Princess in Camo series by Missy and Mia Robertson

Summary

Twelve-year-old Allie Carroway’s not-so-ordinary family is on a reality TV show called Carried Away with the Carroways. If that doesn’t make her stand out, she also has asthma and a severe peanut allergy. She and her cousins Kendall, Lola, and Ruby (also on the reality show) are close friends with a treehouse known as the Diva Duck Blind.

In Allie’s Bayou Rescue, Allie is in for some big news. Her aunt and uncle are planning to adopt their foster son, Hunter. The big question is, what does this mean for their beloved Diva Duck Blind treehouse where boys are not allowed? Allie senses that loving Hunter as God would have her to do means giving up the treehouse as it currently is. The cousins decide Hunter must complete a list of tasks as his initiation. Allie hears rumors that her family might be moving so that they can be in a place more suitable for her asthma.

Throughout the book, Allie navigates her asthma and peanut allergy, a new cousin, potential changes to the Diva, and filming the reality TV show. She also discovers the rumors about the family’s move is true after all. On the weekend of Hunter’s initiation, a big storm brews in Louisiana, and the cousins encounter all kinds of adventure. Hunter passes the initiation and is officially adopted as the newest Carroway. At the end of this book, they discover that the Diva is mold-infested.

Running from Reality starts with Allie having a close call with peanuts, which sends her to the hospital. One of her cousins confides that she is tired of being on the reality TV show. The Carroways sell their house, which means her family will move in with one of their cousins until their new home is finished. The Diva Duck Blind is being rebuilt into the newly named Lickety Split. As the cousins discuss their desire for privacy and a break from reality TV, they decide to strike. Wise Papaw Ray reasons with them and agrees to send the five cousins on vacation to California to visit Allie’s older brother. The trip from Louisiana to California starts off as an adventure. Allie sees a cute boy at the airport, who gives her a paper bag. When she asks what’s in it, he tells her, “Everything you need.” She later opens the bag, which contains random stuff like band-aids, a light, a map, and gift cards.

While in California, they stay at a house once owned by former Hollywood stars and enjoy their break from reality. Allie and the cousins find out more about the house’s original owners and even uncover a diary. Reading the diary helps Allie process her own life on camera. She helps a young girl find her family, only to find out they are a needy family living in their van. Allie discovers the “Hollywoodlum” ’s plot to break into the house they are staying in.

In Dog Show Disaster, Allie does not begin on good terms with her new neighbor Madison, a girl her age who also has a reality TV show. Madison seems out to get her, and things don’t get any better when they start attending the same school. Allie runs for Student Project Manager for the school carnival, which raises money for a worthy cause. Her idea to host a canine theme carnival with the proceeds going to an animal shelter is a hit, and she wins the election. When the teacher in charge of the carnival goes into premature labor, Allie finds herself working with Miss Lewis, a strict teacher with the demeanor of an army sergeant. Allie makes up a skit about Miss Lewis, which one of the cousins records on their phone. As she shows up for a meeting about the carnival, Allie finds herself working alongside Madison, who brings up her family’s own reality show whenever she gets the opportunity.

Unexpectedly, the video of the skit Allie made about Miss Lewis gets into the wrong hands. It gets shared on a social media app under someone with a fake account. Some people comment that her family’s show should be canceled because of this now-viral video. The situation goes from bad to worse as someone tries to hurt the carnival event by canceling activities. In the end, the school carnival turns out to be a success. After realizing how much Madison has been hurting from her parents’ divorce, Allie makes a genuine effort to befriend her.

A fun week at summer camp awaits the cousins in Finding Cabin Six. Still, Allie is less than excited that Madison is going. Before they embark on their camp adventure at Camp 99 Pines, they find out someone wants to sell it. The girl cousins are not all assigned to the same cabin as they had hoped. Instead, they are split up, with Madison placed with Allie. For the rest of the week, the cousins find themselves in the throes of camp games, discovering the whereabouts of Cabin Six, and saving Camp 99 Pines from being sold. This last book of the series also chronicles Madison’s spiritual journey to following Christ. It ends with Allie’s family moving into their new house.

Aunt Thoughts

The Princess in Camo series is a light-hearted read that I would have enjoyed as a twelve-year-old. I am glad it shows a behind-the-scenes look at life on a reality TV show because sometimes people can have an idealized view of it. No doubt Duck Dynasty stars Mia and Missy Robertson used their personal experiences in writing this book.

The series provides a Christian example for people since Allie and her family are believers. Allie shares the gospel with Madison, who chooses to follow Jesus. You’ll also find people reading scripture, quoting Bible verses, and spending time with God. There are a few things parents might want to note about the Christian and biblical references.

For example, people in the book quote Bible verses. However, when I searched to see which Bible version was used, I discovered they were paraphrased. In every reference to Savior referring to Jesus, the word savior is never capitalized. (Perhaps these could have been publisher decisions, but they stood out to me.) You also don’t find people giving any context behind the verses they quote. Some might argue that one of the books places a lot of emphasis on numbers.

A big caution is when we read in a book that God speaks to Allie. While people have differing views about how God “speaks” to us, hearing an audible voice from God is not something I am comfortable with nor is it something I want to encourage.

The series has many positive elements, character development, and lessons only learned in hindsight, which many readers would appreciate. However, if you want to provide a young reader with deep, solid biblical content, I wouldn’t put this very high on my list of recommended books.

Language: Words like dumb, stupid, rascal, tacky, gross, punk, sissies, duh, hate, sighing aloud while saying, “Whatever,” “Holy Gator Busters.” Some name-calling includes turning the last name Doonsberry into “Doomsberry” and Madison calling Allie “Allie-allergy.” Allie privately refers to Madison as “Mad-girl.” She calls her a liar, a cheat, and a fake in a social media post that does not get posted. At times, Madison speaks with a bad attitude, calls the Carroways “Bayou people,” tells Allie, “You’re nothing special,” and in one instance, yells at her mom. Miss Lewis heckles some people, although it is in jest.

Sexual content: This series is not crush-free. There’s talk of their first kiss, and the airport stranger is called “cute.” Allie blushes at seeing him and finds herself thinking about this boy. There are references to growing up, getting married, and having children. Allie’s crush carves their initials with a heart on a bunk bed.

Questionable behavior: Some parents might find the idea of an initiation questionable. At first, Allie doesn’t seem excited about Hunter’s adoption because he’s a boy. When Allie sees some papers from the realtor, she shreds one page before her parents can see it. She displays her anger at having to move more than once. When the cousins go on strike, it includes a refusal to do chores, which some might take as a sign of disrespect for authority. Allie accepts the lunch bag from a complete stranger at the airport. She takes other risks like
leaving her adult brother’s supervision to help a little girl. Instead of letting the police do their job, the cousins try to help catch someone who tries to break into a house.

A mysterious caller (probably Madison) tries to sabotage the school’s dog show fundraiser by calling as Allie and canceling an event. Kids as young as twelve are using social media. (This is where the video of Allie impersonating a teacher gets posted by someone with a fake account and goes viral.) Going along with cancel culture, some people say the reality show should be canceled, and students petition to have Allie removed as the school’s project manager. Madison’s attitude and how she treats people is not always a positive example.

Other things to note: There are references to Disney princesses. The cousins go to Hollywood on a vacation. A ghost story floats around camp.

This review is written by contributor, Melanie. To find out more about Melanie, click HERE.