Wish You Weren’t Here

Gr 7 Up–Debut author Baldwin offers a summer camp novel like no other. It has the classic trope of two enemies having to share a cabin, but that’s where the story gets turned on its head. Juliette and Priya have tolerated each other since second grade and now as seniors are forced to be together at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp—a place Juliette has always felt she can be her true self, and a place that Priya was pressured to attend by her mom. Juliette wants her last year at Fogridge to be memorable, and Priya just wants a story for her college applications. But as Priya becomes popular at camp, just like she is at home, Juliette feels like her aspirations for a wonderful final camp summer are going down the drain. Add in a wonderful cast of characters, from the counselors to longtime camp friends, and a fast-paced rom-com quickly unfolds. Witty dialogue brings to life the mayhem and heartfelt moments of an innocent teenage summer. In forced proximity for a madcap span of six weeks, Juliette and Priya must learn to overcome their lifelong antagonism and get to the heart of what really matters to each of them. Could that mean something even more than friendship?