Title: The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Author: Emily Danworth
Summary: It’s Montana in the 1990’s. Cameron Post is 12 years old, spending the day with her best friend. She’s the classic protagonist, a little too quirky and a little too special for her own good, having an amazing afternoon. That very day, her parents die, and all she can feel is relief. Relief that the news wasn’t what she feared, and relieved that her parents would never know that she was kissing a girl hours before their untimely death.
Cameron Post is, to be completely candid, not the particularly special character. She’s the carbon copy of every girl in a lesbian romance. How many girls could she honestly get with in Montana at age 14? This doesn’t make her bad per say, but it just means she’s not the new and exciting character you may have wanted. I found much more realism and excitement in her love interest for the first half of the book, Coley Taylor; the cowgirl with a kind heart and a confused soul, whose motivations and mystery made her one of the most incredible love interests in a f/f book in a long time. If only the book had more of her, and less drama with Cameron’s aunt.
Of course, since this is a book about young lesbians there has to be the drama of everyone finding out, and the second half of the book is set at a de-gaying camp. We spend a bit too long here, but I still applaud the slightly different approach Emily Danworth took going here. Again, the characters Cameron interacts with are far more interesting then Cameron herself, particularly her roommate, a girl with a interesting new personality and mysterious motivations. The novel checks out every trope of a f/f novel, and while it is beautifully written and a very enjoyable ride, this book isn’t anything too special. I still recommend this to anyone who wants a exciting journey through the life of Cameron Post, and whose already checked out every other f/f book in the library.
If you like this, try reading: Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli , and Keeping you a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
Reviewer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Where can I find a copy?: Paper copy available at Fairfield Public Library and Pequot Library
Recommended by: Josie, a teen reader