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A review by courtneyajw
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
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.