I’m beginning to feel a little Goldilocks. I’ve just read/listened to two books that were so sad and depressing I struggled to finish them. So, I wanted something light. But that didn’t mean silly. Dad Camp looked it might fit the bill. And it did, but with reservations.
Avery, 11, is entering that age when she no longer thinks of her father as her hero or her best friend. What’s the current ad that talks about the side hug? Yea, she’s at that stage although even a side hug might be too much. So, her dad, John, signs them up for a week-long father-daughter camp experience. It’s not giving anything away to say nothing goes according to John’s plans. The place looks nothing the pictures, the food is horrible and the camp director seems to have it out for John. And everything John tries to regain the closeness with Avery backfires.
John and Avery both felt real, although at times Avery came across as a little older than 11. Or maybe 11 year olds are older with this generation. John, all parents, has heard the stories about pre-teens, but thinks it’ll never apply to his relationships with Avery. He also has quite the ego when it comes to how he thinks of himself as a dad, so he’s really caught off guard. And he’s created a bad situation by making a very selfish decision concerning Avery.
This actually wasn’t as funny as I expected. It tried to go more for the emotional buttons - the feeling of time passing too quickly, decisions regretted and hurt feelings. We hear from each of the fathers in the form of letters they write. The other fathers tended towards cliches - the macho man, the workaholic, the stay at home dad. The storyline occasionally veered too far into sugary sweetness. I was hoping for something with a little more punch.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy of this book.netgalley52 s4 comments Jamie295 176

Dad Camp is a heart-warming novel about father-daughter relationships that will make you feel all the feels. My son just turned eleven two days ago and so there are certainly parts of this book that I can relate to. He's a pretty agreeable kid and for the most part still seems to us, but I'm definitely starting to catch glimpses of the teenage years ahead. For one, he doesn't find me as hilarious as he used to, which is slightly traumatic for me since I am the queen of “dad” jokes. I imagine in another year or two he'll be mortified to be seen in public with me, which, okay, fair enough – I've reached the point in life where I am perfectly happy to wear pajama pants in places that pajama pants don't normally venture. But, still, even though I'm happy to see him growing up and becoming more independent and developing his own interests, it's kind of bittersweet. And, in a nutshell, that's basically what this story is about.

I'm not gonna lie, this book was a little too saccharine for me at times. I'm not much into sappy, sentimental novels, so there were points in the narrative where I just wanted to roll my eyes. John is really obsessed with his daughter and being a dad, and while that's sweet and all, there is a lot of waxing poetic about it. At the same time, though, there's also enough humor to mostly counterbalance the sap, so I really didn't mind it as much as I might have otherwise.

And this book is definitely funny. John is a witty narrator, and some of the scenes involving the four dads “bonding” are delightful. I especially loved the group session involving Man Cards (“discussion topics for enlightened masculinity”) and the ensuing awkwardness.

The relationship between John and Avery is really quite endearing, too. Despite his flaws, John is obviously a good father and wants to do right by his daughter, and it's really sweet. Lou, too, is an awesome dad. The other two fathers could use a bit more work in the parenting department, and their redemptions are a big part of the storyline.

I can see this book appealing tremendously to the parents of preteen children, or anyone at any stage of parenting, really. It reminds me of the saying that “The days are long but the years are short,” because that's certainly true when it comes to watching your kids grow up.

Overall rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up. Dad Camp is a heart-warming (but somewhat sappy) foray into the world of parenting that will ly resonate with anyone who has a moody preteen of their own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.arcs-and-such fiction46 s5 comments Evan S PorterAuthor 1 book22

Hey! Author here. I recently wrote a letter to send out with the book when it goes to booksellers and librarians, it has a bit of the backstory behind the novel and some of the inspiration that went into it. If it's OK with you, I'd to share a bit of it here! Thank you for reading.

...

The story behind DAD CAMP starts with me being sandwiched in bed between my girls on a rainy afternoon in late 2020. Yeah, THAT 2020.

Even snuggled up between my two favorite people, I was feeling a shell of myself.

For months I had done little other than prepare snacks, clean up the resulting crumbs, change diapers, and try to be a teacher/friend/parent/entertainer all at once, 16+ hours per day. I rarely showered. Stealing a 10-minute workout in the garage was a major victory. I worked with a near constant soundtrack of Cocomelon.

I was miserable. All I wanted in that moment was for everyone to leave me alone. A little peace and quiet. To be able to take even a few minutes for myself. On either side of me was a girl I loved to pieces, but I was struggling to enjoy any of our time together and drowning in the guilt of it all.

Yes, writing this book was a way to keep my brain from turning into oatmeal, but it was also an outlet. A way to capture even just a slice of those confusing, contrasting emotions that make up parenting’s many small moments.

the exhaustion I feel when I need to check on my oldest daughter for the dozenth time before she’ll go to bed and I’m beyond ready to lay down in my own, but how when I peek into her room and see that she’s finally asleep I suddenly hope she never stops needing me to tuck her in.

Or when our little one has to stay home sick and I begrudgingly cancel all plans and productivity, but it all weirdly seems worth it when she’s got her little fever-ridden body wrapped around me for comfort.

How I want to be needed less, but I’m terrified of them growing up. How I love that I’m a dad before I’m anything else, but I miss pieces of who I was before. None of it makes any sense! But that’s parenting.

DAD CAMP’s pages contain all of my love for my daughters, my admiration for my wife, and every fear and insecurity I’ve ever had about being a father. Ultimately, I think it’s about losing, and rediscovering, your sense of identity as a parent. Writing this book has been a part of that rediscovery for me.

Thank you so much for reading. This novel is a celebration of the amazing bond between dads and their kids. If you know a good dad (or even one who’s just trying his best), tell him it reminded you of him. He’ll never admit it, but it’d mean the world to him.
26 s3 comments Amina 728 484

? 3 stars ?

“It's a wonder anyone has kids at all,” I laugh sadly. “It sure fucking hurts sometimes.”

“You can love and hate something at the same time,” Ryan says. “And yes, I said hate. It can be the hardest and most unforgiving thing a person ever does, and it can and will take everything from you. Everything.”

“But it’s impossible to even measure what it gives back,” I finish for him.

He nods, I read his mind.

“I’d start it all over again in an instant,” he adds. “You?”
“Of course,” Booker says.

A “Definitely” from Lou.
“In a heartbeat,” I say without even a thought.”

If you're ever in need of the equivalent of what a Dad-com would be , then Dad Camp would be the perfect example. I admit I really am not the target audience, that this story is highlighting the treasured and beautiful bond between fathers and their daughters - so this story in fact being something more fathers would relate to, I still think I would have enjoyed it a bit more, if the plot wasn't so very generic and predictable.
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