Hope Larson’s wonderfully rendered telling of a tweener’s coming of age during summer sleepaway camp once again has made me feel like I was once a little girl. The material is familiar: first encounters with boys, secrets told by night, drifting from old friends, alienation, discovery, campfires and bug bites. But Larson’s powerful empathy with her characters makes the tale special. The art is easy to take in, one object seemingly flowing into another, big round eyes in the heads of young ladies soaking in their early experiences with growth. Even the lettering plays a part in the overall effect, winding like a river trying to find the path of least resistance. This is a perfect read for teenagers, and is equally satisfying for anyone who’s already walked the fiery path of lost youth.
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