CAMP DAMASCUS follows Rose Darling, a young woman raised in Neverton, a small town nestled in the Montana mountains. Neverton is also the home of Camp Damascus, the world’s most effective gay conversion camp. When Rose begins experiencing what she believes are hallucinations that feel more like memories, her perfect Christian life begins to unravel at lightning speed. Before long, her loving and caring community seems anything but.

If you’re aware of author Chuck Tingle, you may be surprised at the title of this book. Not only is it straight-forward in its name, its plot is horror-driven and on the serious side. While I’ve known others who have dipped into the “Tingle-verse” over the past few years, other than the insane titles, nothing really drew me to his work. When I heard he was trying his hand at something a bit more consequential, and after seeing the rave reviews, I decided to give this one a shot. I’m glad I did.

I think CAMP DAMASCUS may have been the only book to give me a jump scare? I don’t know how that was exactly possible, but my head rocked back during one pivotal scene between Rose and her tormentor. Chuck definitely nailed the general uneasiness and creepiness that goes hand-in-hand with religious fanatics and those who weaponize faith are easy antagonists to hate and always make for good villains in horror. While I did like the slow burn of how Rose uncovered the mystery of her circumstances, her character changes seemed to happen because the plot called for it, rather than the other way around.

I think my biggest complaint is that this felt overwritten. Chuck uses far too many descriptors and sentences seem to run on and on; like he was trying to hit a word count. I guess that is his style, but after a while it irked me and would continue to take me out of the story as it was missing that flow required with something as atmospheric as horror.

I think this may have been stronger without the supernatural elements, even though that’s the whole backbone of the story. Once things got a bit action-heroish (is this a word?) near the end it kind of lost me a bit. However, I wouldn’t say that soured the whole experience for me as I mostly enjoyed myself here. I’m looking forward to seeing what he has in store with his next novel, BURY YOUR GAYS.