When was the last time you read a graphic novel? We at THP are huge fans of manga, webtoons, web comics, and graphic novels. It’s been a while since we’ve read a physical graphic novel, much less review one. But we’re about to break that habit with Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer!
Camp Prodigy is a diverse, middle grade graphic novel following Tate Seong and Eli Violet, two nonbinary kids and viola players. They both grapple with identity and anxiety while attending summer orchestra camp.
Now seems like the perfect time to sign up for summer camp books like Camp Prodigy. Here are three reasons why you should read it!
Book Overview: Camp Prodigy
Summary: After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.
Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.
But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?
The Art Style
In case you need a short break from 400-page books with just text, Camp Prodigy can be a nice, quick read! We read it in one sitting, and we couldn’t stop even if we tried. This graphic novel has a soft, whimsical art style that we adore. We especially love it when the characters start playing the viola. And we can feel the musical notes on the page, even if we can’t hear them. The illustrations are just lovely to see.
A Coming-Out Story
The main character in Camp Prodigy, Tate Seong, struggles with coming out as nonbinary to their parents and newfound friends at camp. So when they become closer with Eli Violet, who is also nonbinary, Tate starts to open up more and become comfortable with their gender identity. It’s so sweet seeing how supportive everyone is toward Tate, and we hope it comforts nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ readers everywhere.
Shout Out To Orchestra Students
Tate’s journey to being first chair in the viola section took a lot of studying, practicing, and effort. But when they get chosen for the viola solo, they start to feel inadequate and come down with a case of impostor syndrome. Even when they spend hours practicing the solo, they can’t bring themselves to admit that they’re too scared to play. Of course, that’s where the rest of the section helps support Tate and takes some of the pressure off.
A delightful and diverse graphic novel about identity, friendship, and trust, Caroline Palmer’s Camp Prodigy is truly a masterpiece!
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer comes out June 11th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
What do you think about Caroline Palmer’s Camp Prodigy so far? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAROLINE PALMER:
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