In the interest of letting other people have as good of an experience as I had with this book, I'm not going to get into the plot at all, because there were a lot of curveballs that could be easily spoiled and that are a lot more fun to find on your own. I think it's enough to say that those of us who grew up around fundamentalist Christian churches will find a lot to recognize about the culture and environment the protagonist is in here, and find a whole lot of satisfaction in where this book goes.

The prose in this book is a little stiff: There are a unnecessary and over-emphatic adverbs (the "'I hate you!' he shouted, angrily" type problem) and other really blunt descriptions of actions or emotions in ways that come across as kind of simplistic and overstated. But while that approach bothered me a lot in the setup, particularly where I was getting to know the characters, it works shockingly well when it comes to the book's horror elements, where unnerving and terrifying things are described in the most basic and straightforward ways, without any attempt to dress them up, and it just makes them more unnerving. Chuck Tingle has a real talent for creepy imagery that I would not have suspected.

But I think what's likely to make this a hit with the Tumblr crowd is just how uncompromising it is about some of the hypocrisy behind the urge to control other people's bodies and brains at any cost, and to justify it as something God wants. The mythos in this book is pretty horrifying, but there's a sense of cosmic justice behind it all that makes it satisfying to read, and a lot of empathy that jibes extremely well with Chuck Tingle's obvious sympathy for people's bodily autonomy and respect for the importance of consent, not to mention the need to see other people as people rather than projects. This was a fairly breathless read for me — easy to tear through because of that very simple prose, but also an "Oh God, then what?" style horror story where you just want to know whether the people you care about make it out intact.

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Chuck Tingle for the advanced copy of Camp Damascus in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was such an interesting and *unique* concept! I don't want to spoil too much because it took me a hot minute to figure out what was going on but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I was a little worried about whether there would be graphic content pertaining to conversion therapy but found for the most part that wasn't the case. Regardless, if that topic is a difficult one for you, please proceed with caution.

The ending felt a *tad* rushed, but I'm starting to see that might just be a horror genre thing.

Chuck Tingle has long been one of my favorite people. From his early days of writing Tinglers, to the Hugo Awards, podcasts, and social media stardom he's been a joy to follow. I can also confidently say, after his forays into fantasy and horror, he is one of my favorite authors. CAMP DAMASCUS just solidified that. If only he was doing a signing near Baltimore!

CAMP DAMASCUS is focused upon Rose, a girl growing up near the gay conversion camp in rural Montana. Rose has had a normal life, or as normal as it can be when you're being raised by the Kingdom of Pine fundamentalist Christians. She loves God, learning scientific facts, and perhaps a certain girl a little bit too much... Then a mysterious figure starts showing up, and she's coughing up flies. What's going on?

CAMP DAMASCUS is horror, sheer brilliant horror. It's a spine-tingling read with a queer, autistic protagonist who is not defined by those aspects of her - but certainly doesn't deny or play down either. It's a book that is funny at times, horrific at others, but always and forever thrilling to read. I can't really call this a debut novel since Chuck Tingle has been writing for well-over a decade at this point - but as a mainstream debut, the power of this book can't be beat.

I was thrilled to have Chuck join the ranks of the horror writers with STRAIGHT, and I am even more thrilled now for him to officially be breaking out into bookstores everywhere with CAMP DAMASCUS. Get this book, and join this trot - CAMP DAMASCUS is a chilling read that above all else proves LOVE IS REAL.

A fun, fast horror read, with relevant but not overwhelming gruesome bits.

Probably more toward 3.5 stars.

I'm so excited for Chuck Tingle. After following his hilarious erotica titles for the last few years, I couldn't wait to read his first "mainstream" novel. The fact that it falls in the horror genre was the cherry on the cake. While I wasn't fully blown away by this story (I wanted to spend more time IN the horrid conversion camp as opposed to on the outside--personal opinion) there was some amazing imagery! The demons are well crafted with just enough quirk to qualify them as unique to the story. It definitely reads like a b-horror movie and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a little knock on all the crazy religious fervor that exists, shockingly, even today.

I breathed in relief as I finished this one. And while it has a lot of heavy, anger-inducing characters and elements, it also has this breezy mindset to it. CAMP DAMASCUS is everything I could ask for in a book that blends together gay horror and religious horror. Chuck Tingle is shining a light on this slithery, slimy world of Evangelical Christo-fascists, and especially in a way of their views and treatment of Queer people. It was hard to read at times, but then I felt empowered a lot, too. There are so many relatable thoughts that our main character has and I just felt such a connection. Some moments are so tense I wasn't sure if I was even *allowed* to breathe. Lots of great imagery at work and some of the body horror is off the charts.

And I have always enjoyed the ultra-weird, erotic, and out of control stories Tingle has put out over the years. But this story... this writing... it is on a completely new level. Tingle's got chops that exceed his creative imagination to shock and tantalize. You might have a difficult time accepting it is, in fact, the same author, but I think there are so many moments where the "Tingle" shines through in his writing.

It made me nervous. It made me angry. It freaked me out at times. I loved it.

What an incredible debut horror novel from Chuck Tingle! Conversion camp horror where demons aren't just in your head? A wild ride from start to finish and a great showcase of what Tingle can do!

I've always been intrigued by Chuck Tingle - he definitely gets an A+ for originality with his self-published works. So many butts. So many poundings. I'm ashamed that it has taken me so long to give him a try because I really, really enjoyed this one. Tingle is a very talented writer and after reading Camp Damascus I can understand why he is so beloved.

Camp Damascus introduces us to Rose, a young God-fearing woman who is about to graduate high school. She loves her parents, her community, and God. Rose begins to realize that things may not be as they seem. Soon she begins seeing a grotesque figure whenever she thinks about her friend, Martina. She begins questioning her parents motives and drawing up memories that may or may not be real. She suspects the answers to the questions she wants answered may be found at Camp Damascus, the "100% effective gay conversion camp" that their small town is famous for.

I loved Rose. Tingle does a great job with her character and I really enjoyed seeing her story unfold in front of her. Rose's curious and inquisitive mind, something everyone has tried to quiet, is what ends up saving her from the life her parents would trap her in. This book was infuriating and scary because there are so many people who believe in conversion therapy/praying the gay away. Though there are actual demons here, with this book the true horrors are human.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for a review copy. Definitely looking forward to reading more of Chuck's spicier works and any future horror novels he may write.

So many people wondered if the infamous Chuck Tingle could write a serious horror novel. I say let them doubt no more, because Camp Damascus is not only a serious horror novel, but it’s a relevant and timely one that also manages to preserve some of Tingle’s signature voice.

I couldn’t put this book down, people. Not only was it full of that righteous indignation for organized religion I love so much, but that rage was backed up by a wealth of well-researched and sourced ecclesiastical, religious, and lesser-known theological texts, some so obscure I’m not even sure how deep Tingle had to dig into academia to find them or how long it took them to go through bibliography after bibliography like a spiraling rabbit hole of Latin and Aramaic. If you’re going to write a horror novel lambasting evangelical Christianity and mega churches, Chuck Tingle really decided to go big or go home. I gotta tell you, the biblical sparring in this book was something I was here for in a big way, because there’s nothing like watching religious zealots being forced to shift their goal posts or deliberately misinterpret their own scripture.

I fell in love with the deeper story here too, of memories lost and the people we lose along with them. Picnics in the park, dancing awkwardly in an apartment, meet-cutes in book shops… Going from thinking you’re living a life with love being behind everything you do to knowing all that life has done is taken love from you might cause one to radically alter the course of one’s life, but it also probably won’t change the core of you. But just like conversion therapy doesn’t make you any less gay, losing your faith won’t necessarily make you any less kind or brave.

The characters in this book are brilliant. Keeping the main cast to a protagonist and two supporting characters really left a lot of room for great world building, fantastic character development, organic plot exhibition, and some great larger scenes filled with evocative and colorful imagery.

There’s also some fantastic random silliness, weird body horror with a point, and gnarly gore here and there inside, just to remind us we’re reading Chuck Tingle. I simply loved all of it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Body Horror/Cult Horror/Horror/Horror Comedy/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQRomance/Occult Fiction/Occult Horror/Paranormal Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Chuck Tingle is sometimes written off as a joke, but this book should prove to anyone hesitant to pick up his jokier backlist titles that he has serious writing chops. This novel was creepy, gross, tense, heartbreaking, and very funny. It also made me feel incredibly hopeful and joyful. In the same way Tingle gets written off, horror can be written off as only for shock value or without merit, but horror like this is a way to confront very real fears at their scariest and envision a way through. To me, the horror of this book wasn't just the conversion camp as much as the absolute dedication the (evil) church members showed.

The book follows Rose, a high school senior who starts experiencing strange physical symptoms and confusing memories, and explores their connection to the shadowy Camp Damascus, a conversion therapy camp in her town. Rose is uniquely focused and logical, which makes her a really excellent and believable narrator as she works through the steps of solving a mystery and making a plan to take down the camp. I really enjoyed when her trio came together—Rose carried the beginning of the book in a pretty self-contained way, but the addition of Saul and Willow was great.

There was a lot to love in this book, but I especially appreciated the portrayal of Rose's parents. They clearly love her and want her to be happy, and they just as clearly have a pretty narrow and horrifying idea of what that looks like and how it can be achieved. Her mother helps her escape, but it's not a touching farewell, it's imbued with resentment and anger, which doesn't undercut the earlier scenes, it throws them into heartbreaking relief.

The end was pretty hopeful for a horror. The body count in this is low, but the body horror, gore, and overall creepiness make it solidly horror. But the final scene was incredibly satisfying not just in providing the justice Rose was looking for, but to show the campers rising up and following her lead. And for a horror novel about a conversion camp to end with a perfect (lesbian) kiss as an expression of that hope was, to me, perfection.

I honestly did not want to put this read down! Chuck Tingle's debut in traditional publishing was an emotionally terrifying HIT. Camp Damascus tells the story of 20-year-old Rose, who discovers not only the demonic secrets hidden within her small, God-fearing town but also the power within herself. This was more than a horror novel but a story of truth seen from varying perspectives. Tingle was able to give the reader an insight into each character's way of thinking if only briefly enough to expose the truth of the town a bit more.

I loved how Chuck Tingle was able to articulate the feelings that encompass deconstructing your faith while also giving us demons used as weapons by those in that faith. Rose meets people from her past, only feeling the ache that she once knew these souls but cannot piece the memories together of how they know each other exactly. As she draws back the curtain of her subconscious, she finds that the very sins the church wanted to eradicate are her biggest strengths.

Camp Damascus gives us queer folks who deconstructed our religion hope and proves that every bit of curiosity held within humans is meant to fuel us into progress and truth.

I have read a couple tinglers in my day, so I was eager for this horror debut. It's very good. I really appreciate horror that explores religious trauma in a way that feels so authentic. This was one of those books that's better in the first half while the dread is creeping and there aren't answers, but the back half is still satisfying. I also LOVE the narrator's potent use of the word frick. It's a lovingly crafted book that also has some genuinely scary and unsettling parts.

CAMP DAMASCUS is absolutely engrossing, non-stop Suspenseful, maximally Scary [human evil and Otherworldly] and solidly grounded in Love. Actually, Love is the entire point: a particular sect in Montana, founded by one individual in the 19th century, named "Kingdom of the Pine," is both fundamentalist and evangelical, but neither in quite the ordinary Christian sense or practice. Reminiscent of a certain denomination, this congregation follows the "Four Tenets" promulgated by the 19th century "Prophet." Kingdom of the Pine is located in Neverton, Montana, a small, very God-fearing community, and isolated in the forest is located their world-renowned "gay-conversion" program, Camp Damascus 🏕, with its "100% success rate" [and millions in income from distraught families]. The slogan of Camp Damascus is: "Love Right." There is a 100% success rate, but it's not due to the LGBTQ+ adolescents sent there suddenly "converting." In play is a particular system which is so wildly imaginative [and unfortunately effectual] I was amazed (and ready to reread as soon as I finished, because this novel is just that brilliant!).

Kudos for a STRONG autistic, neurodivergent, female young adult [age 20] Protagonist! Additionally are two highly supportive young adult characters, and a cast of parents, pastors, counselors, therapist, who are....let's just say, perfect foils for the 3 Queer MC's!

Chuck Tingle is a name that I had heard for a while now. Back a few years ago I took a look at his catalogue and thought, “Wow! I don’t think that this stuff is for me.” There is only so much butt stuff I can handle and when butts are getting pounded by their own butt, that is just too much butt for me. It is pretty evident that Chuck Tingle has a political leaning (please see Domald Tromp series), and I have a pretty good inkling of which way Tingle leans; and I can respect that. So, when an author is still going strong with hundreds of books under his belt (probably somewhere near his butt) and has a horror release, you know I’m going to read it.

Camp Damascus was a well-developed story with some interesting characters. The synopsis was brief, but intriguing, it really gives nothing away. It did fall out the way I expected but the unexpected is good. I was pulled into Rose’s story and enjoyed the ride.

Personally, what pushed this story over the top was how it made me feel, and let’s be honest, art is supposed to make you feel. CAMP DAMASCUS MADE ME MAD! I am sick and tired of these holier than thou far right religious freaks calling everyone out as demons of Satan. Using the words of Jesus to justify, by any means possible, violence toward those that don’t agree with them. Quoting the Old Testament as justification for taking an eye for and eye. These bible thumpers go on and on with, “man shall not lie with man as he doth with woman” as they eat a pulled pork sandwich with extra bacon. If the Old Testament is gospel, follow it, and leave the bacon for me! For me, Jesus was about two things: love and acceptance. You do you, I’ll do me, and no one needs to hurt anyone else over it.

So, yeah, Chuck Tingle and Camp Damascus made me feel all of this. Sorry if I went too far, but Camp Damascus kicks butt!

*5 Stars

First and foremost, a huge thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for sending me an ARC of Camp Damascus. All opinions are my own.

*Please check the trigger warnings before reading, this novel discusses heavy topics surrounding religious trauma and the horrors of conversion camps.*

Camp Damascus is a horror novel following Rose; a devoutly Christian young woman about to graduate high school, living in Neverton, Montana; a town famous for a gay conversion camp with a "100% Effectiveness Rate". As the school year is coming to an end, her parents are encouraging her to date even though she has never had an interest in a boyfriend, but she starts noticing strange feelings for her friend Martina.

Even stranger, Rose starts to see a creepy woman hanging around, and Rose may or may not have vomited up live Mayflies at dinner with her family one night. Soon, she begins to see cracks in the faith and church she has planned and based her life around. The more curious Rose becomes, the more she starts to uncover and remember...

This book was so much different than what I had expected! Camp Damascus is full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat nearly the entire time I was reading it. Some of the descriptions of gore and creatures had my skin crawling, with chills going down my spine.

I was a bit bummed with how fast the ending was wrapped up, I was hoping for a bit more. There were also some pacing issues, but overall, this is a solid book, and I'll definitely read more horror novels from this author in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for sharing this ARC with me!

I've followed Tingle for several years and love his web presence and cultural impact; he seems like an excellent person, and I'm thrilled he's delving into horror. His style of lulling you into a sense of normalcy tinged with unease before slapping you with The Horrors was delightful, and I'm excited to read his other horror work (just one other novella that I know of, so far) as well as some of his romance/erotica in the near future. Highly recommend picking this up, even if it's your first foray into the Tingleverse!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve long been a follower of Chuck Tingle’s, as while I’m not a huge fan of niche erotica, I love his unapologetic approach to the genre (and life) with the main goal of proving love is real. And while Camp Damascus is not the first long-form work he’s produced (Harriet Porber and Straight both sound awesome!), it is the first work of his I’ve had the pleasure of reading. And even in the realm of horror, he finds a roundabout way of fulfilling his mission to prove love as he captures a darkly satirical and relevant portrayal of a conversion therapy and the other ways in which the queer community have long been targeted by fundamentalist evangelical Christians.
Rose makes for a hyper-realistic portrayal of a queer and autistic (this is revealed at a later point in the text) young person who was raised within evangelical Christian circles, growing in her awareness of her queerness and simultaneously discovering her church’s more sinister undertones. She’s very easy to root for, and I loved following her as her disillusionment with her environment grew, and grew into an even more pervasive discomfort, before coming to a head.
The story takes its time at first to set the scene, but it soon ramps up. The sense of danger is real, and I respect how Tingle was able to keep his story grounded in the stark realities of the issues he was discussing, even while incorporating these supernatural elements.
This was a delightfully gritty mainstream debut from Chuck Tingle, and I’m now curious to check out some of his other work, particularly his other longer works. I’d recommend this to readers looking for satirical horror, but I’d especially recommend it to someone who has been interested in Chuck Tingle based on his Internet persona, but who has yet to try one of his books. You won’t be disappointed.

Neverton, Montana is a God-fearing community near Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Their success is anything but holy, however.

Opening the novel from Rose's point of view, we see the extreme conservatism of the Kingdom of the Pines, the tight-knit religious community whose leaders run the conversion camp. Strange things happen to her from the start of the novel, from seeing an old woman in uniform to coughing up a mass of flies. Her wishes and perceptions are ignored from the start, and she is expected to fall in line with what others want for her. Of course, she can't; we wouldn't have a novel if she did. The strange occurrences and misperception continues, with flashes of memory that she doesn't completely recognize; once she realizes what it means, her analytical mind turns to understanding what happened to her, and then to saving others caught in the same trap. She moves quickly to do so, even at risk to herself.

Chuck Tingle is an internet icon for the many books he's written, and this is his first foray into horror and traditional publishing circles. From his own biography, "Chuck writes to prove love is real because love is the most important tool we have when resisting the endless cosmic void." Rose begins as a God-fearing girl with autistic quirks and special interests her parents want her to stop doing, and they quickly condemn her when she doesn't fall into line with what they want. But as she realizes over the course of the book, love isn't a horrible thing, no matter what form it takes. It's the hatred that leads to torture, isolation, and betrayals that is evil. Hypocrisy couched as faith is a terrible thing, and it's only by revealing the truth that the children at Camp Damascus can be free.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Did not finish this one, mainly due to the pacing and the characters, I couldnt get invested in it.

IT'S SO GOOD OMG READ IT!! So, for everyone who has been listening to me talk up Camp Damascus for the last several months, now is the time to get your hands on this amazing book. Written by the always excellent Chuck Tingle, the infamously humorous romance writer digs into horror in a book about a gay conversion camp that employs literal demons to "scare kids straight". Rose loves her family and she loves God, but she also knows she isn't interested in dating men and has begun to notice just how beautiful her female friend is. When she begins coughing up flies and her friend is brutally murdered, Rose knows something is wrong, no matter what her parents and Church-appointed therapist say. She begins to investigate, and discovers the horrors behind her community. Rose is possibly the best-written autistic person I've ever read- curious and logical, with a different way of seeing the world and an inability to lie to herself. Rather than a disability, she is just different, in a way her parents claim to tolerate but more often try to push down. Rose's relationship with her parents is beautiful and heartbreaking because of its reality - they do love her, but are willing to hurt her in horrific ways because she isn't exactly who they want her to be. Many books about queer kids dealing with familial rejection make those parents cartoonishly evil, while Tingle draws then as lovingly cruel. Rose's fight and triumph will likely speak to lots of queer readers, and the hope she brings is beautiful. Must read isn't a strong enough descriptor, in my view - check it out or risk missing out on a work of Earth-shattering importance that also happens to be intriguing and entertaining.