Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Barr’s Meadow
SERIES: Julian’s Private Scrapbook – Part One
AUTHOR: Eldot
PUBLISHER: Diphra Enterprises LLC
LENGTH: 284 Pages
BLURB:
Eldot presents a fresh new novel for adults. The coming of age story is embedded in an episodic two-week summer camp full of variety and fun. Julian kept two scrapbooks. This special one has not been shared until now. It responds to the nostalgic pull; the happy days of youth are special. Perhaps you’d like to relive some memories, or discover ones that were missed. This is a peek at the world of 1963, before the Internet and cell phones-when you learned by discovering things on your own and interacted with real people.
Did you miss the chance to go to summer camp? This story will fill the gap. Did you go to camp but it was boring, or too short? This will make up for that. Did you go to camp, but were too inhibited to try all those things? Here is a memory for you to cherish. Or was your camp experience fabulous and terrific? See how this one compares!
This story about a teen boy discovering love is not the usual coming of age drama-this one banishes the prejudice and the bad guys and shows the comic side. A lot of boys frolic, experiment, and discover wonderful things. There are surprises, fantasies and lots of fulfilled expectations.
Julian’s Private Scrapbook is meant for mature readers; the purpose is to look at underlying present day social issues from a new perspective: the past, and the positive. Barr’s Meadow is the first in a five novel series.
REVIEW:
We received this book as part of a request from the author to review the five book series. Nothing odd about that, it happens all the time. I pride myself on being honest, so here goes. This is the first book I’ve read in a long time that I finished still having absolutely no idea how I would rate it, nor even what I would say in the review.
Barr’s Meadow: Julian’s Private Scrapbook Part One is the first book in a five book series set at a Boy Scout camp in North Carolina in the early 1960’s which follows the adventures of a boy named Julian on his first trip to summer camp.
Let me tell you, I went to summer camp, both Boy Scouts and 4H every year from about 8 until about 15, and I never saw any of the extra-curricular activities going on in this book! I wish!
Barr’s Meadow begins with us learning that Julian has a crush on an adult male neighbor, Mark, who is also the Boy Scout Leader of Troop 9. Julian used to have a crush on a boy named Danny who lives directly behind them, but he has moved on to gazing at Mark every day when he gets off the city bus and walks down the street to his house.
Mark has noticed the boy, on occasion, looking out the window as he walks by, but hasn’t met him until Mark stops by to recruit Julian for his Scout Troop. Julian’s mother sees Mark as a surrogate adult male figure, Mark sees himself as more a big brother, Julian see him as hotness personified.
Things get interesting when they get to camp for a two week period. Mark is afraid of something happening to Julian, so he promotes him and moves him to stay in his own cabin, away from the other boys. That doesn’t stop some of the other boys, the neighbor Danny included, from plotting how they are going to get into Julian’s pants.
My one issue with this book, and what might keep me from reading the others, is the intense amount of detail. The entire book is dedicated to the lead-up with Julian becoming a Boy Scout, and then the first two days at camp. The book contains some sex between teenagers, and an, as yet, unrequited lust for the adult scout leader, but nothing that should shock anyone reading books in this genre.
I liked the book, it contained far above average writing, although in my opinion too detailed. I would say that this book would be perfect reading for someone who enjoys a lot of minutiae and background details.
After reflecting on it, and writing this review I’ve decided that I’m giving it a “Liked It/Above Average” rating. If you decide to pick it up for a read, let me know what your thoughts were.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: