Imagine being dragged off to a summer camp by a parent you barely see… That’s what happened to Emma Lane in Night Owls and Summer Skies.
Emma Lane is a seventeen-year-old girl, who was pushed into visiting her mother. Emma thought that she’d be spending time with her, however, turns out her mum had other plans: dragging Emma to Camp Mapplewood, and going overseas with her new husband. Emma’s mum hoped that this camp would ‘straighten’ Emma out (which Emma points out is very homophobic) and help her socialise more. The main problem Emma faces is that she went to this very camp when she was younger, and got stuck high up in a tree. This led her to despise everything relating to camping, as well as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder alongside depression. Sullivan touched on these sensitive topics in a way that makes it relatable for the reader (without saying anything overly offensive) with characters pulling up other characters in their own way if they step over the line.
At Camp Mapplewood, we meet the Black siblings, Gwen, Vivian, and Walter. Each of these characters were rather unique and I liked how there was a contrast between Gwen, the youngest, and both Vivian and Walter. Walter was portrayed as a nerdy character, loving his Pokemon card game, whereas Vivian liked to be cruel (in a kind way), and Gwen being meek. I wish I had more of Walter in this book, as his story arc would’ve been super interesting to read about! In Camp Mapplewood, we also meet Lauren, the camp bully, who is very clearly over-physical and doesn’t know her boundaries or where to stop. Alongside Lauren is Jessie, a girl who was penpals with Emma, and knew Emma more than anyone in the camp. I loved the friendship breakdown between the two in the book as it didn’t involve as much drama as you’d expect. Even though some of the characters were well written, I felt like some of them (such as Jessie) could’ve been fleshed out a little bit more, to add an extra dimension into the story. I do love how a female-female romance does brew within this book alongside the main storyline.
This book was also a little bit of fun with a couple of food fights and a rather descriptive recount of a dodgeball game. I love how each of these built on top of each previous event, especially on the rivalry between Lauren and Emma. This rivalry reminded me a little of the movie The Parent Trap, as all these events lead up to Mr Black (the camp owner and the Black siblings’ father) forcing them to go to the isolation tent to sort out their differences with Vivian in tow. It was fun to read that part, as it meant Vivian got to have a big impact on Emma, as they both acted so cold to each other at first, but they must band together to face the evil that is Lauren, who is still gunning for the counsellor spot the following year. Following on with the Black family, I loved how Vivian eventually helped Emma face her fears, and Mrs Black provides a safe space for Emma to be away from the overbearing Lauren, teaching her how to cook.
I recommend this book for anyone who’s looking for a light, fun summer camp romance read that has The Parent Trap undertones.
Night Owls and Summer Skies is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of June 30th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Lumberjanes meets the frothy, fun tone of a YA Marian Keyes in this cute romance between two girls away at summer camp
Emma Lane’s forced to face her fears when her mother unceremoniously dumps her on the doorstep of Camp Mapplewood, abandoning her for the summer while she heads off on a cruise with her latest husband. It’s the last place Emma wants to be with scary creatures, creepy crawlies, and much that can go bump in the night. When Emma breaks into the tool shed on her first day there, the fall out from her escapades leads her right into the path of her counsellor, Vivian Black. . . .
