Camp by L.C. Rosen (review)

After years crushing on fellow camper Hudson Aaronson-Lim, sixteen-year-old Randy Kappelhoff has decided that this will be the summer the charismatic playboy not only notices him but falls head over heels in love. Randy’s spent the year shedding pounds; he’s cut his formerly long hair, ditched the nail polish and his usual femme style, returning to queer-friendly Camp Outland as Del, the masc4masc ideal sure to win Hudson’s heart. Hudson is immediately smitten with Randy’s new self, but as flirting moves quickly into dating and more, Randy realizes that the seemingly confident Hudson might be hiding his true self as well, and when Randy’s charade is finally exposed, the resulting conversation about the supposedly “right” way to be gay gives this otherwise frothy, fun novel special depth and thoughtfulness. The story unfolds like your typical teen rom-com, shifting between current events and flashbacks to previous summers and full of the usual camp-style hijinks, but the novel sets itself apart with its mix of entertaining theater-geek references, funny sexual innuendos, and sex-positive scenes between Randy and Hudson. A memorable cast of cabinmates, friends, and counselors, contribute additional sexual, racial, and cultural diversity without devolving into stereotypes. Genuine, heartfelt discussions about gendered behavioral norms, paired with brief lectures on the history of the gay-rights movement, give readers thoughtful, nuanced ways to understand sex, gender, and identity performance, all within a sweet, ultimately affirming candy shell. Randy’s confidence in his soul-deep connection with Hudson reads as naïve but also adorably romantic, and even the most cynical readers will appreciate seeing love win the day.