June 4, 2024 by Random House Graphic
E ARC provided by Netgalley
This companion novel to Just Roll With It can be read independently of that book. It centers on Ty, who suffered a broken arm that kept him from competitive swimming, an activity that he shared with longtime best friends, twins Max and Heather. Feeling sad and overwhelmed by his injury and unsure how to keep up his friendship without the common activity, Ty has retreated a bit. Even after the cast is off, he finds it difficult to answer texts from his friends, since he feels fat and generally miserable. All three go to the same summer camp after school is out, something they had been looking forward to. Swimming, canoe building, and other activities now hold no interest for Ty, who often ignores the attentions of his cabin mates in favor of staying in his bunk. He does do some exploring with Dan, who is interested in finding a stag beetle to take home, but this just seems to anger Max even further. Heather has confided that they were both sad at being ghosted, but didn't know how to reconnect. Max and Ty have constant tense interactions, but after their squabbling results in their canoe for the competition being damaged, Heather insists they talk it out. They come to an uneasy truce, and Ty agrees to participate in the swimming competition. The day of the even, however, finds him in the laundry room, washing clothes and spiraling into a depressive episode that involves him resorting to some self-harm, scratching his stomach and arms. He asks a counselor for help, and has another talk with Max, admitting how severe his situation is. Max confides that he has been so reactive because he thinks of Ty as more than a friend. Ty returns the feelings, and the two kiss. Heather admits that she has also been dealing with some troubling emotions after Max shared a song with a friend without her permission, but at an end of camp event, she sings the song and dedicates it to her girlfriend. Upon returning home, I hope that all three participate in some counseling to help regulate their emotions.
Strengths: This does pick up the thread of role playing games, with campers trying out a tabletop game, so readers of Just Roll With It will appreciate that. Summer camp is always a popular topic, so readers who enjoyed Be Prepared will be drawn to this. The artistic style is pleasant, and the camp scenes make ME want to go back and sleep on a cot in a leaky tent and swim in a lake. The idea of recovering from a sports injury will resonate with many young readers. The friend drama is intense, and again, always a popular topic. Books about anxiety and stress are on trend.
Weaknesses: I often refer to books that include a lot of sadness as "soggy", and Ty's emotions are shown as water engulfing him and making it hard for him to breathe, so he is definitely soggy in a lot of the book. Young readers might enjoy this more than I did; I find that swirling anxiety and constant bickering, while true to life, often slow down the plot of books.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed graphic novels like Ogle's Four Eyes, Page's Button Pusher, Sattin and Hickman's Buzzing. or Greene's A-Okay.
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