CAMP SYLVANIA

A girl must survive not only fat camp, but the vampire who runs it.

Despite Maggie’s plan to spend the summer with her best friend at Camp Rising Star, where she’ll hopefully get over her persistent stage fright, her parents instead ship her off to Camp Sylvania so she’ll finally lose her “baby fat.” Though feeling betrayed, Maggie, who is White, starts to think spending afternoons on the lake might not be so bad, especially as she gets to know her bunkmates and decides to try out for the camp musical. But between the odd diet of mostly red foods, lack of technology, and mean and creepy counselors, the only place the campers truly feel comfortable is in the air-conditioned blood bank (regular donations are mandatory). When her co-star’s brother goes missing along with several other campers, Maggie and her bunkmates begin an investigation into the gruesome truth at the heart of the camp. Murphy renders her camp of fat characters with nuance, giving them unique personalities beyond their size and often pointing out how others’ judgments ignore their full humanity and undermine their confidence. Jokes and sweet interactions round out the story, while hints at the camp’s monstrous nature create a spooky atmosphere. A continuing focus on the musical in the latter half stunts the story’s growing stakes but gives Maggie the chance to fully seize her moment in the spotlight.

A fun and spooky celebration of fat kids and friendship.