kiperoo's review against another edition
5.0
I loved everything about this book! Will be gushing more about it soon, but this is a definite must-read for YA contemporary fans!
msvenner's review against another edition
4.0
A great YA novel looking at a wide range of issues from redemption, faith, family and a whole lot more. Six teens are part of a juvenile diversion program that has them walk the Camino trail instead of traditional punishments. The story is written from the perspective of three participants. I liked the author’s choice to just choose three. I found myself wondering what the others would say, had we had the book from their points of view as well but liked that the authored limited it. I do wish there had been a better afterword that talked about where the idea came from and whether programs like this exist in Canada. I googled it and found reference to a Belgian program but nothing else.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Camino fiction! Here, a group of 'troubled' teenagers are sentenced to walking the Camino de Santiago in lieu of juvenile detention or otherwise facing consequences (for various actions) that could go on their permanent records. This has been a tradition for almost as long as the Camino has been in existence: criminals sent to walk to Santiago instead of serving jail time, people walking the Camino as their own sort of penance, etc.
These particular kids are all basically good kids who have either been blamed for other people's actions or acted out after other people have treated them badly, and I'm not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it makes them easier to sympathise with; on the other hand, I have a hard time believing that this is a trip for juvenile delinquents. Might have been more realistic for it to have been an organised trip that just...has a couple of kids with problems on it.
Could have used slightly tighter editing—Troy describes another pilgrim as 'a cute Japanese boy' (114) without any idea of where he (or his family) is from. 'Miles' are used instead of 'kilometers' multiple times (124, 197), which is sort of...sacrilege on the Camino? Believe you me, one knows how many kilometers one has left to walk on the Camino, and one does not confuse that with miles.
These particular kids are all basically good kids who have either been blamed for other people's actions or acted out after other people have treated them badly, and I'm not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it makes them easier to sympathise with; on the other hand, I have a hard time believing that this is a trip for juvenile delinquents. Might have been more realistic for it to have been an organised trip that just...has a couple of kids with problems on it.
Could have used slightly tighter editing—Troy describes another pilgrim as 'a cute Japanese boy' (114) without any idea of where he (or his family) is from. 'Miles' are used instead of 'kilometers' multiple times (124, 197), which is sort of...sacrilege on the Camino? Believe you me, one knows how many kilometers one has left to walk on the Camino, and one does not confuse that with miles.
kimberlyfraser's review against another edition
5.0
Wow
Sometimes, the perfect book finds you by accident. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The three narrators did an excellent job.
Sometimes, the perfect book finds you by accident. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The three narrators did an excellent job.
marieke_du_pre's review against another edition
4.0
A fast paced read. Three POV’s, easy to tell apart. Likable characters. Diversity in color and sexuality. This is a book I stumbled upon on NetGalley and just wanted to try. Because the premise seemed really interesting. Six Canadian teens who walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain instead of going to juvie for the crimes they committed.
From the start this story got my attention. The writing is direct and blunt with a lot of dialogue and banter in it. Although some of the teens seem surly at first, they are all likable. Despite their differences they bond, even with their counselors/guides Gil and Meagan and fellow walkers Bastien and Kei who they meet, walking the Camino. I really liked Bastien, the way he helped Diego and stayed with the group. And the other way round, six teens who bond so strongly with a seventy-four-year old man. The few references to ‘The Breakfast Club’ were great.
The scenery is beautifully showed but somehow I missed some depth at times. I could have done with a little less description and a little more inside to the teen’s characters, who they really were and why they did what they did. The blunt and direct writing is the style I like most. I have one issue though that could have been solved by editing the story better. The author uses the words see and hear a lot and they pulled me out of the story over and over. It might be a minor detail because the pages flew by and the story never got boring. But still.
Overall it’s a really nice book that I’d like to recommend if you like different POV’s, a beautiful scenery and diverse characters that grow during the story.
3,5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an ARC from Interlude Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the start this story got my attention. The writing is direct and blunt with a lot of dialogue and banter in it. Although some of the teens seem surly at first, they are all likable. Despite their differences they bond, even with their counselors/guides Gil and Meagan and fellow walkers Bastien and Kei who they meet, walking the Camino. I really liked Bastien, the way he helped Diego and stayed with the group. And the other way round, six teens who bond so strongly with a seventy-four-year old man. The few references to ‘The Breakfast Club’ were great.
The scenery is beautifully showed but somehow I missed some depth at times. I could have done with a little less description and a little more inside to the teen’s characters, who they really were and why they did what they did. The blunt and direct writing is the style I like most. I have one issue though that could have been solved by editing the story better. The author uses the words see and hear a lot and they pulled me out of the story over and over. It might be a minor detail because the pages flew by and the story never got boring. But still.
Overall it’s a really nice book that I’d like to recommend if you like different POV’s, a beautiful scenery and diverse characters that grow during the story.
3,5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an ARC from Interlude Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
kerasalwaysreading's review against another edition
4.0
The Camino Club is an amazing coming of age journey of six troubled teens. Each of them have done something bad and have been given the option to serve time in a juvenile detention center or join Gilbert and Meagan on the Camino de Santiago. Together, these six teens and their two chaperones will travel to Spain and walk for days on this world-known pilgrimage, learning much about each other and themselves along the way.
What starts as a group of kids who (mostly) do NOT want anything to do with this, turns out to be an incredibly bonding and fortunate experience. They slowly start to form this tight-knit connection that they will never be able to break. I absolutely adored the connection the kids immediately make to The Breakfast Club and all the great references made throughout the book.
As they get into the reasons they are in this place in their lives right now, we get insight into each of the differently lives they live, their struggles and their strengths. Along the way, they meet an array of people who change their lives in ways they never thought possible. This was full of beautiful atmospheric imagery, full of immense individual growth, and full of pure wonder and love.
I enjoyed reading this so much. To get to know each of these kids and be a part of their journey in a way. I don't think I have ever read a book with such a picturesque setting. You want to be there. You can almost feel their aches and pains; feel their jubilation and their wonder. The relationships in this book were such a gift. Each of these kids are so different. They come from different backgrounds, different home lives, different struggles. But, they manage to come together and form a family. They are truly changed people at the end of their journey from who they were at the beginning.
Told in various points of view, from three of the pilgrims, we get to see insights into the thoughts and fears of Diego, Troy and Shania. There were times I wished to have had some chapters from Claire, Greg and Manny, but I feel now, having finished the book, that it would have become overly complicated. After completing this book, there is now nothing I would change.
Thank you to Duet Books and Storygram Tours for my gifted arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
What starts as a group of kids who (mostly) do NOT want anything to do with this, turns out to be an incredibly bonding and fortunate experience. They slowly start to form this tight-knit connection that they will never be able to break. I absolutely adored the connection the kids immediately make to The Breakfast Club and all the great references made throughout the book.
As they get into the reasons they are in this place in their lives right now, we get insight into each of the differently lives they live, their struggles and their strengths. Along the way, they meet an array of people who change their lives in ways they never thought possible. This was full of beautiful atmospheric imagery, full of immense individual growth, and full of pure wonder and love.
I enjoyed reading this so much. To get to know each of these kids and be a part of their journey in a way. I don't think I have ever read a book with such a picturesque setting. You want to be there. You can almost feel their aches and pains; feel their jubilation and their wonder. The relationships in this book were such a gift. Each of these kids are so different. They come from different backgrounds, different home lives, different struggles. But, they manage to come together and form a family. They are truly changed people at the end of their journey from who they were at the beginning.
Told in various points of view, from three of the pilgrims, we get to see insights into the thoughts and fears of Diego, Troy and Shania. There were times I wished to have had some chapters from Claire, Greg and Manny, but I feel now, having finished the book, that it would have become overly complicated. After completing this book, there is now nothing I would change.
Thank you to Duet Books and Storygram Tours for my gifted arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
a_devine_read's review against another edition
5.0
A group of teenager delinquents accepted a punishment of a walk/hike across Spain in exchange for their records being cleaned.
Opinion
Modern day breakfast club? The book even mentions the similarity. I really liked this books. The characters are all tough and trying to prove themselves but along the way something changes. They stop thinking about themselves so much and start to think of others. This is a feel good book.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Opinion
Modern day breakfast club? The book even mentions the similarity. I really liked this books. The characters are all tough and trying to prove themselves but along the way something changes. They stop thinking about themselves so much and start to think of others. This is a feel good book.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
missusb21's review against another edition
4.0
My review is now posted at my blog Trish Talks Texts.
achillespatroclus's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
mysterious_bookshack's review against another edition
5.0
I want to thank the publisher for sending an arc of The Camino Club in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on only my thoughts and ideas!
What can I say about this novel? This was such a soul-touching read that I know for sure that I'm going to read multiple times. 6 juvenile delinquents from Canada are sent to Spain to journey across the Camino de Santiago instead of going to juvie. These 6 all come different backgrounds and every one of them can be relatable to anyone. Either you're feeling invisible, your family doesn't support you, or you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders, this book will be the one that will bring tears to your eyes. I felt so many emotions - anger, sadness (with tears), joy, embarrassment, and more. This book brought out the best of mankind but it also brought out the worst. It's hard to balance that but Kevin Craig did it so beautifully. I'm in love with this story and I'm so happy that I got the honor to read this. It opened my eyes to so many problems that teens my age face but don't have anyone to share the burden. The utter joy of these 6 kids coming together and becoming a family is indescribable because that's what happiness is. You don't know how to describe other than you're finally feeling free and happy with the people around you.
Content Advisory:
- Minor Character Death
- Homophobic Bullying
- Discussions of Conversion Therapy (The 6 kids aren't supporting this)
- Homophobic Parents
What can I say about this novel? This was such a soul-touching read that I know for sure that I'm going to read multiple times. 6 juvenile delinquents from Canada are sent to Spain to journey across the Camino de Santiago instead of going to juvie. These 6 all come different backgrounds and every one of them can be relatable to anyone. Either you're feeling invisible, your family doesn't support you, or you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders, this book will be the one that will bring tears to your eyes. I felt so many emotions - anger, sadness (with tears), joy, embarrassment, and more. This book brought out the best of mankind but it also brought out the worst. It's hard to balance that but Kevin Craig did it so beautifully. I'm in love with this story and I'm so happy that I got the honor to read this. It opened my eyes to so many problems that teens my age face but don't have anyone to share the burden. The utter joy of these 6 kids coming together and becoming a family is indescribable because that's what happiness is. You don't know how to describe other than you're finally feeling free and happy with the people around you.
Content Advisory:
- Minor Character Death
- Homophobic Bullying
- Discussions of Conversion Therapy (The 6 kids aren't supporting this)
- Homophobic Parents