book review - The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland

After going hard with a few thrillers in a row I needed something lighter and this YA choice popped up in my amazon first reads and I jumped at it. It's not something I would usually pull; if I'm reading YA it's usually supernatural or dystopia or something other than a sweet tale about kids at camp.

Camp Padua is a special camp for teens with issues and we quickly meet a cast of characters that run the spectrum from eating disorders, self harm and potential mental illness. Zander, our MC doesn't reveal why she has been sent to camp. But we know that something bad happened at her last swim meet. She meets a boy; Grover Cleveland - yes after the president- who is insistent that he loves her. Zander hates feelings.

I was quickly wrapped up in the quick pace and emotional range from the kids at the camp. We follow them through various activities and watch them come out of their shells. Zander meets a girl named Cassie who is mean to everyone. She has attended camp before and is friends with Grover. Their group also includes a compulsive liar who calls himself Alex Trebek. I won't spoil anything as despite the fairly low stakes for the majority of the book, there's a lot of secrets held by these kids and they are teased out wonderfully as they open up to each other.

It's a sweet story, but not without tension and a great read for both lovers of the genre and anyone willing to take a quick vacation to Camp Padua.

I rate it four and a half stars.

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The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland is available on Amazon