Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

18 reviews

displacedcactus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

Tingle is a good but not great writer. There were some really great descriptions and turn of phrase in this book, and then some that were almost amateurishly bad. Over all, though, I did enjoy reading it and I think Tingle has a lot of promise to write these more mainstream horror novels alongside his "Tinglers". I especially think he did a good job of sensitively handling the issue of becoming disillusioned with the religion you grew up in, and I like that we got to see how two different characters experienced that, so people could see there's no wrong way to be "exvangelical."

This is a horror book and it does have some gross and scary moments, but there's also a lot of downtime for character development and problem solving, so it's not a tense, nail-biter kind of read. I could definitely see Chuck going in the direction of my favorite author T. Kingfisher, who anchors her horror with these really loveable characters and the sense that everything is going to turn out alright, even if you have to go through hell to get there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Cursing

Lots of insect/bug/worm content here.

philippmk's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Homophobia, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Car accident, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Vomit

Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Gore, Medical content, Violence, Cursing, and Confinement

stegs's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Gore, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Homophobia, and Body horror

Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Violence, Cursing, and Vomit

chrobin's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

Some nice lighthearted Christian/cult queer revenge fantasy with some good body horror moments - that’s a pretty unique genre! Excellent concept, pulpy one dimensional delivery, but I think that’s what they’re going for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Violence, and Vomit

janewa's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism and Cursing

justanotherfinalgirlreview's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.25

Welcome to Camp Damascus, the most successful christian camp, where all your bodily sin’s including homosexuality can be cured permanently. Our methods work so well, your child won’t even remember coming here, nor will they have any recollection of their previous sinful desires. But if, god forbid,if any camper does have any recurring desires, we personally guarantee their own demons will keep them under control for the REST OF THEIR LIVES. Your satisfaction is a guarantee.

However, The Kingdom of the Pine Church never expected a camper quite like Neverton local Rose Darling, an on the spectrum, fact based and highly religious 20 year old girl.

As a "secular" girl myself, the first half of the novel was a slow start, with many religious references flying right over my head. I did not understand Rose's love of religion and found the Darling family a little weird. But as I got further into the book I truly began to appreciate the story and how texts can be used and manipulated for personal gain. I've grown up on the stories about how horrible Catholic education was for my father and his brothers, with all three boys finding unique ways to be uninvited back to school (including a streaking incident). The book really started to pick up for me halfway through and I could not put it down. I fell in love with Rose and Saul, their strange friendship and united goal. Rose's weird facts kept me hooked, and made me want to know more.  Chuck Tingle created a wonderful LGBTQIA+ and Religious Horror novel filled with gory visceral body horror that will have you looking for the nearest garbage bin to throw up in thanks to the transmissions from the other side. I highly recommend enrolling yourself in Chuck Tingle's Camp Damascus this July!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to get an advanced readers copy, this book got me through a long hospital visit, and Rose being there too at the vending machines made me feel so much less alone

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Torture, Transphobia, Body horror, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

maryellen'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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Car accident