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thereadingrambler 's review for:
Camp Damascus
by Chuck Tingle
dark
emotional
fast-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
I obviously had to read Chuck Tingle's horror debut, and I was absolutely blown away. I read this in two sittings, entirely sucked in. The book is a little heavy-handed at points but reveals so much about the horrors of gay conversion camps and the extents of the actions of these organization to control young people specifically. The different camp survivors have very different ways of dealing with their trauma and their memories (or lack thereof) that cover the spectrum of ways people deal with religious trauma. I'm not sure if Tingle came from a religious background, but the way he handled religion and faith and people's relationship to those things was very respectful and nuanced.
Spoilers for the ending here:
I usually don't like horror stories that end positively because that defeats the purpose of a horror novel in my opinion, but it actually worked here. I was very surprised and very satisfied.
Spoilers for the ending here: