Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

80 reviews

tieflingkisser's review against another edition

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Torture and Gore

trashgobby's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia

Moderate: Gore, Medical content, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Abandonment, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Torture, Gaslighting, Ableism, Gun violence, and Drug use

badam868'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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Torture, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement

menderash's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative 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? No

4.0

I've been looking forward to this book since it was announced! I'm a big buckaroo for Tingle's tinglers, but also a die hard horror fan, so this was an obvious pick. I loved the first person narration from the perspective of an autistic person (as written by an autistic author!), the straightforward pragmatism brought the supernatural horrors into a very stark light, very much highlighted the gruesomeness. The plot was a fresh twist on an underutilized real life horror with a very interesting delivery. My only caveat that prevents this from getting a full five stars is that the fast pace felt TOO fast. Part of it was warranted by having such an efficient protagonist, but I felt like we weren't given enough time to sit with a plot development or emotional revelation before the next one arrived, and it kind of spoiled the gravity. I think if this book was twice as long, or even a quarter longer, the pacing would be much improved.

All in all solid 4 outta 5. Tingle does it again! I wish he'd write longer books, though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Death, Homophobia, Car accident, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Torture, and Sexism

illathrael's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.5

Plenty of religious trauma in this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia

Moderate: Torture

rowans_revenge's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

Camp Damascus is an expertly crafted and thoroughly horrifying queer horror novel. It explores themes of identity, religion, science, and found family (as every piece of queer literature should tbh). I was absolutely enthralled form start to finish.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Torture, Body horror, Car accident, Gore, and Homophobia

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

emmehooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, Blood, Physical abuse, Car accident, Sexism, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Kidnapping and Gun violence

jilliant's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

4.75

While I did think some of the plot points were a little wacky and there seemed to be an element of sheer dumb luck, I thoroughly enjoyed this and read it very fast! Don’t usually laugh out loud at horror so this was a welcome surprise. If you like campy horror with some genuine heart, this is it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Torture and Gun violence

snerp_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

3.75

Felt a little slow in the beginning, and a bit cliched, which made me struggle to finish it in a reasonable time. However, once I picked it back up and got to the last bit, I really enjoyed it. The concept and world building is interesting,

and makes me want to know more about the demons and their world, and just how the church obtained them in the first place.

I loved the incorporation of Rose's autism into the narrative of the story, and it was used in a way I've never seen in a novel before. The Rose biblical verses interspersed were also nice and added to the overall themes. 

All in all, I think it's a good YA novel, and if you like the YA genre, give it a read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gaslighting, and Body horror

Minor: Gun violence and Death

thedemonastagoth's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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: Religious bigotry and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Torture