VeganYANerds: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Monday, 10 September 2012

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

7:00 am | Posted by Mandee | | Edit Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Published February 7, 2012 by Balzer & Bray

Source: Harper Collins Australia

Rating: 4.5 paws

From the blurb: When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.
But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is Emily M. Danforth’s debut novel and it is set in her home town of Miles City, Montana. We meet Cameron when she is twelve years old. She and best friend, Irene Klauson, have spent the long, hot summer swimming, playing and setting dares for each other. Cameron’s parents go camping at Quake Lake for the weekend so Cameron’s Grandma comes to stay. That weekend Cameron and Irene share their first kiss and when Cameron hears the news of her parents’ death in a car crash she is filled with shame and guilt. Both her Grandma and Aunt Ruth move into her home and Cameron escapes her feelings by renting movies and watching them in her room while she decorates an old doll house with bits and pieces. Aunt Ruth makes Cameron attend a new church and join the youth group and a couple of years later it’s through church that Cameron meets Coley. Not long after that Cameron is sent away to God’s Promise, a school to change children who are gay (not that the school acknowledges that homosexuality is a reality).

It’s really hard to summarise this book as there is so much that goes on, and so many characters to talk about, but I feel that the blurb gives the readers a good idea of what this book is about. The cover is what first attracted me to this story, it perfectly suits the book – I love the photograph and the pastel lettering, as well as many positive reviews I read earlier in the year.

Cameron is a fantastic protagonist and I enjoyed watching her grow up, from her first kiss with best friend Irene, to her relationship and friendship with Lindsay, to Coley and their friendship and developing feelings, she is someone I wanted to know more about. The rest of the cast were just as interesting. I loved her Grandma, though her reaction later on was surprising and a little disappointing. Aunt Ruth was not a character who was easy to like but she gave up her life to come and care for Cameron and tried to do the best she could. Jamie was such a good friend to Cameron and I did feel sorry for him when his feelings weren’t reciprocated. Lindsay was a good influence on Cameron, she made her aware that that there are places in the world where gay couples can be open about it and live together without having to hide it and opened Cameron’s mind up to the possibilities. Coley is another character that I both liked and later disliked. I could feel Cameron’s excitement and anticipation every time she hung out with Coley, especially during their final summer together and I was disappointed when her secret was shared with the town. And finally the kids at God’s Promise, I felt for all of them. It’s sad to think that these sorts of places still exist, that family members are so ashamed of their children that they ship them off to a place where they get told again and again that their feelings are wrong, dirty, and impure. The religious element never felt overpowering instead it felt balanced; I never felt like Emily was choosing sides, merely showing us both opinions in an honest way.

I loved the setting of Miles City, while I’ve never lived in a small town it was so easy to picture and I could feel the heat of each summer that Cameron spent there and thought the setting added so much to the story because there are towns just like this and the story felt very believable.

The story covers five years of Cameron’s life and even though it’s a long period of time the story was never boring and I found myself captivated by the events and moments in Cameron’s journey. I felt like the story was building up to something, I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe some closure or perhaps for Cameron to return home and be able to live her life as she chooses, but in the end I felt a bit let down. I was happy for her but I could easily have read another four hundred pages about the next five years of Cameron’s life – I’m still wondering what might have happened to her next.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a beautiful, sweet, compelling coming-of-age story with realistic characters, a wonderful setting, and a story that will captivate fans of contemporary YA.

Purchase: Angus & Robertson / Booktopia / Bookworld / Dymocks

Thank you to the awesome people at Harper Collins Australia for my review copy.

Labels: 4.5 stars, contemporary fiction, Emily M. Danforth, LGBT, review, YA

30 comments:

Heidi said...: Yes! I think my favorite thing about this novel (though honestly it was one of my favorite reads this year, I just loved it so so much) was the fact that Emily didn't take sides. She just sought to show how things really were, and some of those things sucked, but some of them were loving if misguided. I really appreciated that, and think that through this book a lot of people can better understand the reality of this culture that is still very much present. I'm sorry you were a bit left down about the ending, but I'm glad it's because you could read twice as much. Lovely review, Mandee!; 10 September 2012 7:34 am
Keertana said...: Wonderful review, Mandee! I've read a lot of mixed reviews of this one, from people who outright loved it and those who weren't compelled by this one at all, so I've been confused whether or not to pick it up. I've also never really read any novels that discuss this subject matter, not because I'm uncomfortable with it or don't want to read about it, but merely because I am always so torn over how to react and what constitutes as an appropriate reaction when it comes to a subject that is so raw and important. I am really glad that you enjoyed this one, though, so I really do think I need to give it a try. Plus, the fact that the religious element never felt overpowering is wonderful as I always seem to get lost when it comes to novels with a heavy emphasis on religion or Christianity. You've definitely convinced me to give this one a try, Mandee, so I hope I can read it sometime soon! It sounds like a wonderful piece of literature! :D; 10 September 2012 8:03 am
roro said...: gr8 review . wendy at the midnight garden enticed me to read it; 10 September 2012 8:25 am
Leanne said...: Your review is absolutely beautiful, my dear. :) Both you and Wendy gave this book such positive ratings and gushing reviews, so how can I not read this? Contemporary YA is definitely one of my fave genres (I've probably said that before, but it's true!) so there's no question I'm read this book asap. The characters sound lovely as well, especially Cameron and Lindsay.; 10 September 2012 8:55 am
Jac (For Love and Books) said...: I started reading this AGES ago - I got about 1/4 through and set it down for some reason... I'm not really sure why, but your review makes me want to pick it back up and read the whole thing!

-Jac @ For Love and Books; 10 September 2012 12:10 pm
Rachel said...: Sounds like this dealt with heavy issues in a compelling way. Glad to see you enjoyed this Mandee. Wonderful review. :); 10 September 2012 3:04 pm
Celine said...: OOO! I've heard great things about this book. While I've never actually read a book like The Miseducation of Cameron Post before, I'm a huge fan of contemporary so I must check this book out ;)

Awesome review, Mandee! ♥ So glad you enjoyed it!; 10 September 2012 7:36 pm
Lori said...: I really loved this book and I totally agree about the ending. I was sad that she never stood up for herself, but maybe there will be a sequel one day? Who knows! The things I loved about it overshadowed the lack of closure. Great review, Mandee!; 10 September 2012 8:46 pm
Maja (The Nocturnal Library) said...: Such a lovely review, Mandee! I actually own this book, but I never even considered reading it. You know how I am about contemporary YA. But you've definitely convinced me: it's a subject I care a lot about, and since it's well done, I'm in. Plus, I can never resist a small town atmosphere, I'm weak like that. :); 10 September 2012 11:01 pm
Estelle said...: Great review! It's sad how long I have put this book off... I was so anxious to read it and a million library books got in the way. BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR I WILL INDEED READ IT. Sounds pretty heavy but from what I heard at the reading where I bought it, lovely use of language. Those are indeed my favorite kind of books.

Thanks for the review!; 10 September 2012 11:06 pm
Kara_Malinczak said...: I can't wait to read this. I own a copy but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet I hate that it is sitting on my shelf unread. But...I am so glad you loved it! It just inspires me to get to it sooner. Lovely review as always!; 11 September 2012 12:49 am
TheBookSlayer said...: Beautiful review, Mandee. I can tell that you really loved this book. Although a bit heavier than the books I normally read, The Miseducation sounds like a great read full of intense emotions, both sweet and heartbreaking. I'm from a pretty small town so it seems like I can really relate to the Miles city setting.; 11 September 2012 12:55 am
Jessica Secret said...: I haven't heard too much about this one but what I have heard is nothing but wonderful things. Glad to hear you agree with that. I want it BADDDDD.; 11 September 2012 1:12 am
Katja Weinert said...: Love your review, Mandee. If you're wondering what a character's life is like five years on that can only be a good thing. Since I'm into character driven stories this really appeals to me. It sounds like the characters are compelling and multi-layered and wonderfully flawed :); 11 September 2012 1:33 am
Sam said...: This sounds brilliant! I'm always a little reluctant to open up a contemporary novel though, but the great reviews so far have been very convincing. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mandee! Fantastic review as always. :); 11 September 2012 1:42 am
Alex (A Girl, Books, OtherThings) said...: This sounds really interesting, and though I had seen the book around I didn't know it covered so much time.

:) Thanks for the review, you made put this book in my wishlist.; 11 September 2012 3:47 am
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...: This is another contemporary book that I have read countless reviews on. Cameron sounds like a complicated character who goes through a lot of difficulty and ultimately grows and I also like books that exhibit growth. Lovely review,
Mands!; 11 September 2012 4:15 am
Jenn said...: Great review. I haven't seen much of this book yet but it sounds really good and seems to cover a lot. I think it will be a good contemp read and I'll have to be on the lookout for it.; 11 September 2012 4:30 am
Shooting Stars Mag said...: I don't think I've read a review for this book, but I have seen it around. The idea of places like God's Promise existing (and I know they do) is awful. I can't imagine being told how you feel is wrong or even a sin. I'm glad you enjoyed the book, even if parts of it were a bit of a letdown.

-lauren; 11 September 2012 4:41 am
Brodie said...: Damn, why haven't I been paying more attention to this? I don't even need to read other reviews, I'm taking your word alone that this is incredible and I need to read it immediately. I was only thinking the other day that I haven't read nearly enough books where with same gender romance. I know they're out there, but I never really see them as much as others. I want to change my reading habits there, and this sounds like a really beautiful novel to do that with. Amazing review, Mandee! <3; 11 September 2012 7:06 am
Bailey said...: First I have to say AWWW your cat is so stinking adorable! I love that when I come to your guys blog that I am always greeted by the cutest animals! :D Okay now onto your review and off the topic of that kitty....I haven't heard of this book before. I've never actually read a book with a same sex gender romance. It's not that I have anything agaisnt it or anything but it's definitely a heavy topic and I don't know if I'm quite ready to dive into that kind of contemporary read. Eventually I will read this book because it does sound like it was a great read. Your review was really great Mandee! :); 11 September 2012 10:47 am
Jasprit said...: This sounds like another great Aussie gem Mandee! So thank you for bringing it to my attention! You honestly have a beautiful way with words, that I can't wait to pick this up! Lovely review hun! :); 11 September 2012 10:51 pm
Jessica@Booked Up! said...: I love the sound of this Aussie book! It seems like a deep, emotional read focused on a topic I've never dipped into before.

I feel so sorry for Cam, just a little girl who is told what she is feeling is a sin. This would definitely break my heart, it seems to sad!

Brilliant review, Mandee! Your reviews always make me want to read the book :D xxx; 12 September 2012 4:29 am
Traci @ The Reading Geek said...: Great review! I actually never heard of this book but wow it sounds really good. I love contemporary stories so I will definitely be adding this to my list. Also I especially love a contemporary story with realistic characters.; 12 September 2012 1:26 pm
readingdate said...: I just bought this book so I'm happy to see your glowing review. I love contemporary, realistic reads like this. I guess it's good and bad that it left you wanting more at the end, and I appreciate the heads up. Your review makes me want to start the book right away!; 14 September 2012 12:42 pm
Britt said...: Ao glad you liked this one. I keep meaning to read it, and now I know it's totally worth it. It is sad that places like God's Promise exist and I'm glad someone isn't afraid to write about it. Happy Reading!; 14 September 2012 10:57 pm
Alexa said...: I haven't read this yet, but I'm planning to. It's such an interesting issue to tackle in a book, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!; 15 September 2012 4:29 pm
Sana said...: I don't know why but I really like to read books where so much is happening that it's hard to keep up. Maybe because I like to know if I can up? Whatever it is, your awesome review makes The Miseducation of Cameron Post sound like a book I'd totally enjoy reading.

Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile; 16 September 2012 5:25 am
jowearsoldcoats said...: Ooooh this looks amazing! Brilliant review, Mandee. I haven't heard of this one before but I'll definitely be reading it.
I love books that are a bit different. :)

Also, I LOVE the cover. So gorgeous.; 16 September 2012 6:50 am
Novels On The Run said...: I've not heard of this book. So when you said in your review the blurb gives good idea, I went back and read the blurb and got to the kissing a girl and went ahhhh, lol!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, wonderful review, and this little puss. See if I put my albino guinea pig Rosie next to a book she would start gnawing on it, hehe!!

Mich; 16 September 2012 2:20 pm