4.25-4.5
I have all the thoughts for this book, all so extremely positive.
CW/TW for this review as I think this is important and shouldn't be hidden in the body:
- Religion / Religious Trauma
-Homophobia / Gay Conversion
-Bugs - flies specifically because I felt a certain type of way about them, but it's also on the cover so maybe you're alright with them.
Camp Damascus, set in a fictional Montana town with a heavy Kingdom of the Peace presence (think of an ultra-devoted type of religious community), is the number one gay conversion camp. Why it's so successful? No one knows, but after experiencing a handful of events to make her question her faith, Rose finds herself delving into the secrets that lurk beneath the surface.
Ultimately, as any good horror book, it's best to go in blind. But I just HAD to speak on how much I enjoyed this book.
If secular books of any kind cause any triggering response for you, this book may not be it. There's heavy use of scripture through out, but it's so important to the plot. Rose is the best kind of FMC. She's curious, witty in her own way, and not willing to be blinded as she once was as the plot unravels. Her internal struggle with religion vs her reality is breath taking to see.
As someone who grew up Catholic, even if I wasn't as devote, the "Catholic Guilt" kept creeping up on me as I read this. I know people who have a similar thinking to the characters, who preach and twist the narrative so the words of the Book fit their needs. And ultimately, that's the whole point.
The paranormal and horror aspects of Camp Damascus are gory to a degree and I agree with many other reviewers where this reads more YA/New Adult than true adult horror. But given the setting and the narrative, I think that works in the text's favor. I think anything too much scarier would detract from the character growth from not only Rose, but the characters around her.