is about RPGs, friendship bracelets, and iPods. Tomorrow, they learn more about themselves and the people around them. People they trust. People they like, or perhaps even love.
Chiggers is the story of personal growth, without all of the preaching or attitude-corrections ordinarily dictated to them by adult members of their little "society."
During the first several pages of Chiggers, it is somewhat difficult to keep the names and faces straight on the page; one disillusioned camper runs into another as the panels melt together. However, long before the book reaches its midway point, the important names and faces become clearer, and the story (slow-moving though it may be) unfolds without a hitch.
It could be argued that nothing of import happens within the span of 176 pages, but nothing could be further from the truth. The story may lack in dramatic action, but the depiction of personal growth is perhaps the most vital strength the book displays. Like it or not, Abby and Shasta find themselves leaving camp as changed people - and nothing traumatic had to happen to instill this development.
Chiggers represents a fine accomplishment on behalf of Hope Larson, and is deserving of at least a couple of read-throughs before one can even begin to decipher the subtle sub-texts within the book. It is a world wherein everything is simple, yet nothing is obvious.
It is with no small degree of sympathy, then, when a particularly obnoxious summer camper gets sent home, ostensibly because she was suffering from a high degree of chigger bites ("in the worst place," as her fellow campers delicately phrased it). True, the girl emitted nothing but scathing comments against her fellow campers, her surroundings, and everything else she could think of... but when she thought that she was alone, or that no one else was awake to notice her, she allowed herself to give into this plague of intolerable itching... scratch-scratch-scratching almost to the point of pure despondence.
Abby, the protagonist of Hope Larson's Chiggers, is innocently unfamiliar with the girl's secret plight... yet has come to see a side to her which had remained well-concealed and hidden behind her exterior "tough girl" persona. And thus, the girl is "mysteriously" sent home from camp one night, as she represents one of the most poignant symbols throughout the story.
The crux of the tale revolves around Abby and this girl's "replacement," Shasta. Much like her predecessor, Shasta feels unwelcome within her environment, but she has good reason to. Nobody at the camp has shown any real interest in getting to like her, save for Abby herself. The reasons for this are never made clear - there are some remarks about Shasta's "snobbish" behaviour, although her actions do not represent any such characteristic (which leads the reader to believe that, perhaps, her shallow dismissal by all but Abby has something to do with the fact that she is not the original camper, the one suffering so from the chiggers).
This is not to say that Shasta does not suffer in much the same way as the plagued camper. In fact, Shasta shares with her peers a tale of being struck by lightning -- and, truth be told, the thunder clouds which creep over the camp do, indeed, seem to have a certain vendetta against the girl. She is wholly aware of this phenomenon, too, and dumps her stoic exterior in favour of her "real" self, the scared little girl who relies upon the discarded sympathies of her camp mates.
Abby's character does not come across as a do-gooder. Instead, she appears as a real person of her representative age group. So when she befriends Shasta, it is entirely natural, and within the realm of believability. She enjoys Shasta as the unique, exotic person she is, not some tragic downcast non-entity. Her friendship is perfect, without any underlying disingenuous "social causes." Abby just sincerely likes the new girl, and that's all there is to it.
It is the flaws within the characters which create the most pathos within Chiggers. Young girls have their hearts bruised by each other, by their own actions, and they have to find a way to keep functioning as if nothing happened. It is the ritual of growing up amongst other like-minded people, realizing that the world is not solid nor static, but perpetual in its changing nature. Abby, Shasta, and all of the teenagers at the camp are growing inside. Today, life is about RPGs, friendship bracelets, and iPods. Tomorrow, they learn more about themselves and the people around them. People they trust. People they like, or perhaps even love.
Chiggers is the story of personal growth, without all of the preaching or attitude-corrections ordinarily dictated to them by adult members of their little "society."
During the first several pages of Chiggers, it is somewhat difficult to keep the names and faces straight on the page; one disillusioned camper runs into another as the panels melt together. However, long before the book reaches its midway point, the important names and faces become clearer, and the story (slow-moving though it may be) unfolds without a hitch.
It could be argued that nothing of import happens within the span of 176 pages, but nothing could be further from the truth. The story may lack in dramatic action, but the depiction of personal growth is perhaps the most vital strength the book displays. Like it or not, Abby and Shasta find themselves leaving camp as changed people - and nothing traumatic had to happen to instill this development.
Chiggers represents a fine accomplishment on behalf of Hope Larson, and is deserving of at least a couple of read-throughs before one can even begin to decipher the subtle sub-texts within the book. It is a world wherein everything is simple, yet nothing is obvious.
September 7, 2010
If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.
So let me say something good first. The main character has geeky tendencies.
Of course she also tends to repress them because of b---y cabinmates.
The point of this graphic novel is that going to camp is pointless. Maybe? The main character goes to camp. She plays card games and capture the flag. She makes a friendship bracelet and listens to a ghost story. They seem to have very little counselor oversight. She makes friends, except she doesn't, because she's a horrible friend. A boy tells her she looks like an elf.
And one kid gets chiggers and gets sent home, hence the name of the book.
Or something.
Honestly, I'm probably being generous to give it 2 stars.
Oh, why did I read it in the first place? Because Bryan Lee O'Malley mentioned her at the end of Scott Pilgrim. Turns out they're married. And K had already asked me to bring it home from the library. So it was there and I was there and things happened.
Maybe the American (Canadian?) comics scene is so hard up for chick comics that this is the best we've got. I don't know.
So let me say something good first. The main character has geeky tendencies.
Of course she also tends to repress them because of b---y cabinmates.
The point of this graphic novel is that going to camp is pointless. Maybe? The main character goes to camp. She plays card games and capture the flag. She makes a friendship bracelet and listens to a ghost story. They seem to have very little counselor oversight. She makes friends, except she doesn't, because she's a horrible friend. A boy tells her she looks like an elf.
And one kid gets chiggers and gets sent home, hence the name of the book.
Or something.
Honestly, I'm probably being generous to give it 2 stars.
Oh, why did I read it in the first place? Because Bryan Lee O'Malley mentioned her at the end of Scott Pilgrim. Turns out they're married. And K had already asked me to bring it home from the library. So it was there and I was there and things happened.
Maybe the American (Canadian?) comics scene is so hard up for chick comics that this is the best we've got. I don't know.
October 26, 2008
Let it be known that I never went to summer camp as a kid. Family historians disagree over the root cause of this. I am under the impression that it was never an option. My parents, on the other hand, remember me vociferously protesting any form of outdoorsy socialness of this sort. Regardless of the reasons, I have almost no associations with this common rite of childhood. No particular affection for bunking or lanyards or any of that stuff. So my experience with Chiggers, a camp-based graphic novel by Hope Larson, is certainly not tainted by any lingering nostalgia on my part. When I tell you that I am a huge fan of this book, I hope you'll understand that I'm basing it entirely on Larson's skill as a writer and artist. Chiggers, in spite of its itchy scratchy bug-ridden name, is a deft take on the reality behind the friendships made, lost, and made again at an average summer camp. The backstabbing, heartfelt talks, crushes, and quiet moments are displayed here with an honesty that manages to be real without tripping into candy-colored memory. An honest and obviously personal title.
Abby was so sure that coming back to camp would be awesome this year, but things have kind of gotten off to a rocky start. I mean it's great that her friend Rose is a cabin assistant, but that just means she's not around a lot. And Beth and Zoe are great but they're sort of acting too cool for Abby, like they've grown up more or something. When Abby's annoying bunkmate goes home due to an attack of severe chiggers she's replaced with Shasta, a girl who claims to have been hit by lightning. Shasta annoys everyone except for Abby who finds her interesting. So between navigating between friends and getting a crush on a really lovely dweeb, Abby's off to figure out how to survive the summer and have a good time too.
The book decides to leap into the action mid-stream, in a sense, letting the reader catch up as they go. When I first started reading I wondered if this was the second book in a series and that I'd somehow missed the little "Vol. 2" symbol on the spine. But no. As it happens you sort of plunge right into the fact that Abby has been going to this camp for some time and has friends from previous years, both older than her and her age. It wouldn't make a lick of sense for a girl in middle school to go to camp and find that she didn't know anybody (unless it was her first time there). Point Larson.
The next question was time period. I guess Larson probably had to decide right off the bat whether or not she wanted to make this book a work of historical fiction from her own youth or something a little more contemporary. I suppose she could have placed it in some timeless era where technology isn't a factor, which I'm usually a fan of. But for some reason, it seemed important that Larson make the story contemporary. I loved that the kids in the book couldn't bring electronics like iPods to camp. It just sort of makes it feel a little more real (and managed to explain the lack of communication devices present).
As for the storylines, there was an authenticity to this book that I could appreciate (so maybe my earlier "I'm not tainted by lingering nostalgia" line was a bit premature). I mean, the story here is incredibly realistic. A girl befriends someone that everyone else can't stand and finds herself torn between friends. That's a situation a lot of kids can identify with (and adults too, for that matter). I also loved that talking about someone behind their back didn't automatically mean that person wasn't your friend. It was just a part of growing up. There are no real "villains" here just as there aren't real villains in your day-to-day life. There's just a lot of people trying to interact, drawing conclusions, and having to befriend one another in spite of the odds.
As for the art itself, Larson's style is a dark lined clear cut take with plenty of shifts in perspective and angles to keep a reader interested. Even more than this, I've always loved how she captures little human moments that you wouldn't necessarily catch elsewhere. When Beth is telling Abby about the awesome band she's going to be in she asks, "What do you play again?" Abby, who's leaning on the top bunk with her chin on her hand smiles to the side, head forward, as she answers, "Harp". Beth playfully calls her a loser and cuffs her but the moment would probably play as dark if it weren't for Larson's eye for visual levity. It's enormously hard to make a series of lines and curves not only look human but also exhibit the everyday tendencies that make us who we are. But if you want an example of how it's done, Chiggers would be a great place to look. Admittedly, in this black and white format some of her characters look similar. I'd just ask that in the future publishers allow her full-color reprints instead. Kids like hues.
Children's literature has never quite plumbed the summer camp genre for all it's worth. The Percy Jackson books probably take the idea to its logical extreme, but when I try to think of realistic fiction the only title that pops into my brain is Yours Till Niagara Falls, Abby by Jane O'Connor. I know that there are others, but they haven't really become standard bearers. So in a way, Hope Larson is working in fairly fresh territory. I was a fan of her, Gray Horses a number of years ago and always felt it a pity that she mostly did graphic novels for teens and not kids. Now she's tilted her focus a little younger and created a book that's just the right mix of real and mildly fantastical. A great new book from a comic artist.
Ages 10 and up.
Abby was so sure that coming back to camp would be awesome this year, but things have kind of gotten off to a rocky start. I mean it's great that her friend Rose is a cabin assistant, but that just means she's not around a lot. And Beth and Zoe are great but they're sort of acting too cool for Abby, like they've grown up more or something. When Abby's annoying bunkmate goes home due to an attack of severe chiggers she's replaced with Shasta, a girl who claims to have been hit by lightning. Shasta annoys everyone except for Abby who finds her interesting. So between navigating between friends and getting a crush on a really lovely dweeb, Abby's off to figure out how to survive the summer and have a good time too.
The book decides to leap into the action mid-stream, in a sense, letting the reader catch up as they go. When I first started reading I wondered if this was the second book in a series and that I'd somehow missed the little "Vol. 2" symbol on the spine. But no. As it happens you sort of plunge right into the fact that Abby has been going to this camp for some time and has friends from previous years, both older than her and her age. It wouldn't make a lick of sense for a girl in middle school to go to camp and find that she didn't know anybody (unless it was her first time there). Point Larson.
The next question was time period. I guess Larson probably had to decide right off the bat whether or not she wanted to make this book a work of historical fiction from her own youth or something a little more contemporary. I suppose she could have placed it in some timeless era where technology isn't a factor, which I'm usually a fan of. But for some reason, it seemed important that Larson make the story contemporary. I loved that the kids in the book couldn't bring electronics like iPods to camp. It just sort of makes it feel a little more real (and managed to explain the lack of communication devices present).
As for the storylines, there was an authenticity to this book that I could appreciate (so maybe my earlier "I'm not tainted by lingering nostalgia" line was a bit premature). I mean, the story here is incredibly realistic. A girl befriends someone that everyone else can't stand and finds herself torn between friends. That's a situation a lot of kids can identify with (and adults too, for that matter). I also loved that talking about someone behind their back didn't automatically mean that person wasn't your friend. It was just a part of growing up. There are no real "villains" here just as there aren't real villains in your day-to-day life. There's just a lot of people trying to interact, drawing conclusions, and having to befriend one another in spite of the odds.
As for the art itself, Larson's style is a dark lined clear cut take with plenty of shifts in perspective and angles to keep a reader interested. Even more than this, I've always loved how she captures little human moments that you wouldn't necessarily catch elsewhere. When Beth is telling Abby about the awesome band she's going to be in she asks, "What do you play again?" Abby, who's leaning on the top bunk with her chin on her hand smiles to the side, head forward, as she answers, "Harp". Beth playfully calls her a loser and cuffs her but the moment would probably play as dark if it weren't for Larson's eye for visual levity. It's enormously hard to make a series of lines and curves not only look human but also exhibit the everyday tendencies that make us who we are. But if you want an example of how it's done, Chiggers would be a great place to look. Admittedly, in this black and white format some of her characters look similar. I'd just ask that in the future publishers allow her full-color reprints instead. Kids like hues.
Children's literature has never quite plumbed the summer camp genre for all it's worth. The Percy Jackson books probably take the idea to its logical extreme, but when I try to think of realistic fiction the only title that pops into my brain is Yours Till Niagara Falls, Abby by Jane O'Connor. I know that there are others, but they haven't really become standard bearers. So in a way, Hope Larson is working in fairly fresh territory. I was a fan of her, Gray Horses a number of years ago and always felt it a pity that she mostly did graphic novels for teens and not kids. Now she's tilted her focus a little younger and created a book that's just the right mix of real and mildly fantastical. A great new book from a comic artist.
Ages 10 and up.
January 8, 2009
Like boarding school, summer camp is an experience I never had as a child and so it seems exotic, thrilling, and a bit scary to me. Summer camp is perfect fodder for children’s and YA books – kids from all over are thrown together in cabins for a finite period. Some know each other, some are strangers, and somehow they must survive until their parents pick them up several weeks later – at which time they all go back to their “real” lives.
In Chiggers, Abby is thrilled to go back to summer camp where she had so much fun in previous years. However, all of her friends seem to have changed in the year since Abby last saw them. They are suddenly interested in boys or music or fashion or all three, and Abby feels completely uncool next to them. Then a new girl named Shasta joins the cabin, with mysterious medical conditions and some unbelievable stories. Are they true? Is Shasta a liar? Abby likes her despite being a bit uncertain – and although they weather some difficulties, they end up being friends.
The story rings absolutely true. Except for Shasta’s amazing affinity for lightning (or vice versa), all the events are absolutely prosaic – meals in the cafeteria, forest hikes, singing around the campfire, and lots of girls standing around in small groups talking and gossiping. A sweet D & D-playing boy tells Abby she looks like an elf – actually, a half-elf – and she floats happily for days. This is exactly the sort of comment that would thrill one particular 14-year-old I know, and it would have thrilled me at that age as well.
The ages of these girls aren’t stated, but late middle-school, very early high-school seems about right. Abby is clearly a late-bloomer, and how well can I remember what it felt like to feel my friends move away from me as they chattered to each other about boys and music, while I was still such a dorky kid (and happy to stay that way for a while longer). Abby’s friends aren’t quite old enough to fully participate in all that adolescence has to offer, but they desperately want to. There are no “mean girls” at this camp, but many of the girls make off-the-cuff remarks that are hurtful or catty, and of course two girls who have a close friendship can hurt a third girl without even realizing it. This book explores all the complicated ways girls relate to each other.
The black and white artwork is simple and expressive. At first I had trouble telling all the campers apart, but within 20 pages that problem disappeared and I was thoroughly absorbed in the story.
For grades 5 to 9.
In Chiggers, Abby is thrilled to go back to summer camp where she had so much fun in previous years. However, all of her friends seem to have changed in the year since Abby last saw them. They are suddenly interested in boys or music or fashion or all three, and Abby feels completely uncool next to them. Then a new girl named Shasta joins the cabin, with mysterious medical conditions and some unbelievable stories. Are they true? Is Shasta a liar? Abby likes her despite being a bit uncertain – and although they weather some difficulties, they end up being friends.
The story rings absolutely true. Except for Shasta’s amazing affinity for lightning (or vice versa), all the events are absolutely prosaic – meals in the cafeteria, forest hikes, singing around the campfire, and lots of girls standing around in small groups talking and gossiping. A sweet D & D-playing boy tells Abby she looks like an elf – actually, a half-elf – and she floats happily for days. This is exactly the sort of comment that would thrill one particular 14-year-old I know, and it would have thrilled me at that age as well.
The ages of these girls aren’t stated, but late middle-school, very early high-school seems about right. Abby is clearly a late-bloomer, and how well can I remember what it felt like to feel my friends move away from me as they chattered to each other about boys and music, while I was still such a dorky kid (and happy to stay that way for a while longer). Abby’s friends aren’t quite old enough to fully participate in all that adolescence has to offer, but they desperately want to. There are no “mean girls” at this camp, but many of the girls make off-the-cuff remarks that are hurtful or catty, and of course two girls who have a close friendship can hurt a third girl without even realizing it. This book explores all the complicated ways girls relate to each other.
The black and white artwork is simple and expressive. At first I had trouble telling all the campers apart, but within 20 pages that problem disappeared and I was thoroughly absorbed in the story.
For grades 5 to 9.
January 17, 2018
Ordered for my older kids, but probably won't add to the catalog. Light swearing that reads true but doesn't really add to the story line - not something I'm willing to defend in a graphic novel. This was marketed as "middle grade" but it's definitely on the older end.
Must read the disclaimer here: I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels myself. I do read them for for work and have read quite a few at this point, but it's not my primary love. I found the storyline here to be relatable but thin (I thought the friendship/mean girl plot in Shannon Hale's Real Friends to be far more engaging.) The art, while different, made the story difficult for me to follow. The bold black & white strokes are very appealing, but the characters share too many similarities. I had trouble differentiating them, often having to go back a panel or even a couple of pages to see what a particular character was wearing when they were referred to by name. There wasn't enough plot coherence to follow the story otherwise...the almost stream of consciousness style at times really made it hard to figure out who was speaking.
This was blurbed & recommended by quite a few authors we love in our library, and I'd be almost interested to see how students reacted to it...but again, the casual swearing doesn't contribute enough to the plot to be defensible. As a kid who grew up loving summers at camp, I wanted to love this story too - but I just didn't.
Must read the disclaimer here: I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels myself. I do read them for for work and have read quite a few at this point, but it's not my primary love. I found the storyline here to be relatable but thin (I thought the friendship/mean girl plot in Shannon Hale's Real Friends to be far more engaging.) The art, while different, made the story difficult for me to follow. The bold black & white strokes are very appealing, but the characters share too many similarities. I had trouble differentiating them, often having to go back a panel or even a couple of pages to see what a particular character was wearing when they were referred to by name. There wasn't enough plot coherence to follow the story otherwise...the almost stream of consciousness style at times really made it hard to figure out who was speaking.
This was blurbed & recommended by quite a few authors we love in our library, and I'd be almost interested to see how students reacted to it...but again, the casual swearing doesn't contribute enough to the plot to be defensible. As a kid who grew up loving summers at camp, I wanted to love this story too - but I just didn't.
March 26, 2017
I read this book on a parent complaint and actually quite liked it. There is some language that could offend, better for tweens than kids but the main characters aren't teens yet. They experience some pretty universal friend, first boyfriend, summer camp drama. It rang true to me.
September 29, 2017
I didn't think the characters were that all developed and the story seemed to be missing parts in a way. I think Telgemeier fans will read this because it's similar enough, however, it wouldn't be the first read-a-like for her I would hand them.
January 6, 2018
At first I thought maybe I didn't like this because I am not the target audience but continued to read it anyways. This just got plain ridiculous towards the end.
January 21, 2019
A smallish graphic novel intended for 11 year old girls? Count me in. No plot whatsoever, but I felt happy while reading it. There you go.
January 23, 2012
Chiggers is a great book for tween girls and boys, for different reasons. This graphic novel is about girls at a North Carolina summer camp and deals with near and close friendships, boy/girl crushes, puberty body issues, and slightly supernatural lightning-based occurrences. The lightning-based occurrences come from a new camper who's been struck by lightning and has an eerie electric charge about her.
Larson portrays realistic tween and early-teen miscommunications about who likes who, and the dramatic apologies that happen afterward. Both boys and girls can relate to friendships being made, broken, and rekindled.
Chiggers focuses on the girl characters at camp, and includes easy-to-understand instances of girls hanging out together, discussing their bodies. At first that suggests a stronger appeal to tween girls, which this graphic novel definitely has. Also tween boys will actually learn about puberty and girls in general. Girls in the story complain about having their period, and girls notice when their bunkmate is sick in the bathroom, from the next stall over. This is a much different version of camp than portrayed in Cub Scouts and Boy's Life magazines!
Chiggers is a great hang-out read, portraying girls and boys loving summer camp. It's a good read for summer readers who are camped out at the library.
Larson portrays realistic tween and early-teen miscommunications about who likes who, and the dramatic apologies that happen afterward. Both boys and girls can relate to friendships being made, broken, and rekindled.
Chiggers focuses on the girl characters at camp, and includes easy-to-understand instances of girls hanging out together, discussing their bodies. At first that suggests a stronger appeal to tween girls, which this graphic novel definitely has. Also tween boys will actually learn about puberty and girls in general. Girls in the story complain about having their period, and girls notice when their bunkmate is sick in the bathroom, from the next stall over. This is a much different version of camp than portrayed in Cub Scouts and Boy's Life magazines!
Chiggers is a great hang-out read, portraying girls and boys loving summer camp. It's a good read for summer readers who are camped out at the library.
February 19, 2015
Charming. That sums up this book nicely. It's a charming tale. I grabbed this on impulse from the local library, hoping that I could expose my daughter to some of the potential in sequential art. This book does not disappoint. The main character feels genuine, the dialogue is spot-on, and the use of pictures to tell the story is innovative and clever. Amazing things can happen when pictures and words work together, and Larson illustrates this point brilliantly. As far as the story goes, it's a pleasantly rambling tale, in many ways non-linear, of a young teen's awkward experiences at summer camp. Teen readers will find a lot of valuable lessons in friendship, as well as a relate-able protagonist. Adult readers will be inspired and nostalgic. Charming, indeed!
April 17, 2017
Pretty bland and unmemorable, but I enjoyed the art. I like Larson's tendency to insert emotion words and context words into the fabric of the actual art.
December 12, 2017
sort of like the proto-This One Summer in that it's only slightly about the story and more about setting an angsty mood. sort of not like it though because while hope larson's art is perfectly good, Jillian Tamaki is one of my all-time favorite comics artists. still, I really liked this reminder of weird adolescent girl socialization/peer pressure towards bullying and musing on whether someone's pathological liar tendencies makes you like them any less.
September 15, 2019
The artwork wasn't great and I had trouble telling who was who since the faces all looked the same to me.
There was little plot and all-in-all not much happened. The main character also had pretty mean "friends" and didn't stand up for herself when she was bullied.
This is the second book by this author that I've read and I had a similar opinion of the other one, so I don't think I'll read anything more by her.
There was little plot and all-in-all not much happened. The main character also had pretty mean "friends" and didn't stand up for herself when she was bullied.
This is the second book by this author that I've read and I had a similar opinion of the other one, so I don't think I'll read anything more by her.
June 2, 2018
This was not really a book for me but I feel like it would be real jerky to give it low stars just because I am one hundred years too old for it, so I am not going to. High stars just for Hope Larson as a comics creator in general, if not really for this book, for me, in particular.
November 8, 2018
I don't know, this story seemed pointless and the characters' actions didn't make sense.
February 23, 2022
I enjoyed the graphic novel part the cover confused me because it felt like it did not match the book in my opinion and I didn't realize that the book was about video games and roleplaying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2019
The theme for my book was some people are not always nice or as they seem.
Read
April 20, 2025Nostalgia read that brought me back to the age, place, feelings, smells of where I read it. Reading is the most precious gift I’ve ever received because of that- I can travel back to moments in time using the stories I’ll always love.
June 4, 2018
Not really my style. It did remind me of summer camp though.
March 10, 2023
It kinda made no sense.
June 7, 2021
Initial Response
Huh. That was kinda strange.
High Lights
- It's a graphic novel, which, I LOOOOOVE graphic novels. The illustrations were fantabulous and really got the point across.
- In a way, it's a little nostalgic. I read it when I was younger (don't know if I should've, but I'll get to that later), and it's a camp story, which always makes me nostalgic for some unknown reason. (I've only been to camp like twice in my life. XD)
- I love the idea of someone being struck by lightning. It was a really cool idea to explore, but I wish it would've been more centered on that.
- Most of the situations were quite relatable. It was a very relatable type of book.
Low Lights
- Okay, so I read this when I was younger, but reading it again now, I just really don't know if I should've. XD
- There was a lot of unexpected swearing, which really caught me off guard the second time around. I found this book in my library's juvenile section, but I don't think that's where it should belong.
- I didn't like the theme of the story. All the kids are just so immature, it's frustrating. It was really hard for me to relate in that way, growing up conservative or whatever, but I didn't agree with the decisions of most of the characters.
Conclusion
This was a cute, quick read. The characters were funny and relatable, and the story had a really cool premise. I'm just not sure how I felt about the theme and I didn't like the swearing. I wouldn't recommend to juveniles, that's for certain.
3/5.
Huh. That was kinda strange.
High Lights
- It's a graphic novel, which, I LOOOOOVE graphic novels. The illustrations were fantabulous and really got the point across.
- In a way, it's a little nostalgic. I read it when I was younger (don't know if I should've, but I'll get to that later), and it's a camp story, which always makes me nostalgic for some unknown reason. (I've only been to camp like twice in my life. XD)
- I love the idea of someone being struck by lightning. It was a really cool idea to explore, but I wish it would've been more centered on that.
- Most of the situations were quite relatable. It was a very relatable type of book.
Low Lights
- Okay, so I read this when I was younger, but reading it again now, I just really don't know if I should've. XD
- There was a lot of unexpected swearing, which really caught me off guard the second time around. I found this book in my library's juvenile section, but I don't think that's where it should belong.
- I didn't like the theme of the story. All the kids are just so immature, it's frustrating. It was really hard for me to relate in that way, growing up conservative or whatever, but I didn't agree with the decisions of most of the characters.
Conclusion
This was a cute, quick read. The characters were funny and relatable, and the story had a really cool premise. I'm just not sure how I felt about the theme and I didn't like the swearing. I wouldn't recommend to juveniles, that's for certain.
3/5.
March 15, 2012
When I found this graphic novel in my local library, I was excited and expected an interesting, summer camp coming of age tale. Having never attended camp personally, I was somewhat concerned about relevance, but I've seen plenty of movies and read plenty of books set there with no issue so I did not foresee any huge problem. However, from page one, I could not really tell the characters apart and, frankly, I didn't like or care about any of them. To make matters worse, nothing ever really happened. None of the characters seem to have learned anything, to have grown or changed, to have matured or even, really, done anything except complain and pick on each other. I still don't understand what the title is referring to and I am disappointed that I invested time and energy into a book that never really went anywhere. WIthout giving any spoilers, I can say that the one semi-interesting detail (a seemingly supernatural one) is never explored and ends up just feeling like a throw away. I looked over several reviews of this title to see if it was just me and most seem to echo my experience. The positive reviews seem mostly to refer to the recreation of the camp experience itself and not the actual story or even characters. I waited several months to write this review hoping that distance would give me more perspective but if anything, I am even more annoyed instead.
October 28, 2015
This was such a strange book, and I can't really figure out what the point of it was. It's set at summer camp, which suggests that I would enjoy it, because I am always thinking nostalgically about my years at summer camp, but there were just too many strands that didn't go anywhere at all and too many things that appeared out of nowhere, with zero preamble. The friendships between Abby and Shasta, between Abby and Zoe and Beth, between Abby and Rose---there are so many conflicts in all of these relationships, but they're never fully developed. If Hope Larson had stuck with just one of them, I think that would have been enough for this story. Then there's a mystery fantastical element with Shasta (and some accompanying discussion of Dungeons and Dragons... what?!?) that is once again touched on but never fully developed. By far the most irritating parts for me, though, were the incidents like the one that occurs on page 43. Abby says, "So how can your mom not know you have a boyfriend?" I must have reread the previous few pages five times trying to figure out where this boyfriend was mentioned. But I still have not figured it out. On top of all that, I also had a really hard time telling the female characters apart, which made the story that much more difficult and unenjoyable to follow.
April 17, 2012
While I am not the target audience for this graphic novel, I once was, and I even remember some of my young teenage times. The times in this book are those uncomfortable ones, with your girl friends talking about you behind your back, or even in front of you. The awkwardness of first crushes. The weirdness of not fitting in when that's what you desperately want to do. Confusion, drama and more, all with a summer camp setting.
These sorts of situations may make tween/teenage girls feel better about their personal situations, whatever they may be, but not if they are relying on the writing or the artwork. I didn't care about any of the characters, and for half of the title I confused the two blondes with each other, and the two brunettes with each other. I didn't like their noses, I didn't like their flaccid, dull facial expressions. I didn't like how similar they could look. That did not work for me.
I did like the addition of the Dungeons & Dragons bit, though. Any book that makes being a role-playing geek seem like a nifty thing to do gets at least one star for that. The other star comes from this being a quick read, and recognizing that many teenage girls will like this at least a bit better than I did.
These sorts of situations may make tween/teenage girls feel better about their personal situations, whatever they may be, but not if they are relying on the writing or the artwork. I didn't care about any of the characters, and for half of the title I confused the two blondes with each other, and the two brunettes with each other. I didn't like their noses, I didn't like their flaccid, dull facial expressions. I didn't like how similar they could look. That did not work for me.
I did like the addition of the Dungeons & Dragons bit, though. Any book that makes being a role-playing geek seem like a nifty thing to do gets at least one star for that. The other star comes from this being a quick read, and recognizing that many teenage girls will like this at least a bit better than I did.
June 7, 2016
This has been 'the summer of the graphic novel' for us. We've really discovered some fantastic stories and I have many more still to read.
I thought this story was engaging, dramatic, and thought-provoking. I know that our oldest daughter really enjoyed reading it and I am sure it will be popular with middle school-age girls.
The evolution of friendships is a key theme, as girls mature at different rates. Close friends may become distant if common interests are no longer shared. New friendships can bloom, too, although change is not always easy.
Overall, it was a fast read and I loved the summer camp theme. Our girls have gone to camp before, but only for a week, so it was interesting to see the deeper interpersonal connections and friendships at a camp that is much longer.
I thought this story was engaging, dramatic, and thought-provoking. I know that our oldest daughter really enjoyed reading it and I am sure it will be popular with middle school-age girls.
The evolution of friendships is a key theme, as girls mature at different rates. Close friends may become distant if common interests are no longer shared. New friendships can bloom, too, although change is not always easy.
Overall, it was a fast read and I loved the summer camp theme. Our girls have gone to camp before, but only for a week, so it was interesting to see the deeper interpersonal connections and friendships at a camp that is much longer.
May 15, 2010
This is a book about the ins and outs of short-term (summer camp) relationships, the meaning of friendship, standing up for what you believe in. But it's also kind of shallow - I wish a couple of the relationship issues would have been treated in more depth, rather than packing in so many short interactions. On the other hands, it's been decades since I was a young teen girl - maybe any given week was full of constant drama like this and I just don't remember!
I enjoy Larson's style, but as some other reviewers have commented, I had difficulty telling the characters apart. This detracted from the story at times.
I enjoy Larson's style, but as some other reviewers have commented, I had difficulty telling the characters apart. This detracted from the story at times.
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