A fun summer camp graphic novel with a sweet queer romance.
Ash is looking forward to their last summer at Highland Arts Camp before high school. They’ll be stage manager for the camp’s performance of the musical Ella—and even better, will be reuniting with best friend (and blooming crush) Ivy, with whom they’ve shared a cabin every year.
This year is different, however. Ash and Ivy don’t get housed in the same cabin; Ivy, the princess in the show, is spending a lot of time with Lucas, who plays the prince; and soft-spoken Ash is busy staying on top of everything for the performance. Ash finds themself jealous of Ivy and Lucas’s bond and possible relationship. Angry and not seeing clearly, they withdraw into their art and push away the other campers. Can they patch things up with Ivy, make amends with the others, and maybe even tell Ivy how they really feel about her?
This is a sweet tale of shifting middle grade relationships and a first crush, and while there is dramatic tension, with misunderstandings and miscommunications, somehow one knows things will turn out all right. The dialog is lively and realistic, complemented by the softly-colored illustrations. Black-and-white sketches from Ash’s notebook are interspersed at points to offer more insight on what Ash is thinking and feeling. It’s a nice device that doesn’t feel gimmicky. Scenes of set building, costume creation, and performance rehearsals will particularly delight theater-loving readers.
Ash’s nonbinary identity is never an “issue” in the plot, although it becomes an asset in ways that I won’t spoil. Another nonbinary camper and a gay one add to the normalization of queer characters here (as do the all-gender cabins).
All told, it’s a highly recommended title.
Ash is White; Ivy has brown skin and dark brown hair; Lucas is Black; and other characters show a range of racial/ethnic identities.
