Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

13 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I learned earlier today that the Bible only started using the word “homosexual” and its other forms in 1946. Evidently, the same word was previously translated as masturbator and its various forms. So conversion therapy, I would guess, probably only followed suit after homosexuality became demonized by the Church (otherwise, there’d be no church if they had to convert every masturbator to what exactly????).

Gay people have been around since the beginning of time, because more of us are scientifically gayer than “polite” society wants to admit (sexuality is a range spanning heterosexuality to homosexuality with lots of shades in between). So the idea of conversion camps fascinates me. Why are we trying to homogenize the world? What is the deep fear or desire motivating it? Thus, I had to read this book, and it wasn’t exactly what I expected, but that’s partially because I forgot to read the small print saying it was also a horror book. However, I suppose it is a horrible experience for those forced to undergo it. And I imagine a lot of what’s in the book might be true enough (the cost and the brainwashing).

Mostly, I’m glad there’s a book for questioning young people to read that lets them know there’s nothing wrong with them and that they have the power to resist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

laboromi's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Stalking, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

pacifickat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

*full review coming...*

"Something is wrong in Neverton, and that something isn't me." -Rose

"Don't worry, Rose. I've got you. I've always got you." -Dad

"Let there be Rose." -Rose

Content Warnings:

Religious abuse,

Demonic possession, Demons, Hell, Eternal conscious torment,

Guilt, Shame, Fear, Thought stopping, Brainwashing, Cults and cult ideologies, Gay conversion therapy, Confinement, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Body horror, Toxic relationships, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Child abuse, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Drug use, Amnesia and memory loss

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Alcohol

Religious abuse,

demonic possession, demons, hell, eternal conscious torment

, guilt, shame, fear, thought stopping, brainwashing, cults, gay conversion therapy, gay conversion camps

machewson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

Wow!  I consider myself to be a fairly slow reader, but I started and finished this book in one day.  It's not particularly long and I could not put it down.  The journey we go on in this book of self acceptance and love is absolutely incredible.  If you only read one book this year or even this decade make it this one.  I don't want to get into any spoilers, but if you are a queer person I can't recommend this book highly enough.  It feels cathartic, loving and incredible from start to finish.  The mystery and suspense absolutely keep you glued to this book until the last sentence.  I know this is rambling but my god this book has me feeling all kinds of ways.  This is very easily going in my top five all time reads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder

hexentart's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

*internal screaming*

Absolutely. Horrifying. Evil.

Oh, and demons too.

A gripping story of an evil cult masquerading as a church, the torture and abuse of young queer folk in the name of salvation, and
the power of love.

This book was A LOT and definitely not an easy read (mind your squicks), but it was all worth it. 

The ending was simply poetic and very satisfying. 😏

This was my first read of this author, but I'll definitely be looking into their other horror novels as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Slavery, Medical content, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

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

trashkingmax's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Car accident

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Stalking

setauuta's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was much better, and a much faster read, than I was expecting. Even though it's a horror novel, I didn't feel fear, necessarily, and the horrific elements were used to good effect and not overdone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

megan_harper's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Gun violence

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

The toxic relationship for main character and parents as well as religion and believers.