NYU student Sam Rosenspan has returned to her childhood summer camp--a place with memories more bitter than sweet--as a junior counselor. An embarrassing accident and cruel nickname ruined her camp experience as a kid, and she's unsure if she'll manage to put it behind her and keep the next generation of campers from suffering like she did. With her boyfriend, Eli, vacationing in Europe, Sam struggles with both her responsibilities as a camp counselor and remaining true to Eli amidst her own blossoming summer fling. Mlynowski captures the voices of real teens straddling the gap between childhood and adult life, with a protagonist who confronts her weaknesses, comes into her own, and encourages her cocounselors to do the same. Although a bit dialogue-heavy and sometimes lacking in clear plot structure, the book is a quick, digestible read for teens approaching new chapters in their life. Just in time for the season, Mlynowski's book is summer fun sprinkled with subtly thoughtful moments.

Take one college freshman, an absentee boyfriend, a moment of humiliation, and add summer camp. For Sam, this summer is a chance for redemption after being shamed as an 11-year-old at the same camp where she is now returning as a counselor. Plus, boyfriend Eli is off to Europe and this is something to do. Despite her dedication to absent Eli, Sam can't help being flattered by--and very attracted to--cool guy Gavin, who seems safe since he also has a long-distance love. What follows is a breezy summer fling that also addresses slut-shaming (directed at Sam in the past and, now, at a buxom, Canadian, Christian counselor) and the questionable ethics of a relationship where both parties are already involved elsewhere. Sam makes bad choices romantically but blossoms into a great, compassionate counselor and friend. Mlynowski captures the sleepaway experience, specifically the Northeastern, secular Jewish variant, where most campers and staff are white and Jewish, with humor and affection. Many readers will recognize the camp culture of hard work for little pay, insularity, day-off rituals, and bonding as well as the depictions of secular Jewish life, with its textured, overlapping social connections both in and out of camp. Fun, sexy, sex-positive, and inclusive (peripheral characters are racially and sexually diverse) while rooted in a specific identity and cultural space, this deceptively thought-provoking summer read also offers a thoughtful feminist subtext. Sizzling and smart. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 9 Up--When Sam's college boyfriend decides to spend the summer in Europe, she scrambles to find a job. After a chance meeting with an old friend on the subway, she's offered a camp counselor position. She'll be a co-counselor for the junior group, the seven to nine-year-old children. Since Sam wants to become a teacher, she figures it's the perfect job for experience. She doesn't imagine how tiring it will be or that there's only Wi-Fi in one spot at camp, making communicating with her boyfriend tricky. As time marches on, she's immersed in camp activities and making sure her charges have a great time, but she's also spending a lot of time with Gavin, another counselor. The more time she spends with him, the more she falls for him. This book takes place during six weeks of summer. The book is divided into six parts, one for each week at camp. While the age of the character could technically make this book New Adult, it reads like a YA summer romance. It's the best of both worlds for a reader, as it allows them to feel nostalgia for camp while also reading the counselor side of the story. The racier side portrays drinking and drug use, hookups, mean girls, and bullying. VERDICT A fun summer romance.--Jennifer Rummel, Cragin Library, Colchester, CT

While her boyfriend, Eli, spends the summer traversing Europe with his cousin, NYU first-year Samantha Rosenspan, 19, decides to take a job at "mostly Jewish, and mostly white" Camp Blue Springs, where she was body shamed by mean girls eight years ago. Though she didn't have a great time as a camper, Sam figures she'll fare better as a counselor, and as an education major, she needs experience working with kids. Her belief about becoming a great counselor proves true but her attraction to fellow counselor Gavin, who attended camp with her years ago, complicates matters. Innocent flirtation leads to tricky territory as the duo succumb to their passions, despite each having a partner back home. Told from the perspective of a cheater, the novel gives a frank appraisal of the natural consequences of actions, but Mlynowski (I See London, I See France) refrains from passing judgment on characters, leaving readers to decide whether Sam makes the right choices. Mlynowski provides vivid depictions of camp life, and detailed accounts of Sam's struggles and inner growth make for an entertaining summertime read. Ages 14--up. Agent: Laura Dail, Laura Dail Literary Agency. (May)