Surprisingly touching. I thought this wouldn't be my kind of book (I'm not into humour of the vomit, B.O., and explosive diarrhea variety), and I guess I was right. But I got really invested in the characters, and... I cried a little by the end. Go figure.

So, if you are looking for a wilderness survival book involving gross humour and some great characters, then hey, maybe pick this one up. ( )

Dan gets to spend his spring break bonding with his step-dad-to-be in a wildlife trip. Dan and his best friend Charlie are determined to sabotage him and invent all types of gross-out pranks to try to bring him to the brink. When the group is all separated, the teens are stretch to survive all manners of outdoor turmoil - weather, an angry bear, cold, and hunger.
Laughable moments and gross-out scenes make this for an entertaining read that just confirmed that camping is not really for me. ( )

Dan is a 16-year-old student whose main interest is creating graphic novels. His best friend, Charlie, is a super-bright geek interested in photojournalism. When Dan’s Mom announces her engagement to her latest boyfriend – a dentist named Hank – Dan is unhappy but resigned. When Mom gives him a “survival week” experience to share (and bond) with Hank, Dan and Charlie concoct a plan to scare Hank away. But they weren’t counting on a bear stalking them ….

This sounded like a decent premise for a YA novel but Calame’s reliance on scatological humor and descriptions that only a 13-year-old boy will find funny just lost me. I couldn’t believe that Dan and Charlie would remain BFFs through all this; I didn’t buy Dan’s “true love” for Erin; I really didn’t believe in the totally inept adventure outfitters (especially Max running off into the woods to kanoodle with Barbara when the rest of his party – including Barbara’s daughter – were out in the wilderness with no life skills); he is, after all, responsible for their safety.

It should have been a fast read, but it didn’t hold my attention, and as I was reading while we were on a long cross-country trip, it took me a full week to finish it. I think my nephew would have liked it when he was in his early teens; at eighteen, I think he’s matured beyond this stage. ( )

Refreshingly funny and engaging. Calame has a good ear for dialogue and a keen sense of humor, capturing the essence of the situation perfectly. Great details and characters.

Received via Candlewick Press in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif

Dan vs Nature is a hilarious novel with plenty of raunchy humour that kept me laughing out loud. It's rare to find a novel that actually catches me off guard and makes me laugh in delight, but Dan vs Nature, as the cover promises, is an "outrageously funny and wickedly raunchy romp in the woods".

In terms of novels, Dan vs Nature is probably one of the more "out there" Novels that deviates from my traditional female lead characters, romance and intrigue - but it deviates in a good way. What starts out as a story about a boy trying to thwart his mother's suitor with a less-than-devilish prank plot, becomes a hilarious and genius tale of acceptance and growing up, complete with a heart warming ending to leave a reader with a smile on their face. Dan vs Nature is a ligh-hearted novel that will appeal to readers from all back grounds and age ranges - a particularly impressive feat - with some fantastic surprises. At no point in this novel was I bored nor was I aware that Calame was following a well-trodden plot in an already saturated Young Adult novel market.

I particularly loved how Calame wrote a tale about wilderness survival from the point of view of people with various issues with wilderness and daily living. Charlie is afraid of contracting serious diseases from internalized conditions, Penelope just wants to get through the weekend without her mother embarrassing her and Dan just wants to get rid of Hank, who just wants Dan to accept him as a potential father figure. During their adventure each character faces their fears, reveals secrets and in the end conquer some very real issues. Not bad for a novel written for 16 year old boys (or at least more than I was expecting).

My only issue with this novel was that over use of words of which most 16 year old kids probably have never been exposed. The dictionary worthy, spelling bee words used by (best friend) were particularly challenging and hindered the novel's realism a tad. Granted, this intellectual exercise and witty banter only added to the appeal for myself, but was a bit out of place for a novel written for teenagers. In retrospect, perhaps the use of challenging and unique words is a writing device the author utilized to not only keep adults interested in the novel, but also to develop young reader's vocabularies (something I definitely support).

In the end I loved Dan vs Nature for its fresh ideas, unique plot that also followed the cliché acceptance of a new father figure, but didn't go over board with the message of family.

This book would appeal to readers who enjoy outdoorsy literature, contemporary young adult novels and novels that hark back to the early days of young adult before the market was over come with "YA for adults". Dan vs Nature is worth a read if you're feeling down or want a good, childish laugh. A wonderful read for all ages. ( )