Fiona and Rachel became best friends at their sleep-away camp, Camp Marigold. Fiona came from an upper-class suburban family and Rachel was a city kid with a single mom and a father who had another family. For some reason, their differences strengthened their friendship over the years. Rachel is the risk-taker and Fiona the rule-follower, they always balanced each other out. Now it has been a few years since they were campers and they are returning as counselors after their first year at college. The years and independence of college have only magnified their differences. Camp this year is different, not only is Fiona's little sister, Helen, now at Camp Marigold but they have positions of responsibility. Fiona and Rachel have both changed, but are fighting to maintain their oldest friendship. Will their summer at Camp Marigold be the thing that tears their friendship apart or will the events of the summer only strengthen their relationship?
Perennials is one of those novels that will leave you with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. I only attended summer camp for one week as a teen and this novel invoked a rush of memories. Camp Marigold is everything you envision a summer camp to be. From the tent cabins to the counselor's lodge - it all was so vividly described I felt like I was there. The author's descriptions almost made me think of the summer camp in The Parent Trap. There are two stories going on in this book, though. That of Rachel and Fiona and then Fiona's sister, Helen and her bunkmate. Sheera. All four young women are struggling to figure things out - and that was also nostalgic to me. Being a teen was hard for me so I could relate. Rachel seemed the most "lost" and the "cliche" daddy-issue was a little frustrating, but ultimately I enjoyed the book. There was an ending that I was not expecting - a shocking event happens that takes your breath away. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS
Bottom line - Perennials is a coming-of-age story that will take you back to your own youthful adventures at summer camp. You will spot a little bit of yourself in the characters and in the stories of their time at Camp Marigold. A great read if you are already missing the days of summer.
Details:
- Perennials by Mandy Berman
- On Instagram
- Pages: 288
- Publisher: Random House Publishing
- Publication Date: 6/6/2017
- Buy it Here!
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