“The heart and the soul are tarnished now, but only you know why or how. First it hurts, then it numbs, after a while, you’re in love with crumbs…”When sixteen-year-old Simone Wheeler is accepted into the elite Camp Kamama—a place of self-discovery for the morbidly obese—she instantly despises the food rations, obstacle course, and powwows, where each girl must stand in front of her peers to … her peers to expose her darkest secrets. But the Appalachian Mountains are shrouded in mystery, and Camp Kamama’s rules will soon be the least of Simone’s worries.
While meditating beneath an old tree in the woods, Simone unearths a secret diary belonging to a beautiful skinny girl from the despised Camp Felina across the lake. But Phoebe the Felina has done more than scribble words in a journal: she has carved a cryptic path that Simone will be compelled to follow—no matter what the consequences.
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I’ve read all of Manning’s books, and this is her best writing yet. The characters are wonderful yet flawed, and you are rooting for them in their good times and Their rough times.
It’s YA, but as an adult I still completely related to the characters and they stayed with me long after the very surprising ending. Can’t wait for her next novel.
i am Elephant, i am Butterfly is a book of discovery. No matter what road we take, others are on it too, dealing with their own issues. Pain doesn’t come in a specific size, it fits us all, small or large.
Simone reached a point where she needed help and camp hopefully will bring that. She learns about herself and not everyone/everything is as it seems.
I deeply enjoyed this book and how it made me feel. I laughed, I cried (good and bad tears), but most of all, I took something away from it. I myself am on a journey of discovery, as I think many are nowadays.
I recommend this book for anyone that needs a book to just make you FEEL something. It deals with some more serious subject matters of teenage life, so I definitely say high school and up readers only.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At first glance, this is a story about a self-deprecating obese girl named Simone. She is then thrust, at her doctor’s recommendation, and her parents’ agreement into a place called Camp Kamama. It is a place for overweight girls to connect with and forgive themselves while learning to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. A good portion of the narrative is devoted to establishing camp routines and how Simone and the other girls feel about this new home-away-from-home camp setting. In the midst of all this, Simone also finds a mysterious diary hidden in the woods and meets a girl from the adjacent Camp Felina.
Until I got through the preliminaries, I thought this would be a story written for overweight teenage girls. It’s not. Any teenager, buy mostly girls, could relate to this story. It’s about stripping away the facade and getting real with yourself and others. It is about finding comradery and friendship in the most unlikely of people. It’s about, at its very core, recovering what was once most precious to the individual.
I also enjoyed the narrative voice. Both in the prose and the dialogue, Simone sounds like an angsty teenage girl who sees the world through the tense of one with a lot of self-doubts. Her observations about the world around her are clever and witty, and she is a character with whom readers will empathize.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The person and interpersonal conflicts are strong. Simone’s character arc, along with the other major characters, is strong. I think this novel is one school systems should consider as literature to be studied as a part of character education and/or social-emotional wellness. This is because there are a number of points within the story that can make for rich dialogue among small groups of students. The author has also included great study guide questions at the end of the story.
As for plot, structure, character development, craft, etc, I wouldn’t say there are any weaknesses in this story. It is very much appropriate for teenagers. It touches upon dark topics such as cutting, obesity, bulimia, death due to overdose, bullying, and rape. Yet, the presentation of these topics occurs within very organic dialogue between teens. The teens are able to have this dialogue because they’ve learned to listen to each other, and they trust each other.
Some of the story’s weaknesses (and reason for four stars and not five)
The only weakness in this story is it’s set up on establishing camp routines. Chapters 6 through 8 dragged on without anything happening. Though I understand the need to establish camp routines, I thought the adult-speak from Willie, Ms. Diggs, and Jake about everything from calories to fitness, to healthy eating felt preaching. I imagine my current students and past students, ages 13-17, feeling the same way and even commenting on it. But, if they can persevere through these chapters until chapter 10, I think they would enjoy the story as a whole, as I did. Though today’s teens tend to give up on books when they get boring, so this major weakness could be a huge obstacle for teenagers to finishing this story.
Really loved the message in this book. It was very true to the way event effect teenagers. The words of encouragement truly provide hope to all girls struggling with eating too much or to little. The burden becomes less when shared with a friend you can trust.
Recommended for all middle school and high school girls