Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

245 reviews

cor_luz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Body horror

samferree's review

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

dogearedbooks's review

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Body horror, and Homophobia

Moderate: Drug use

multiplyoctopi's review

fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Body horror

Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Medical content, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

hexedmaiden's review

dark emotional mysterious tense

5.0

Long time follower first time reader of the beloved Chuck Tingle and I feel like I need to read the rest of the Tingle-verse!!

The story of Camp Damascus tackles the sensitive topic of conversion therapy but not in a way I expected! In fact, it was so much creepier! 

(This is also nowhere near the erotica Dr. Tingle typically writes in fact there are no sex scenes in this which I think was a good call.)

I really loved our protag Rose, and while I was never raised in the church nor (thankfully) ever had to experience the trauma of conversion therapy I was still finding myself relating to her in the sapphic & (perhaps, on my part) autistic representation. 

Chuck Tingle is a fantastic writer and this story though horrifying was beautifully crafted and executed. I know we're only 3 months into 2024 as I write this review but this might be in my top 5 books of the year & I'm totally pre-ordering Bury Your Gays once I hit enter on this review <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Car accident

trashkingmax's review

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, Car accident, Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Homophobia

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

jessicadoom's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Going into this, I knew I was going to likely compare it to the movie They/Them just because they both center around conversion therapy in a horror landscape. And, unfortunately, that comparison left me wanting more.

I wouldn't say the book was bad in any way. The story was intriguing and new, but it definitely could have been developed more. It either needed to be shorter and focus maybe on just the retribution act, or be longer and flesh out some of the details more.

Overall, it was all right. Could have used a bit more terror, and maybe a bit less Jesus, but still all right.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Homophobia, Gore, Blood, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Drug use

insects

pettywhaler's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Torture, Homophobia, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gore, and Child abuse

Moderate: Car accident

vyralvyris's review

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, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Kidnapping

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

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.

quoth_thepaperraven's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

Loved this book. I would’ve liked the end to be stretched out. It felt too cinematic. And while the audience already understood

that the demons would go after the camp workers

it would’ve been nice to see

rose figure that would slower

in order to build tension. Otherwise it was great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping, Gore, Homophobia, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Drug use and Abandonment