Book review: '13 Days of Girls Camp' is a fun read with an unexpected twist

It's been FOREVER since I've reviewed a YA novel! And 13 Days of Girls Camp was so much fun to read. Before beginning, I didn't read the book synopsis or even check which genre it was in. Ya know, sometimes I like to live life on the edge, what can I say? So I was pleasantly surprised to realize this Christian romantic fiction book also had a bit of a Groundhog Day movie twist. That's a plot I haven't read before and it was refreshingly fun.

So let's get on to the review!

Image from Amazon

Amber Doria is a nurse who's been talked into/guilt-tripped into helping her older sister out at a girls camp. Now, while other women might jump at the chance to spend time with their sis, Amber doesn't. She and Kate have never gotten along. And things turned especially sour when Kate married Amber's boyfriend a little more than a year ago.

Amber's week was already a downer; the blind-date Kate had set her up on was a no-show, and now she has to sleep in a tent for several nights. Little does Amber know that instead of only spending a few nights at girls camp. her Friday will happen over and over again, leaving her to live out 13 days at girls camp.

After a tornado warning and being struck by lightening, Amber finds herself living the same Friday again and again. Fortunately, that day includes Jason Weston, the no-show blind date, when he drops his little sister off at girls camp. Each Friday, as Amber meets Jason, the two connect somehow. Now, some of those days are better than others, but Amber learns more about Jason and falls deeper in love with him.

The only problem is that she is the only one who remembers the past Fridays! Hikes, skits, guarding the male lifeguards that so many of the girls are attracted to, driving an injured girl to the doctor, and maybe even kissing Jason, are all some of the fun happenings on Amber's Fridays.

But Kate is also part of each Friday and the past comes up as Amber learns to get over her reluctance to talk to her sister about her feelings and hopefully move on to a better relationship.

There's so much more about this book I want to talk about! But I also don't want to spoil the plot. So I'll add just a few more things.

Author Robbin J. Peterson does a fantastic job making reliving a day totally believable. I appreciated how she brought the Christian aspect into the book by integrating it into a Christian girls camp. There was just the right amount of Bible reading and charity conversations to be interesting (I've read some Christian books that seem preachy, this one isn't).

13 Days of Girls Camp is a clean read with nothing offensive in it. Romance consists of kissing. There are some characters who grew up in foster care and parts of their difficult lives are spoken of. Violence is also very limited. Most of this book is fun, wit, and romance!

Peterson is a highly talented writer who can seemingly effortlessly write in multiple genres. The last book I read by her was equally engaging, yet very different. Check out my review of that novel here. A graduate of Utah State University (my alma mater!), she lives in California.

Book breakdown:
214 pages
Best for ages: 14 and older
Educational factor: none
Christian content: YES! This is a well-written YA contemporary Christian romance novel
Parents could be concerned about: There is minimal references to difficult growing up years, family squabbles, and drug use. It's dealt with graciously and readers will likely be taught by the experiences shared.