Sunday, February 16, 2025

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin

A Heartwarming Tale of Family, Second Chances, and Finding Your Way Home

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It's a warm, witty, and wise novel that reminds us that sometimes going home isn't admitting defeat—it's finding victory in unexpected places. Garvin has crafted a story that will make readers laugh, cry, and perhaps most importantly, reflect on their own relationships and choices.

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Ann Garvin’s latest novel, Bummer Camp, is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and the kind of family dysfunction that makes you want to both laugh and cry—sometimes simultaneously. Following the success of her previous works like I Thought You Said This Would Work and There’s No Coming Back from This, Garvin returns with perhaps her most accomplished novel yet, weaving together themes of sisterhood, responsibility, and the courage to face your past.

The Story: More Than Just Another Summer at Camp

At the heart of Bummer Camp lies Cat McCarthy, a refreshingly complex protagonist who’s spent years constructing a life away from her family’s theater camp. Now thirty-seven and pregnant, Cat believes she’s finally achieved the independence she’s always craved. But as any good dramatist knows, that’s exactly when life tends to throw its biggest plot twists.

When her free-spirited sister Ginger sends an SOS about the camp’s imminent demise at the hands of a questionable motivational speaker and his manipulative wife, Cat finds herself reluctantly pulled back into the orbit of her childhood home. The timing couldn’t be worse—she’s seven months pregnant, struggling with her own demons, and the last thing she needs is to rescue a failing summer camp.

Character Development: A Masterclass in Human Complexity

Garvin excels at creating characters who feel startlingly real, complete with their quirks, flaws, and endearing peculiarities. The cast includes:

  • Cat McCarthy – The responsible sister who’s trying to outrun her own nature
  • Ginger – The creative dreamer who sees magic where others see chaos
  • Shirtless (Bard) – Ginger’s sensitive son who can’t bear the touch of fabric
  • Gary – The taciturn groundskeeper harboring unexpected depths
  • Bob Durand – The well-meaning but problematic motivational speaker
  • The “Littles” – A lovable crew of misfit staff members

Writing Style: Where Humor Meets Heart

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is Garvin’s ability to balance humor with genuine emotional depth. Her prose sparkles with wit while never losing sight of the story’s emotional core. Consider this gem: “If you’re a square peg, find the people who celebrate quadrilaterals.” It’s this kind of clever wordplay, combined with genuine wisdom, that makes Bummer Camp such a joy to read.

Themes and Metaphors: Life’s Greatest Productions

The theater camp setting serves as more than just a backdrop – it becomes a metaphor for life itself, where everyone’s trying to play their part while occasionally forgetting their lines. Garvin explores several powerful themes:

  1. The nature of responsibility versus freedom
  2. The complexity of sister relationships
  3. The courage it takes to ask for help
  4. The different ways people cope with anxiety and stress
  5. The meaning of home and belonging

What Works Brilliantly

The novel shines brightest in its portrayal of relationships, particularly between the McCarthy sisters. Their dynamic feels authentic, complicated by years of patterns and expectations. The dialogue crackles with energy, and the supporting characters are wonderfully drawn, each adding their own unique flavor to the story.

The pacing is masterful, with Garvin expertly building tension while allowing moments of levity and reflection. The incorporation of The Wizard of Oz themes during the climactic gala sequence is particularly inspired, adding both humor and poignancy to the proceedings.

Minor Critiques

While the novel is largely successful, there are a few areas where it occasionally stumbles:

  • Some plot resolutions feel a bit too neat, particularly regarding the camp’s financial troubles
  • The Steve storyline could have been developed further
  • A few secondary characters could have used more development

Impact and Relevance

What makes Bummer Camp particularly relevant is its exploration of mental health, belonging, and the importance of community. In an era where anxiety and depression are increasingly prevalent, Garvin’s sensitive handling of these themes feels especially timely.

For Fans Of…

Readers who enjoyed Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner, Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire, or Kristan Higgins’s works will find much to love here. The novel shares DNA with these works while maintaining its own unique voice.

Final Verdict: Summer Camp for the Soul

It’s a warm, witty, and wise novel that reminds us that sometimes going home isn’t admitting defeat—it’s finding victory in unexpected places. Garvin has crafted a story that will make readers laugh, cry, and perhaps most importantly, reflect on their own relationships and choices.

Who Should Read This Book

This novel is perfect for:

  • Fans of contemporary women’s fiction with humor and heart
  • Anyone who’s ever struggled with family expectations
  • Readers who appreciate complex sister relationships
  • Those who love stories about finding yourself while helping others

In Conclusion: More Than Just Another Camp Tale

Bummer Camp proves that going home again isn’t just possible—sometimes it’s necessary. Through Cat’s journey, Garvin reminds us that the roles we played in childhood don’t have to define our adult lives, but neither do we have to completely reject them to grow.

The novel’s greatest achievement is how it transforms what could have been a simple story about saving a summer camp into a nuanced exploration of family, responsibility, and the courage it takes to be vulnerable. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best way to move forward is to first make peace with where you’ve been.

Human, heartfelt, and genuinely funny, Bummer Camp is a worthy addition to Ann Garvin’s growing bibliography and a must-read for anyone who’s ever felt caught between who they were and who they want to be.

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It's a warm, witty, and wise novel that reminds us that sometimes going home isn't admitting defeat—it's finding victory in unexpected places. Garvin has crafted a story that will make readers laugh, cry, and perhaps most importantly, reflect on their own relationships and choices.Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin