A Different Kind of Camp Story
4 out of 5 stars
I sort of blindly went into this one. I hadn’t heard much about the author – nor had I listened to any books by the narrator. I saw the title and was intrigued and I started to read the description and I thought “sure, let’s try this one out”. Well, I’m glad that I did.
Future Leaders of Nowhere felt like an interesting combination of a cute camp story mixed with the brutalness of something like The Hunger Games (minus the dying/killing each other). Overachieving and really smart students join this camp and they’re told they’re this part of a country – they have certain things and lack certain things. They have to trade and innovate to survive. Interesting premise for a story and one of the most unique for a teenage love story to come out.
O’Beirne did a great job writing characters that took a little bit to fall for. I wasn’t sure who was meant to be the “good” and if there was meant to be a “bad” (aka enemies to lovers) or what – but I thought that each character took a bit to get to know and realized you wanted the best for them. That’s hard to do and pull off because if you wait too long you lose the reader. They were able to pull it off and I think it worked really well.
Overall, I thought this was a very cute book with a mixture of cute lovey scenes and some feverishly-paced planning and executing scenes where the characters were trying to figure out how to better themselves and their fictional plots of land. All of this came together, voiced perfectly by Cat Gould. I thought Cat nailed each character and was able to really add to the already interesting story.
I’m intrigued because I have the next book in this series to listen to – so we’ll see where O’Beirne takes us!
Book Description:
Finn’s solid. Not in body, but in being. She’s gravity and kindness and all those good things that anchor.
Willa’s confusing. Sometimes she’s this sweet, sensitive soul. Other times she’s like a flaming arrow you hope isn’t coming for you.
Finn and Willa have been picked as team leaders in the future leader camp game. The usually confident Finn doesn’t know what’s throwing her more, the fact she’s leading a team of highly unenthusiastic overachievers or coming up against fierce, competitive Willa. And Willa doesn’t know which is harder, leaving her responsibilities behind to pursue her goals or opening up to someone.
Soon they both realize that the hardest thing of all is balancing their clashing ideals with their unexpected connection. And finding a way to win, of course.
Contains mature themes.
Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne
Narrator: Cat Gould
Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
Series: Future Leaders #1
Published by Tantor Audio on March 31st 2022
Genres: YA, Coming of Age, LesFic/Sapphic Fiction
Format: Audiobook
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