Camp Damascus

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 1,148 ratings

Price: 17.71

Last update: 08-15-2024


About this item

Long-listed, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2023

"Wilson narrates with emotional depth, conveying all of Rose's intelligence, inquisitiveness, and fear as she's hunted by otherworldly beings."—AudioFile

“A joyful, furious romp through dark places, Tingle proves he's as good at fear as he is at love.”―T. Kingfisher, bestselling author of What Moves the Dead

From beloved internet icon Chuck Tingle, Camp Damascus is a searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community face in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.

Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.

Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.

And they’ll scare you straight to hell.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.


Top reviews from the United States

J. Ducote
5.0 out of 5 stars All the love.
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2024
I loved the themes of acceptance of queer and neurodivergent people, and the spotlight on religious deprogramming. It’s a beautifully written and very descriptive horror/love story.
K Dempsey
4.0 out of 5 stars Well done
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
4 ⭐ 0 ???? 3 ????

After discovering Chuck also writes horror while reading Bury Your Gays, I couldn't wait to jump back and listen to Camp Damascus. This religious horror was everything I was expecting and I loved it.

I really enjoyed watching this story progress and seeing Rose figure out exactly what was happening. The church conversion camp plot was perfect from Tingle, I love his ability to seamlessly weave queer politics into his horrors.

The audio was good, but nothing amazing. I'd pick this one up in your preferred format without worry you're missing out.
A.G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible and Healing
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2024
This book grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. It was genuinely scary, and the protagonist is a delightful mind and POV to inhabit. A must read for anyone with religious trauma. Deeply cathartic.
Summer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love is real even when they try to take it from you.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2023
I don't know why it took me so long to check out any of Chuck Tingle's books, but I think I'm going to go back and read his romances now.

This book felt personal to me. Being raised as a devout Christian, and eventually becoming a self-hating queer conservative Christian, I'm no stranger to the Ex Gay movement and the idea of Praying the Gay Away. My husband was also raised in a high demand religion (Mormonism), and has friends who were forced to go to places like Evergreen, which are so like the titular camp in this book, minus certain elements, obviously. So reading about the main character realizing who she is and what has been taken from her hit close to home.

I really felt for Rose, Saul, and all of the campers, and what their families put them through. Especially the realization that Rose's parents also tried to stifle the things that helped her with her autism as well. Again, my children are autistic and I could never imagine treating them the way her parents did her. My heart broke so many times over while reading.

This book is also endlessly quotable. So many passages hit me, and I've shared them on my Goodreads. I think the one that really stuck out the most, however, is this, about the antagonists of the novel. "That's the scariest thing about them: they're not that special."

It's so true. This evil is spreading all over the world right now, going back to the way things were before, and maybe even worse, for people in the LGBTQIA community.

Lastly, I wonder if Mr. Tingle may have been Mormon at one point, because so much of the church in this story reminds me of the culture that surrounds me right now, and what my husband has gone through. Regardless, I'll be sharing this in my exmormon groups because I think many will find it relatable.

This book was truly great, and I hope to read more horror in the future from this author. Thank you for capturing this nightmare so wonderfully.
M
3.0 out of 5 stars Excellently Written Characters, Fun Plot, But Little Horror
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
I picked up this book on a whim and will definitely be reading more of this author's books in the future.

This is one of the first books I have read where the main character's autism flows naturally in the text. Other times, I feel like autistic traits get added on or forced into certain points to remind you that the character is autistic. Rose's narrative flow just makes everything feel natural, I really enjoyed it.

The plot itself is like a mystery with a found family. While I really enjoyed it, there were just a few areas where I felt like answers were just told to us instead of getting us getting to discover it with the characters. I enjoy books showing rather than telling, but since this is from Rose's POV and she's a rather straightforward and logical narrator, that could've been why I felt some mystery was lacking. This book also tackles questioning faith and will be very familiar for anybody who grew up young in the church. I really enjoyed getting to see a character go through similar thoughts and doubts (metaphorically and with way less demons).

The horror/thriller elements rely on body horror a bit. That may be a turnoff for some, or for readers like me, it isn't what really gives me the creep. Again, I enjoy atmospheric tension, and Rose is a more 'here is what I am observing' narrator.
J. Edgar Mihelic, MA, MA, MBA
5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
I had only known Tingle as the author of the seemingly silly titled erotica but having followed him on social media for a while, I know the person behind the façade is an interesting and thoughtful writer. So, I was interested to see that he was making a more mainstream book.

Camp Damascus is a horror novel with a queer female teen protagonist who seems to have some sort of autism spectrum disorder. She is in a family in a town that is strongly centered on the titular camp that is run as a conversion camp. It is not giving too much away to say that hijinks ensue. The characters, especially the main one, are beautifully written and developed and the action flows really well. If you were raised around or within the evangelical movement, you might find that Tingle hits some notes perfectly. It feels almost like a backhanded compliment to say that the book is really professionally written and to note that I have already pre-ordered the next “serious” title, but you really should read this book if you like religious themed teen horror. It’s really well done and not even something that is in my normal wheelhouse.
Steph C
4.0 out of 5 stars Get the popcorn bucket
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2024
This felt like I was reading a B-Horror Movie novelization and honestly, I loved it! Some amazing one liners, lots of action, and plenty of creepy things afoot.

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