Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What this book is about:
Skye, yes it’s sounds like sky but with an “e” thank you very much, is forced to go to a summer camp called “Camp Midnight” because her mom is busy with the doctors without borders and her dad is under the influence of her stepmother or should I say…step-monster! Skye, of course, doesn’t want to go to the stupid camp but she might even surprise herself at the end..
This is a middle-grade graphic novel in which we follow a girl named Skye whose parents make her go to a summer camp despite her will to spend the summer with her mom. Appearance-wise, this graphic novel has colourful, lively illustrations and it read as if I was watching a TV show for kids. The way the pictures are drawn is as if they are moving sketches, which is great because it flows very fast and gets the imaginations of the reader going! One thing that I think I should mention though is that the illustrations might be a bit too scary for very young readers. Steven T. Seagle in an effort to create drawing that come to life, induces a sense of exaggeration into the drawings which can sometimes feel a bit too much for the younger eyes.
It’s natural for new wives not to like old wives.
Despite the creepy illustrations, the story itself is not actually scary. There is a strong message in this comic to just be yourself and not care what others will think of you which is a great message for young kids who might feel different than their peers or be ashamed to express their true selves and stand out from the norm. This novel insists that being brave to be yourself and to stand up for your friends are qualities that a kid should be proud to have even if other children don’t understand it sometimes.
It’s ‘doctors without borders’, not ‘teenagers without boundaries’
The main character Skye is funny and has many smart lines where she is trying to get through tough situations that she is put in. Humour is always a great weapon in situations that are too overwhelming for anyone to handle. Skye’s parents are divorced and her stepmother is presented as a manipulating woman who doesn’t really like Skye and wants her out of her and her husband’s life. She actually managed to get into my nerves at some point. But that’s a realistic representation of a real-life scenario. Some stepmother (certainly not all!) can be mean and difficult.
I’m planning on having a rotten time and friends would only mess that up.
Overall, this is a fun, very quick read that deals in a creepy but funny way with some important messages about self-acceptance and being devoted to your real friends. I would recommend it for kids who don’t get easily creeped out by scary creatures and weird illustrations as this graphic novel might be a bit overwhelming for very young readers. But this book is definitely funny to read especially for these ages.
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