Review – Dad Camp by Evan S. Porter
Synopsis
A heartwarming novel about a loving dad who drags his eleven-year-old daughter to “father-daughter week” at a remote summer camp—their last chance to bond before he loses her to teenage girlhood entirely.
After his daughter, Avery, was born, John gave it all up—hobbies, friends, a dream job—to be something a super dad. Since then, he’s spent nearly every waking second with Avery, who’s his absolute best bud. Or, at least, she was.
When now eleven-year-old Avery begins transforming into an eye-rolling zombie of a preteen who dreads spending time with him, a desperate John whisks her away for a weeklong father-daughter retreat to get their relationship back on track before she starts middle school.
But John’s attempts to bond only seem to drive his daughter further away, and his instincts tell him Avery’s hiding something more than just preteen angst. Even worse, the camp is far from the idyllic getaway he had in mind. John finds himself navigating a group of toxic dads that can’t seem to get along, cringe-worthy forced bonding activities, and a camp director that has it out for him. With camp and summer break slipping away fast, John’s determined to conquer it all for a chance to become Avery’s hero again.
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Review
Despite the slow start to this novel, the story really took off, and it was more about the relationship between a father and daughter during those tougher tween years, but at the same time, growth for the father in that relationship.
John has a wonderful bond with his daughter, Avery. That is until recently. This isn’t too unusual since Avery is hitting those tween years when most children start to figure out who they are without their parents. Well, John’s brilliant idea to take her to a daddy/daughter camp will either resolve issues or create more. This camp is quite interesting from the owner to the other guests. The owner is a bit quirky, and while it seems like he is overstepping in some areas, he really does put out some nuggets of wisdom for the dads. Then there are the other dads. They come with attitudes, secrets, and denial about their life choices. While the camp is meant to strengthen the bonds between father and daughter, it forges a friendship between the dads because maybe they are more alike than they think.
The story did feel rather depressing in the beginning. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish the book. However, once the pair arrive at camp, the story takes on a new angle. There are many funny moments and some poignant ones, too. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters. They really stepped up and helped each other realize some truths.
While I feel the book focuses a lot on the fathers, there are moments for the daughters to realize who they are, what kind of relationship they want with their dad, and that maybe they can do more than they ever thought. Avery has to learn a lot to tone down her competitive nature. I wonder if that has anything to do with being an only child.
I did like how the story would jump back in time and give us more backstory on John and Avery. This helps us understand who they are today and what might have gotten them there.
While the week may not have been what anyone wanted or had planned on, it resulted in some bonding moments for all those involved and perhaps a new insight into the father or daughter.
If you can get past the slower start, I think you will enjoy this debut novel. We give it 4 paws up.
About the Author
Evan S. Porter is a dad to two girls (8 and 3), a blogger, and a freelance writer. He runs the parenting blog Dad Fixes Everything and has contributed to Parents Magazine, The Onion News Network, AskMen, The Good Men Project, Upworthy, and more. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, two girls, two dogs, and not much in the way of elbow room. Dad Camp is his first novel.
