Characters need more honesty, but the book was interesting all the same.
Plot
At a summer camp there is a terrible tradition. A boy and a girl are picked out by the other campers to be the goats. The goats are paddled out to an island in the lake and left for the whole night, and their peers steal all their clothing before they leave them. Howie and Laura are so upset and embarrassed about the situation that they decide not to go back to the camp at all.
Morality
Most of the characters are pretty indifferent, especially the campers at the first camp and most of the adults they meet. The children justify their actions by saying it was for survival, but they don't seem to have too many qualms about breaking laws. So there is quite a bit of a blur between good and bad in this book.
Spiritual Content
Howie tells a story about his visit to the cave and olive grove of a Greek god.
Violence
A boy is punched in the face. Another boy is kicked and a man's foot is run over by a jeep.
Drug and Alcohol Content
None.
Sexual Content
Howie sees Laura naked when he pulls her from the water. The two sleep in the same bed to stay warm. There is some hand holding and flirting.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
A few words such as d**n and b****rd.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, they were believable and fun to read. Some of the descriptions were good too, like Howie's opinion of the automated urinal. One of the questions this book raises is that of morality: are Howie and Laura justified in all or some of their actions as based upon their situation?
