The Literary Apothecary

I received the ARC for this book in exchange for consideration of a review from NetGalley. Dad Camp releases on June 11, 2024 – yes! I’m actually early for once!

Dad Camp is a heartwarming, funny novel about a loving dad who drags his eleven-year-old daughter to a father-daughter summer camp during her last week of summer vacation, their last chance to bond before he loses her to teenage girlhood and endless eyerolls (at the moment it’s only occasional eye rolls, usually well timed).

CAWPILE Breakdown:

Characters: 7.5 – The characters seemed pretty sterotypical but what made it more fun was that you got a lot of the classic dad/father stereotypes.

Atmosphere/Setting: 9 – Porter did a fantastic job with the atmosphere and setting.

Writing Style: 7 – Although Porter’s writing style was a bit simpler than I am used to, he balanced the scenes with humor and heartwarming moments well. I loved all the dad jokes.

Plot: 8 – Although the plot was simple, it was also effective and it showed some moments from a different perspective – which I appreciated. Not every book has to be overly complicated.

Intrigue: 5 – There were a few moments where I could see Porter attempting to draw in some intrigue, but for the most part, there wasn’t much.

Logic/Relationships: 9 – Honestly, the best part of this whole novel for me. I loved seeing the relationships develop.

Enjoyment: 8 – I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I expected a simple, father daughter bonding book – which it was, but it also brought more to the table that I expected.

CAWPILE Total: 53.5/7 = 7.6 = 4/5 stars