Slept Away

by Julie Kraut

Book Overview

Laney Parker is a city girl through and through. For her, summertime means stepping out of her itchy gray school uniform and into a season of tanning at rooftop swimming pools, brunching at sidewalk... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385737378
• ISBN13: 9780385737371
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 305 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great Camp Fiction

This is my first summer not going to/working at camp after 7 straight years, and I was drawn to Slept Away as a way of reliving those great memories. Through Laney's eyes, the fun and turmoil of the summer camp experience was captured perfectly- making this a great book for anybody from camp virgin to veteran. Laney's a great character, with a lot of heart, wit and relatable insecurities. I half expected to hate her when I started the book- assuming she'd be the typical, one-sided, spoiled brat- but I actually really liked her and found that I could easily empathize with her. I also loved the author's use of humor throughout- so much teen fiction is super corny and dull! The writing was quick, smart and unique. I didn't want to put it down once I got into it, and then I didn't want it to end. I'd love see what happens after camp ends...sequel?

The perfect summer read

Julie Kraut gives us a window into the immensely relatable internal monologue of Laney Parker. Honest readers of all ages will admit that similar monologues run through their heads every day: the irrational insecurities, the dorky impluses, the snarky comments, the secret wishes, and the frank moments of introspection. If only we all did it with as much wit and humor as Kraut conveys. Equal parts entertaining storytelling and irresistible sarcasm - this is a truly great summer read. Now if only it came with free s'mores...

Fun and Perfect for Summer!

I honestly wasn't expecting much from Slept Away. It looked very cute and like a light summer read, but the plotline seemed very typical: city girl is forced to go to camp. City girl is reluctant to go to camp. City girl hates camp but ends up loving it. Instead, I was blown away! The book soared above my expectations. It was quick, light, but huge loads of fun. I literally couldn't put it down, reading into the night and thinking, Oh, just one more chapter, just one more! Laney was a very relatable character, and the humor in this book rocked. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. Some parts were just simply hilarious! This book was one of those books that made you feel like you were part of it. Having never gone to sleepaway camp, I loved reading all the descriptions of the campfires, color wars, kooky counselors, even instructional swim, each boosted by hearty doses of humor. The one thing that bothered me was that Laney seemed very whiney and stubborn. She was just so stuck on hating camp that she never let herself have any fun. After a while, her rants got annoying and repetitive. She just was a bit of an irritating character. However, I loved how Ms. Kraut perfectly combined humor, romance, and summer fun into a blend more delicious than a good s'more! I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. A perfect read for summer!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Laney Parker is a city girl in every way. She's looking forward to the summer so she can spend it at chic boutiques and parties with her friends. Little does she know, her new-age mother has a totally different plan for Laney - she's sending her to summer camp! Being sent to camp Timber Trail is bad enough, but being there with a group of totally uncool girls who think they run the camp (and automatically take a disliking to Laney!), along with getting stuck doing group activities with the kids who are half her age, is horrible. Laney hates camp and can't see how her summer is going to be any fun. Eventually, Laney becomes friends with one of the girls in her cabin, and then finds out that someone from back home also goes to the camp. Back in the city, Ryan is the most uncool guy around, but at camp he is the hottest and most popular guy there. Laney has never been happier to see him. At the end of the summer, Laney is left wondering: Can camp cool equal real world cool? And will Ryan and Laney be able to be friends back home? You'll have to read SLEPT AWAY to find out! With lots of pop culture references, fun in the sun, and a slight bit of romance, this is a great read for a hot summer day! Reviewed by: Angela S.

Great summer read!

I got this book for my little sister and she loved it! Its clever and cute and also age appropriate, definitely safe for the under 18 yr old in your life. My sis loved Kraut's first book, Hot Mess, glad to see she's still writing. Keep up the good work!!