bentheoverlordsbooks's review
5.0
There a few words I could use to describe how much I enjoyed this book. Geography Club was a nice enjoyable read that I liked but didn't really know where they could carry it on from. Then came along Book 2 (or should I say the best book in the series). This book follows the lovable crew as they volunteer to work at a summer camp, however it's not what you expect. When thinking of the premise I imagined silly hijinks and frivolous fun (which does occur at some moments), however instead I was given a great story dealing with imperfections, both physical and mental, as well as guilt, love, heartbreak and more love.
In this book Russel seems to be a bit more sure of who he is, and with this new confidence became more enjoyable to read. His romances in this book were entertaining and thought provoking (one of them being my OTP for the series, and I've never been the sort of person who ships characters :P ). Min and Gunner also get more time to grow as characters in this book which was nice to see because I do love how quirky Gunner is, as well as the head strong opinions of Min( who will grow into an even stronger character in book 3 :) ).
This book was an introduction into LGBT fiction for me at a time when I was questioning myself, and with the help of these lovable characters it helped during that time, thus there may be some sort of small bias when it comes to me raving about how much I loved these books. However that said I feel anyone who decides to give this series a chance will be well and truely surprised at the depth and likability of the characters present.
In this book Russel seems to be a bit more sure of who he is, and with this new confidence became more enjoyable to read. His romances in this book were entertaining and thought provoking (one of them being my OTP for the series, and I've never been the sort of person who ships characters :P ). Min and Gunner also get more time to grow as characters in this book which was nice to see because I do love how quirky Gunner is, as well as the head strong opinions of Min( who will grow into an even stronger character in book 3 :) ).
This book was an introduction into LGBT fiction for me at a time when I was questioning myself, and with the help of these lovable characters it helped during that time, thus there may be some sort of small bias when it comes to me raving about how much I loved these books. However that said I feel anyone who decides to give this series a chance will be well and truely surprised at the depth and likability of the characters present.
efftees's review
3.0
Ok, so it's a about a gay guy and some fire survivors. Sounds, odd, right? However, I find this quite a unique book, starting from the fact that the main character is a homosexual. This intriguing story is about a guy named Russell who is attending summer camp where he won't be deemed "gay" by his fellow students around him. He realizes that the summer camp where he is counseling is in fact a camp for mostly fire survivors. In between his summer camp story, we all see love stories emerging between many of the manor and minor characters. But by the end of the story, everything is completely opposite of what we thought at the beginning of the story.
Be Warned: There are some minor boy/boy kissing scenes and stuff ... so yeah. Just warning you so people don't go rampaging me for not telling them. XP
Be Warned: There are some minor boy/boy kissing scenes and stuff ... so yeah. Just warning you so people don't go rampaging me for not telling them. XP
annabi's review
5.0
guess who just read this whole book in one sitting at her colleges dining hall??? me!!! and I have No Chill!!!!
I loved the geography club so much so I decided to BUY!!!! (ME, BUYING A BOOK BEFORE IVE READ IT!!!) the order of the poison oak. I was so not disappointed. in fact, it's on the same level or possibly even BETTER than the first novel, which rarely happens in series
good ol Russel back at it again with the strikingly genuine authenticity that taps directly into the center of my heart. the best part is you Know that he's telling a story-- the book isn't just stream of consciousness and sometimes he tells the audience he's omitting things-- yet he keeps those not so appropriate/pc thoughts in the story. and by the end he comes to completely overlook people's appearances, and not out of rudeness, but out of love for who they are as people, god imma cry
Russel does a lot of growing up in this novel. he makes mistakes and he Knows that he's made them, but the best part is that he always acknowledges his flaws and tries to be a better person, for his sake and the sake of all of those whom his actions affect. (spoiler: the rainbow crow story was amazing and, like Otto and the campers, I was so incredibly touched and I fell more platonically head over heels for Russel-- idk how that's even POSSIBLE bc I loved him so much already but w/e)
the new characters in the book were great too!!! Otto oh my god like we didn't learn that much about him but I know he's gonna show up/be relevant in future novels and I'm so ready. seeing how Russel's perception of him changed throughout the book was so interesting and beautiful. Em is a lil quirky but I think we'd be friends irl. Min and Gunner made a come back and, while their relationship w Russel was rocky the whole book, I'm glad they were all together and learned about life through each other. and the fucking first weeks kids!!! god they went from so horrible to so good so fast!! it's honestly so true that you can't really accurately judge a person until you get to know them. It was intriguing to see Russel and Ian's relationship develop and change and (spoiler: see how great their relationship was by the end. Ian wanted to get another poison oak leaf to remember camp and the Order I'm not crying you're crying ðŸ˜ðŸ˜).
but yes this sequel was just as amazing as the first book and I think this series is gonna ruin my college career because all I wanna do now is read these books. thank you hartinger for writing them, they are truly life changing
I loved the geography club so much so I decided to BUY!!!! (ME, BUYING A BOOK BEFORE IVE READ IT!!!) the order of the poison oak. I was so not disappointed. in fact, it's on the same level or possibly even BETTER than the first novel, which rarely happens in series
good ol Russel back at it again with the strikingly genuine authenticity that taps directly into the center of my heart. the best part is you Know that he's telling a story-- the book isn't just stream of consciousness and sometimes he tells the audience he's omitting things-- yet he keeps those not so appropriate/pc thoughts in the story. and by the end he comes to completely overlook people's appearances, and not out of rudeness, but out of love for who they are as people, god imma cry
Russel does a lot of growing up in this novel. he makes mistakes and he Knows that he's made them, but the best part is that he always acknowledges his flaws and tries to be a better person, for his sake and the sake of all of those whom his actions affect. (spoiler: the rainbow crow story was amazing and, like Otto and the campers, I was so incredibly touched and I fell more platonically head over heels for Russel-- idk how that's even POSSIBLE bc I loved him so much already but w/e)
the new characters in the book were great too!!! Otto oh my god like we didn't learn that much about him but I know he's gonna show up/be relevant in future novels and I'm so ready. seeing how Russel's perception of him changed throughout the book was so interesting and beautiful. Em is a lil quirky but I think we'd be friends irl. Min and Gunner made a come back and, while their relationship w Russel was rocky the whole book, I'm glad they were all together and learned about life through each other. and the fucking first weeks kids!!! god they went from so horrible to so good so fast!! it's honestly so true that you can't really accurately judge a person until you get to know them. It was intriguing to see Russel and Ian's relationship develop and change and (spoiler: see how great their relationship was by the end. Ian wanted to get another poison oak leaf to remember camp and the Order I'm not crying you're crying ðŸ˜ðŸ˜).
but yes this sequel was just as amazing as the first book and I think this series is gonna ruin my college career because all I wanna do now is read these books. thank you hartinger for writing them, they are truly life changing
tim5alive's review
4.0
A fun summer read full of typical high school romance and drama. I enjoyed it and reading about the same characters again.
I thought there were some well-written scenes including the store and induction scene. I feel the theme of being excluded and left out continues throughout the series and I liked that we got a different layer with individuals with scars this time.
I really like Otto and Em lol. They seem like such sweet characters and Em is a laugh. This book continues to suffer from being too short and I feel like we could spend a bit more time unraveling the conflict between characters I.e. Min and Russ over Web.
Thr author acknowledges that he doesn't write the good parts because they're not as exciting as the bad. I love reading characters enjoy themselves and I'd want to read that and not always seeing them in conflict!
I thought there were some well-written scenes including the store and induction scene. I feel the theme of being excluded and left out continues throughout the series and I liked that we got a different layer with individuals with scars this time.
I really like Otto and Em lol. They seem like such sweet characters and Em is a laugh. This book continues to suffer from being too short and I feel like we could spend a bit more time unraveling the conflict between characters I.e. Min and Russ over Web.
Thr author acknowledges that he doesn't write the good parts because they're not as exciting as the bad. I love reading characters enjoy themselves and I'd want to read that and not always seeing them in conflict!
adholliday's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
ri_book's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
sparkleboymatty's review
3.0
When I read Geography Club and The Order of the Poison Oak years ago when they first came out I liked Poison Oak more than Geography Club, but this time around it was the opposite. I found Russell really unlikeable this time and Min too. I think these books should both be a little longer and explain a few things more in-depth in order to be really great. They are really quick reads but in this case more character development could have helped. Otto is a great character though and the legend of Rainbow Crow is really touching. They're still books I'll keep and probably read again in a few more years, and I'm still searching for the next books in the series.
jardimsecreto's review
5.0
É um romance sobre lendas indÃgenas lindas, sobre nadar sem roupa em cachoeiras/lagos, sobre fogueiras e conversas ao luar e paixões de verão. É ainda sobre a fundação do mais novo clube de Russel, "A Ordem do Carvalho Venenoso" (em tradução literal), uma sociedade secreta dedicada a ajudar seus membros a enxergar as belezas ocultas da vida e aceitar as suas picadas à s vezes dolorosas.
Eu fiquei simplesmente apaixonada pelo segundo volume da série. Se Geography Club era legalzinho, The Order é fantástico! Me fez derramar lágrimas junto dos personagens em diversas passagens. Muito emocionante, li todo o livro em uma "sentada", numa tarde. Há aqui a inclusão de personagens que nos acompanharão nas outras obras da série, como a Emily e Otto, fundamentais para o derramamento de lágrimas.. digo, para a trama e desenvolvimento dos personagens principais (Russ, Min e Gunnar). O Otto se tornou meu personagem favorito em toda a série até agora! Daqueles que dá vontade de colocar num potinho e ficar admirando na estante (?). Muito, muito amor!
(resenha completa em: http://www.marcadocomletras.com/2014/05/review-order-of-poison-oak_20.html)
Eu fiquei simplesmente apaixonada pelo segundo volume da série. Se Geography Club era legalzinho, The Order é fantástico! Me fez derramar lágrimas junto dos personagens em diversas passagens. Muito emocionante, li todo o livro em uma "sentada", numa tarde. Há aqui a inclusão de personagens que nos acompanharão nas outras obras da série, como a Emily e Otto, fundamentais para o derramamento de lágrimas.. digo, para a trama e desenvolvimento dos personagens principais (Russ, Min e Gunnar). O Otto se tornou meu personagem favorito em toda a série até agora! Daqueles que dá vontade de colocar num potinho e ficar admirando na estante (?). Muito, muito amor!
(resenha completa em: http://www.marcadocomletras.com/2014/05/review-order-of-poison-oak_20.html)
mallorychritine's review
5.0
Considering I read this book in four hours and I'm a slow reader, I would have to say it was good. No. It was excellent!