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Night Owls and Summer Skies
You have to step off the trail to find your path....
When her mother unceremoniously dumps her at Camp Mapplewood for the summer, Emma Lane’s hopes of repairing their fractured relationship are gone with the wind. Now she’s stuck in the wilderness facing her worst fears. Trees? Terrifying. Spiders? Even worse. And don’t even get Emma started on how she feels about camp activities. But Emma’s got a plan, and she will do anything in her power to get kicked out of camp, from sleeping in to playing practical jokes on her fellow campers. Yet when Emma draws the attention of her illusive and attractive camp counselor Vivian Black, she has to come to terms with the fact that how her summer starts isn’t necessarily how it might end. Will Vivian be the key to unlocking Emma’s fears once and for all?
When her mother unceremoniously dumps her at Camp Mapplewood for the summer, Emma Lane’s hopes of repairing their fractured relationship are gone with the wind. Now she’s stuck in the wilderness facing her worst fears. Trees? Terrifying. Spiders? Even worse. And don’t even get Emma started on how she feels about camp activities. But Emma’s got a plan, and she will do anything in her power to get kicked out of camp, from sleeping in to playing practical jokes on her fellow campers. Yet when Emma draws the attention of her illusive and attractive camp counselor Vivian Black, she has to come to terms with the fact that how her summer starts isn’t necessarily how it might end. Will Vivian be the key to unlocking Emma’s fears once and for all?
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2020
121 people are currently reading
3751 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Sullivan
1 book97 followersRebecca Sullivan is a twenty-two-year-old student at the National University of Ireland, studying English Literature and Geography. She is obsessed with fluffy socks and anything to do with owls, particularly in the form of candles and other odd trinkets. Even when sleeping there’s no escape from writing for Rebecca as she plans story arcs by inducing a lucid dreaming state.
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April 9, 2020
So I read the version available on Wattpad to tide me over and it didn’t disappoint. If that’s what it’s like before going into the editing process, I can’t wait to read the final result. This is a long-ass review. I’ll update the review to include published version when it comes out.
What I love and hope doesn’t get removed from the published version.
I love the relationship between Emma and her dad. He doesn’t care or mind about her sexuality. All that’s important to him is her mental health. They have open discussions from the very first page about her wellbeing. It’s so great that we see a good relationship between LGBT youth and their parent. He’s there for her and she knows this because he took actions. He got her homeschooled for a year, gained custody of Emma, diligently helped her tackle her mental health issues, unlike her mother. What I like about this book is the aftermath of getting help. They can have discussions about how Emma is feeling. It’s very refreshing to have a main character who has already done the big step of getting help. It’s important for people to see these stories where the main character maintains their mental health because there isn’t a ‘cure-all’ which the author does well throughout the book. The author doesn’t shy away from problems like homophobia with Emma’s mother. Emma’s mother is caught up in her own world with her new husband and didn’t plan for Emma’s stay with her for the summer so Emma is sent to a summer camp.
Luckily at the summer camp, Emma’s sexuality is a non-issue. She is who she is and it doesn’t matter to anyone. Despite her anger at being abandoned at the summer camp and the fact that she could’ve instead spent it with her father, she’s mature in the sense that she doesn’t want to drag her dad into the mess. However, the way she tries to get kicked out so it would be her mother’s problem and not her fathers is the opposite of mature. Which is to be expected. She’s a teenager. Their logic sometimes doesn’t make sense. It shows how much she respects her father but in doing so she’s disrespectful at camp.
I’m a sucker for books that have family dynamic so the disappointment with Emma’s father out of the picture until the end soon was put aside. The entire Black family makes an appearance and brings her into the fold. Emma discovers new coping mechanisms and a new passion. Cooking. It’s an accidental discovery because it was a punishment. She uses the kitchen space to take time to herself when she’s anxious which was particularly relatable. It was enjoyable and cute that she spent time with Julie Black, the love interest’s mother when Emma accidentally tells Vivian that she loves her. It’s so awkward and sudden that it flashed me back to the past where I had similar outbursts and escaped in a similar fashion. I hope that scene’s still in the final version. Julie is the opposite of Emma’s mother. She’s warm and takes the time to teach Emma cooking. The fact that Julie Black is so accepting of Emma and her own daughter’s sexuality is just another *chef’s kiss* moment.
It’s interesting how the author includes the theme of bullying in the book. It’s not explicit, it’s not triggering, but it is there. Gwen Black is Emma’s new friend and she is isolated from the ‘Beaver’ camping group because of the book’s antagonist, Lauren. It’s very realistic because it’s a form of bullying that’s hard to report and detect. You can’t exactly force people to be friends with a person. It hits home. More importantly, it’s something people don’t talk about often because who wants to admit to having no friends when there are ‘worse issues’ like physical violence or cyberbullying? You don’t see this tactic displayed in books much. It’s a very realistic portrayal and it hurts the reader more because we learn that Gwen is the type of friend that you would want by your side. Emma and Gwen’s relationship is natural because they both deal with the issues of anti-socialism whether it be from mental health issues or bullying. I really liked their friendship.
For a while, I thought Gwen was the love interest but then Vivian showed up and it was no longer a guessing game. At first, I thought it would be Lauren, classic enemies to lovers trope, but I’m glad it didn’t go down that route. Emma’s relationship with Vivian Black and Lauren’s is an important distinction. Lauren barrels through personal boundaries, and has one-sided vicious conversations with Emma and well . . . Lauren is Gwen’s bully. She shows no respect for Emma. Whereas Vivian and Emma’s relationship is a mutual teasing. They both enjoy the banter between them. Vivian is there for Emma when she has a panic attack, (which was a very realistic portrayal of the moment, the thoughts, the physical reaction, the wanting to be alone). Vivian hammers the importance of consent with other campers and the main pairing put this into practice, which is a relief because Vivian is a counsellor and a person in a position of power, which is why it’s great that it’s Emma that makes the first moves. Vivian trusts Emma with Gwen. When I read the book for a second time, it was clear that Lauren would never be the love interest. The inner monologue of Emma’s never indicates any interest and I kind of feel bad that I thought that in the first place because the author made it clear time and time again that the behaviour Lauren exhibits wasn’t okay at all.
What I wanted to see.
The conversation between Mr. Black and Emma about Capybara.
A little more about Lauren’s motivations too.
On a more serious note, throughout all the serious topics of mental health, homophobia, bullying, the book’s full of quick-witted banter, humour, summer activities that shone through the page. While it does deal with real subject matter, the characters are also lighthearted and it would be a nice book to read out in the sun.
Congratulations author, I can't wait to see the final version.
What I love and hope doesn’t get removed from the published version.
I love the relationship between Emma and her dad. He doesn’t care or mind about her sexuality. All that’s important to him is her mental health. They have open discussions from the very first page about her wellbeing. It’s so great that we see a good relationship between LGBT youth and their parent. He’s there for her and she knows this because he took actions. He got her homeschooled for a year, gained custody of Emma, diligently helped her tackle her mental health issues, unlike her mother. What I like about this book is the aftermath of getting help. They can have discussions about how Emma is feeling. It’s very refreshing to have a main character who has already done the big step of getting help. It’s important for people to see these stories where the main character maintains their mental health because there isn’t a ‘cure-all’ which the author does well throughout the book. The author doesn’t shy away from problems like homophobia with Emma’s mother. Emma’s mother is caught up in her own world with her new husband and didn’t plan for Emma’s stay with her for the summer so Emma is sent to a summer camp.
Luckily at the summer camp, Emma’s sexuality is a non-issue. She is who she is and it doesn’t matter to anyone. Despite her anger at being abandoned at the summer camp and the fact that she could’ve instead spent it with her father, she’s mature in the sense that she doesn’t want to drag her dad into the mess. However, the way she tries to get kicked out so it would be her mother’s problem and not her fathers is the opposite of mature. Which is to be expected. She’s a teenager. Their logic sometimes doesn’t make sense. It shows how much she respects her father but in doing so she’s disrespectful at camp.
I’m a sucker for books that have family dynamic so the disappointment with Emma’s father out of the picture until the end soon was put aside. The entire Black family makes an appearance and brings her into the fold. Emma discovers new coping mechanisms and a new passion. Cooking. It’s an accidental discovery because it was a punishment. She uses the kitchen space to take time to herself when she’s anxious which was particularly relatable. It was enjoyable and cute that she spent time with Julie Black, the love interest’s mother when Emma accidentally tells Vivian that she loves her. It’s so awkward and sudden that it flashed me back to the past where I had similar outbursts and escaped in a similar fashion. I hope that scene’s still in the final version. Julie is the opposite of Emma’s mother. She’s warm and takes the time to teach Emma cooking. The fact that Julie Black is so accepting of Emma and her own daughter’s sexuality is just another *chef’s kiss* moment.
It’s interesting how the author includes the theme of bullying in the book. It’s not explicit, it’s not triggering, but it is there. Gwen Black is Emma’s new friend and she is isolated from the ‘Beaver’ camping group because of the book’s antagonist, Lauren. It’s very realistic because it’s a form of bullying that’s hard to report and detect. You can’t exactly force people to be friends with a person. It hits home. More importantly, it’s something people don’t talk about often because who wants to admit to having no friends when there are ‘worse issues’ like physical violence or cyberbullying? You don’t see this tactic displayed in books much. It’s a very realistic portrayal and it hurts the reader more because we learn that Gwen is the type of friend that you would want by your side. Emma and Gwen’s relationship is natural because they both deal with the issues of anti-socialism whether it be from mental health issues or bullying. I really liked their friendship.
For a while, I thought Gwen was the love interest but then Vivian showed up and it was no longer a guessing game. At first, I thought it would be Lauren, classic enemies to lovers trope, but I’m glad it didn’t go down that route. Emma’s relationship with Vivian Black and Lauren’s is an important distinction. Lauren barrels through personal boundaries, and has one-sided vicious conversations with Emma and well . . . Lauren is Gwen’s bully. She shows no respect for Emma. Whereas Vivian and Emma’s relationship is a mutual teasing. They both enjoy the banter between them. Vivian is there for Emma when she has a panic attack, (which was a very realistic portrayal of the moment, the thoughts, the physical reaction, the wanting to be alone). Vivian hammers the importance of consent with other campers and the main pairing put this into practice, which is a relief because Vivian is a counsellor and a person in a position of power, which is why it’s great that it’s Emma that makes the first moves. Vivian trusts Emma with Gwen. When I read the book for a second time, it was clear that Lauren would never be the love interest. The inner monologue of Emma’s never indicates any interest and I kind of feel bad that I thought that in the first place because the author made it clear time and time again that the behaviour Lauren exhibits wasn’t okay at all.
What I wanted to see.
The conversation between Mr. Black and Emma about Capybara.
A little more about Lauren’s motivations too.
On a more serious note, throughout all the serious topics of mental health, homophobia, bullying, the book’s full of quick-witted banter, humour, summer activities that shone through the page. While it does deal with real subject matter, the characters are also lighthearted and it would be a nice book to read out in the sun.
Congratulations author, I can't wait to see the final version.
October 23, 2020
I don't give bad reviews to ARCs lightly. As I see it, a book is a result of so much hard work and I absolutely want to help books that might not reach a broad readership. I also believe that it's great that the publishing world is more accessible, I mean, this started off as on Wattpad as a NaNoWriMo project. That's awesome.
So Night Owls and Summer Skies is about Emma, a bitter teenager who gets sent to camp. She has a weird childhood trauma from this camp (her friends stranded her on a tree and she somehow has turned this into a massive life changing tragedy, I kid you not). At camp, her counselor Vivian and her fall in love and together, work through all the teen drama.
I'll start by saying that the writing was good. It felt polished. The dialogue was a little odd at times but it also felt like it had style. I can imagine people speaking like that, even if I myself do not. Vivian and Emma have as much chemistry as the next ya couple.
However, my biggest problem here was Vivian. Oh Vivian.
As a former camp counselor, let me just say this. I would never ever ever consider getting into any type of romantic or sexual relationship with any one of my campers. It's not an age thing, or a legal thing (well, maybe a bit of a legal thing, my camp kept reminding us that we can get sued for pretty much everything). It's a responsibility thing. Even with older kids, they look up to you. You're not on even ground, you do have some authority and being in a relationship abuses this. Even if there's only a two year difference, I genuinely think Emma's consent is dubious.
When you're working, you're not entirely yourself so I definitely felt like my kids didn't know me actually. They knew me as a counselor but that's just not the same thing. Like heck, it was my actual job to tolerate some of their bullshit and well, when that's the case, there isn't room for such feelings, even if I absolutely adored my campers.
So it was just hard for me to appreciate this book because I couldn't stop wanting to shout at Vivian, "How can the problematic nature of this relationship not concern you??" Vivian never even mentions this, Vivian pursues this relationship just as much as Emma and I just can't explain how irritated this makes me. No one around Vivian thinks about this and I just don't get it.
I wasn't a very good counselor for various reasons and I messed up during my time as a counselor more times than I can remember but even with that, at least I can feel content knowing I wasn't as bad of a counselor as Vivian. Beyond the actual falling in love with a camper thing, here's a brief list of the things Vivian does:
-Looks through Emma's phone: I just can't imagine doing something so invasive to my campers (or really anyone, phones are so private).
- Never helps out: during my time as a camp counselor, I pretended to enjoy sports, I cleaned vomit, I swept the massive auditorium (several times, my camp realized that international staff = cheap labor), I packed like 8 massive suitcases (although, this also has to do with me being really good at packing), I cleaned slime off walls and clothes (parents, please, please, please, don't send your kids to camp with slime, why would you ever think that's a good idea). I genuinely don't understand how Vivian can stand in the sidelines and tell her campers that she's "supervising" or feel that she can just do nothing to help them out.
-Makes fun of her campers: Sure, some counselors have a style that includes teasing campers (and since my tendency to make fun of myself led to my kids thinking I'm actually stupid, I'm not sure if I can really judge anyone's style). That said, Vivian constantly says hurtful things about her campers. This is seriously problematic because campers do remember these things and she's causing damage.
-Gossips about her campers with other campers: My 10-11 year olds had tons of drama and I had to try and mediate and sure, it was very tempting to pick sides and go, "heck yeah, this girl is mean, you're so right!" but you can't do that (even though I absolutely had picked sides). Your kids can't feel that you like some of them more than others, your gossip is not like any other camper's gossip, even if it feels like your kids are mature and you like talking to them.
All together, this is beyond unprofessional. This type of behavior is harmful and never gets addressed in the book. Young people see counselors as role models. When a counselor acts like this, it opens the door for everyone else to act this way (or, as I learned in camp, "why do I have to make my bed when you don't make yours?"). I realize this is a fictional story but I wonder if Sullivan has ever been at camp or why she would portray something that's so far from reality.
I realize I can't speak for all camps and that surely there are different camp experiences but the sheer lack of awareness here felt jarring and made it hard for me to see anything else. All in all, it felt impossible for me to look at this book as anything but deeply inappropriate. It made me so uncomfortable and disgusted.
If the author wanted to create a camp romance, she could have (a) had done the relationship between two counselors (you have no idea about the drama between counselors, it was unreal) or (b) set this a few years after camp. They could have met in college and Vivian could have dramatically admitted that she liked Emma as a counselor but couldn't follow through because of her counselor duties.
As it is now, I just can't recommend this book. I want to support new authors and I want to support LGBT+ romances but the downsides here just overpower the advantages. I hope Sullivan continues writing and will definitely keep an eye out for her next book.
What I'm Taking With Me:
- How the heck did Vivian even have time and mental energy for a romance? There were days when I barely had time to shower.
- Also, there were so many annoying troupes here. Like, the mom who's rude to the girlfriend.
- Don't even get me started about Lauren because that is another mess and I could probably write a 2500 word essay on why Lauren's character is a badly written mistake.
- And isn't it weird that there's so much competition about being a counselor but no official or fair way to get in? I mean, as a family run business, surely they do need to be careful about nepotism.
So Night Owls and Summer Skies is about Emma, a bitter teenager who gets sent to camp. She has a weird childhood trauma from this camp (her friends stranded her on a tree and she somehow has turned this into a massive life changing tragedy, I kid you not). At camp, her counselor Vivian and her fall in love and together, work through all the teen drama.
I'll start by saying that the writing was good. It felt polished. The dialogue was a little odd at times but it also felt like it had style. I can imagine people speaking like that, even if I myself do not. Vivian and Emma have as much chemistry as the next ya couple.
However, my biggest problem here was Vivian. Oh Vivian.
As a former camp counselor, let me just say this. I would never ever ever consider getting into any type of romantic or sexual relationship with any one of my campers. It's not an age thing, or a legal thing (well, maybe a bit of a legal thing, my camp kept reminding us that we can get sued for pretty much everything). It's a responsibility thing. Even with older kids, they look up to you. You're not on even ground, you do have some authority and being in a relationship abuses this. Even if there's only a two year difference, I genuinely think Emma's consent is dubious.
When you're working, you're not entirely yourself so I definitely felt like my kids didn't know me actually. They knew me as a counselor but that's just not the same thing. Like heck, it was my actual job to tolerate some of their bullshit and well, when that's the case, there isn't room for such feelings, even if I absolutely adored my campers.
So it was just hard for me to appreciate this book because I couldn't stop wanting to shout at Vivian, "How can the problematic nature of this relationship not concern you??" Vivian never even mentions this, Vivian pursues this relationship just as much as Emma and I just can't explain how irritated this makes me. No one around Vivian thinks about this and I just don't get it.
I wasn't a very good counselor for various reasons and I messed up during my time as a counselor more times than I can remember but even with that, at least I can feel content knowing I wasn't as bad of a counselor as Vivian. Beyond the actual falling in love with a camper thing, here's a brief list of the things Vivian does:
-Looks through Emma's phone: I just can't imagine doing something so invasive to my campers (or really anyone, phones are so private).
- Never helps out: during my time as a camp counselor, I pretended to enjoy sports, I cleaned vomit, I swept the massive auditorium (several times, my camp realized that international staff = cheap labor), I packed like 8 massive suitcases (although, this also has to do with me being really good at packing), I cleaned slime off walls and clothes (parents, please, please, please, don't send your kids to camp with slime, why would you ever think that's a good idea). I genuinely don't understand how Vivian can stand in the sidelines and tell her campers that she's "supervising" or feel that she can just do nothing to help them out.
-Makes fun of her campers: Sure, some counselors have a style that includes teasing campers (and since my tendency to make fun of myself led to my kids thinking I'm actually stupid, I'm not sure if I can really judge anyone's style). That said, Vivian constantly says hurtful things about her campers. This is seriously problematic because campers do remember these things and she's causing damage.
-Gossips about her campers with other campers: My 10-11 year olds had tons of drama and I had to try and mediate and sure, it was very tempting to pick sides and go, "heck yeah, this girl is mean, you're so right!" but you can't do that (even though I absolutely had picked sides). Your kids can't feel that you like some of them more than others, your gossip is not like any other camper's gossip, even if it feels like your kids are mature and you like talking to them.
All together, this is beyond unprofessional. This type of behavior is harmful and never gets addressed in the book. Young people see counselors as role models. When a counselor acts like this, it opens the door for everyone else to act this way (or, as I learned in camp, "why do I have to make my bed when you don't make yours?"). I realize this is a fictional story but I wonder if Sullivan has ever been at camp or why she would portray something that's so far from reality.
I realize I can't speak for all camps and that surely there are different camp experiences but the sheer lack of awareness here felt jarring and made it hard for me to see anything else. All in all, it felt impossible for me to look at this book as anything but deeply inappropriate. It made me so uncomfortable and disgusted.
If the author wanted to create a camp romance, she could have (a) had done the relationship between two counselors (you have no idea about the drama between counselors, it was unreal) or (b) set this a few years after camp. They could have met in college and Vivian could have dramatically admitted that she liked Emma as a counselor but couldn't follow through because of her counselor duties.
As it is now, I just can't recommend this book. I want to support new authors and I want to support LGBT+ romances but the downsides here just overpower the advantages. I hope Sullivan continues writing and will definitely keep an eye out for her next book.
What I'm Taking With Me:
- How the heck did Vivian even have time and mental energy for a romance? There were days when I barely had time to shower.
- Also, there were so many annoying troupes here. Like, the mom who's rude to the girlfriend.
- Don't even get me started about Lauren because that is another mess and I could probably write a 2500 word essay on why Lauren's character is a badly written mistake.
- And isn't it weird that there's so much competition about being a counselor but no official or fair way to get in? I mean, as a family run business, surely they do need to be careful about nepotism.
May 16, 2020
Thanks for the author and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Let's start by saying that I absolutely adore stories about summer camps. This was not an exception. I really liked it! I loved all of the representation and in my opinion it was written quite good. I loved the characters, but I'd like to get some more background on them. They felt a bit bland, except for our main character Emma.
Speaking of characters, I loved Vivian. Even though I didn't understand why she did some things she did, I couldn't help but like her. She's quite mysterious and I like that. Also Gwen, can I be bffs with her as well? I despised Emma's mother, I just don't understand how she can be like that to her own daughter.
The plot was a bit predictable in my opinion, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun. I enjoyed myself while reading this book and I would recommend reading it if you're looking for a fun, quick and easy read!
Let's start by saying that I absolutely adore stories about summer camps. This was not an exception. I really liked it! I loved all of the representation and in my opinion it was written quite good. I loved the characters, but I'd like to get some more background on them. They felt a bit bland, except for our main character Emma.
Speaking of characters, I loved Vivian. Even though I didn't understand why she did some things she did, I couldn't help but like her. She's quite mysterious and I like that. Also Gwen, can I be bffs with her as well? I despised Emma's mother, I just don't understand how she can be like that to her own daughter.
The plot was a bit predictable in my opinion, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun. I enjoyed myself while reading this book and I would recommend reading it if you're looking for a fun, quick and easy read!
April 23, 2020
I was going through a very hard time in my life and then I came across your books! I really adored Camp Mapplewood and I cannot wait to read Night Owls and Summer Skies when it comes out! Sign me up for the touching plot and quirky characters. Can't wait to see what you've added!
April 21, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. I binged it all in a matter of days and I’m sure I’ll be reading it again. The characters were beautifully written and I was able to connect with different parts of each of them which helped pull me into the book. The setting was great and it felt like I was getting a summer camp experience of my own.
The witty banter from the main character was so funny and so relatable. Also the main characters social anxiety is such a humanizing and relatable quality. I also suffer from severe anxiety and I like how well it’s portrayed through Emma, especially when she starts blabbing and can’t quite stop, it’s so relatable to how I feel when I try to talk “normally” and then severely under-do or over-do it in a conversation.
The love interest is also beautifully written and gives a cloud of mystery around her that’s so intriguing. It’s amazing to read along as Emma chips away at Vivians exterior and finds who she really is underneath.
The side characters are great too. They’re also witty and lovable and so caring. They’re such great friends and add some much needed support for the main character as the book progresses.
And while romance novels are usually predictable about how they’ll end, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t any less surprised or happy about how it all played out.
I felt all the emotions while reading and reacted along with the characters, I laughed, I cried, I felt the anxiety, I cried some more, I laughed and more, and in the end I fell in love too. I fell in love with this book, and with the beautiful way this author writes.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It was an amazing read.
The witty banter from the main character was so funny and so relatable. Also the main characters social anxiety is such a humanizing and relatable quality. I also suffer from severe anxiety and I like how well it’s portrayed through Emma, especially when she starts blabbing and can’t quite stop, it’s so relatable to how I feel when I try to talk “normally” and then severely under-do or over-do it in a conversation.
The love interest is also beautifully written and gives a cloud of mystery around her that’s so intriguing. It’s amazing to read along as Emma chips away at Vivians exterior and finds who she really is underneath.
The side characters are great too. They’re also witty and lovable and so caring. They’re such great friends and add some much needed support for the main character as the book progresses.
And while romance novels are usually predictable about how they’ll end, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t any less surprised or happy about how it all played out.
I felt all the emotions while reading and reacted along with the characters, I laughed, I cried, I felt the anxiety, I cried some more, I laughed and more, and in the end I fell in love too. I fell in love with this book, and with the beautiful way this author writes.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It was an amazing read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2020
For a minute it looked like it would be a heavy read but it wasn't. It was the summer romance I didn't know I needed. But my favorite part was the casual representation of mental health. It was well done, especially from a teenager's point of view. I also liked how the main character didn't have to say "this is happened because of anxiety or these thoughts are the result of anxiety" The actions and thoughts speak to that well. Maybe people wouldn't pick up on that unless they experienced it themselves. I can understand why people would be frustrated by her character but it's realistic. The panic attack scene was especially relatable. Not only was the thought process spot on but the aftermath of experiencing it was realistic too. I won't spoil anything but the fatigue after the panic attack was accurate. People forget to write about that part. I have different ticks when it comes to my anxiety but I do know some friends experience it in a similar way to Emma. I'll be recommending this book to them. Most people don't understand that anxiety doesn't only stem from social situations. It can manifest in other parts of life too. This book understood that.
April 29, 2020
A YA book where teens are actually teens and not just adults put in teen settings? A camp where sexuality isn't a big concern? Funny and quirky characters? Man I'm sad this book ended.
April 23, 2020
Reading all your stories! So addicting. Thanks for sharing them with us. :)
July 12, 2020
3.5 stars rtc
June 7, 2020
Really enjoyed this young adult/new adult novel. Pansexual and lesbian MCs. Summer camp romance.
Emma has faced a ton of challenges - depression, messy parent divorce, homophobic mum - but has finally graduated high school, is nearly 18 and has just one major hurdle left - two months court mandated visitation with her mum. But when she gets to Maine, her mum has decided to leave her behind at summer camp. Emma hates camp; is panic-inducingly afraid of the woods; and is stuck rooming with a mean-girl bully. But Emma also meets 19 year-old camp counselor, Vivian, so things may not be all bad.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Emma has faced a ton of challenges - depression, messy parent divorce, homophobic mum - but has finally graduated high school, is nearly 18 and has just one major hurdle left - two months court mandated visitation with her mum. But when she gets to Maine, her mum has decided to leave her behind at summer camp. Emma hates camp; is panic-inducingly afraid of the woods; and is stuck rooming with a mean-girl bully. But Emma also meets 19 year-old camp counselor, Vivian, so things may not be all bad.
**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
May 17, 2020
• Title: Night Owls and Summer Skies
• Author: Rebecca Sullivan
• Publisher: wattpad books
• ISBN: 9781989365250
• Edition: E-Book
• Publication date: 30/06/2020
Content:
Emma Lane was even when driving to her mother not happy about it because they have not been getting along for years now. But her anger gets even worse when her mother ditches her for her new husband and their honeymoon. And she really dumps her at Camp Mapplewood, where she never wanted to go again after a traumatic incident with trees that happened years ago. But Emma is not planning to stay long at this camp, so she does everything to get kicked out of camp. Because of that she draws the attention of the attractive camp counselor Vivian Black. Maybe her summer won't be as she thought it would be.
Will Vivian help her with her worst fears?
Opinion:
This book is so nicely written, I swear! I couldn't stop readingt, so I totally read it in one night. The story is so detailt that I could even see the camp and the people there in my head. Also, I really sympathized with Emma. She is such an amazingly developed character. All the other characters are pretty good described and developed too, but I totally fell in love with the main character. She is so sweet, and I totally understood her. She is the typical teenager, but she actually knows what she wants. Also, her standing up for Gwen was so amazing, I almost cried there.
Additionally, the cover is so beautiful!
Conclusion:
All in all, I really recommend this book! It is so cute and amazing! There is literally no reason to not read it!
• Author: Rebecca Sullivan
• Publisher: wattpad books
• ISBN: 9781989365250
• Edition: E-Book
• Publication date: 30/06/2020
Content:
Emma Lane was even when driving to her mother not happy about it because they have not been getting along for years now. But her anger gets even worse when her mother ditches her for her new husband and their honeymoon. And she really dumps her at Camp Mapplewood, where she never wanted to go again after a traumatic incident with trees that happened years ago. But Emma is not planning to stay long at this camp, so she does everything to get kicked out of camp. Because of that she draws the attention of the attractive camp counselor Vivian Black. Maybe her summer won't be as she thought it would be.
Will Vivian help her with her worst fears?
Opinion:
This book is so nicely written, I swear! I couldn't stop readingt, so I totally read it in one night. The story is so detailt that I could even see the camp and the people there in my head. Also, I really sympathized with Emma. She is such an amazingly developed character. All the other characters are pretty good described and developed too, but I totally fell in love with the main character. She is so sweet, and I totally understood her. She is the typical teenager, but she actually knows what she wants. Also, her standing up for Gwen was so amazing, I almost cried there.
Additionally, the cover is so beautiful!
Conclusion:
All in all, I really recommend this book! It is so cute and amazing! There is literally no reason to not read it!
May 14, 2020
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mc with depression, anxiety & PTSD, wlw li, wlw side character
Galley provided by publisher
One day, I’ll stop just picking books to read solely because they’re f/f. Unfortunately, today is not that day, so here I am, writing another review of a book I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike.
Night Owls and Summer Skies is a summer camp romance. And you would think, therefore, that it’d be good. Instead, it seems like a chaotic and disconnected novel, with a creepy “bully has a crush on the mc” storyline.
First and foremost, me and the writing didn’t click, so much of this review should be taken with that in mind. It was readable, sure, but the speech was stilted and occasionally purple prosey. And just generally didn’t sound like something any real person would say a lot of the time. So that made it hard to get into.
And, of course, not liking the writing had a knock-on effect for how I felt about the rest of the book. I didn’t mind the main character, though I know she has been criticised for “overreacting” regarding her parents (although, to be honest, I thought she was underreacting almost), but the side characters were mostly bland and two-dimensional. I still don’t know what there was at all interesting about Vivian (though Walter and Grace were great).
Then there’s the whole storyline with Lauren, which seemed almost unnecessarily creepy at times. Almost borderline sexual harassment. And the whole thing about not sending her home despite that? Feels like maybe the camp should be shut down for not taking care of their charges properly…
But like I said. Take it all with a pinch of salt, because I didn’t like the writing and that always impacts how I like the rest of the book.
Rep: lesbian mc with depression, anxiety & PTSD, wlw li, wlw side character
Galley provided by publisher
One day, I’ll stop just picking books to read solely because they’re f/f. Unfortunately, today is not that day, so here I am, writing another review of a book I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike.
Night Owls and Summer Skies is a summer camp romance. And you would think, therefore, that it’d be good. Instead, it seems like a chaotic and disconnected novel, with a creepy “bully has a crush on the mc” storyline.
First and foremost, me and the writing didn’t click, so much of this review should be taken with that in mind. It was readable, sure, but the speech was stilted and occasionally purple prosey. And just generally didn’t sound like something any real person would say a lot of the time. So that made it hard to get into.
And, of course, not liking the writing had a knock-on effect for how I felt about the rest of the book. I didn’t mind the main character, though I know she has been criticised for “overreacting” regarding her parents (although, to be honest, I thought she was underreacting almost), but the side characters were mostly bland and two-dimensional. I still don’t know what there was at all interesting about Vivian (though Walter and Grace were great).
Then there’s the whole storyline with Lauren, which seemed almost unnecessarily creepy at times. Almost borderline sexual harassment. And the whole thing about not sending her home despite that? Feels like maybe the camp should be shut down for not taking care of their charges properly…
But like I said. Take it all with a pinch of salt, because I didn’t like the writing and that always impacts how I like the rest of the book.
April 3, 2020
This book was honestly a hot mess. I was super excited for this because a) beautifulllll cover and b) a gay summer romance? Hell yes!
But this book was nothing but a disappointment.
Firstly, talking about the characters - they were super two dimensional and bland. None had any goal or motive abd was just there, you know? I hated the MC and her banter just infuriated me. At one point she's supposed to be socially awkward? But then she keeps on blabbering away with the first stranger she meets? I just didn't get her. At all.
Then there was Vivian who just infuriated me even more. Her motives were unclear and the author just couldn't get the essence of a personality quite out there.
All the characters simply felt like they were fourteen year olds screaming and being too loud in camp.
The romance was alright. The author tried too hard to make it swoon-worthy and cute but I could very less see a worthy chemistry.
I loved the dad tho. He was really cool and I loved how supportive he was of his daughter. That was really positive and good to read about.
Ugh I can't even tell in words how big of a disappointment this book was. The dialogues were choppy and just felt too much like a script to make it interesting. It was just too forced, I felt.
But anyway, it's all my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an e-copy for review.
But this book was nothing but a disappointment.
Firstly, talking about the characters - they were super two dimensional and bland. None had any goal or motive abd was just there, you know? I hated the MC and her banter just infuriated me. At one point she's supposed to be socially awkward? But then she keeps on blabbering away with the first stranger she meets? I just didn't get her. At all.
Then there was Vivian who just infuriated me even more. Her motives were unclear and the author just couldn't get the essence of a personality quite out there.
All the characters simply felt like they were fourteen year olds screaming and being too loud in camp.
The romance was alright. The author tried too hard to make it swoon-worthy and cute but I could very less see a worthy chemistry.
I loved the dad tho. He was really cool and I loved how supportive he was of his daughter. That was really positive and good to read about.
Ugh I can't even tell in words how big of a disappointment this book was. The dialogues were choppy and just felt too much like a script to make it interesting. It was just too forced, I felt.
But anyway, it's all my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an e-copy for review.
May 21, 2020
For me Night Owls and Summer Skies was a really entertaining young adult book. When I requested the book from NetGalley I knew only the main plot which just awoke my interest. Then I saw some negative reviews so I decided I need to read this book. Honestly, I did enjoy reading it. The whole venue gave me the summer camp vibe: the activities, the dramas, the gossips and the fights.
I could relate to Emma’s the ‘world is against me’ feeling as most of us had gone through it in our teenager years. Then she felt left alone as her mom just dropped her in a camp on her last summer as a girl not a legally adult woman. I liked how the story developed and we got to know more and more people. And even that we know Vivian is a counsellor and she should have behave as a responsible adult, I didn’t mind her personality as reading the plot I already knew she won’t follow the rules as a counsellor would be.
I recommend this book to young adults, who are searching themselves, people who just want to read a laid back gay novel and those who don’t mind reading a fiction and not getting offended by the actions which shouldn’t be this way.
I could relate to Emma’s the ‘world is against me’ feeling as most of us had gone through it in our teenager years. Then she felt left alone as her mom just dropped her in a camp on her last summer as a girl not a legally adult woman. I liked how the story developed and we got to know more and more people. And even that we know Vivian is a counsellor and she should have behave as a responsible adult, I didn’t mind her personality as reading the plot I already knew she won’t follow the rules as a counsellor would be.
I recommend this book to young adults, who are searching themselves, people who just want to read a laid back gay novel and those who don’t mind reading a fiction and not getting offended by the actions which shouldn’t be this way.
March 26, 2020
4.5 Stars
Y’all know I am a sucker when it comes to Wattpad books. I am always amazed when I get to read fully published in-print books by people who originally wrote them onto Wattpad. To get such a big audience initially is a feat, and especially knowing that quite often these books were written over a month, for NaNoWriMo, is even more incredible.
‘Night Owls and Summer Skies’ is everything that I want in a book. It’s got the Summer-Camp experience that I’ve never gotten in Australia but always not-so-secretly wished for, it’s got an F/F romance, and it’s got some amazing relationships that aren’t just the central-romantic one.
I lived for the writing, which was super easy to read, as you can expect from most top-tier Wattpad authors. I was suckered in, and even though I read this over a rather large period of time, because ya girl got swept up in Uni stuff, it was captivating and I didn’t feel lost at all.
One of my favourite tropes in YA fiction is where the protagonist goes to a camp, rehabilitation centre or something along those lines, and really works on themselves. I absolutely live for it. I think there’s something magical about being able to go somewhere new, meet new people and make new important relationships that you can really count on. Like, I want that for me. Studying abroad with lots of new people and all that stuff has been my FAV thing ever, and those experiences are something I want more of, and would recommend it for anyone to try because you learn some really important things about yourself.
Needless to say, this relatability factor and the fact that this is my not-so-secret-fantasy basically meant that this book was meant for me.
Y’all know I am a sucker when it comes to Wattpad books. I am always amazed when I get to read fully published in-print books by people who originally wrote them onto Wattpad. To get such a big audience initially is a feat, and especially knowing that quite often these books were written over a month, for NaNoWriMo, is even more incredible.
‘Night Owls and Summer Skies’ is everything that I want in a book. It’s got the Summer-Camp experience that I’ve never gotten in Australia but always not-so-secretly wished for, it’s got an F/F romance, and it’s got some amazing relationships that aren’t just the central-romantic one.
I lived for the writing, which was super easy to read, as you can expect from most top-tier Wattpad authors. I was suckered in, and even though I read this over a rather large period of time, because ya girl got swept up in Uni stuff, it was captivating and I didn’t feel lost at all.
One of my favourite tropes in YA fiction is where the protagonist goes to a camp, rehabilitation centre or something along those lines, and really works on themselves. I absolutely live for it. I think there’s something magical about being able to go somewhere new, meet new people and make new important relationships that you can really count on. Like, I want that for me. Studying abroad with lots of new people and all that stuff has been my FAV thing ever, and those experiences are something I want more of, and would recommend it for anyone to try because you learn some really important things about yourself.
Needless to say, this relatability factor and the fact that this is my not-so-secret-fantasy basically meant that this book was meant for me.
April 28, 2020
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I hate writing mean reviews but here we go.
Look, I wanted to love this and I was so sure I would.
I mean a f/f summer camp story sounds delightful, doesn't it?
Turns out it wasn't.
The characters were so one dimensional and fell flat, the writing was really not good and it felt like it hadn't been re-read not even once. Victoria Schwab recently said that one should read out loud what they write to ensure that it sounds right, this was definitely not done here and I could tell. I know you feel like I'm exaggerating so here are a few quotes.
Okay, I'm done with the quotes.
It was super hard to get through cause I kept rolling my eyes, and I had to sometimes reread sentences to understand what the author meant. Also, the story jumped for one moment to another in the same paragraph and it was hard to follow.
So yeah, this did not go as well as I had hoped... I definitely wouldn't recommend this.
I hate writing mean reviews but here we go.
Look, I wanted to love this and I was so sure I would.
I mean a f/f summer camp story sounds delightful, doesn't it?
Turns out it wasn't.
The characters were so one dimensional and fell flat, the writing was really not good and it felt like it hadn't been re-read not even once. Victoria Schwab recently said that one should read out loud what they write to ensure that it sounds right, this was definitely not done here and I could tell. I know you feel like I'm exaggerating so here are a few quotes.
"I see," she replied. "Everyone's phone, it tells you an awful lot of information about a person."
I lay on my back as she matched my body's form by climbing on top of me. My hands ventured over her curved body, exploring. We pulled apart and opened our eyes. Staring deeply at one another, we breathed in tandem, our eyes searching; mine were full of wonder, hers of curiosity.
"I kissed you," she hissed, leaning closer so no one else could hear. "You say I make things hard. Emma, no. You have to breathe and it's hard."
Usually, at night the main building's indoor lightning would make the entire camp seem bright and safe, but that night, it was the opposite as the lights weren't on.
Okay, I'm done with the quotes.
It was super hard to get through cause I kept rolling my eyes, and I had to sometimes reread sentences to understand what the author meant. Also, the story jumped for one moment to another in the same paragraph and it was hard to follow.
So yeah, this did not go as well as I had hoped... I definitely wouldn't recommend this.
May 1, 2020
I was so excited to read this book ever since I saw the gorgeous cover and read its description. I mean, gay summer romance and mental health are topics that I really love to read about, but but.. It was so promising, so sad I didn't like it.
First of all, there is this girl, Emma. She's gay and she suffers from depression but she is so irritating that several times I had to take a break from reading about her. Basically, it's just talking about characters, which I found very unrealistic and childlish. The only character that I liked is Gwen and I liked how mature she actually is. I also liked her friendship with Emma. To sum it up, I didn't like this book simply because I found the characters quite irritating and I guess I had high hopes for this one. This book just isn't for me.
My rating:
2.5/5 ⭐
First of all, there is this girl, Emma. She's gay and she suffers from depression but she is so irritating that several times I had to take a break from reading about her. Basically, it's just talking about characters, which I found very unrealistic and childlish. The only character that I liked is Gwen and I liked how mature she actually is. I also liked her friendship with Emma. To sum it up, I didn't like this book simply because I found the characters quite irritating and I guess I had high hopes for this one. This book just isn't for me.
My rating:
2.5/5 ⭐
March 8, 2020
||BOOK REVIEW||
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Rating: 5/5
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
.....
Love the writing style of this author. She writes with such passion, technique, and purpose. The words pour off the page and into your heart. Each scene is written so well and with such attention and love. To me this book felt more like it had a teenage-stage trying to find her path in the world sort of feel to it. I absolutely love it! 💙 This book is so descriptive and each scene is fully packaged and perfectly designed so you will not want to put this book down. Two thumbs up! 🥰 Cover is very well done. It compliments the story well.
.....
COMING MAY 2020
.....
.....
Rating: 5/5
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
.....
Love the writing style of this author. She writes with such passion, technique, and purpose. The words pour off the page and into your heart. Each scene is written so well and with such attention and love. To me this book felt more like it had a teenage-stage trying to find her path in the world sort of feel to it. I absolutely love it! 💙 This book is so descriptive and each scene is fully packaged and perfectly designed so you will not want to put this book down. Two thumbs up! 🥰 Cover is very well done. It compliments the story well.
.....
COMING MAY 2020
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January 17, 2023
Todo iba bien, 5/5, hasta que una de las protas habló de su sexualidad y de repente había un hueco en blanco donde tendría que poner la palabra. Como si lo que hubiera escrito no existiera. Como si los angloparlantes decidieran ignorar conscientemente el manifiesto bisexual y les diera exactamente igual que las etiquetas tienen peso social y que no se usan como chaquetas.
Que si me lo hubiera puesto al principio cuando no conozco a los personajes y lo puedo ignorar, pues bueno, pero lo pone casi al final y me han dado ganas de no terminarme la historia.
Por lo demás bien, una representación bastante decente de lo que es vivir con ansiedad y depresión y enfrentarte a un progenitor que ignorar tus necesidades e identidad. La parte mala es que al principio dice "supongo que la palabra correcta para definirme es lesbiana pero yo voy a decir gay porque me da mejor vibra" porque claro si no hay un sólo libro que lea en el que usar consistentemente la palabra lesbiana no se pinte como algo sucio, malo o que hay que evitar a toda costa no se quedan tranquilos los estadounidenses.
Que si me lo hubiera puesto al principio cuando no conozco a los personajes y lo puedo ignorar, pues bueno, pero lo pone casi al final y me han dado ganas de no terminarme la historia.
Por lo demás bien, una representación bastante decente de lo que es vivir con ansiedad y depresión y enfrentarte a un progenitor que ignorar tus necesidades e identidad. La parte mala es que al principio dice "supongo que la palabra correcta para definirme es lesbiana pero yo voy a decir gay porque me da mejor vibra" porque claro si no hay un sólo libro que lea en el que usar consistentemente la palabra lesbiana no se pinte como algo sucio, malo o que hay que evitar a toda costa no se quedan tranquilos los estadounidenses.
May 31, 2020
CHECK OUT MY REVIEW HERE!
Connect with me on:
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Connect with me on:
Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads
June 12, 2020
Night Owls and Summer Skies by Rebecca Sullivan is a Wattpad book that I wanted to like so much more than I did. I made it about forty percent before giving up. The spacing of this book was weird. There were a large amount of grammatical errors, and the book clearly needed an editor.
That aside, the story itself had promise-a girl, Emma, is foisted off her mother into a camp for the summer, as her mother goes on her unexpected honeymoon. I say unexpected because her mother failed to mention she’d gotten married. And her mother is embarrassed about her daughter being gay. It’s a family complicated situation all around, but the essential bit is that Emma is not thrilled about spending the rest of summer at a camp-the same camp she learned of her parents divorce.
As far as books go, this wasn’t bad-it just didn’t wow me as much as the cover did, which that cover is absolutely gorgeous. I shouldn’t be suckered into a book based on a cover, but regretfully, it does happen now and again. This book was also read and chosen from me for Pride Month. I was hoping more from it, but it failed to deliver on my hopefulness.
Overall, I’m rewarding this 3 out of five stars, and I’m now off to choose my next book.
That aside, the story itself had promise-a girl, Emma, is foisted off her mother into a camp for the summer, as her mother goes on her unexpected honeymoon. I say unexpected because her mother failed to mention she’d gotten married. And her mother is embarrassed about her daughter being gay. It’s a family complicated situation all around, but the essential bit is that Emma is not thrilled about spending the rest of summer at a camp-the same camp she learned of her parents divorce.
As far as books go, this wasn’t bad-it just didn’t wow me as much as the cover did, which that cover is absolutely gorgeous. I shouldn’t be suckered into a book based on a cover, but regretfully, it does happen now and again. This book was also read and chosen from me for Pride Month. I was hoping more from it, but it failed to deliver on my hopefulness.
Overall, I’m rewarding this 3 out of five stars, and I’m now off to choose my next book.
June 8, 2020
More like 3.5 stars
Emma has a lot going on in her life, and her mum dumping her at camp adds to the challenges. Camp delivers pain and suffering but also growth and hope.
There's definitely a lot of angst here, but given the YA audience, I think it delivers quite well and is a good read.
ARC received for an honest review.
Emma has a lot going on in her life, and her mum dumping her at camp adds to the challenges. Camp delivers pain and suffering but also growth and hope.
There's definitely a lot of angst here, but given the YA audience, I think it delivers quite well and is a good read.
ARC received for an honest review.
June 25, 2020
This made my heart melt.
I can't even describe how much I ship Emma and Vivian. Their characters are perfect, their dynamic is perfect. They fit into each other's lives perfectly. They were literally made for each other. Something this sweet should be sickening, but all I wanted to do was reach into the book and squeeze them together. I was a little taken aback by the promises of forever at the end, but it wasn't entirely rushed. They have had a wildly intense camp experience.
Let's talk supporting characters. The Black family is adorable, and despite Emma's apparent prickliness, they warm up to her and all but initiate her as one of them. Emma's father is a good contrast with her mother, because one neglecting, homophobic parent is more than enough. The rest of the Beavers are your average teen girls. Lauren's character demands no sympathy with her twisted ways of achieving her goals, as well as her misguided idea of consent. Jessie doesn't redeem herself either, but her spinelessness was evident from day one.
Overall, it's a great debut (and an impressive feat for a 22 year old author?!) Fluffy, light-hearted teen fiction hasn't been my thing in a while, but I definitely have no regrets with this book.
I can't even describe how much I ship Emma and Vivian. Their characters are perfect, their dynamic is perfect. They fit into each other's lives perfectly. They were literally made for each other. Something this sweet should be sickening, but all I wanted to do was reach into the book and squeeze them together. I was a little taken aback by the promises of forever at the end, but it wasn't entirely rushed. They have had a wildly intense camp experience.
Let's talk supporting characters. The Black family is adorable, and despite Emma's apparent prickliness, they warm up to her and all but initiate her as one of them. Emma's father is a good contrast with her mother, because one neglecting, homophobic parent is more than enough. The rest of the Beavers are your average teen girls. Lauren's character demands no sympathy with her twisted ways of achieving her goals, as well as her misguided idea of consent. Jessie doesn't redeem herself either, but her spinelessness was evident from day one.
Overall, it's a great debut (and an impressive feat for a 22 year old author?!) Fluffy, light-hearted teen fiction hasn't been my thing in a while, but I definitely have no regrets with this book.
July 3, 2020
Night Owls and Summer Skies has an okay concept but suffers from bad characters, plotting, prose—bad everything.
The Good
– The colour palette on the cover is SO GOOD
– The telling off near the end is decent
The Bad
– Age difference is discomforting
– Power imbalance is discomforting
– Plotting somehow manages to be both messy and simplistic
– Bratty characters
– Set-up requires some serious mental gymnastics
Story—★☆☆☆☆
As per her custody agreement, Emma must spend summers with her estranged mother. Emma's mother is self-involved, flaky and distracted, so Emma doesn't plan for a good time. Things take a turn for the worse when five seconds after arriving, her mother ditches her at Camp Mapplewood (yes really) to go on a cruise—the same camp which left her with PTSD. (Yes really.) Emma devises plan after plan to get kicked out of camp, but gorgeous camp counselor Vivian keeps forgiving Emma and hiding her messes.
First: the goddamn mental gymnastics necessary to accept the set-up. Emma's PTSD is from... being stuck in a tree for a night? That's the root of her trauma and a part of her depression? Really? In nearly eighteen years, the worst things to happen to Emma are a divorce and being stuck in a tree? Okay, sure, whatever. What's difficult to wrap my head around is that Emma detests Camp Mapplewood so much but goes through such a roundabout way of leaving through being kicked out. She can call her dad at any time: not only does she steal her cell phone back, but the people running the camp are stupidly, ridiculously, unrealistically nice. All she would have to say is, "Sir, my father won't know where I am if anything happens, could you call this number and update him?" But she doesn't, because she doesn't want to "bug" her equally stupidly, ridiculously, unrealistically nice dad. Which is such a feeble excuse, I mean, what did Emma think would happen once she got kicked out and her mother—now on the other side of the world—can't pick her up? They'll call the next available legal guardian.
When I read the blurb about a camper falling for a counselor, I guess I assumed the best. As in, maybe Vivian was seventeen and a new counsellor and Emma was sixteen and old for a camper. Not Vivian as a whole ass adult. The situation is super sketchy. Not only is Vivian "in charge" of Emma, but often manipulates things behind her back to keep her at camp.
Most of the book was empty fluff. Lots of hanging out, Emma and other characters having flat or forced interactions, or romantic scenes with a lot of telling over showing—Emma and Vivian felt forced.
There were also some odd discrepancies—Camp Mapplewood was both a great camp people wanted to be at and desperately trying to stay afloat.
One part I did enjoy was near the ending, when Emma finally tells her mom off. That was almost enjoyable.
Characters—★☆☆☆☆
I think the characters were the worst part of the book, since Night Owls and Summer Skies might've stood a chance if Sullivan sold us on Emma's mom. Or if any characters had a personality besides "bratty." Or if, you know, Emma was believable as a human being.
Emma was unlikeable. Her constant whining or complaining eroded any sympathy for her early on and the fact that her apparent trauma was so comparatively silly to some things other YA protagonists have gone through. She might have worked out if Sullivan had toned down her brattiness and worked on making her emotional troubles seem more believable, but alas, that is not the case.
Vivian was rude, cruel, grounded—and definitely more mature than Emma, in a way. I mean, no one in Night Owls and Summer Skies was actually mature in a human way, but compared to Emma and the other kids in the Beaver cabin who often sounded like tweens when they bickered, there was a noticeable difference. Honestly, the thing I don't understand about Vivian is how she fell for Emma. Setting aside the short timeframe and the fact that Emma is a miserable brat most of the time—how do you go into a job where you're in the mindset that you're an authority figure to these kids and manage to romance one of them? How are you looking at a sweaty, social inept minor and thinking about dating her? How can you fail to go less than six weeks without falling in love with a seventeen-year-old?
Also, the fact that no one was like, "Hey, that's weird. Maybe stop?"
Most of the other characters were one-note and cringey: either bratty, forcedly quirky, or unrealistically good-natured. No one was believable, likeable or interesting. There was a lot of silly "lol random" sort of behaviour and I found myself setting the book down and walking away every five minutes, unable to tolerate the nonsense.
Writing Style—★★☆☆☆
Night Owls and Summer Skies is written in first person, past tense from Emma's point of view.
Sullivan's writing style is sloppy, chaotic and dull. She struggles to set a tone, struggles to convey emotions or emotional scenes effectively, struggles to tell the story in anything approaching a competent way. Night Owls and Summer Skies reads like Sullivan haphazardly banged it out and then never glanced at it again.
Themes and Representation—★★☆☆☆
Things that are cool: a pansexual character; Emma working through her trauma; Emma finding something she loves.
Things that aren't cool: the pansexual character falling in love with a minor; Emma working through her trauma through a combination of a girlfriend and being forced into a traumatic situation again; "I don't like the word lesbian." Honestly, common sense says this would hurt Emma more than help her.
Overall—★☆☆☆☆
Recommended For...
People who want that summer camp romance so badly they'll overlook a lot of bad writing and questionable elements.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
The Good
– The colour palette on the cover is SO GOOD
– The telling off near the end is decent
The Bad
– Age difference is discomforting
– Power imbalance is discomforting
– Plotting somehow manages to be both messy and simplistic
– Bratty characters
– Set-up requires some serious mental gymnastics
Story—★☆☆☆☆
As per her custody agreement, Emma must spend summers with her estranged mother. Emma's mother is self-involved, flaky and distracted, so Emma doesn't plan for a good time. Things take a turn for the worse when five seconds after arriving, her mother ditches her at Camp Mapplewood (yes really) to go on a cruise—the same camp which left her with PTSD. (Yes really.) Emma devises plan after plan to get kicked out of camp, but gorgeous camp counselor Vivian keeps forgiving Emma and hiding her messes.
First: the goddamn mental gymnastics necessary to accept the set-up. Emma's PTSD is from... being stuck in a tree for a night? That's the root of her trauma and a part of her depression? Really? In nearly eighteen years, the worst things to happen to Emma are a divorce and being stuck in a tree? Okay, sure, whatever. What's difficult to wrap my head around is that Emma detests Camp Mapplewood so much but goes through such a roundabout way of leaving through being kicked out. She can call her dad at any time: not only does she steal her cell phone back, but the people running the camp are stupidly, ridiculously, unrealistically nice. All she would have to say is, "Sir, my father won't know where I am if anything happens, could you call this number and update him?" But she doesn't, because she doesn't want to "bug" her equally stupidly, ridiculously, unrealistically nice dad. Which is such a feeble excuse, I mean, what did Emma think would happen once she got kicked out and her mother—now on the other side of the world—can't pick her up? They'll call the next available legal guardian.
When I read the blurb about a camper falling for a counselor, I guess I assumed the best. As in, maybe Vivian was seventeen and a new counsellor and Emma was sixteen and old for a camper. Not Vivian as a whole ass adult. The situation is super sketchy. Not only is Vivian "in charge" of Emma, but often manipulates things behind her back to keep her at camp.
Most of the book was empty fluff. Lots of hanging out, Emma and other characters having flat or forced interactions, or romantic scenes with a lot of telling over showing—Emma and Vivian felt forced.
There were also some odd discrepancies—Camp Mapplewood was both a great camp people wanted to be at and desperately trying to stay afloat.
One part I did enjoy was near the ending, when Emma finally tells her mom off. That was almost enjoyable.
Characters—★☆☆☆☆
I think the characters were the worst part of the book, since Night Owls and Summer Skies might've stood a chance if Sullivan sold us on Emma's mom. Or if any characters had a personality besides "bratty." Or if, you know, Emma was believable as a human being.
Emma was unlikeable. Her constant whining or complaining eroded any sympathy for her early on and the fact that her apparent trauma was so comparatively silly to some things other YA protagonists have gone through. She might have worked out if Sullivan had toned down her brattiness and worked on making her emotional troubles seem more believable, but alas, that is not the case.
Vivian was rude, cruel, grounded—and definitely more mature than Emma, in a way. I mean, no one in Night Owls and Summer Skies was actually mature in a human way, but compared to Emma and the other kids in the Beaver cabin who often sounded like tweens when they bickered, there was a noticeable difference. Honestly, the thing I don't understand about Vivian is how she fell for Emma. Setting aside the short timeframe and the fact that Emma is a miserable brat most of the time—how do you go into a job where you're in the mindset that you're an authority figure to these kids and manage to romance one of them? How are you looking at a sweaty, social inept minor and thinking about dating her? How can you fail to go less than six weeks without falling in love with a seventeen-year-old?
Also, the fact that no one was like, "Hey, that's weird. Maybe stop?"
Most of the other characters were one-note and cringey: either bratty, forcedly quirky, or unrealistically good-natured. No one was believable, likeable or interesting. There was a lot of silly "lol random" sort of behaviour and I found myself setting the book down and walking away every five minutes, unable to tolerate the nonsense.
Writing Style—★★☆☆☆
Night Owls and Summer Skies is written in first person, past tense from Emma's point of view.
Sullivan's writing style is sloppy, chaotic and dull. She struggles to set a tone, struggles to convey emotions or emotional scenes effectively, struggles to tell the story in anything approaching a competent way. Night Owls and Summer Skies reads like Sullivan haphazardly banged it out and then never glanced at it again.
Themes and Representation—★★☆☆☆
Things that are cool: a pansexual character; Emma working through her trauma; Emma finding something she loves.
Things that aren't cool: the pansexual character falling in love with a minor; Emma working through her trauma through a combination of a girlfriend and being forced into a traumatic situation again; "I don't like the word lesbian." Honestly, common sense says this would hurt Emma more than help her.
Overall—★☆☆☆☆
Recommended For...
People who want that summer camp romance so badly they'll overlook a lot of bad writing and questionable elements.
>>More book reviews at Feathered Turtle Press<<
June 28, 2020
I appreciated the casual representation at the camp. No one says that they are into girls. It's a fact. I like how the story focused on Emma's anxiety and the tools she was given to manage it. I like how despite her mental health issues, Emma's a girl who stands up for her friends. She might grumble about the camp but she's passionate about the Black family. I loved their family dynamic. Especially Julie and their time in the kitchen together. That was adorable. That description of the panic attack? Relatable. Maybe too relatable. I read the scene for the second time and I got chills. Outside of the mental health depiction, which wasn't overwhelming to where it was the sole focus of the plot, the camp vibe was easy to sink into. It was a sweet summer read full of banter and friendship and a lovely teen romance.
I wish I read this book when I was a teen.
I wish I read this book when I was a teen.
February 21, 2023
echt dit boek ugh zo geweldig. tis gay en dat is al reden genoeg om het te lezen. daarnaast wordt je gwn echt meegenomen in t verhaal en het heeft zoveel heartwarming momenten. t boek was gwn comforting.
enige wrm het geen 5 sterren is, is dat het soms moeilijk te volgen was wie wat zei. voor de rest a-ma-zing
enige wrm het geen 5 sterren is, is dat het soms moeilijk te volgen was wie wat zei. voor de rest a-ma-zing
July 18, 2023
i actually read the webtoon but i wanna read the novel too!!! its so cute im crying
September 11, 2023
In my wattpad era…again 😎
definitive-tbr
May 19, 2020May 19, 2020: It's an ownvoices queer enemies-to-lovers romance so you should know how quickly I requested it but what really interested me is the metal health representation it promises. Thank you, Wattpad Books for a digital copy via Edelweiss!
to-read-so-bad-it-hurts
February 19, 2020A queer summer camp romance, gimme!
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