Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

173 reviews

atomicbritt's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

blighted_beak's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

Very fun read that was not what I expected. I like the take on demons and how that played out in the book, even tho some parts had me rolling my eyes or scratching my head. Not enough to detract from my enjoyment though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Car accident

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

fleurdujour's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

3.5

Pretty solid! Love the boyband scene. I wish there would have been more of an ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror and Fire/Fire injury

entityj's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Stalking and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit and Car accident

embee007's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.5

"Beware a curious person whose attention has been piqued."

My first Chuck Tingle book, somehow, & definitely not my last (Bury Your Gays is also on my TBR for the fall).

“The stuff they believed, the messages they pounded into our heads … none of it was that weird. They’re just the thousandth little twist on the exact same book.”

As multiple other people have pointed out, Camp Damascus feels YA, not in a bad way. But if the book was marketed as YA, it would immediately be banned from at least half the country's school libraries, & quite a few public libraries as well.

"It’s hardly the worst thing organized religion has come up with."

This book is uncomfortable, & heavy. Bible quotes are repeated, as well as the cult's tenets. Religious trauma is heavily explored.

“There are things I miss about my old life, like community and family and just … going to church on a day like today. You’ve shown me how someone could find love in that book on their own terms, but too many people around here have used it for hate.”

Representation: Autistic lesbian MC, wlw relationship, gay supporting character.

Warning: Religious trauma, cult, gay conversion camp, gaslighting

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror and Confinement

millionsofmax's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

As a queer, non-binary ex-Christian… fuck. This book was painful and hopeful and the vindication that I need against the people who called my identity delusion my entire adolescence.

And thank you, Mr. Tingle, for letting the lesbians kiss.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing and Gun violence

Minor: Drug use

Do not read this if religious trauma, especially as an LGBTQ person, is a triggering topic for you. While the book’s message is of hope and anger towards religious institutions that perpetuate hate towards the LGBTQ community, the details of its cult are difficult to read about.

randi_jo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.25

This was such a good read. And while it does have some very anxiety inducing scenes, in typical Chuck Tingle form, there are some very poignant themes and thoughts sprinkled throughout the narrative, like: life's balance between knowledge and faith, identity and how mutable it is, real evil is done with intention (sometimes even best intentions), sometimes your family won't choose you but you can always choose your found family, and as always: love and acceptance.

Pros:

🪰 Some of that horror really did make me squeamish, but not because it was "in-your-face" offensive. Just tense and sometimes gross.

🪰 MC is gay and autistic - she displays hyperfocus tendencies and has her own soothing rituals, which honestly sometimes made ME feel better, too lol. Anyway, she is portrayed really well as she struggles with faith, the loss of faith, and coming to terms with her identity.

🪰 A very thoughtful approach to the insidiousness of hatred in institutions (the church in this case). That there is no black and white message that "all religion is evil or good" makes it more compelling to examine your own thoughts and values.

Cons:

🪰 Minor pacing issues, but most of them I think occur in places that don't affect tension buildup for the thriller/spooky stuff.

🪰 Marina was forgotten maybe a bit too soon.

🪰 Had alcohol instead of chocolate milk.

this is a joke and not a real con unless you are very rigid on your tingleverse canon, which would be understandable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

aidenm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I wish there was more of it tbh? There were time skips that I found myself really wanting to know what happened!! Also I fully thought the main character was 15 until they said she had turned 20. They felt young and that made sense for how much information they had withheld from them but being reminded they were in their 20s always surprised me. That’s such a small thing tho I ate this up in 2 days. During midterm season of my senior year.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Vomit

blewballoon's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.0

This is my first Chuck Tingle book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of their horror. If you are creeped out by bugs, you will have a very rough time with the horror elements here. I was surprised at how quickly things got freaky. I really liked the main character and the found family she made, I always prefer my horror books to feature good-hearted characters that I can get invested in. Mara Wilson did a great job narrating. A heavier spooky book if you've had any experiences with neurodivergency/autism, homophobia, and fundamentalist religion.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, and Gun violence

searedfish's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.25

Not really good, but very entertaining. Every time the main character said frick I had to take a second and sigh 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Car accident