The Names They Gave Us

Lucy Hansson's summer plans are upended when her mother's cancer returns and her boyfriend suggests taking a break from their relationship. At her mother's urging, Lucy reluctantly agrees to work as a counselor at Daybreak, a camp for kids who have experienced hardship. At Daybreak, Lucy meets fellow counselors who challenge her long-held beliefs and push her outside her comfort zone. She forms connections with her campers while navigating new friendships and an unexpected romance, all while processing uncertainty about her mother's health. The camp becomes a place of both joy and struggle as Lucy grapples with questions of faith, identity, and what it means to support others through their pain. She discovers truths about her family's past while learning to embrace uncertainty and change. This contemporary young adult novel explores themes of religious faith, forgiveness, and the complex bonds between parents and children. Through Lucy's experiences, the story examines how beliefs evolve when tested by life's challenges.

Readers found the book balanced serious themes with hopeful moments while portraying grief, faith struggles, and teen experiences. The character development of Lucy resonated with many readers who appreciated her questioning of religion without the story becoming preachy. Liked: - Authentic portrayal of camp counselor dynamics and friendships - Complex parent-child relationships - Treatment of faith doubts and questioning - Natural dialogue between teens - LGBTQ+ representation through side characters Disliked: - Slow pacing in first third of book - Some plot threads left unresolved - Romance felt underdeveloped to some readers - Faith elements too heavy for some, too light for others Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (14,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (250+ ratings) BookishFirst: 4.3/5 (100+ ratings) Common reader quote: "Handles tough topics with care while maintaining hope throughout."

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🌟 Emery Lord wrote this story while processing her own grief after losing her mother to cancer, making Lucy's journey particularly personal and authentic 📚 The summer camp in the novel, Daybreak, is specifically designed for children dealing with various forms of trauma and hardship - a unique setting rarely explored in Young Adult literature 🎭 The book tackles complex theological questions about faith and doubt, inspired by Lord's own experience growing up in a religious household and later questioning those beliefs 💌 The character names in the book were carefully chosen for their meanings: Lucy means "light," which reflects her journey from darkness to hope 🌿 The camp counselor training details in the book are based on real-world protocols and experiences, as Lord consulted with actual camp counselors during her research