Episode 028: Camp
“Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It's where he met his best friends. It's where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it's where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim - who's only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists.
This year, though, it's going to be different. Randy has reinvented himself as 'Del' - buff, masculine and on the market. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish and his unicorn bedsheets, he's determined to get Hudson to fall for him.
But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself how much is he willing to change for love. And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn't know who he truly is?”
The book was published in 2020 by Little, Brown and Company. What a year to have published a book about going outside to Summer camp eh?
This week we are reviewing “Camp” by by L.C. Rosen, a book where we go to a summer camp for queers where inclusion and acceptance is high, but our main character is changing who they are to win the heart of one specific camper. Since it’s the height of summer, it’s clearly a seasonal pick to review this now!
You can either listen to the podcast above, or you can read below for a majority of the transcript of the podcast! Now as always, our discussion will begin with a brief summary of the book followed by spoiler free thoughts and feelings. This will be followed by an in-depth discussion of some of the key plot points that occurred and we will then finish off with my overall rating of the book and a heads up about what we are looking at next time. If you have not had a chance to read Camp and don’t want to hear any spoilers, then please feel free to skip the detailed section and listen to it afterwards if you so wish.
From the synopsis we just heard, it’s probably fairly easy to assume that the story will be another predictable rom-com scenario where Randy changes himself to win the boy, only to figure out he is fine as he is and actually he gets together with the friend that has supported them all along. Well without spoiling things yet, I can say that although the story does follow some of those tropes, it does also get creative and actually contain twists to the rom-com formula that keeps the progression interesting. So although it is an easy read, it doesn’t mean it is 100% predictable.
The writing flows well and since it is a book for young adults, I felt it was a fairly easy & quick read. But just because it’s for younger readers doesn’t mean it holds its punches! It’s actually a very realistic tone it takes with its teen characters where they will openly talk about sex and will have passionate make-out sessions that start to get a bit steamy. Teens can be very horny with all those hormones popping off, so it makes everything more believable as a story to not hide this fact from the reader. It’s also entertaining to see counsellors who might also be liberal in how they talk having to watch their steps as they engage with the teens, even if we all know the teens say much worse at times.
With these kinds of books, you usually see a lot of flat supporting characters, but Rosen has actually taken the time to flesh out the whole cast. Both George and Ashleigh, Randy’s key friends at camp, are fully fleshed out and have their own views on things and even undergo their own summer romance dramas that are peppered throughout the book. And the camp counsellors are also their own people with unique ways of interacting with the kids while also giving us a deep appreciation of the strength and challenges that are involved in coming out. AND it is sometimes a bit hard to find representations of queer friendships, but the book does have a lot of supportive friendships around Randy and Hudson, which is so refreshing! Not all queer people need to sleep with each other after all.
It is a really lovely idea to think of a place where people could just be their authentic selves for the summer while they are young and (hopefully) carefree. And it’s not the only amazing theme within the book! At different stages in the book we attend Joan’s queer history lessons, and we get small lessons on what is gender vs. sexuality, the Mattachine Society & the Daughters of Bilitis, glimpses into key people in our history like Lucy Hicks Anderson and Christine Jorgensen. It’s a really clever way of educating the teens in the book but also reminding the reader of our own shared history!
One of the key lessons throughout the whole book however is that there is no one way to be queer and that we need to process internal homophobia and challenge toxic masculinity. This is cleverly done from the outset, with the title of the book being a play on the term summer camp but also the camp versus butch nature of people and it is then explored throughout the plot with the need for someone to change who they are to be seen as attractive to someone. And as we explore one of the main characters we strike at the very heart of toxic masculinity mindsets while also showing how parental choices to inflict emotional abuse on people, can have repercussions as they develop and they can then become perpetrators of the very things they suffered against.
In terms of representation, the book is a really positive portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community and it is really nice to have the focus of an all queer summer camp. We get specific mentions and issues raised for gay, lesbian, demisexual, aromantic, asexual, trans, gender non-conforming, and MORE, which honestly, I think this book has earned applause just for the wide spectrum of the community it manages to make reference to, if not shine a spotlight on through key characters!
Final Feelings and Recommendation
Now who to recommend this to? Well I think this is the perfect book for young readers or for people who are still early on their journey of discovering their queer identity, as this book is easy to read and provides such a positive outlook to being part of the LGBTQ+ community that some might need to hear early on. Or for anyone who is losing their way a little bit, it is a nice comfort stop to remind us that there are so many fucking ways to be queer!
In terms of a rating, I would give this 5 out of 10 rainbow flags on the camp flag pole. This is mainly since I don’t think I am the main target of the message, as although the messages it delivers are excellent, it comes across a bit too teen and rom-com sweet for my personal taste. But I do highly praise it for its positive queer portrayal and the issues it cramps into only 350 pages!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Now, just a reminder that at this point, I will be going into a more detailed analysis of the book which means there will be spoilers! If you haven’t managed to read Camp yet and you don’t want anything spoiled, then this is your last chance to avoid the discussion. Or you can go ahead and close the page, go read the book and then come back afterwards to finish reading. I promise I won’t mind. Still here? Well then, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
We jump straight into the book with Randy arriving at camp for the summer, and we get to quickly know what his internal thinking is and how we will win over his camp crush by having a complete makeover in who he is as a person. The premise of changing who you are for one person is something I am sure many of us see as a foolish endeavour, and it is called out by Randy’s friends that how can you really have a relationship where you aren’t your true self.
I don’t think anyone should be radically changing who they are to win the attention of someone. It’s fine to tweak parts of who you are since we are all developing as our life experiences shape who we are, and making compromises on things in relationships is expected since it’s two individuals changing together. But to lie about who you are almost completely is bound to have repercussions, as we will see throughout the book.
We also quickly meet some of our supporting cast. We have Mark, the counsellor in charge of Randy’s cabin who questions the changes but respects Randy’s choices, he just has his best interests at heart and will be sad to not have him participating in the theatre production that happens at the end of summer. And we also meet George and Ashleigh, his best friends, who although George is supportive if it’s something he really wants, will be sad not to be in the show together. And Ashliegh does provide that supportive dose of realism where she will be there for him but isn’t sure this is the best plan of action.
Somehow though, the plan is working as Hudson approaches, assuming Randy is new to camp. There is some flirting, along with some very subtle hints about Hudson's feelings of the campers in Randy’s cabin, before he encourages him on what camp activities to select so they can spend more time together. Who knew a quick name change, a change of clothing, and totally rewriting your whole personality would work so well!?
During the early chapters we do get some flashbacks to previous summers, and this is actually really useful in making the attraction to Hudson more believable, as at times I felt Hudson was a bit of a dick, although there is a reason for this we will find out later on. In the past Hudson has been very charismatic when giving speeches during the camp colour wars (understandable why you might swoon for that) and he has talked about how queer love is special because it can be so much harder out in the world (that is pretty sweet to be fair).
But the linchpin for Randy’s attraction seems to stem from an incident in their first year at camp with Hudson, where Hudson’s grandmother had recently passed. It seems that they shared bunk beds and during the night, Randy woke up to the sounds of Hudson crying. He talked to him and made him feel better, and he even rubbed Hudson’s backlike his grandmother used to, although because it was in the dark so he didn’t see Randy’s face and he was sleepy, by the time morning comes Hudson assumes it was just a random dream. No wonder Randy crushed hard with such intimacy eh? Even this Babeushka has crushed on a straight boy for intimate things like him brushing my hair while out camping.
So the flirting begins between our two leads, and trust me, there is a lot of flirting over the summer between these two. And in the pool, Hudson is joined by his friend Brad who is swiftly taken aside by George when he almost blows Randy’s cover! Thankfully, it seems most of the camp gets onside and keeps quiet about Randy’s transformation, which I find amazing as no way can you usually convince a whole gang of teenagers to all do the same thing!
Now it wouldn't be camp romance without a tree where couples inscribe their initials, and of course Randy has a plan to get his friends to show him the tree within earshot of Hudson to start up a conversation on taking things slowly. This is mainly due to the track record that Hudson has of dating someone for 2 weeks, getting down to the sexy time, breaking up with them, and then continuing the pattern. Randy is determined to succeed in taming this wild stallion where others have failed, even if he has to lie through his teeth to do it.
And best part of all? It turns out Hudson lies about the initials of HAL being somebody else on the tree and not his initials, so it seems like both our leads are bloody liars! Well, that was a twist! How is anyone going to really build a relationship here with all these lies going on.
During some interactions at different points, we see Hudson have some adverse reactions to a variety of queer things. He kinda freaks out about the idea of Brad wearing nail polish when hearing he is interested in George, he feels uncomfortable at the idea of body glitter, and talks about gay world and the normal world as if they are separate places! He is also challenged by the gender theory talk that happens in one pool scene, clearly being pushed out of his comfort zone as he questions his perceptions and ideas. There is clearly more to be picked at here as the stories goes on, but it's clear that there is some gatekeeping on what being queer should be as well as some internal homophobia going on.
At some point our leads go on a hike which gets a bit steamy, and as Randy applies the breaks we do get a bit more tender, discussing how they came out to their parents. Although we hear Randy’s parents were supportive, having even encouraged him to come to this camp, Hudson’s situation was not as cheerful. Although his grandmother was supportive, his parents were colder and assumed she had put ideas in his head. It emphasises that not everyone's coming out story is the same, and sadly not all of us will be embraced with open arms when we show our authentic selves.
Randy and Hudson eventually end up as Captains for the Colour Wars, the camp-wide event with various activities for each cabin to compete in. Tick for the whole playing on different sides analogy, especially when Randy decides his cabin can complete the obstacle course challenge against Hudson’s cabin. Oooh the tension, however will this turn out I wonder.
During the run up to the colour wars, we do see Randy getting some fair criticism from those in his cabin about how he is never there with them anymore even though they were all close the last few years, and it does eventually get to Randy. It is something Randy has also struggled with, feeling the pull of what he wants to do all summer versus what he feels he has to do. It reaches a head when they hear about what activity they will be doing in the colour wars, and they feel like he is setting them up to fail. So, it is time for a bold plan!
When the day arrives for the obstacle course challenge, we see Randy has gone full out in a sequin jumpsuit and makeup to really rally his team and show he is still part of their group. And we see that his faith in the cabin was well founded, as his team not only holds its own on the challenges but actually manages to beat Hudsons! Again reinforcing the theme we have seen that if we stop looking at activities as not for us, but see where there are comparisons to what we already do and know, we do have the potential to excel!
Hudson flips out and storms off, so Randy follows to try and see why he is taking it so badly. It’s during this argument that we get the reveal that Hudson’s parents didn’t actually take their kid being gay very well and one day when he asked for some blue eye shadow like his grandmother used to wear, his mother flips out, physically restraining him while calling him a faggot in a fit of rage. His dad further compounds this trauma that night by saying that mom is sorry and that he is special to them, but special because he isn’t a stereotype or a sissy, he is unique in his gayness because he fits so well into the hetro-normative ideal.
It really lays bear that the trauma inflicted upon him by his parents has had lasting damage in how he perceives others, as well as himself. It’s this internalised homophobia making it hard to accept that anyone who presents as femme could possibly beat him at anything sporty, and it’s being taken as a personal insult to him that he could lose to people his parents, and to some extent himself, see as lesser queers.
During the argument, Randy mentions that when Hudson has given his speeches in previous years, he clearly wasn’t talking about being truly unique and wonderful, but instead was taking it to mean being more masc and blend into hetro-normative society. Although he doesn’t clock it right away, Hudson then asks about how Randy could know what he has said in previous years, and so we have the unplanned reveal about the whole plan. Understandably, Hudson is angry and upset at this, now assuming he has been made a fool of all summer and everyone has just been laughing at him behind his back.
In the heat of the moment, Hudson ends up calling Randy a faggot, and it completely turns the whole scenario cold. Randy chooses to just walk away, with Hudson already realising just how much of a fuck up that was and trying to back pedal, but Randy leaves regardless, clearly the rose glasses are fully off now. Mark is sympathetic and although he can’t have Randy back in the theatre show since it’s too late in the summer, he does allow him to come along as assistant director, not in pity but because he is a valuable asset to the team. So Randy once again embraces who he truly is.
Now as with any good rom-com setting, there needs to be something that forces these two boys to talk about what happened. And so it is here that Randy remembers that the annual canoe trip is about to happen, where all the campers actually camp out on one of the islands in the lake, and that means sharing a tent with who he signed up with….Hudson!
Randy tries to get out of this by asking George to swap with him, however Brad accosts him while at the swimming pool as he had been looking forward to some alone time with him and it’s not right for either of them to be punished for Randy’s choices. Brad actually gives some sound advice, telling Randy to face this head on, talk to Hudson, and apologise, since Hudson has had a long-held belief challenged and has fallen in love with someone, only for the person to then abandon them, adding to their confusion.
As they get to the island, Hudson does try and engage Randy who resists talking, making the whole sharing a tent thing tense. There is a cliched hurt ankle at some point during the time on the island, and so they eventually end up talking things out! Hallelujah! Hudson admits to still liking Randy and that he has been repressing himself over the years but actually, Randy’s interpretation of his words is much better and healthier, and so he does want to embrace other aspects of who he is. Which does involve painting each other's nails as well as a very steamy make-up scene. Although the campers had been speaking openly before now, I honestly didn’t expect how graphic things would get so just a heads up on this for anyone not comfortable with smut.
Now the last part of the story does seem to wrap up quite quickly, which is a shame as I do feel there could have been a bit more time to explore the tension of Hudson’s parents coming to see the play at the end of camp. Although Hudson is embracing previously repressed activities, Randy is aware that it might not be safe for him to present in a certain way when his parents come, otherwise there is a risk he won’t be allowed back again.
It’s a painful thing to read, someone having to repress themselves for others, but it is in his best interest to keep him safe while he still needs his parents to provide for him. But all is not lost, as Randy encourages him to stay resilient and they plan on how to keep in touch over the year till they can reunite next summer camp. It’s something that leaves me questioning what happened after the novel ends, whether or not this all came down to being just a summer fling where both characters developed but didn't stay together forever and how the year with his changed mindset affected Hudson.