The Miseducation of Cameron Post

By: Emily M. Danforth

Narrated by: Beth Laufer

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in rural Montana in the early 1990s, Emily M. Danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a powerful and widely acclaimed YA coming-of-age novel in the tradition of the classic Annie on My Mind. 

Cameron Post feels a mix of guilt and relief when her parents die in a car accident. Their deaths mean they will never learn the truth she eventually comes to - that she's gay. Orphaned, Cameron comes to live with her old-fashioned grandmother and ultraconservative aunt Ruth. There she falls in love with her best friend, a beautiful cowgirl. When she’s eventually outed, her aunt sends her to God’s Promise, a religious conversion camp that is supposed to “cure” her homosexuality. At the camp, Cameron comes face to face with the cost of denying her true identity. 

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and provocative literary debut that was a finalist for the YALSA Morris Award and was named to numerous “best” lists.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Emily M. Danforth (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Morris Award Finalist, 2013    

A very worthwhile Read!

I was slightly hesitant to read The Miseducation of Cameron Post. The synopsis sounded like a cliche "orphaned girl, likes girls, gets sent to anti-gay school, learns hard lessons" tragedy. I had gotten a little dismayed that so many of the LGBT young adult novels that I've read have been very doom and gloom and didn't really want to read another downer (can't there be a happy ending and maybe a less tragic love story for these protagonists?). Having heard some of the horrific stories of ex-gay/de-gaying camps, I was really concerned this would be a focal point for the book and I really wasn't interested in that storyline.

I needed a long book to listen to on a long drive so I decided to go for it since the duration would be just about perfect for the whole trip.

It took me a little while to really get a feeling for the flow and structure of the book but the story was certainly engaging from the start. The language used was really fantastic and largely felt authentic, though there were moments that didn't feel quite right, but they were few and far between.

I was pleasantly surprised that there was a lot of time spent learning about Cameron and watching her her loves (or lusts) develop over the years and it wasn't largely about her experiences at "God's Promise" (and these experiences were far from the physically abusive scenarios that are sometimes connected to ex-gay camps). Some of the story lines I'd wish had been expanded upon but it was a really nice listen (and I ultimately actually got the book to read a second time).

Beth Laufer did a nice job telling this story--her timber and tone were so pleasant to listen to and the various characters were voiced really nicely.

I was not in love with the ending of the book--it just felt like the author rudely left me hanging, but it wasn't so offensive that it ruined the book for me. I still really enjoyed the book, though it wasn't one of the books that left me thinking about it for days, weeks, and months afterward (if I could have given 3.5 stars, that would probably be more accurate of a rating).

The story was good but the narrator wasn't

I really liked this story overall but the ending felt unresolved and left me rather unfulfilled. Also, I didn't care for the narrator. The personality of the narrator and the "voice" of Cameron just didn't seem to match to me. Normally, with a good narrator, you'd swear they were the author with the way that they just become the voice of the character(s) but in this case it was like you just pulled a random stranger off the street to read it to you.

I just couldn't stand the narration

I can't even review the story because I just can't stand the narration. The story may be wonderful, but I won't know until I get it in book or kindle form. Just can't listen to the audible version one more minute. The narrator has a prominent accent, I guess New York or Long Island, and it is so distracting and doesn't fit at all for a young girl from Montana. Her inflections are off and it's so awful to listen to that I absolutely can't finish the book. Her voice and accent just doesn't fit the story and is terribly distracting.

Loved this book

Where does The Miseducation of Cameron Post rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

up in the 10%

Any additional comments?

This novel's language and story is brought to life by this narrator. I throughly enjoy the performance and story. Lesbian novels that are well written are hard to come by, i look forward to more of this genre from audible in the future.

Part 3 Needed More Work

What did you like best about The Miseducation of Cameron Post? What did you like least?

I loved Cameron's relationships with the girls in her life, and the development she showed in those relationships. However, the character of Cameron herself never truly developed in her emotional or intellectual capacity. Or, at least, the audience never really gets to see/hear that development, which is weird because it's told in a first-person perspective. Cameron never changes in the book. She is the same person at the start of the story as she is in the end. There is more development and change in the peripheral character of Jamie than there is in Cameron.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was difficult to listen to at times, because I didn't feel she captured the essence of the character of Cameron. Also, the emphasis she put on words like "just" and "maybe" was terribly grating. And, since I'm from eastern Montana, it was really irritating to hear her mispronounce town names. Forsyth=FOUR-SCYTHE. Kearney=CARN-EE. Probably the most irritating part of the narration was that characters were practically indecipherable. Lydia was supposed to have an English accent, which was largely absent from the reading, and when she did try to have the accent, it was truly awful.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, so long as we actually saw some emotional development in Cameron, and as long as part 3 was speeded up a bit.

Any additional comments?

I love great descriptions, and Danforth did an amazing job with the descriptions of the Montana landscape and weather. Montana became its own character in the story, and I loved that. However, this same fascination with description was also Danforth's Achilles Heel. There was a part wherein Cameron is imagining what it will be like when a character receives a phone call. The various descriptions of places and scenarios in which he receives this phone call is described in excruciating detail and for far too long, particularly when it serves absolutely no purpose. I was literally yelling at my car radio to STFU.

Waste of time

Sure, this book has won all sorts of awards, but that can't detract from the flaws inherent in the plot and even writing. The novel is intended for a young adult audience, but I can't think of a single teenager who would be able to catch the numerous 80's references, which seem to be interjected at random points, just to remind the reader of the time frame. The plot is slow, disjunct, and the whole crux around which the book is supposed to revolve is incidental at best. It made gay conversion camps seem normal and boring. It's too bad, because I had such high hopes for this, but this book was an incredible let down.

Terrific Book. Terrible Reader

I loved this book. I loved it so much that I allowed Beth Laufer to speak into my ears for over 14 hours. However, if the book had been even slightly sub-par, I would have ditched it due to the reading. I also came of age and came out in the early 90's so this storyline was very gripping to me. Moreover, I grew up in a state adjacent to Montana. But, to have a reader with a strong east coast (I'm thinking Hudson Valley maybe?) accent narrate a Montana kid's story was terribly jarring. She sounded nothing like the people I know. She could not even PRETEND to TRY the British accent needed for one influential character. In addition, Danforth pronounced simple words wrong (like "live" as in "to exist" vs. "live" as in "happening now") and enunciated in all the wrong places. She was a terrible disservice to the compelling character of Cameron Post. I feel so sad and sorry for Emily Danforth that this was the reader who represented Cam.

The book, though, was a treat. A little slow in the beginning, but very authentic all through. It really sped up in the second part, but the first part is so great for character development. If you've seen the movie, go ahead and read the book. If you would like to see the movie, consider maybe not watching it, or, at the very least, reading the book first.

Excellent book about being a lesbian

Loved it so much!
The characters are great and so is the story.
Real lesbian tale, told well.

review

story line was excellent, dealt with the struggles of an adolescent in a very realistic manner. Narrator left a lot to be desired.

Narration ruins it

3.75 stars for the story. Definitely recommend reading this one instead of listening to the audiobook. The narrator was all wrong—she had a New York accent (this takes place in small town Montana) and the acting also was mediocre and it often felt like she was just reading a report. I switched to the actual book toward the end and it vastly improved the experience. Even so, at times it felt too wordy and drawn out, and the repetition of words was distracting (e.g., “again and again”; “very, very”; “walked and walked”; etc.). But overall it was well done and a good story; perhaps my view was tainted by the medium in which I experienced most of the story.

Slow, self indulgent and disappointing

I bought this book having enjoyed the movie, and chose to overlook some of the other negative reviews, but it was honestly a struggle to finish.
Firstly it was almost like two books in one - the first half was a chronology of the narrator discovering her attraction to girls, followed by a list of the various girls she met and had relationships with. Frankly it became farcical that every single girl she met happened not only to be gay but also attracted to her (especially in the depths of cowboy country, bible belt Montana). And every one was a stereotype: the closeted high school girl, liberal girl from hipster city, 'dykey' student etc.
By the time I got to the second part where she was sent to the Christian reform camp - what is supposed to be the focus of the book - I was at the part of not caring. While the pace did pick up the story was still far too bogged down with superfluous detail while not really delving deep into the characters she talked about or the drama of the situation.
Overall I'd say to anyone thinking about this book to save a credit and just watch the movie!

Long winded and only half a book

Narrator was brilliant, but the story was sooooo! Drawn out, practically every hour of everyday. Only when the fight back began did the interest ramp up then the book ended without any real resolution of anything.

A journey

Ignore the other reviews here, this is a good character study, nicely crafted, an interesting story about how one girl was forced to a school where she'd have her 'gayness' knocked out of her. Is there a sequel because it left many thrads hanging, we don't revisit her family, Viking Erin isn't explained, and the ending . . . I didn't see it coming, didn't quite understand it. Did the author think it was profound? Or did she just give up. The editor should be shot for not coaching the author to finish off bits of the plot that are missed. But, you know, it's clearly from the pen of an intelligent studier of character and minutiae. This one is certainly about the journey and not the hurried ending. I think this is fair.

Crazy Americans

I enjoyed the book, it made interesting reading to realise how people within the church want to remove such sin and how reality is that we are not 'cured' just learning to give lip service to those that are not prepared to listen but push their beliefs onto another.

Great read

I am not sure why some people give this low ratings for being a “tough read”. It’s got sensitive themes and it’s graphic in parts. Not to be downplayed. But it does tell about what it basically says on the tin! That’s the story, the reality for some. And it weaves together with nice stories within. Really liked it. Wanted more!

Excellent book, wonderful narrator

I've seen some reviews saying that this book is slow and all the interesting stuff happens at the end, but I love the American lit style of rich, decadent description so I really enoyed it. Also, I liked the whole book as a character study, so the drama towards the end is just a part of all the experiences the protagonist goes through.

I'm also really glad I listened to this as an audio book as the narrator was excellent (except the attempted English accent) and they added so much to the emotional scences. One of the fastest listens I've had in a while as I just couldn't get enough.

So if you want a trip to 90s-mid-west-nostagligc USA, and you like picture painting narration, this book is for you. Personally, I also thinks it's a powerful story about the treatment of outsiders in society that's worth hearing.

awful

struggled to get as far as I did ! just a load of utter rubbish

Excellent and original

This book is wickedly delightful, really funny and a satisfying storyline, so many books in this genre are boring because they lack originality and use a 'same old' template.
This is no such a book, ultimately re-readable.

I loved this!

I love the the characters, the story itself and the way it wss read.

A rare 5 stars all round

Absolutely loved this book: the story, characterisation, narration were all engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.
Sensitive and moving portrayal of self- discovery, growth and battling against the odds, both poignant and humorous at times, lovely balance..
highly recommended.