Last Summer at Eden

by Christina Hergenrader

Summer camp is calling. 
Calling for help, that is. 
It's up to nineteen-year-old Poppi to save Camp Eden, a dying summer camp in California. Between a cute boy, an apathetic boss, and zero money, Poppi has her work cut out for her. She'll have to fight for what she believes in – and convince the rest of Team Eden to do the same.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian, Christian Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Christina Hergenrader grew up in Galveston and now lives in Friendswood, Texas. She is wife to Mike (26 years!), mother to Catie (20), Sam and Elisabeth (twins, both 17), and Nate (14).

She is the author of 12 books, including God Loves Moms, Starring Roles, Love Rules, Family Trees & Olive Branches, Last Summer at Eden, Shine, and Inspired.

Christina is a gifted and enthusiastic speaker. She is passionate about sharing Jesus with women and teens. Christina is a certified Growth Coach who understands modern Christian women's pressures and concerns.

In her free time, she enjoys teaching theology, spending time at her family's beach house, and walking her rescue greyhounds.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“Eden, a summer camp in southern California, has hit rock-bottom with low enrollment, a tight budget, and burned-out staff. Can it be saved? Maybe not. This novel incorporates contemporary themes with a traditional good-versus-bad trope for a satisfying read that promotes biblical truths of Gods constancy and provision.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Set at a Christian summer camp; Almost every chapter is titled after a hymn or a contemporary Christian song; Prayers, Thanking God & Crying/yelling out to God; Worship services & hymns are sung; Talks about God, His will, trusting Him & having hope; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Poppi doesn’t see God as her personal God, *Spoiler* but that starts to change near the end *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of Christian camps, Bible studies, devotions & learning about God; Mentions of God, Jesus & having hope; Mentions of other names for Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches & church going; Mentions of worship services, church services & pastors; Mentions of crafts with crosses & God’s eye; Mentions of Christian singers/bands (Jamie Grace, Michael W. Smith, & Rend Collective); A few mentions of Christians & faiths; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of the Garden of Eden; A few mentions of prayer times; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of Easter; A mention of a Christian high school; A mention of a play graphic about spiritual warfare;
*Note: Poppi says the previous year was hell.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘darn’, a ‘geez’, a ‘stinking’, two ‘geesh’s, two ‘oh my gosh’s, three ‘idiot’s, three ‘shut up’s, three ‘wimp’s, seven ‘dumb’s, and twenty-eight forms of ‘stupid’; A mention of swear words; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A bit of Pain (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an alcoholic (Poppi’s father) & his alcohol, but he isn’t drunk all the time and is never loud or violent; Mentions of embezzlement, stealing & jail time; Mentions of blood & injuries; Mentions of mean girls & comments; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of divorces; Mentions of throwing up & fevers (barely-above-not-detailed); Mention of urine & fish poop; A couple mentions of fighting & beating someone up; A couple mentions of dancing at a bar; A couple mentions of cigars & smoking; A couple mentions of dead animals; A mention of slaughtering chickens; A mention of boogers;
*Note: Mentions of the singer P!nk, one of her songs & her being a strong role model for girls; Mentions of celebrities (Gwyneth Paltrow, Adele, Kanye West, Reese Witherspoon, & Matthew McConaughey); Mentions of brands (Chacos, Patagonia, CamelBak, Yeti, Under Armour, Justice, Nike, & Rogue Fitness); Mentions of pop culture (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Frozen, Olaf, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, Scooby Doo, the Minions, My Little Pony, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader); Mentions of Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Netflix, & FaceTime; Mention of Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts; A few mentions of the store, Target; A couple mentions of melting ice caps in Norway due to the weather; A couple mentions of iPads; A couple mentions of Red Bull energy drinks; A mention of Dancing With the Stars.


Sexual Content- a (semi-detailed) hand kiss, a palm kiss, a cheek kiss, a nose kiss, two head kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and three semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to give a cheek kiss; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Sparks & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); a ‘baby’ and two ‘hot’s; Talks about kisses & kissing; Many mentions of dating, dates, couples, boyfriends, girlfriends, embraces, breakups & broken hearts; Mentions of a boy meeting a girl outside after curfew & him receiving a talk about waiting for sex and “the good stuff”; Mentions of kisses, kissing & soft lips; Mentions of seeing others kissing & their kiss/make out session (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of flirting; Mentions of crushes, liking someone, secret admirers & one young couple dancing close together; A few mentions of a young boy’s dad’s pregnant girlfriend living with them; A few mentions of a girl making out with boys; A few mentions of a player; A few mentions of wolf-whistles; A couple mentions of checking someone out; A couple mentions of hormones; Crushing on, Liking a guy & the emotions;
*Note: Noticing a couple shirtless guys (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a girl starting her period, menstruation & what to use for the monthly visitor; A mention of ten-year-olds getting boobs; A mention of puberty; A mention of someone acting like they’re in heat; A mention of a girl licking her lips as a guy passes by; A mention of someone sliding on their butt; A mention of someone being a pain in the butt.

-Poppi Savot, age 19
1st person P.O.V. of Poppi
356 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
{Add a ½ star for older girls who like camping/camps}
This book got me in the mood for summer! Never mind the 90 degree temps my part of Texas has been having; this was a fun, summery read! I might not be a camper at all, but I think those who have good memories of going to summer camps would enjoy those aspects. I wasn’t personally a fan of Jake at many times, but Poppi (love her name!)—I just wanted to give her a hug! Nathalie is something else too! Haha! I didn’t agree with some things said, but I thought the talks about the Lord & His hope was great.
The summer romance was sweet at times, but I could have done with a bit less kissing. I really loved all the Faith content and thought the ending was quite well done. :)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christina captures the complex combination of joy, exhaustion, love and beauty that can only be experienced working at summer camp. As a former camp counselor, this story made me ache to go back to that time in my life where I got to live and work with some of my best friends. The story line is engaging and the author does a great job of weaving in God's love without being cliche or preachy. Young people will appreciate the romance, the drama and an inside look at camp life. If you're sending a kid to camp this summer, slip this book into their suitcase!

[Hannah Turley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teenager, I would have been completely obsessed with this book. As an adult, I commend it for its authenticity and vulnerability - it reminded me so much of my teenage experience. I never had the opportunity to attend traditional cabin-in-the-woods summer camp, but I went to several youth retreats and music camps back in the day. Last Summer at Eden hit the youth/teen camp experience right on the head. You're thrown together with a group of strangers and in no time at all you feel as if you've known these people forever. The obligatory socialization and close living quarters quickly strip away any bravado you may be holding on to - things "get real" very quickly. And as my recently unearthed diaries from middle school and high can attest, you really do develop a camp vernacular ("Yeah you do!" -Kenny). And the summer love...Last Summer at Eden expresses the fears and insecurities, as well as the thrill and stomach butterflies, (and, inevitably, the heartache) of camp crushes so perfectly.

I also appreciated this book for its honesty regarding the doubts and difficulties young Christians can face in their faith. Poppi experiences peaks and valleys in her faith, just as most of us do, and Last Summer at Eden isn't afraid to address these struggles with sincerity and care. Well done!

[Christine Pinkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! Having never been to this kind of camp as a child, I fell in love with the vivid descriptions of activities and environment that really paralleled the excited stories brought home by my childhood friends and, now, my own children. As a lover of novels I felt so connected to not just the characters but their struggles as well. This book is one I would recommend to anyone, young or old, who enjoys a heartfelt story weaved with emotional trials and the strong message of God's unfailing love and faithfulness through all types of human struggles. Christina's got me anxiously awaiting her next book of this genre now along with her wonderful bible studies.

[Jennifer Huppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Summer at Eden is a book that every young adult and adult will love to read. If you have ever attended a church camp this book will resonate with you. I loved the titles, the shenanigans the children played on their counselors, Jake and Poppi are my favorite couple at Camp Eden. I would love a follow-up to see how the future Eden is. The story of Jesus is shared, friendships and relationships are forged, and having faith n Jesus and the things that matter most, great things will happen if you let the Holy Spirit lead you.

[Grace Ehmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of camp fun!

[Heidi Goehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great YA read! This is an extremely positive book without being fake or unreal. The main character Poppi has my heart and the support characters are so well built when you close the last page you’ll be ready to sign up to visit camp Eden next summer. My favorite element of the story revolves around questions of faith and doubt. Without offering easy answers, the author provides hope, and it would have been so easy to take the easy way out of “simply” answered prayers for what we want, when we want it. Life is rarely like that though, and neither is this book. I hope Eden and it’s cast of color and life filled characters does in fact come back and quickly!

[Karen Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this novel as an adult was like stepping back in time to summer camp with friends long past. So much fun!!! Christina Hergenrader captures everything to love – and dread – about summer camp. Immerse yourself in crazy games, songs, drama, and outdoor adventure as you follow the campers and counselors throughout their summer. More than just a camp journal, though, this story is about God’s enduring and faithful love for each of His children. God’s love and provision is on every page, even as characters struggle with seeing it for themselves and accepting His timing and plans when they differ from their expectations. Even if you never experienced camp for yourself, you’re sure to relate to the characters and find comfort and inspiration as they come to know God in a personal way in Last Summer at Eden.

[DavidandAmanda Gatton]

What a fun book that kept me guessing until the very end!! I just had so much fun reading this book. You can't help but falling in love with Poppi and cheering her on as she tries to save Camp Eden, grieve along with her and hold on tight as she falls for the camp heartthrob. I want everyone to read this book and to hear the message of hope and God's love deep in their hearts! You will love this book, you will love the characters and you will love Camp Eden!!!

[Berit Ericson]

we wouldn’t be Lutherans without a good summer camp romance. 💚

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As I step between roots and loose gravel and tangled branches, I get my answer, the only one I will ever hear. I will take care of you." pg. 214

This book made me so very nostalgic for my days at camp! As former Lutheran summer camp staff, I can say that this book is full of so much truth, from the interpersonal dynamics between staffers to the way God invades your heart and mind so fully through time in his creation. Although, I will say, Poppi and her staff got away with much more than we ever did :)

The romance was a little tumultuous for me- Jake started off as a caricature of every boy who ever broke my heart but I loved seeing the character development that happened between him and Poppi.

My favorite part of the book was the underlying theme of trusting God to truly take care of us, even ( and especially) when the answer to our prayers is not one we want. This is such an important message for our teens (and for me!) and I hope they finish this book with a greater trust in God's provision in their life. I know I did!

[Chelsie Scheffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working at a summer camp one of the hardest things I encounter is people not understating what my summer is like. It is so much more than a summer job, and reading Last Summer At Eden has been the first view of the place I love so much! From the beginning I understand Poppi's heart and am so excited to join her on this journey! As she dives into the summer you will be fully emerged into Camp Eden and the whole staff! These fictional characters stole my heart and made me miss my own camp people. The story speaks truth and love because it is rooted in the absolute truth, Jesus Christ! If you don't have the opportunity to spend your summer in the woods consider reading Last Summer At Eden!

[Joy&sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this easy, fun read. It took me back to my own days at camp...a very long time ago. I needed a fun, quick read for my busy schedule and this was the perfect fit. It kept me engaged and I was finished with it before I knew it. Left me wanting to hear the rest of the story of Poppi and Jake. I love that it was a simple, clean love story. My teen daughter is now reading the book and we are enjoying sharing the story. Thankful for a book we can both enjoy and share.

[Sara Siebenman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book! Brings back the sweetest memories of summer camp.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Simply wonderful. There are so many wonderful, amazing truths in this book that I think every teen girl should read. I found myself in several parts wishing my teenage self would have had that advice, and reading things that my adult self still appreciated and needed to hear. I also love how the Christian messages are presented. You get to see the love of God shown through Poppi's life and the people around her, which I think has an especially meaningful impact. I can't wait to read what Tina writes next!

[Jamie Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get read to be whisked away to camp. You can almost smell the campfire, swat the mosquitoes and taste the s'mores (with peanut butter cups of course) as you are taken back to relive you memories of camp or make new ones with Poppi, Jake and the whole crew. This book will leave you with a smile on your face, a tear in your eye and hope in your heart

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book as been sitting on my shelf for a couple years, and I finally had the decency to pull it out and dive in.
About the book... I had high hopes, because all the reviews were amazing and the plot seemed so good. But being completely honest it was so hard for me to get through the first 10-15 chapters, mostly because of the main character's behavior. But eventually once I got through those parts I understood how important those were for the story and how much I could see myself in Poppi! This is the thing for me about Christian fiction: it's not just a romance or a mystery for you to enjoy, it always teaches you something! I love how God works in my life even through fiction! Although no amount of christian fiction will ever compare to the Bible and what God can do through His word!
In conclusion I seriously couldn't put the book down once I got past the first 10-15 chapters!! It is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year, wish there was a sequel!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book written by a lovely woman.

"Last Summer at Eden" is a beautiful representation of taking action with God by your side. I would recommend this book to any woman, girl, man, boy, or Christian. Everyone needs to take a journey through Poppi Savot's eyes and experience the war for fighting for the greater good.

[John Swanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am always disappointed by books when I can predict the entire plot after about 30 pages. I realize that this is Y.A., but I am always looking for good Christian books for my family. This book is advertised and promoted as a book about the good old days of Christian camps. I would say that 10% of the actual story recalls my happy times as a student and then counselor at Christian camps. 80% of the book is a romance (not even a modern Y.A. romance). This book reads like a Loveswept Romance minus the sex. And then there is the awkward 10% mystery that should be easily solved by page 30 for any astute reader. There are good Christian fiction books out there. This is not one. I recommend Mesu Andrews, Randy Singer, Lisa Wingate, and Carrie Stuart Parks as good starting points if you are looking for quality Christian fiction. If your Y.A. readers are actually "readers" they will find this book laughably predictable. Unfortunately, this is one of the Christian fiction books that continue to disappoint. Much like Christian film companies, Christian publishing companies have not figured out that Christian readers want good stories, not just Christian stories. I hope that Mrs. Hergenrader continues to develop as a writer and gives readers something they truly want to remember. Camp Eden is not worth a visit.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Summer at Eden was a wonderful book that I had a hard time putting down! I loved the Christian faith elements and how the story revolves around a summer camp (I worked at a Christian summer camp so I had ALL THE FEELS!!!). I don’t think I really disliked much about this book, to be honest! I also appreciated how every single chapter title is a Christian song, and how most of them are camp songs! I think I would call this one a “romance” novel, but that’s not the entire story either. It’s filled with camp adventures, and it deals with tough things! My favorite quote that pops up in the later half of the book is: I believe in hope. (And our God is the God of all hope.)
5/5 stars!

[RebekahAshleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Summer at Eden was a fun book set at a summer camp. Poppi moves to California to work at Camp Eden as the new director. It was fun seeing the different characters and reading about all the camp adventures. The note from the author said that she named each chapter after a different worship song and I thought that was so fun and a neat way to make it feel even more like you’re at summer camp.
There were a few things here and there that I didn’t care for but overall it was a fun, summer book.
☀️ ⛺️ 🛶 🍉🍦

[Katelyn Bolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesy, but gritty, predictable but honest—living life at camp puts you all to close to one another. This first person narrated book looks at issues like loss, abandonment, and figuring this crazy life out. Yes, the ending is predictable, but at the end you feel like you’ve made some good friends, just like the end of camp.

[Heidi]

Camp Eden is pretty much exactly what camp was like for me, which is impressive, delightful, and, in a couple of ways, troubling.

[LibraryLaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, nostalgic read. I was definitely rooting for Poppi and Camp Eden.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was powerful and it gives a good message. It was really good.

[GooglyEyed Teacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving all of my Camp Eden memories from this book! Christina did a terrific job in placing the reader right alongside the campfires in Camp Eden, while simultaneously taking you through some unexpected and tough, but much needed topic trails!
Topics such as processing loss and idolizing people for example.
Last Summer at Eden was such a great mental trek- I definitely recommend to young adults and beyond! I am so thankful as a parent for a book like this on my bookshelf for my girls and for myself.

[Cheryl]

An enjoyable, light read. I believe it's probably geared towards young readers, but I enjoy books for younger people, too. The book is set in a church camp & how a young woman deals with life after the death of her mother. I met the author earlier this summer & she is a very sweet woman who has also written some good Bible studies for women.