Scan barcode
nora_mcgowan's review against another edition
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
cjrivers's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this coming of age novel about a young girl in rural Montana who is struggling with the death of her parents. To complicate her life even further, Cameron is also struggling with her sexual identity, having developed feelings for her best friend, Irene. After being found out by her ultra-conservative aunt, Cameron is shipped off to a evangelical boarding school to be "fixed." This book is different from anything I've ever read, but I appreciated the unique female protagonist and diverse point of view offered. It definitely gave me perspective on what LGBT individuals experience as young adults.
olliecy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
bbrassfield's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this novel this past Friday and had a long review written but decided to scrap it as so much of it was my personal railing against the religious lunatics who believe places like God's Promise are necessary in the first place. They are not. While Cameron Post may be a fictional character, there are many young people just like her who have been subjected to the horrors of such a place.
So this time around I've decided to focus on what I liked about the novel as compared to the also excellent film released this summer. The film focuses mainly on Cameron's time at God's Promise after she's discovered making out with a girl. In the film we don't see much else of Cameron's life and the setting of the novel is distinctly not Montana. More like Pennsylvania.
In this very moving novel, there is roughly half of the story devoted to Cameron's life between the ages of 12 and 16 in Miles City, Montana and the reader gets a much fuller picture of what her life is like before and after her parents are killed in an auto accident. In the novel, we see Cameron as a more complete character than in the part of the film before she is sent to God's Promise. We learn that Cameron has been naturally attracted to girls for a long time and formed at least one lasting friendship with a much more out and proud lesbian character that we see nothing of in the film. I think what I like best about the novel is that the writer doesn't get hung on defining Cameron's sexuality but rather presents what simply is there to begin with and then lets that develop. As such the novel doesn't preach one thing or another, but simply lets Cameron's experiences unfold for what they are, the good and the bad. As such, the Miseducation of Cameron Post is quite the wonderful coming of age novel and I hope that it can serve as inspiration to many.
So this time around I've decided to focus on what I liked about the novel as compared to the also excellent film released this summer. The film focuses mainly on Cameron's time at God's Promise after she's discovered making out with a girl. In the film we don't see much else of Cameron's life and the setting of the novel is distinctly not Montana. More like Pennsylvania.
In this very moving novel, there is roughly half of the story devoted to Cameron's life between the ages of 12 and 16 in Miles City, Montana and the reader gets a much fuller picture of what her life is like before and after her parents are killed in an auto accident. In the novel, we see Cameron as a more complete character than in the part of the film before she is sent to God's Promise. We learn that Cameron has been naturally attracted to girls for a long time and formed at least one lasting friendship with a much more out and proud lesbian character that we see nothing of in the film. I think what I like best about the novel is that the writer doesn't get hung on defining Cameron's sexuality but rather presents what simply is there to begin with and then lets that develop. As such the novel doesn't preach one thing or another, but simply lets Cameron's experiences unfold for what they are, the good and the bad. As such, the Miseducation of Cameron Post is quite the wonderful coming of age novel and I hope that it can serve as inspiration to many.
breannabanda's review against another edition
5.0
"Though I'd say Miss Cameron is almost always performing."
blueberry31's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a heartbreaking one.
I think like most people I am aware that most religions condemn homosexuality, but somehow this book does a really great job at making you see the actual psychological damage and horrible consequences this has on the LGBT community, and more specifically its most vulnerable members: kids and teens. To think that these Evangelical nut-jobs are still out there, still running these types of "conversion camps" makes me sick. What I find interesting though, is that the author shows that it's not "just" these camps, it's society as a whole. Even before Cameron's stay at Promise, she has gradually learned that she should hide and feel guilty. Even before it is literally spelled out for her (at GOP, at the camp...) that she is wrong and evil, it is very much implied by everyone and everything in Cameron's life.
I thought Cameron Post's story was beautifully written, I was totally engulfed by her story. I think the author has a crafted her character to feel authentic, and you can't help but feel empathy and understanding for what Cameron goes through. I liked that despite being about a girl in her teenage years, this book was still raw and uncensored. Too often teen stories ring fake, they are clean, cheesy, glossed-over, especially when they involve female teens. They are safe and innocent, even when dealing with serious topics. I feel like this is especially the case with American YA authors, the puritanism sometimes baffles me. Yet here, I felt like I was reading something true and real.
When reading about Cameron's stay at Promise, I wondered why she wasn't more angry, I didn't understand how she could mostly go along with it, to the point of almost excusing its leaders' mission and methods (it's just what they "believe"). It felt like she gradually became tame, and it made it seem like "it wasn't that bad". This bothered me until I thought about the reality of a lesbian teen put into this situation: how could you not let it put dents into you, slowly lure you in, somehow erase your will to rebel? I think I expected Cameron to tell the counselors what they wanted to hear, but it seems like she gets to a point where she is revealing deep parts of her life to them - only to have them analyzed and thrown back at her in the most despicable way as proof of her whole existence being wrong. And at some points it almost feels like she might cave, like she is doubting.
All in all I was pretty horrified at the methods used at Promise, basically psychological torture. I think the best description of it, is when Cameron is talking to a lawyer about it. He asks her if she feels safe - and when she says she doesn't, the lawyer goes on to question her about physical abuse, about getting regular meals, as if that were the only form of abuse there is. Emotional abuse is something far worse, but somehow it is pushed aside because it is much less tangible, and so difficult to prove. I think this is how these camps still exist today. This is why some Religious groups/institutions/groups get away with these types of views and attitudes towards homosexuality (and many other topics): they sugar-coat their horrible prejudice and complete disrespect for entire populations with pseudo-good-intentions.
This book illustrates perfectly the authoritative tone of a religious person who "knows better and best" because they are backed up by God/the Bible. It shows how religion so easily serves as the indisputable basis for its believers to think they are right about everything, and to even reprimand anyone who does anything differently with the excuse of wanting to "save them". This is one of those things that makes me angry, and this book just revived that anger.
But it's important to be angry, books should also make you angry and aware of these things! In a time where religions/cults are given too big of a spotlight, we are increasingly at risk of normalizing these types of beliefs (I mean, in what world do the Duggars still have a TV show?!), toning down how horrible and destructive they truly are.
I think like most people I am aware that most religions condemn homosexuality, but somehow this book does a really great job at making you see the actual psychological damage and horrible consequences this has on the LGBT community, and more specifically its most vulnerable members: kids and teens. To think that these Evangelical nut-jobs are still out there, still running these types of "conversion camps" makes me sick. What I find interesting though, is that the author shows that it's not "just" these camps, it's society as a whole. Even before Cameron's stay at Promise, she has gradually learned that she should hide and feel guilty. Even before it is literally spelled out for her (at GOP, at the camp...) that she is wrong and evil, it is very much implied by everyone and everything in Cameron's life.
I thought Cameron Post's story was beautifully written, I was totally engulfed by her story. I think the author has a crafted her character to feel authentic, and you can't help but feel empathy and understanding for what Cameron goes through. I liked that despite being about a girl in her teenage years, this book was still raw and uncensored. Too often teen stories ring fake, they are clean, cheesy, glossed-over, especially when they involve female teens. They are safe and innocent, even when dealing with serious topics. I feel like this is especially the case with American YA authors, the puritanism sometimes baffles me. Yet here, I felt like I was reading something true and real.
When reading about Cameron's stay at Promise, I wondered why she wasn't more angry, I didn't understand how she could mostly go along with it, to the point of almost excusing its leaders' mission and methods (it's just what they "believe"). It felt like she gradually became tame, and it made it seem like "it wasn't that bad". This bothered me until I thought about the reality of a lesbian teen put into this situation: how could you not let it put dents into you, slowly lure you in, somehow erase your will to rebel? I think I expected Cameron to tell the counselors what they wanted to hear, but it seems like she gets to a point where she is revealing deep parts of her life to them - only to have them analyzed and thrown back at her in the most despicable way as proof of her whole existence being wrong. And at some points it almost feels like she might cave, like she is doubting.
All in all I was pretty horrified at the methods used at Promise, basically psychological torture. I think the best description of it, is when Cameron is talking to a lawyer about it. He asks her if she feels safe - and when she says she doesn't, the lawyer goes on to question her about physical abuse, about getting regular meals, as if that were the only form of abuse there is. Emotional abuse is something far worse, but somehow it is pushed aside because it is much less tangible, and so difficult to prove. I think this is how these camps still exist today. This is why some Religious groups/institutions/groups get away with these types of views and attitudes towards homosexuality (and many other topics): they sugar-coat their horrible prejudice and complete disrespect for entire populations with pseudo-good-intentions.
This book illustrates perfectly the authoritative tone of a religious person who "knows better and best" because they are backed up by God/the Bible. It shows how religion so easily serves as the indisputable basis for its believers to think they are right about everything, and to even reprimand anyone who does anything differently with the excuse of wanting to "save them". This is one of those things that makes me angry, and this book just revived that anger.
But it's important to be angry, books should also make you angry and aware of these things! In a time where religions/cults are given too big of a spotlight, we are increasingly at risk of normalizing these types of beliefs (I mean, in what world do the Duggars still have a TV show?!), toning down how horrible and destructive they truly are.
spenkevich's review against another edition
While this is classified as YA it could easily just be called “literature” it’s so good
leacallida's review against another edition
J’aimais bien l’idée mais en pratique c’était beaucoup moins bien fait. Je n’avais pas la foi de lire jusqu’au moment où elle allait être envoyée en thérapie de conversion…
alicas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
courtneyajw's review against another edition
4.0
Although there are several issues with this book, it's a great read. The characters are well developed without being overly mature for their ages. The situations they find themselves in are equally appropriate for their age ranges.
This is story of Cameron Post. Her parents die as she's realizing that she is a lesbian and she thrust into a world of religious evangelicalism.
I really liked how Cameron lost touch with Irene. There are so many close friends that I thought I would be friends with forever and then one day they are gone and the next year you barely recognize them and finally everything except a sliver of their memory has disappeared. So realistic. I loved it.
The bad things about this books most deal with Cameron's sentimentality. Even though she is described as having anger and being angry, I don't feel like we ever really get to see that anger. I never felt like Cameron was truly on the verge of exploding on Ruth or Lydia or Erin. There were so many scenes where I just knew that Cameron was about to punch someone in the face - but she always took the high road. That, to me, seems a bit common for a teenager. No, a real teen probably wouldn't punch someone in the face but yelling, screaming, crying all seem much more likely than a few pointed and sarcastic comments.
The second glaring issue is with the school. I get that she understood the big picture - everyone has their individual beliefs - but the only real time we see how upset she is about this place is when she's talking to the Child Protective Services agent and just a bit when the incident with Mark happens. Other than that, the school and Cameron's reaction to are way too mild. Alternatively, maybe these institutions are quite as bad as they same. On the same note - It's possible that Danforth was attempting to avoid politicizing the book but I really think about some point the reader needs to be reaffirmed that the school is wrong and Cameron's gender identity and sexual preference is really not the end of the world.
I really wish there was an extra chapter or epilogue. I need to know whether or not their escape plan works or if they are caught and shipped back to the school. Argh!
Overall, a good read it. I will definitely remember and recommend this book.
This is story of Cameron Post. Her parents die as she's realizing that she is a lesbian and she thrust into a world of religious evangelicalism.
Spoiler
Her aunt, Ruth, is a born-again Christian puts Cameron into a mega-church youth group where she meets the first girl she truly falls in love with - Coley Taylor. The situation spirals out of control, Coley is pressured (maybe) into telling the megachurch pastor about her sexual encounters with Cameron and Cameron ends up a special school for the sexually deviant - aka pray the gay away camp but long term. Throughout the story, she also has encounters with boys, she does drugs and drinks alcohol and runs around town on her summer breaks. She's athletic and relatively well-liked even though most people are suspicious of her sexual preferences.I really liked how Cameron lost touch with Irene. There are so many close friends that I thought I would be friends with forever and then one day they are gone and the next year you barely recognize them and finally everything except a sliver of their memory has disappeared. So realistic. I loved it.
The bad things about this books most deal with Cameron's sentimentality. Even though she is described as having anger and being angry, I don't feel like we ever really get to see that anger. I never felt like Cameron was truly on the verge of exploding on Ruth or Lydia or Erin. There were so many scenes where I just knew that Cameron was about to punch someone in the face - but she always took the high road. That, to me, seems a bit common for a teenager. No, a real teen probably wouldn't punch someone in the face but yelling, screaming, crying all seem much more likely than a few pointed and sarcastic comments.
The second glaring issue is with the school. I get that she understood the big picture - everyone has their individual beliefs - but the only real time we see how upset she is about this place is when she's talking to the Child Protective Services agent and just a bit when the incident with Mark happens. Other than that, the school and Cameron's reaction to are way too mild. Alternatively, maybe these institutions are quite as bad as they same. On the same note - It's possible that Danforth was attempting to avoid politicizing the book but I really think about some point the reader needs to be reaffirmed that the school is wrong and Cameron's gender identity and sexual preference is really not the end of the world.
I really wish there was an extra chapter or epilogue. I need to know whether or not their escape plan works or if they are caught and shipped back to the school. Argh!
Overall, a good read it. I will definitely remember and recommend this book.