Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

by Abby McDonald

Can a boy-hungry Jersey girl survive the wilds of Canada with her eco-identity intact? A witty YA novel from the author of Sophomore Switch.

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

• ISBN10: 0763643823
• ISBN13: 9780763643829
• Publish Date: 13 April 2010
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Imprint: Candlewick
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780763643829

Reviews

[vagasker]

This was a really fun holiday read! I need books during my holidays that don't take too much brain power and are enjoyable, and this book fit perfectly.

[Sam@WLABB]

This was NOT the summer Jenna was expecting, but it was a summer of great change for her.

I thought this would be all fluff, and yes, there was lots of fun, fluffy bits, but there was a lot of substance too, as I watched Jenna grow and change. She learned that she was allowing herself to be solely defined as Jenna the environmentalist, but as she got out there, and tried new things, she discovered that she had a talents (and interests) in other areas as well.

I would say this was a coming of age, where Jenna went from just seeing things in black and white to seeing things in shades of grey. That's it's great to believe in things and fight for what you believe, but that most things are more complex and decisions are based on priorities and a full understanding of how these decisions impact others.

I really enjoyed the friendships that developed over the course of the summer, because it was through those friendships that Jenna peeled back the layers and found herself. I didn't hate the ending, but I do wish it was not as rushed? I did get a little peek into the future, but I always want more.

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[Raven]

Review also posted at my blog

Jenna is a Green Teen activist from Jersey. She is all about saving the enviroment, but when her family decide that they will be staying with her grandma in Florida while her dad is on an overseas business trip, she decides that it's time to really become one with nature. Best way for her to do this, is to spend her summer in Canada at her Godmother Susie's home. She is excited to see the beauty of nature that her activism is so eager to save, and the hot boys are certainly not a downside either. She quickly realizes that her ideals are far from perfect, and that nature has a lot to teach her about herself.

After reading Getting Over Garrett Delaney, I was anxious to read something else by Abby McDonald and this was the first thing I could get my hands on. I was really worried I wouldn't like the story. I have no problem with conservation or activism, but they usually don't make for an entertaining read for me.

The characters were enjoyable. They weren't as fun as I had hoped they would be, but I did enjoy reading about them. The plot was really simple. Things kind of fell flat for me. The story seemed like it was going to have a real direction about it, and it ended up being just a coming of age story. It's like the summary was too hard to write for what the story was. Now, don't let that sell you off of it, because it was really fun to read.

I dislike how the best friend eventually got painted out to be the villain, but the way the story needed to go, it was kind of needed. It becomes obvious right away that the friendship will crumble based on this summer. It's sad to lose friends, but considering Jenna really found herself, which seems like it was something she didn't have before, it was worth losing a friend over. It has to be a horrible thing to realize that you were trying so hard to fit in somewhere that you lost yourself, but Jenna handles the realization with her head held high.

So while not as cute as Getting Over Garrett Delaney, it was a really cute story that I enjoyed reading. Really probably a 3.5 star book, but I'm feeling generous.