Book Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth
Relief. That was what Cameron felt after she found out her parents suddenly died of a car crash. Relieved that her parents would never find out that just a few hours before the accident, she kissed her best friend, Irene. She kissed a girl.
Her Aunt Ruth comes into the picture and becomes her guardian. She then meets another girl, Coley, who will turn her life upside down...For the worst? Or for the better? You guys decide.
What a great coming of age book that deals with loss, lgbtq, finding yourself and trying to live. This book was over a thousand pages on my iPhone which were one of the reasons why it took me a month to finish. However, this was also a very difficult read, in a sense that it was written so vividly in all aspects - from describing ones thoughts, emotions, places, smell, physical sensations etc. I had to read most parts not just once, but sometimes even twice or thrice to really understand the characters perspective.
I gave this book a 4/5 rating - on my Instagram - because there were many instances in the story that I could relate to and also, Danforth was great at portraying the protagonist's feelings. There was one point where Cameron was betrayed and yet she still had feelings for that person who put her in a place where she shouldn't be. Like......I GET IT!!! I KNOW IT! I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS!
Anywayyyy, this would have been a 5/5 if only it didn't drag on for too long with all the super detailed places, or like...how the weather felt etc...but maybe that was needed in order to give context to how Cameron felt as a person??? I think maybe that's what Danforth was trying to do? But in my honest opinion, I don't think it was necessary.
Now the ending. Others may feel like it wasn't enough, but I personally loved it. After Cam's parents died, she never had the chance to properly mourn them in her own way I think. The ending for me felt like it was her break-free moment. She finally got the chance to talk to them the way that she needed to.
