Reviews tagging 'Deadnaming'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

8 reviews

acechemicals's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I can't objectively review this book in any meaningful way. It resonated with me in every single way, from

memory loss due to religious abuse

to

finding a family that understands the need to protect others.

It took me four hours to read and I'm sure everyone I love is completely irritated by me reading passages or sending heart-rending quotes in DMs (or setting the book down so I could cry several times during the last quarter or so). 

Entwining religion and horror is not new by any means, but done to great effect here. Everything is scarier through Rose's eyes, because she's sheltered. And we're so used to denial of the protagonist's experiences as a trope of horror that "you didn't see anything weird" seems normal, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this" isn't out of the ordinary, but it ratchets up seamlessly and quickly for Rose in a way anyone familiar with high-control religion would recognize immediately.

I want everyone to read this. I also want to cry for the next six months. And I couldn't have asked for a better ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Car accident

Minor: Deadnaming, Drug use, and Gun violence

_readerfromtheblacklagoon_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

christcore's review against another edition

3.5

Really wanted to like it for the unique setting, but this is one of those books that just REEKS of "debut novel." The prose was clunky and repetitive, and there were SO many sentences that I could predict in my mind. I rolled my eyes at the writing at least a dozen time while listening to the audiobook.

Honestly, the plot was predictable too. Sometimes you come across a story that is so close to good, but just can't quite get there. It's sad. 

The horror was interesting and had the potential to be scary (demons, insects, cults...) but all fell flat. I think this is an issue of poor editing more than anything else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Vomit

Moderate: Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Car accident

Minor: Cursing and Deadnaming

shiftycow1313's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

10/10, this book skyrocketed Chuck Tingle into my favorite authors. I LOVED this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

samferree's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There is not a shred of doubt that Conversion Therapy advocates would do this if they could.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Lesbophobia

vyralvyris's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Such a fun book, really fun view on what is and is not a sin to the eyes of demons and people.  Always love a cult story.  The only thing keeping it front a 5 is the pacing is a bit of a drag at the beginning. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Kidnapping

Minor: Confinement, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Car accident

If you don't like bugs in horror, I wouldn't fully recommend. It isn't super graphic, but if insects in people is a trigger, fully do not recommend reading this however good it is.

kit666's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I am honestly shook that Chuck Tingle wrote this. His stories are already ridiculouly well written for such silly prompts and now this? I love it!

I loved the way autism is represented here. It's not positive or negative or Rose's only trait. It's just a part of her. Same with the queer representation. Being queer in a religious setting is already horror in the real world and I think Tingle has woven a fantastically horrific supernatural element into it. I would love to know more about the demons and hell and everything that goes on down there. Who do they serve? Is Camp Damascus the only camp of its kind? What's the history behind it all? Did the demon's get the campers families too? Did the other campers regain their memories? I'd love to read a sequel!
The parts with the flies were especially disgusting and horrific to me. Loved it! So disgusting! When they crawled out of Dr. Smith's tear ducts I had to rub my eyes to remind myself that it wasn't happening to me. 
I also loved the spin on hell being cold and demons being killed by fire. I'm sure it's been done lots of times, but it was a first for me and super interesting. 
The entire found family aspect was heartwarming. The bond between Willow and Rose still remaining after all this trauma and them not immediately going back to "before" when they met again was lovely. It draws you in, when something so human happens.

A lovely found family supernatural horror book. I loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder

Minor: Confinement, Deadnaming, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, and Medical content

throwback682's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

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