Set in rural Montana in the early 1990s, emily m. danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a powerful and widely acclaimed YA coming-of-age novel in the tradition of the classic Annie on My Mind. Cameron Post feels a mix of guilt and relief when her parents die in a car accident. Their deaths mean they will never learn the truth she eventually comes to—that she's gay. Orphaned, Cameron comes to live with her old-fashioned grandmother and ultraconservative aunt Ruth. There she falls in love with her best friend, a beautiful cowgirl. When she’s eventually outed, her aunt sends her to God’s Promise, a religious conversion camp that is supposed to “cure” her homosexuality. At the camp, Cameron comes face to face with the cost of denying her true identity. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and provocative literary debut that was a finalist for the YALSA Morris Award and was named to numerous “best” lists.
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Phenominal
By SGH
I have never been compelled to write a review before, but: this novel was such a gift, a treasure and an experience for me that I need to. For a few days, I had the pleasure of ingesting this novel, growing to know and care for its main character, Cameron, whose life and complexity captured my heart. After spending nearly 500 pages together, I think of Cameron as someone I know, who struggles through the challenges of growing up, coming out, and developing the values that will guide her through her own unique life journey. I love her: she's beautiful and authentic and has the power to make a difference in a young reader's life, while reminding us adult readers of just how complicated and challenging adolescence is. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" is truly a work of literary art, and I hope there's more of Cameron's story to come.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful.
worth consuming slowly, taking in each word and phrase as it comes because every one of them has been carefully considered
By H. Frederick
As young adult readers, it's somewhat rare for us to run into a book that's more than 400 pages long, and when we do, I feel like those books fall into one of three categories. There are those lengthy YA books that are so engrossing and quick paced that you just gobble them up without ever noticing the length (see Grave Mercy), there are those that you feel could have had 100+ pages cut and have been better for it (see Partials), and then, there are those that are worth consuming slowly, taking in each word and phrase as it comes because every one of them has been carefully considered and placed to enrich the story. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is this third kind of book. I'll admit I was intimidated by its girth, but I found every moment that I spent reading filling me up in a way that hearty wheat bread can fill your belly--with nourishment and substance.Now, I'll admit, a lot of my attachment to The Miseducation of Cameron Post arose from the fact that this book, more than any other I have ever read, exemplifies my childhood. If you want to know what it was like growing up in small town Wyoming in the 90s, not too far from Billings, Montana--it's not all that different from growing up in small town Miles City, not too far from Billings, Montana. Cameron and I went to the same mall to do school shopping, we stop at the same airport, and more importantly, our towns share the same businesses, people, and atmosphere. I cannot tell you how badly I was craving Taco Johns every time it was mentioned, and I am so sad for all of you that don't live in the mountain states and know its glory (you know, as glorious as a Mexican fast food chain can be). When Emily M. Danforth wrote of thunderheads gathering on the horizon, I could smell it, and feel the hot, dry summer air. We played with firecrackers, bought gas at Conoco, bought crafts at Ben Franklin's, we had kids wearing those blue FFA jackets at school; to this day I miss Schwan's single-serve pizzas and push pops. I further bonded with Cameron because we were both swimmers who hung out largely with boys, and had lost parents at twelve (thankfully, in my case, not both). Despite what I felt was a very personal attachment to this book, I don't think you need to have one to enjoy it. Danforth creates such a strong image of Miles City, and God's Promise, that any reader will feel immersed.The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a coming of age story in the truest sense of the term. We follow Cameron from the time that she is twelve, until she is seventeen (or near enough). I loved seeing Cameron come into her own as a person, realize who she was, and fumble with her sense of self in the same way that every teen experiences. For Cameron, much of this is focused on the fact that she is a lesbian, but it didn't have to be--this story would have been just as compelling if she'd been strait. Certainly, this book will speak to any teens who feel trapped in a situation, their family, their town, and need to find themselves to decide how best to manage their future. I am not meaning to diminish the importance of The Miseducation of Cameron Post as a work of LGBT literature, merely stating that I think this is a work that could influence anyone, the LGBT aspect is not the only way readers will relate to this book.Cameron Post herself is one of my new literary best friends. I love this girl. She's a bit of a klepto, which I never understood, but other than that we bonded hard core. I love that to her, her sexuality isn't a choice, a political statement, or a counter-culture movement--it's just who she is. So many adults in her life reacted to her as if she were acting out, when in reality she was just being a kid, and being who she was. The sad fact that those she loved most had no idea how to love those parts of Cameron they didn't agree with or understand broke my heart.I think it is easy for those many people who live in very liberal areas to look unkindly and with harsh judgement at evangelical Christians such as much of Cameron's town. When you only experience these people through the bubble that is media, and not through personal experience, it becomes so easy to write them off as horrible people because of their judgements on homosexuals. This has always been a tough position for me. Much of my hometown, and many people that I love dearly share these views. Their adamant belief that homosexuality equates to damnation doesn't change the fact that they are often wonderful, caring, heartfelt people. What Cameron's family does to her, they do because they are trying to help, and because they love her. I can respect that, and so can Cameron. That doesn't make it right, but I appreciate so much that Emily M. Danforth did strive to show these people as caring, and helpless to understand because of their beliefs. There was no outspoken rebellion against Christianity in general, only an acknowledgement that the methods used in this particular case were flawed, and doomed from the start--you can't cure something that isn't a sickness. Because of this treatment, I hope that those who avoid books with religious themes are not put off by The Misedcuation of Cameron Post. It is not preachy either for or against the nature/nurture arguments of homosexuality, it is the story of a girl finding and accepting herself in a time and place where so many obstacles stand in her way.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Liked, But Didn't Love
By Emily (Book Jems)
All of my friends on Goodreads, who have read this book have raved about it. I was expecting one of the best books I've ever read. But I was not immediately wowed by this book, I got nervous. My interest was piqued, but I by no means was obsessed. I couldn't stop reading it - read it in one sitting, but that was because I was waiting for something big to happen. Something that would blow my socks off, but that something never came.There was no "wow" factor for me. The pace was very slow and I never felt any real emotion from the narrator that I could connect with. I actually skimmed some parts of it, when I couldn't get into the book. I hate to admit to skimming because I feel like I'm degrading the author's work, but as my mind tired of some parts, my eyes wandered along.I loved the idea of the plot and the set up for the story. Since it was split up into sections of Cameron's life, you were able to watch as she developed into a woman and into her sexuality. I only wish that she had someone to support her and understand the her sexual preference is not a choice. We love who we love and that is that.I love the friends that Cameron makes in God's Promise, which is basically a camp from unwanted people. There is a former drug addict and many homosexuals in attendance. Cameron's friends, Jane and Adam, are great characters. They add comedy and also are great friends for Cam. I truly connected with Jane and Adam and would've loved more with them, even though there was a lot!I am a full supporter of gay rights and to see people so mistreated in this book because of there sexual orientation was horrifying to me. But so realistic. A friend of mine was actually sent to a camp like mentioned in this story. She hated it and it did nothing to change her. She knew who she was and I'm proud to say she was resilient. She and her partner have been together for three years now. This book does show the issues that homosexuals face(d) in the late twentieth century, that they are often still facing now.I was unsatisfied with a few things in the book. One: There was no closure with Jamie, Coley, Lindsay, Irene or even with Cameron's, the main character, family members. It is bothering me to not know what happened between them and if anything was ever resolve. Two: The ending. I didn't quite understand what was happening. Just where it left off. Before it left off, it was very moving and sad. I just didn't like where the book finished. It felt incomplete to me. I wanted more, I expected more. Three: The way the author introduces characters and makes them a part of Cameron's life only to have them leave and never be heard from again. It really bothered me. Even though they are in the story for long, I wanted more of them. I wanted Cameron to have someone to rely on and have constant support from.I enjoyed this book. It wasn't my favorite, but it was very good. The Miseducation of Cameron Post dealt with a very big and controversial issue in a regal and realistic way. Based on the content, I also recommend this for older, mature young adults and adults.
