Book Review: Camp Confidential Series
Attention, Summer Campers!
Summertime. To me, it used to mean long days at the pool, drippy ice cream cones with sprinkles, and riding my bike up and down the street with my BFF, Nicole. Oh yeah, and one 4th grade summer — after begging, pleading, and bargaining with my mom — I went to gymnastics camp. Finally! It was going to be going to my very first sleepaway camp. With one condition — my mom was a chaperone. Ahh, yes. Well, that’s a story for another time . . .
Anyhow, in this great new series I recently discovered, Camp Confidential by Melissa J. Morgan, I got to flashback to my days at gymnastics camp. But this time, the stories are totally better!
I just finished the first book, Natalie’s Dilemma (which you can read online right here!). In it, Natalie is an 11 year-old NYC city chick who is more interested in fresh sushi than fresh air. She can’t believe her mom has sentenced her to Camp Lakeview (aka Camp Lake-Puke) in the middle of nowhere, where she has to exist alongside disgusting bugs, not to mention clean toilets as a daily chore. (Yech!) However, she meets some pretty cool girls and has some equally cool experiences, really bonding with her bunkmates. But then we find out she has a secret she’s been hiding from everyone.
SPOILER ALERT: Close your eyes and skip down to the spoiler-free zone if you don’t want to know Natalie’s secret!
It turns out her dad is a famous Hollywood action-movie star! (Hello — not the worst secret in the world!)
SPOILER-FREE ZONE RESUMES HERE: I really liked this book, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Each book (there are 20) is told from a different character’s point of view. So Book #1 is about Natalie, #2 is about Jenna, #3 is about Grace, and so on. It kind of reminds me of The Baby-sitters Club series (by Ann M. Martin), how they rotate characters throughout the books. It also reminds me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (a YA series by Ann Brashares), because the girls go their separate ways during the school year, but always come back together at camp.
Some of the online reviews had me laughing too. I especially liked:
“this book rocks my socks!”
and
“OMG I totally luved this book so much. Best series ever!”
Have you read this series? If so, let me know what you think. Also — I’m dying to hear any juicy camp stories! Are you going to summer camp this year? What’s been your worst camp experience ever? What are the most popular types of summer camp? And what’s your DREAM summer camp? (Not sure about that last one: check out this summer camp personality quiz on our Allie Finkle site!)
Happy camping! (Okay, I’ll stop now.)
— Ratha, STACKS Writer
i love camp confidential Natalie's secret it is really kool and awsome
Comment #51 | Posted by: kiki2498 on October 01, 2010 at 05:55 PM
BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!
I cant put the book done after a chapter I have to know what happens next!!!!!!! ;))))) [:]
Comment #52 | Posted by: Bc on October 12, 2010 at 10:50 PM
the series is the best. does anyone know if there is going to be a 26th one
Comment #53 | Posted by: claire on October 18, 2010 at 02:44 PM
I love these books! I'm reading book 16 right now 25 just came out!! I love Nat and Tori the best! These books rock my world!!!:)
Comment #54 | Posted by: Leah on October 19, 2010 at 03:24 PM
Nelle I agree! 14 was oh so scary!
Comment #55 | Posted by: Leah on October 19, 2010 at 03:29 PM
umm sorry but there are 25 books and i have them all they are awesome! have fun reading them all
Comment #56 | Posted by: unknown on October 21, 2010 at 08:52 PM
I'm reading Natalie's Secret right now, and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Comment #57 | Posted by: GryffindorWolf on December 10, 2010 at 07:09 PM
natalies secret was awesome ive only got six books left to read
Comment #58 | Posted by: tess on January 11, 2011 at 01:28 AM
omg i luv nat she is so cool i finished the 25 book it was awsome im wondering if they hav a 26 book lol
Comment #59 | Posted by: grace was here on February 05, 2011 at 08:49 PM
i love natile she just amazing . is there a 26 book? hope so that be great for nat and peter.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment #60 | Posted by: grace was here on February 05, 2011 at 09:00 PM
i love nat she is just a mazing! Is there a 26 book?Hope so that would be great for nat and peter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment #61 | Posted by: gracie on February 05, 2011 at 09:03 PM
i luv nat shes just awsome! Is there a 26 book? HOPE SO CUZ I HOPE NAT AND PETER DONT GET TOGETHER I HOPE LOGAN AND NAT SHOULD GET TOGETHER
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment #62 | Posted by: gracie on February 05, 2011 at 09:51 PM
i tots luv nat she is just amazing and so is brynn!Is there a 26 book?I hope so cuz i hope nat and peter dont get together!!!!!And also i hope brynn and mysery boy are geting together!!!!!!!
poor priya though!!But i hope that nat and logan get together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reply soon And no bad comments
Comment #63 | Posted by: gracie on February 05, 2011 at 11:03 PM
i luv ur books melissa hope make more!i like ur new seris
Comment #64 | Posted by: gracie on February 12, 2011 at 03:10 PM
I LOVE THIS SERIES I HAVE ABOUT 4 BOOKS LEFT TO READ!!!
Comment #65 | Posted by: LOVE2READ on February 18, 2011 at 07:28 PM
I love these books! I've read all 25 and I am hoping more come out! It's such a fun series that I can relate 2! My favourite book was number 14 cuz it was scary but it has a happy ending! I totally reccomend this book 2 teen girls how have or are going to summer camp!
Enjoy
Comment #66 | Posted by: Slush on February 26, 2011 at 02:09 PM
I love this books i reada it over and over again and never get bored.
Comment #67 | Posted by: br3nda on May 23, 2011 at 03:22 PM
These are like the best books in the world. I am on the 21st book and i wish there were more than just 26 books in the series. I totally LOVE these books!
Comment #68 | Posted by: yo yo on June 05, 2011 at 01:56 PM
i love the book all i kneed is 3 more to read i love them
Comment #69 | Posted by: sara on June 18, 2011 at 09:47 PM
OMG i looove these books i have all of them they are GREAT!!!
Comment #70 | Posted by: What? on June 19, 2011 at 11:11 PM
I LOVE THESE SERIES THEY ARE AWESOME
IM 14 BUT I STILL LOVE THEM
THANK YOU MELLISSA J MORGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment #71 | Posted by: yasmine on October 04, 2011 at 02:33 PM
WHERE CAN YOU READ GRACES TWIST ONLINE AND THE REST I ONLY READ THE FIRST 2~!!!!!!!!
Comment #72 | Posted by: CAMP CONFIDENTIAL! on January 17, 2012 at 03:04 PM
I love these! The girls are all so nice to each other! The boys are so fab! I like priya, Brynn, Alyssa, and Alex the most. Tori and grace r cool too. I wish the boys in my homeroom were as nice as Simon, and Adam. This book is really special because it gives you a sense of unity, all of them stick together and are United!!!
I actually want to go to an 8 week camp now b/c of these books. I really enjoy them. This sounds weird but id rather read this than Harry potter. These books make me happy, and a nicer person.
Comment #73 | Posted by: alli on February 20, 2012 at 10:05 PM
where was alex and grace in book #21? when the girls went to camp wawa?
Comment #74 | Posted by: o-o on March 19, 2012 at 06:04 PM
i think Camp Confidential is a gr8 series!
i think they should make a movie!:) anyone agree?
Comment #75 | Posted by: iluvFL on October 10, 2012 at 03:11 PM