Beatrice Quinn has a plan. She lives in Berkeley, California, and has been homeschooled her entire life. She finished high school early and decided she wanted to go to Oxford University. But her parents are concerned about her moving to the other side of the world without having better social skills (or any social skills). She’s already spent an extra year at home, waiting for her parents to get on board with her plans. And while they were still reluctant, Beatrice applied to the college without their help.
She got accepted.
But now her parents are refusing to let her go, unless she can prove to them that she will be okay in England all by herself. That she’ll be able to make friends, that she can show some flexibility, that she can be willing to try new things. After talking about it, her parents agree to sent her to camp for the summer. They decide on a Shakespeare-themed theater camp and sign Beatrice up for the acting track, so she’ll have to spend time interacting with others and being on stage.
Before Beatrice heads out to Connecticut, her parents come up with a list of things she has to accomplish while at camp. She has to make a friend, share a secret, pull a prank, take a dare, and other summertime teenage activities. If she can check off everything on the list, then her parents may let her go to Oxford. If she doesn’t, they definitely won’t let her go. And that is the thought that she holds in her head when she flies across the country and ends up at a real camp in New England.
Beatrice shares a cabin with two other girls, but only one is friendly. And while Shelby is cold, Mia is bright and colorful and immediately takes Beatrice under her wing and helps her feel more comfortable being so far away from home and so awkward. Beatrice finds herself telling Mia about he list and about Oxford, and Mia is on board for helping her cross things off the list. In fact, she crosses off one thing herself—make a friend. Mia also helps Beatrice get acclimated to the camp and introduces her to others, like Shelby’s brother Nolan. He isn’t an actor, but he’s excited about costume design and teams up with Mia to help check things off the list.
But it’s tall, dark, and handsome Nik that gets under Beatrice’s skin. As the son of the actors who established the camp, he is the obvious choice for the male lead in this year’s play, Romeo and Juliet. And while she digs at him that he may be the lead just because of who his parents are, Nik makes a remark about how she looks, which she takes personally. And when she finds out that he got the role of Romeo because he is an amazing actor, and he starts spending time around her (much to Shelby’s dismay), Beatrice just gets more confused about what Nik wants, and what she wants.
And when Nik and Beatrice decide to put their Shakespeare chops to the test, trading quotes to see who can name the play, Beatrice is determined to win, to prove that she deserves to be taken seriously, no matter how awkward she is. And if she wins, Nik has to dress up in the heaviest costume they have, the Nurse’s costume, with wig and fake nose. But if she loses, she has to give Nik a kiss.
Beatrice only has a few weeks to get in what she’s thinking of as her full teenager experience, so she can report back to her parents that she’s ready to go to Oxford. But will her heart be able to survive being a real teenager, with all of its excitement and heartbreak?
Long Story Short is part Shakespearean magic, part theater kid camp, and all learning experience for Beatrice. Author Serena Kaylor brings so much charm in her debut YA novel that it almost makes me want to go to camp. It’s not specifically stated if Beatrice has some neurodiversity challenges or if she just never learned to play with others very well (or some combination, which seems most likely), but it’s so lovely to see others jump in and help her experience life as a regular teenager. Mia is especially compassionate towards Beatrice and her awkwardness, making sure that Bea understands she doesn’t have to do anything she’s not comfortable with. And she helps her work through her feelings when Shelby is unkind or when her feelings for Nik make her feel overwhelmed.
I will admit that I thought the start of the story was a little slow. But once Beatrice showed up at camp, Mia takes over, and her enthusiasm for life keeps things moving forward at a sharp clip. Then there is so much chemistry between these characters that the energy just fizzes, and I didn’t want to stop reading until the very end. Now I was one of those awkward kids when I was younger, so this did bring up some painful memories, but it’s also so much fun. This is a great read for anyone wanting to get through or get over awkwardness in their teen years, or for anyone who wants a fun read about a summer camp full of theater kids.
Egalleys for Long Story Short were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
