Scan barcode
mehsi's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking forward to this book. But in the end, it was boring. The characters were bleh or bitchy and there wasn't much happening but a whole crap load of teenage drama.
The whole book takes place during camp. Now, this is normally not a problem, but all the drama and all the stuff that is happening just make it bleh. I didn't enjoy it, there were some camp stuff, but I missed quite a few things that I also wanted to see.
The characters were horrendous. Either they whined, bitched or didn't have any guts to say anything. Abby was a dreadful character, at times I was just confused. She would find Shasta nice, then turn around and be unkind to her. I wish she would just have picked one side. I did like how she tried to defend Shasta with her other friends, however I sometimes found that she did this just to proof something.
Shasta, I am still not sure what to think of her. I don't tend to like characters who brag and brag and brag. And then also try to take revenge for something that another character did. I also didn't get why she didn't take her medicine. They are there to help you, why would you not take them?
The other girls were just horrendous. None of them (not even Abby's long best friend) was really particularly nice or interesting. They were all a bit too 1-dimensional.
The art was at times just ugly. Sometimes it looked good, but at other times I was wondering if the artist was even taking this stuff seriously or just liked drawing ugly human beings.
The title is nice, but I think another title would have been better. The chiggers don't take that much of a spotlight, so it felt a bit weird they get such a big part of the book (I think the title is a very important part to a book).
All in all, I am disappointed. I will give the book 2 stars. For the cover (which is pretty decent) and for the summer campish stuff. I would not really recommend this book.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
The whole book takes place during camp. Now, this is normally not a problem, but all the drama and all the stuff that is happening just make it bleh. I didn't enjoy it, there were some camp stuff, but I missed quite a few things that I also wanted to see.
The characters were horrendous. Either they whined, bitched or didn't have any guts to say anything. Abby was a dreadful character, at times I was just confused. She would find Shasta nice, then turn around and be unkind to her. I wish she would just have picked one side. I did like how she tried to defend Shasta with her other friends, however I sometimes found that she did this just to proof something.
Shasta, I am still not sure what to think of her. I don't tend to like characters who brag and brag and brag. And then also try to take revenge for something that another character did. I also didn't get why she didn't take her medicine. They are there to help you, why would you not take them?
The other girls were just horrendous. None of them (not even Abby's long best friend) was really particularly nice or interesting. They were all a bit too 1-dimensional.
The art was at times just ugly. Sometimes it looked good, but at other times I was wondering if the artist was even taking this stuff seriously or just liked drawing ugly human beings.
The title is nice, but I think another title would have been better. The chiggers don't take that much of a spotlight, so it felt a bit weird they get such a big part of the book (I think the title is a very important part to a book).
All in all, I am disappointed. I will give the book 2 stars. For the cover (which is pretty decent) and for the summer campish stuff. I would not really recommend this book.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
themartinmama's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I found this a very confusing graphic novel where many characters look alike and they bring in and out folks quickly and add plots that feel out of nowhere. Only in the end did it get a lot better and then the most intriguing character was suddenly out of the story.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
2.0
While I am not the target audience for this graphic novel, I once was, and I even remember some of my young teenage times. The times in this book are those uncomfortable ones, with your girl friends talking about you behind your back, or even in front of you. The awkwardness of first crushes. The weirdness of not fitting in when that's what you desperately want to do. Confusion, drama and more, all with a summer camp setting.
These sorts of situations may make tween/teenage girls feel better about their personal situations, whatever they may be, but not if they are relying on the writing or the artwork. I didn't care about any of the characters, and for half of the title I confused the two blondes with each other, and the two brunettes with each other. I didn't like their noses, I didn't like their flaccid, dull facial expressions. I didn't like how similar they could look. That did not work for me.
I did like the addition of the Dungeons & Dragons bit, though. Any book that makes being a role-playing geek seem like a nifty thing to do gets at least one star for that. The other star comes from this being a quick read, and recognizing that many teenage girls will like this at least a bit better than I did.
These sorts of situations may make tween/teenage girls feel better about their personal situations, whatever they may be, but not if they are relying on the writing or the artwork. I didn't care about any of the characters, and for half of the title I confused the two blondes with each other, and the two brunettes with each other. I didn't like their noses, I didn't like their flaccid, dull facial expressions. I didn't like how similar they could look. That did not work for me.
I did like the addition of the Dungeons & Dragons bit, though. Any book that makes being a role-playing geek seem like a nifty thing to do gets at least one star for that. The other star comes from this being a quick read, and recognizing that many teenage girls will like this at least a bit better than I did.
jodi_ice's review against another edition
3.0
Cawpile: 6.07 3.5*
The Art is ok, but to be honest nothing really happens…
The Art is ok, but to be honest nothing really happens…
xsleepyshadows's review against another edition
1.0
I was expecting a little bit more from this story. I love stories about summer or summer camps and I wasn't sure quite what the story was and sometimes I mixed the characters up. I was really excited when they mentioned D&D because summertime is when I played most often.
If you like summer camp stories like I do you might like this great graphic novel Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy ~Ashley
If you like summer camp stories like I do you might like this great graphic novel Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy ~Ashley
johnnymacaroni's review against another edition
4.0
I'm on a little Hope Larson kick! I started with Mercury but the went backwards to Salamander Dream, Gray Horses and now Chiggers. Chiggers really combines the surreal and real so beautifully. I notice a theme of first love in all the books and it's really heartwarming. Makes you feel like being young again! This book also really captures the magic of summer and camp (even though I never went to sleep away camp this book made it very real to me). Friendship is another recurrent theme and it's handled so well in all the books...the incidents are so relatable even years after adolescence. Bravo to Hope! I love her stuff!
captkaty's review against another edition
4.0
Read this thanks to laaaaames' rave review. It definitely brought me back to my years of summer camp and some long-buried emotions and experiences. It does perfectly capture that emotional awkwardness you have in junior high, when you have no idea what to say and are convinced everyone else is cooler than you.
andeez's review against another edition
2.0
Like others, I love Hope Larson. Like others, I'm left with the feeling, "what did I just read?" Maybe younger middle schoolers would like this book? I just had no idea what was going on. Was there a plot? Maybe it's my old brain not understanding. Entirely possible.