Camp (novel)
{{Short description|2020 book by L. C. Rosen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Camp
| image = Camp (novel).jpeg
| image_size =
| author = Lev A. C. Rosen
| illustrator =
| country =
| language = English
| genre = Young adult fiction
| publisher = Little, Brown and Company
| pub_date = May 26, 2020
| pages = 384
| awards =
| isbn = 978-0-316-53775-9
| website =
}}
Camp is a young adult fiction novel written by Lev A. C. Rosen and published in 2020 by Little, Brown. The book tells the story of Randall Kapplehoff, a gay teen who goes every year to a queer summer camp and is finally ready to start a relationship with his crush.
Plot
Camp follows Randall Kapplehoff, a gay teen who goes to Camp Outland, a queer summer camp, every year. Randall is interested in musical theatre but rebrands himself as Del and makes himself more masculine to impress his crush, Hudson, a "masculine 'straight-acting' muscled deity."{{Cite web |date=2020-06-08 |title=LC Rosen on 'Camp' and writing YA fiction for LGBTQ+ teens |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2020/06/l-c-rosen-interview-camp-jack-of-hearts/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Penguin |language=en}}
Throughout the book, readers receive lessons about the LGBT community and its history, including definitions of genders and sexualities readers may be unfamiliar with, what happened before Stonewall, the Mattachine Society, and more. Further, the book tackles both societal and internalized homophobia.
Background
Although Rosen did not attend a summer camp for queer kids, the physical layout of Camp Outland is based on a Jewish summer camp Rosen attended and worked at for several years.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-26 |title=Alex Sanchez and L.C. Rosen: Coming Out, Superpowers and Camp |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=931 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Shelf Awareness}} Rosen's camp didn't have a drama cabin, but Rosen spent years in theater.
Rosen modeled the story off the 1960s romantic comedies featuring Rock Hudson and Doris Day;{{Cite web |last=Lavoie |first=Alaina |date=2021-06-21 |title=Q&A With L. C. Rosen, Camp |url=https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-l-c-rosen-camp/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=We Need Diverse Books |language=en-US}} he "wanted a vintage-feeling screwball sex comedy but for contemporary queer teens."
The book's title has multiple meanings: "summer camp, camp in the sense of drag queens and also camp in the sense that playing butch is a form of camp, too."
Reception
Publishers Weekly called the book a "fun, inclusive story that's sex-, romance-, and LGBTQ-positive",{{cite web |title=Children's Book Review: Camp by L.C. Rosen |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-53775-9 |website=Publishers Weekly |access-date=August 16, 2021 |language=en}} while Kirkus Reviews said "[t]his novel has the appeal of a rom-com movie-makeover but with more substantive explorations".{{cite web |title=CAMP |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/l-c-rosen/camp-rosen/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |access-date=August 16, 2021 |language=en}}
Shelf Awareness highlighted how the book "unashamedly celebrates queerness" as "Rosen explores these identities without ever making them feel like stereotypes or ignoring prejudices in the community."{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Lana |date=2020-06-12 |title=Camp |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=927 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Shelf Awareness}}
Maggie Reagan, who reviewed for Booklist, noted Rosen's attempt to tackle issues present in the LGBT community, such as internal biases and prejudices, similarly to how he did in his 2018 book, Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts). Reagan ended the review by calling the book "[a]n essential pick for teens figuring out who and how to love."{{cite journal |last1=Reagan |first1=Maggie |title=Camp |journal=The Booklist |date=April 1, 2020 |volume=116 |issue=15 |page=74}} Camp was featured by The Booklist in its list of the ten best romances for young adults published between September, 2019 and August, 2020.{{cite journal |title=Top 10 Romance Fiction for Youth |journal=The Booklist |date=September 2020 |volume=117 |issue=1/2 |page=120}}
Camp was named one of the best books of the year by ALMA Magazine,{{Cite web |last=Silverman |first=Laura |date=2020-03-23 |title=All the Jewish YA to Read in 2020 |url=https://www.heyalma.com/all-the-jewish-ya-to-read-in-2020/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Hey Alma |language=en-US}} Booklist,{{Cite book |date=2021-01-01 |title=Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2020 |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Booklist-Editors-Choice/pid=9743352 |access-date=2022-08-19 |via=Booklist}} Elle,{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-12-31 |title=The 63 Best Books of 2020 |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g29954140/best-books-2020/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=ELLE |language=en-US}} The Guardian,{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Imogen Russell |date=2020-05-30 |title=Children's books roundup – the best new picture books and novels |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/30/childrens-books-roundup-the-best-new-picture-books-and-novels |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} The Today Show,{{Cite web |last=Tolin |first=Lisa |date=2020-12-11 |title=25 of our favorite books for kids, tweens and teens in 2020 |url=https://www.today.com/shop/best-kids-books-t203124 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}} and School Library Journal.{{Cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=Susannah |last2=Hershberger |first2=Katy |last3=Knapp |first3=Maggie |last4=Leffel |first4=Ashley |last5=Riemer |first5=Carla |date=2020-11-23 |title=Best Young Adult Books 2020 {{!}} SLJ Best Books |url=https://www.slj.com/story/best-young-adult-books-2020-slj-best-books |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=School Library Journal}}
| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Awards for Camp !Year !Award !Result !Ref. |
| rowspan="2" |2020
|Booklist |Top 10 |
| Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth
|Selection |
| rowspan="2" |2021
|American Library Association Rainbow List |Top 10 |{{Cite book |date=2021-03-15 |title=Rainbow List: 2021 |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Rainbow-List/pid=9746003 |access-date=2022-08-19 |via=Booklist}} |
| Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult
|Finalist |
Film adaptation
In October 2021, it was announced that Camp would be adapted into a film for HBO Max And Warner Bros. The film will be directed by Billy Porter and produced by Dan Jinks with the screenplay written by Kit Williamson and Robert O’Hara.{{Cite web |last=Fernández |first=Alexia |date=2021-10-26 |title=Billy Porter to Direct and Star in Film Adaptation of the YA Novel Camp for HBO Max |url=https://people.com/movies/billy-porter-to-direct-and-star-in-film-adaptation-of-the-ya-novel-camp-for-hbo-max/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=People |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=2021-10-26 |title=Billy Porter To Direct 'Camp' For HBO Max And Warner Bros |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/billy-porter-camp-hbo-max-1234862218/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Porter will also play Mark, the camp's theater director.