ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Nerdy, naive Abby can't wait to return to summer camp and see Rose, the older girl who was her friend last year. But this year Rose is busy, and Abby, irritated and hurt, must find someone else to hang out with. Will it be Shasta, the new girl who nobody likes but who shares some of Abby's interests; or punky Zoe (whose language reflects her desire to be supercool) and Beth, Zoe's hanger-on? It's the familar friendship story, unfolding in somewhat jerky episodes done up in sturdy black-and-white artwork reminiscent of scratchboard. The background will be familiar to any girl who ever went to camp, as will the story's emotional content: the hurtful backbiting, the jealousy, the fear of being ostracized, the rage at being duped, and the complete preoccupation of a first crush. There's even a sweet scene of a first delightful kiss. This may be well-trod territory, but it's traversed with a freshness, sureness, and understanding that speak very well for Larson, who was recongnized with a 2007 Eisner Award for new cartooning talent.

Kirkus Reviews

Eisner Award winner Larson effectively mixes magical realism with the timeless rituals of summer camp in this pitch-perfect graphic novel for tweens. After arriving at camp, bookish Abby finds herself torn between her familiar bunkmates and the intriguing new girl Shasta, who has an older boyfriend and claims to have been struck by lightning. Amid the rounds of swimming and hiking, Abby learns to stand up for her new friend when other girls judge her unfairly. Tensions rise when both girls find themselves attracted to the same boy (a sweetly nerdy Dungeon Master named Teal), but after Abby saves Shasta from a mysterious will-o'-the-wisp that results in a second near-lightning strike, they part amicably and Abby gets the guy. The clean black-and-white panels are detailed without being busy, and the addition of a supernatural element symbolic of the physical and emotional upheaval of adolescence deepens an otherwise typical camp story. Extensive how-to sections on rainy-day card games and friendship bracelets are an added bonus. A delightful addition to any duffle (or library). (Graphic novel. 10-14)

School Library Journal (Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Gr 5-8 Abby is back for another summer at camp. Her friend, Rose, three years older and now a cabin assistant, cannot spend much time with her so she seeks out new friends. Deni, a city girl who produces a constant stream of conversation about boys, soon comes down with a case of chiggers, and no one is sorry to see her leave. Shasta, a raven-haired girl, replaces her. She was late to arrive, she says, due to being struck by lightning. As is common, the cabinmates cannot all get along, and the others turn against Abby for befriending Shasta. Throw in summer crushes and particle-board camp food, and reading Chiggers provides a ticket to summer fun. Larson delicately handles both the usual middle-school angst and the additional pressures that come with being somewhat different. The style is more Craig Thompson ( Goodbye, Chunky Rice [Pantheon, 2006]) than Shojo Beat , and the content is perfect for upper elementary and middle school students. Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA