ALA Booklist
Simply superb. Martin’s novel feels exactly like summer camp should; the antics of the boys and the friendships they develop will make readers wish they were roasting marshmallows in the woods with their best friends.”
John David Anderson
Praise for Float: “A fun, funny, and fast-paced summer camp romp full of pranks, plot-twists and goofy superpowers. Emerson’s adventures (and misadventures) teach us that the greatest power of all comes from the friends who push us to overcome our perceived limitations and make the most of every moment.”—John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted
Kirkus Reviews
2022-04-27
A 13-year-old boy with an unpredictable power returns to camp for another summer of misadventures in this follow-up to Float (2018).
“Inconsistently invisible” Hank can’t wait for another summer at pricey Camp Outlier, the one place where he and other RISK kids stigmatized for their uncontrollable abilities, or Recurring Instances of the Strange Kind, can find a sense of belonging. However, his excitement turns to worry when his time-traveling friend appears in the airport bathroom with a tearful warning that Hank is going to die. To make matters worse, a YouTube heartthrob joins their cabin, stealing the center of attention from Hank and making him feel more invisible than ever. On top of that, someone is attempting to sabotage their camp. At this camp of misfits, the cast of characters is predominantly White, with race largely indicated through clumsy, stereotypical descriptors (“gingerbread-colored skin,” “almond-shaped eyes”). Hank flirts constantly with girl campers, referring to them as “ladies” and commenting on their attractiveness regardless of their interest in him, behavior in keeping with the book’s overall presentation of gender relations: “I’d had my sights set on her at the beginning of camp the summer before, but after I’d realized that Emerson did too, I’d done the gentlemanly thing and stepped back. Besides, Kristy was an intriguing challenge, and I liked intriguing challenges.” Not unlike Hank’s flirtation, the story’s lesson about technology addiction lacks subtlety and nuance.
A sequel filled with boys-will-be-boys sensibilities. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)
