MONSTER CAMP

What’s the perfect getaway for an aspiring vampire?

Sylvie Shaw loves to role-play as a monster: a vampire, to be exact. Founder of Evermore Middle School’s Monster LARPing Club, she loves watching the creepy old-school shows and movies that are a connection to her late mom, but her dad wants her to spend time with other people. Her summer hits a speed bump on the very first day when Dustin, the only other club member, is a no-show for their planned park LARP, and cocky jock Fisher, the bane of her sixth grade existence, appears to torment her. Things go from bad to worse when Dad provides a handful of brochures for possible summer camps but forbids her favorite, Monster Camp. Not to be thwarted, the determined Sylvie hatches a daring and devilish plan to infiltrate her wicked wonderland, which is adjacent to a survival skills camp. This is just the prelude to Sylvie the wannabe vampire’s delightfully odd odyssey. She joins a pantheon of ghoulish campers, including werewolf Chad, Frankenstein’s monster, an invisible boy, and a Yeti. Sylvie’s initial joy—“These are my people”—turns to paranoia and fear as she imagines her exposure as a fraud and punishment at the claws of the camp denizens. With time, Sylvie settles in, and her ardor is rewarded. Henning’s clever premise allows her to explore a panorama of monsters, and her brisk, lively style deftly balances both frights and humor. Sylvie is cued White.

A mirthful monster mashup.