Danny doesn't have a father figure in his life, and going to Camp Baker in 1978 will help with the masculine traits he doesn't get staying at home. He experiences bullying, something he is already accustomed to. Danny and Mark need to depend on each other to see through the summer which means the confidence Mark has Danny can pick up and the humility Danny has Mark can pick up. This is a heartfelt enemies-to-friends story.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. ( )

This is not really an easy book to read. Not because it isn't good or well written, it's because it's painful, especially if you had a not so wonderful childhood or were made fun of and bullied. Danny gets a summer job at a camp to get away from home and earn money for school supplies. Daddy left, Mama sleeps around, he's picked on and made fun of. At camp Danny can act like a different person and be free. Danny learns about misconception and how people can judge you by that. A hard lesson indeed. ( )

There’s a huge difference between the ages of 13 and 16. The same thing can be said of the stories we make up about other people’s lives and the reality of those life experiences. The writer of "On the Waterfront" makes use of both of those differences to fashion a story based on the experiences of two members of Scout camp staff. They were a pair of young guys who were forced together and, despite their differences, become friends. It was a heartening yet poignant story.

I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would. It's a solid story that made me feel as though I was a part of it. I'll be thinking about this book long after I've read it. I absolutely recommend checking it out.

Thank you to Mike McCoy for my signed copy that I won through LibraryThing. ( )

This book was sent to me as an Early Reviewer.

By no means is this a bad book/story; however, I feel I may not be the target audience to appreciate it. It's written well as a coming-of-age story of a teenage boy. The writing style feels as though it would make a great, relatable read for a teenager, but it also includes some inappropriate topics and a few insensitive moments which would keep me from calling it a book suitable for YA. I felt there were inconsistencies with some of the actions/words of some characters without a clear lead-in or understanding as to why. Finally, the pacing left something to be desired, as there was a large set-up, yet the climax and ending seemed incredibly rushed.

I feel this book would be appreciated by the right audience, and unfortunately, that may not be me this time around. ( )