5 Pretzels.
Hey, gang, it’s been a minute. I haven’t blogged in a minute, but not following your own arbitrary blog schedule is not a crime. I know that because I just finished taking a law class. Finished yesterday, as a matter of fact.
Let’s get into this blog, shall we?
For book club this month, we read The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth. And, y’all, it’s so good.
A Synopsis, In Brief:
It’s the ’90s, Cameron Post is a young teen living in Montana, and she happens to be queer. Her parents die tragically and, through some teenage logic, she thinks they died because she was making out with her friend Irene. It’s totally not her fault, but it’s hard to argue against your own teen logic. Cameron and Granny Post are alone, kickin’ it, until Aunt Ruth swoops in to save the day. Aunt Ruthie makes some new rules, one of them being that they need to switch churches. She and Cameron join a church called God of Praise or some shit. Anyway, it’s abbreviated GOP and, if there’s one thing I know for sure, the GOP is not a good place for girls, women, or the Q+ folks.
Over the summer, Cameron kicks it with a few gals, but Colely Taylor is her main squeeze. Except Colely wants to keep it secret because she has a boyfriend. She also, for reasons I don’t really understand, her mom got her her very own apartment. So, Colely has her own place, her boyfriend is out of town, and she’s invited her secret girlfriend – who is totally infatuated with her – over to “hang out”. Things go as you would expect when two teens who are into each other are left alone and have access to rum. Probably very sweet gross rum. They’re, like, sixteen. Colely’s brother shows up – by the way, his name is Ty Taylor. He is absolutely as douchey as he sounds – catches them post act, and senses that something is going on. Cam leaves, Colely spills the tea, and Cameron gets blindsided. Like, absolutely blindsided. Blindsided and shipped off to a place called God’s Promise. Oh, girl, God’s Promise. What a load of shit.
God’s Promise is a conversion camp disguised as a therapy center run by a severely repressed gay man and his sadistic aunt. So, you know, a super healthy, fun place to send a child. The children – I think it’s important to keep in mind that these are children – are forced to go to therapy with Rick and Lydia. What are there qualifications, you might ask? They don’t have any. Oh, Rick dresses real casual and can play the guitar, so I guess that means he’s relatable and in touch with the kids. Lydia doesn’t even try to relate to the kids; she’s just a monster person.
Here’s the thing, though, despite all the awfulness, Cameron finds some super great friends in this nightmarescape. Jane Fonda and Adam Eagle are so, so good for her. And each other.
You guys, the end of this book, it’s just do perfect. It’s open-ended, which is one of my favorite things about a good book. Sometimes we don’t get to know everything.
So, basically, read the hell out of this book. You won’t regret it.
Alright, fam, that’s all I have for now. But I’ll try to get back to reviewing on the reg.
Okay, byyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Smoky Lynx
Holland + Harper Productions 