It was great to see these characters again, but overall the novel felt rushed. The plot was minimal, the buildup was quick, and in the end there wasn't much pay off. ( )

The famous Applewhites family is facing a problem, it's winter and they’re running out of money. Randolph Applewhite has an idea to make his family home into a summer camp called Eureka for creative children. As the new campers arrived, things did not go as planned, they already had complainers and out of control campers; and to make matters worse, Randolph Applewhite began receiving threatening letters in the mail which E.D. Applewhite found on Randolph's desk. Over the next couple of days the campers and staff spotted a black car pulling in everyday delivering mail and a man in a black suit looking around taking notes. So together, the campers and Applewhites made a plan to trap the mystery man and find out who he was. The man in black was Thomas Timmons, an actor who was hired to deliver the letters by Mrs. Montrose, the president of the theatre board whose daughter was rejected from the play produced by Randolph Applewhite. This news angers Randolph Applewhite but he forgives the man and allows him to live with them until he can find a new job.

I give this book 4 stars because is was a Paige turner. It was good, interesting and in joinable. I didn't like like how they have to solve a mystery and how they make a camp gets of topic with the first book " Surviving the apple whites. ( )

The Applehwhites are creative and kind of crazy! The are all very artistic except for perhaps E.D. E.D is a good student, motivated to teach herself as the teachers in the Creative Academy do not pay much attention to their students. Then Jake Semple arrives, a juvenile delinquent in the making, she must learn to find a place for hm in her life and her heart.

The first thought that comes to mind after finishing the novel..."Yay!!"

The story starts with the Applewhites in danger of losing their home due to financial strains. So to solve their money problem, E.D.'s father, Randolph Applewhite, comes up with a plan to save their property...by starting a creative kids summer camp where kids will learn singing, dancing, painting, woodworking and sculpturing. Things get off to a rocky start. Campers want to go home and no one is getting along. Then a man in a suit toting a clipboard appear on the Applewhite property, seemly to take notes for the North Carolina government while strange letters come daily in the mail and E.D. realizes all is not as it seems. As E.D. uncovers the truth behind the supposed government agent and the taunting letters, Jake has figured out a way to rally the campers to a universal cause to help keep the government from shutting down their beloved camp. And through it all, each camper learns and grows in their area of expertise while getting to know each other and realizing that working in a team is always better than working alone.

What I Liked: The novel starts with a dysfunctional, yet happy family, who pull together during tough times in order to help the family as a whole. I liked that the story began with a hyper, creative atmosphere, then ends on the same note. I also really enjoyed the way Ms. Tolan showcased how each individual camper grew through their experiences, especially Ginger's last poem, which could easily be printed in a poetry book. Each camper also had very distinct personalities that were wonderful and make readers feel that these characters can indeed be real people.

What I Didn't Like: The only thing that I thought needed more explanation was E.D.'s ended fascination with David. Perhaps the reason why no explanation was given was because Ms. Tolan wanted readers to feel that E.D.'s feelings had slowly waned. Other than that, it was a really good read!

I received this novel from Librarything.com Early Reviewer program. ( )

I won Applewhites at Wit's End as a LibraryThing Member Giveaway – and for that I have to thank them, because I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's yet another YA novel I wish had been around when I belonged to the targeted audience – it would have been an annual read.

Wit's End is – well, it sounds like heaven, in its way. It is a 16-acre former motor lodge which has been turned into a creative compound reigned over by the massively talented Applewhite clan. Clan in the classic sense: the extended family lives and works here, and the tale of how that came about is apparently told in the first book, which I will have to look for soon. All of the arts are represented here, from sculpture to dance to theatre to literature – and so, when disaster strikes and money is suddenly short, the idea evolves that all this talent should be put to a new use: the complex will be converted into a summer arts camp, and all those fees from the dozens and dozens of kids whose parents will surely send them to take advantage of training by famous artists – surely this will solve all the Applewhite money problems.

It doesn't quite work out that way – which may be just as well, given the group's difficulties in handling the six precocious campers who do arrive.

The ensuing mess allows the kids to step up and save the day without the adults being reduced to – quite – morons or absentees. I think my only possible complaint about the book is that it falls into the habit of stereotyping creative folk as impractical and lacking in common sense; the only one of the Applewhites with any sense at all seems to be E.D., who has little or no creativity. The use of the stereotype is regrettable, I think – it seems to support the idea that it's very rare to be both "artsy" and sensible, and as an art school survivor who looks askance at everyone else's madness on a daily basis … well, it's more like just being sensible is rare, actually.

The attractions of the book are many for a kid like I was. As I mentioned, the concept of a self-contained world filled with all sorts of creativity, adults always ready to instruct and guide and encourage whatever ideas would crop up. Room, and company if you wanted it and privacy if you didn't, animals and the sort of private wilderness Anne Shirley made me crave – it's wonderful. The practical part of me would have bonded with E.D., who is a lovely character; there's always a part of me that itches to take charge when things aren't being done right, just as she has to do. And I loved the fact that there is an element of spite in her, which prompts her to keep a rather important piece of information to herself rather than passing it on to the relief of her father, whose fault the whole mess was. It's indicative of the tone of the book as a whole – funny, smart, and a tad bit irreverent. And fantastic. ( )