Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lesbian coming-of-age story has language, drinking, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 19 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a powerful and necessary coming-of-age story that resonates with many readers, particularly those exploring their sexuality; however, opinions on suitability for younger audiences vary widely. While some find it beautifully written and filled with relatable experiences, others criticize it for being boring or feel that the sexual content warrants a higher age rating, leading to debates about age-appropriate reading.
- impactful storytelling
- varied age opinions
- representation matters
- engaging writing quality
- complex characters
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST begins in 1989 in Miles City, Montana. Twelve-year-old Cameron Post has just kissed her best friend, Irene, and she wants to do it again. But that same day, she learns that her parents were killed in a car crash, and her guilt and shame become forever tied up with their deaths. Over the next four years, Cameron pursues a passionate, scary, complicated quest for identity (sexual and otherwise) that's both helped and hindered by girls she falls in love with, the boys on the track team, her super-conservative Aunt Ruth—who sends her to conversion therapy to "cure" her—and the true friends she finds there.
Is It Any Good?
Cameron's friendship with Jane and Adam is one of this relatable book's best features and something that will likely resonate with readers. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a great resource for teens questioning their sexuality, but it's also a powerful coming-of-age story that centers the importance of friendship in the difficult journey of anyone who has felt out of place. Writer Emily M. Danforth also allows characters who could be simply villains to be far more nuanced. As Cameron experiences the ill effects of their behavior, she also understands the motivations, some sincerely good, that are driving it. And while Cameron and her friends sometimes act out, Cameron's journey is told with complexity and emotion, making it easy to root for her to find happiness in the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how things have changed since 1993, when The Miseducation of Cameron Post ends. For example, a few years later, the internet came along, making it much easier for kids who feel disconnected to find one another. Do the changes show up in the book? What other aspects might have continued to change if the book continued on past the 1990s?
The book includes a number of characters questioning their sexuality. How do they deal with it differently? What do you think could make things easier or more difficult for someone who's questioning or struggling with their sexuality? For example, what might be the impact of supportive friends and family, visible role models, and the beliefs the person has grown up with?
How does Cameron tell the difference between the adults who truly have her best interests at heart and those who have their own agendas? Do you think the two are necessarily mutually exclusive?
How does Cameron show empathy, integrity, and perseverance during the film? Why are these important character strengths?
The book was adapted into a movie in 2018. Have you seen the movie? If so, how does it compare to the book? What might be some of the challenges of adapting much-loved books for the screen?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : February 7, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 480
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 13, 2025
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