The Miseducation of Cameron Post

There are many reasons to like this book, and there are many reasons not to. I think this may have to do with the controversial topics that surround this book. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" is the story of a teenage girl named Cameron who soon realizes she is a lesbian. As if this realization isn't hard enough, considering she lives in such a small town, her parents die in a horrible car crash. Cameron's Aunt comes to live with her, and everything seems to be fine, except for the fact that she is a Born-Again Christian. Not only is the Born-Again faith not part of Cameron's religion, but it is a very homophobic culture. 

I personally like this book because it breaks the boundaries set by normal books. Most books these days are either about romantic love stories between a woman and a man or a girl dealing with normal problems of being a teenager. Both of these main categories are telling the stories of straight girls, and this makes the story unique. The author also loves to go into detail about everything from scenery to the description of the many characters. I find this truly important because in order for me to enjoy a book, I need to be completely immersed in the world that it takes place in. Therefore, by giving me all these details I am truly able to enjoy the story more. 

I dislike this book for only two reasons. One, I find that this book truly points out the problems with the Born-Again faith. For people whom believe and practice this faith, it must be completely unbearable to read. The Aunt is portrayed as an annoying woman who makes Cameron go to services that she doesn't believe in and makes her uncomfortable with the words of homophobic preachers. A small part of my family practice a faith similar to the Born-Again practices and they are completely friendly and wonderful, they don't truly disrespect the religions of others. I also dislike this book because of the heavy amount of kissing scenes or fantasies. Personally, I truly dislike all the kissing scenes in most books because it truly takes away from the story. Yes, if it is the climax of the story, then you can put the kiss in, but it shouldn't be used as a space filler because it will make the teenagers like it more.

I think that this book is a hit-or-miss since there are many people who would feel uncomfortable with the kissing scenes or the portrayal of the Born-Again faith. I find this book sort of interesting though since it breaks the pattern of girls who like to read about love for straight people. I also like this book because the environment and characters are completely realistic, and because I can imagine where the story takes place. This is what "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" is about.