Book Review: Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer

Title: Camp Prodigy
Author: Caroline Palmer
Pages: 256
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay
Synopsis:

After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one they’re the worst musician at their school. Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place. But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Camp Prodigy is a fun and heartwarming read by Caroline Palmer. I really enjoyed the story and messages, and the characters and representation are fantastic. I have a middle grade musically inclined daughter who is dealing with many of the struggles the characters in this GN are, so as soon as I finished, I had her read it, too. She loved it and went to school to recommend it to the librarian. I think the characters, illustrations, and themes of friendship, identity, boundaries, and being true to yourself resonated with both of us.

The story follows Tate and Eli, two non-binary characters who both attend a camp for musical prodigies. Their growing friendship is a highlight of the story, and it’s so lovely to see them both learning about and from each other. And the camp setting includes such a warm and accepting community of kids and adults. It’s a positive backdrop to the story. I wish there were a place like that around here where I could send my middle-grader.

The illustrations are fantastic too. The style is bright, bold, and fun, and so expressive. It flows well and captures the essence of the book perfectly. I would definitely recommend Camp Prodigy to middle grade readers and lovers of graphic novels. It’s a heartwarming and touching story and the perfect read for Pride month! Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

• The characters.

• The messages.

• The illustrations.

• The representation.

“That’s the point of opening up to people. When you’re sacred, or struggling they’ll want to help. And you won’t be alone.”

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