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I will render vengeance upon my adversaries and I will repay those who hate me: Reviewing Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Hi everyone! I’m back and I hope you are all doing well! Before I get into this review, I want to say that I am very excited because I had an indie author reach out to me and I will post a review of her book very soon. I love when you all reach out to me and want me to review your books. It means a lot to me. You are more than welcome to reach out to me whenever you want. I want to preface this book review because the name Chuck Tingle sounded familiar to me. Outside of this, he has written books such as Space Raptor Butt Invasion and Slammed in the Butthole by My Linear Concept of Time. Yes, those are 100% real titles, and many more if you want to check out the sillier side of Chuck Tingle. This one is a little more serious and plenty more scary so let’s talk about Camp Damascus.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Religious Trauma, Discussions and Depictions of Homophobia

Rose Darling is a member of the Kingdom of the Pine, a devout religious community located in Neverton, Montana. Rose has spent her life devoted to worship and spreading the good word. She begins to fear the worst when she begins to see a demonic entity following her around. When one of Rose’s friends is killed by this demon, she goes on a mission to figure out why she and her loved ones are being targeted. Her investigation leads her to Camp Damascus, which claims to be “the most successful gay conversion therapy” camp in Montana. Beneath this god-fearing institution is an unholy secret and Rose is determined to put a stop to it once and for all.

Camp Damascus is equal parts gory, demonic horror thriller and engaging commentary on the treatment of queer people by religious organizations. I thought it was admirable for Chuck Tingle to tackle such a heavy and controversial topic in such a unique way. I like the analogies within this book and the way that Tingle challenges the notion that queer people and religion cannot exist in the same place. He lets it be simple where it’s simple (Conversion therapy is bad) and lets it be complicated where it’s complicated (how does someone properly interpret the Bible). The book doesn’t get overly complicated or philosophical. There is still plenty of room for a demonic romp and mystery within the story. Rose was relatable as the main character and her narrative voice helped bring a nice balance to the story. Overall, though, this is a story about hope and I found that to be really important when it comes to a topic like this. If you are looking for a horror novel with plenty of thrills, chills, and profound conversation, then Camp Damascus is exactly what you need.

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No matter what you think, you’re vulnerable: Reviewing Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Fall is just around the corner and I am excited for the spooky season. In the meantime, I’m going to continue to read “weird girl literature.” I’m planning on reading another Ottessa Moshfegh book in the future, but she does not completely own the “weird girl literature” category. Well, this book, in particular, is more dark than weird but we’ll get into that. Let’s talk about Boy Parts.

Content Warning: Explicit Sexual Content, Abuse and Violence. Sexual Assault, Harsh Language, Substance Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Injuries

Irina Sturges has an appetite that can’t be satiated. Drugs, alcohol, and sex no longer satisfy her. Ever since she was blacklisted from the art scene, she has been itching to find her way back in. Irina decides to do something a little more provocative to get people’s attention. She begins scouting young men off the streets of Newcastle and takes sexually explicit photos of them. Irina’s new photographs revive her career but send her into a spiral of paranoia. The past is catching up and Irina may not be able to outrun it.

Imagine if American Psycho was actually interesting and you get Boy Parts. Eliza Clark takes the reader by the hand and drags them headfirst into the point of view of an unreliable and dangerous narrator. Both darkly funny and wildly uncomfortable, Boy Parts pushes the boundaries while exploring sexuality, art, and feminism. While the book does deal with uncomfortable subject matter, it does so in a way that invites the readers to critique the motives of the main character, Irina, as well as the others. I heard someone say recently that art isn’t meant to give answers, but only present questions and I think that applies the best to this novel in every sense. Now, this book obviously deals with intensely uncomfortable subjects and does get a bit graphic so this won’t be to everyone’s tastes. If you read the content warnings and thought otherwise, then I understand. If you are like me and have a rather insatiable sense of morbid curiosity, then Boy Parts might very well be the next book you add to your “weird girl literature” summer.

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Doubt that truth be a liar; but never doubt that I love: Reviewing Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing well. I am going to do something I never thought I would: shamelessly e-beg! I have had this blog for many years and I thought that I would make it work for me. You are more than welcome to completely ignore the little donation box (or whatever you call it) at the end of this blog. If you do choose to show your support to me, I will be forever grateful to you. If no one touches it, I’ll take the hint and never try this again. I appreciate your support no matter what. Now, let’s talk about Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.

Content Warning: Some Sexual Content, Grief and Mourning, Death of a Child, Some Violence

Agnes is an unsual young woman who spends her days taming her falcon and wandering through the forests that surround her family’s property. Her life is changed when she meets a young Latin tutor who loves her for her wildness. After a hasty marriage, they move to Stratford-Upon-Avon where Agnes become a doting mother and devoted wife. Her life is changed forever when the Black Death strikes her home. Now, Agnes must come to terms with tragedy while her husband is away and running a theater company. Agnes is determined to find a way back to her husband, to find closure once and for all.

While Hamnet is not the kind of book I ususally read, I do have a deep love for the play Hamlet. Maggie O’Farrell offers a compelling, heart-breaking take on the origin of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. Agnes (technically Anne Hathway, Shakespeare’s real-life wife) is a such unique and relatable character. The book covers quite a bit of ground in following Agnes and her husband’s relationship from the beginning, but it does so with good pacing. O’Farrell does a fantastic job creating atmosphere and exploring all of the minute details of the world that would be otherwise overlooked. While Shakespeare is still a presence in the book, he does not overshadow any of the events that Agnes experiences. Maggie O’Farrell does a great job with balancing the book’s driving plot while taking time to explore the characters’ inner turmoil. Hamnet is a great book for those who love historical fiction and want something that tugs at the heart strings as any one of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination: Revewing The Way of Kings (Book 1 of The Stormlight Archive Series) by Brandon Sanderson

Hi all! I’m back! I put aside all of my other books so I could finish this one. I thought it would take me much longer to read this one. I promise that I have more reviews for shorter books coming up soon. I have a couple of weird/spooky books coming up so get excited for that. I need to yap ramble about this book, though, so let’s talk about The Way of Kings

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Intense Battle Scenes, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries

Centuries ago, the Knights Radiant fell in Roshar, a world of storms. They left behind their magical weapons known as Shardplates and Shardblades. Those who wield these weapons have the power of gods and rule as kings. Wars are fought for theses weapons. One such war currently wages on. Kaladin, a surgeon turned soldier turned slave, must fight for his survival and the survival of his man. Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, who leads the armies of Kholinar, begins to recieve visions of the Knights Radiant. Across the sea, a young woman named Shallan plans to steal a powerful artifact from Dalinar’s niece to save her family. Something much bigger and more dangerous lies in wait for all. No one will be ready to learn the true cause of the war.

I understand the hype now. I am now aboard the Brandon Sanderson hype train. I bought book two of this series when I was about halfway through this book. The Way of Kings is an incredible start to such a well-crafted and detailed series. Acoording to what I have read, this book took ten years to plan and it shows. I loved all of the characters and the way the plot fell into place just felt right. This is a super long book (coming in at 1,252 pages) but every single chapter is so well written. In a rare turn for fantasy books, I liked every character’s POV that I read. Sometimes, when it comes to fantasy books that switch character POVs, I get bored with certain characters and skip or skim a bit. Every one felt interesing and crucial, even the interludes. The Way of Kings fully lives up to the hype and I cannot wait to keep reading this series.

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How can one grow without pain?: Reviewing Chlorine by Jade Song

Hi everyone! I’m back much sooner than I anticipated. I was planning on finishing this book another day but I got to a point where I couldn’t put it down so I just had to finish it. I’m trying to wrap up my “summer reads” since we’re in the homestretch to fall. I have a couple of shorter books I want to get through so I can focus on my longer ones. Okay, I’ll shut up about that now. Let’s talk about Chlorine.

Content Warning: Self-harm, Explicit Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery, Body Horror

Ren Yu is the best swimmer on her team. Her life surrounds competitive swimming. Every meet, she outswims her competition and teammates alike. For everyone else, her path seems obvious. Ren will get a swimming scholarship and get into an Ivy League school, then go on to get gold in the Olympics for swimming. That, however, is not Ren’s goal. Ren’s ultimate goal is to completely transform into what she was born to be: a mermaid. Becoming a mermaid, though, requires sacrifice. Ren must decide how much blood she is willing to shed if she wants to live the life she has always dreamed of.

Chlorine is a darkly funny, gross, and touching novel about transformation and girlhood. I appreciate Jade Song’s brutally honest (and rather gross) depiction of bodily transformation, in a horror sense and in a real sense. The biting humor and dry sarcasm that Ren offers as the narrator made me laugh when I probably shouldn’t have. It was relatable in the best way. I also found the narrative of Ren learning when to adapt versus when to embrace her true self to be fascinating. As gross as this book is at times, it offers a lot of profound observations regarding mermaid mythology and real-life womanhood. Chlorine is a compelling novel about the horrors of girlhood and the reclamation of one’s dream, no matter what the price is.

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Whatever it costs to achieve that goal, I will pay it: Reviewing Star Wars: Lesser Evil (Book 3 of the Ascendancy Trilogy) by Timothy Zahn

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I’m finally wrapping up the Thrawn: Ascendancy Trilogy. Feel free to go back and read the rest of my reviews of any and all Star Wars-related books. I read way more than I anticipated and have enjoyed all of them in their own ways. It’s time to talk about my latest read, Lesser Evil.

The Chiss Ascendancy is starting to fall apart. A clever foe has turned the Nine Ruling families and the Forty against each other. Alliances are tested and trust is breached among the Chiss. Civil war is on the horizon and it will cost the Ascendancy thousands of years of peace and stability. There is one thing, one mythical thing, that could save the Chiss. Thrawn must delve deep into the Ascendancy’s dark history to find the key to saving his people. The only way to save the Chiss will be to make the ultimate sacrifice and only Thrawn can be the one to make that sacrifice.

In hindsight, I am glad that I read the Thrawn trilogy before this one. Timothy Zahn has done a thorough job of creating such an interesting character as Thrawn and illustrating this tangled drama of espionage and war. It felt like a soap opera, but I say that with love. It was a bit tricky to keep up with, but all of the plot points come together nicely in the end. I liked the pacing of this one significantly better as you could see the build-up to the final battle throughout the book. I was so excited about the action because Zahn always delivers on space battles. All in all, the Ascendancy Trilogy was a super fun read and any Star Wars fan will have fun with these books.

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Only the impossible can do the impossible: Reviewing The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing well. I’ve been really wanting to review this book for a while now. I am a huge fan of the TV adaptation of Interview with the Vampire and they just announced that there is going to be a season three based off of this book. If you haven’t watched Interview with the Vampire yet, go watch it immediately. You can also read my review of the novel Interview with the Vampire. Now, without any further preamble, let’s talk about The Vampire Lestat.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Sexual Content, Incest, Disturbing Imagery, Self-Harm

Lestat de Lioncourt has been many things. He has been an aristocrat, an actor, and a rockstar. Most importantly, he is a vampire. His journey from mortal to immortal is full of twists and turns. His maker, Magnus, had left him with a mystery that only he could solve. Over the centuries, Lestat sought out the origin of the vampires. Along his journey, he will make shocking revelations, powerful enemies, and choices that will forever change his undead life.

The Vampire Lestat is a dark, twisted, and darkly funny novel. Lestat is such a fun character so it was fun to see him in the spotlight. He is also such a complex character who is determined and dramatic in the best way possible. Anne Rice did such a good job creating her own vampiric lore, with plenty of complicated characters who struggle with immortality, life, and death. It is so easy to completely immerse yourself in this novel. Even the parts I thought were kind of slow were still enjoyable in their own way. I will definitely be reading more of the Vampire Chronicles and I recommend that you also partake in this dark and gothic series.

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For freedom, for salvation, for retribution: Reviewing When The Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

Hey everyone! It’s good to be back with a new review. I am still working through my TBR list and I am re-reading some of my old favorites. I recently got a hold of The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson. It’s one of my all-time favorite classics. I won’t do a review of that one but I still highly recommend it. We are, however, getting back into the horror genre. I will try to save some of my horror novels for fall, but I firmly believe some are more fitting for summer. This is one of them, in my opinion. Now, it is time to talk about When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Discussions and Depictions of Slavery, Discussions and Depictions of Racism (Including Slurs), Sexual Violence, Violence Towards Children, Disturbing Imagery.

Mira fled her small hometown of Kipsen after a traumatic experience cost her two of her dearest friendships. Now an adult, Mira decides to return to Kipsen after her childhood friend Celine invites her to her wedding, along with their other childhood friend Jesse. Mira is shocked, though, to find out Celine’s wedding is being held at the infamous Woodsman Plantation, where many slaves suffered and died horrific deaths. Reunited once more, Mira, Jesse, and Celine must confront their own past as well as the horrific past that lies within Woodsman Plantation.

When the Reckoning Comes is a haunting debut novel that highlights the horrors of the past, particularly revolving around slavery in the American South. LaTanya McQueen confronts the disturbing reality of racism head-on. McQueen shows how history has been revised and sanitized over the years, even being made into tourist destinations for the sake of those who choose to ignore the horrific truth of America’s past. I like how the three main characters function as a microcosm of the larger themes being confronted in this novel. It is uncomfortable, but that discomfort is completely necessary for the purpose of this book. The details made my stomach churn. It is nearly unfathomable to me that these things happened but they did and the least I can do is face the disturbing reality of the past head-on, even in a fictional setting. All in all, When the Reckoning Comes accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do and I would highly recommend it if you want a horror novel that is also reflective and truthful in its narrative.

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Love is never wrong: Reviewing A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

Hi everyone! I’m trying to get these reviews out as fast as I can. My TBR pile has gotten out of control but that is my own fault. I have so many thoughts and opinions I want to share with all of you. It feels like a lot of pressure having over 500 people who want to know what I think about books. It’s really fun, though, and I thank you for your interest in this blog. I think I should stop rambling and start talking about A Botanical Daughter, don’t you?

Content Warning: Violence, Graphic Bodily Injury, Animal Death, Sexual Content

Gregor Sandys is a botanist who specializes in exotic plants. Simon Rievaulx is a skilled taxidermist. The gentlemen make an unusual pair but a pair, nonetheless. In their estate of Grimfern, the men can live as they want and practice their strange hobbies. Gregor’s newest specimen, a fungus, changes everything they know when it begins to show signs of intelligence. Inspired by this shocking development, Gregor hatches a plan that will launch him into fame. The only problem is that he needs a corpse. Gregor and Simon quickly learn that they cannot control nature, especially not when it has a mind of its own.

Imagine if Frankenstein was actually kind of cute and you get A Botanical Daughter. Noah Medlock’s unique take on the story of the “manmade monster” is strangely tender and romantic. It’s a story of a group of strange people who love each other for their strangeness when the rest of the world has rejected them. While it is certainly gory in parts, it doesn’t take away from the romances that are at the heart of this novel. The character development was great to read too. Tt is nice to have a queer story where there is hope for the characters at the end. It can be difficult to find LGBTQ+ literature that isn’t depressing but Noah Medlock delivers a breath of fresh air. I wish I had finished this for Pride Month because it would have been perfect for that, but we can celebrate Pride all year round. With all of this being said, go read A Botanical Daughter as soon as you can.

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How do you know the moment when you cease to be human?: Reviewing Last Days by Brian Evenson

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I don’t have many updates for you all. I just want to say thank you for your support. I just reached 580 subscribers, which is absolutely incredible. This blog is just something I do for fun in my spare time and I can’t believe so many of you are interested in my thoughts on everything related to books. I will show my gratitude by continuing to post reviews as regularly as I can. With that being said, it’s time to review Last Days.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery, Religious Trauma, Some Harsh Language

Ex-detective Kline leads a quiet life after losing his arm during a case. One day, two men show up at his door and kidnap him. They belong to a cult that believes in worship through self-amputation. Their leader has been killed and they think that only Kline can solve the mystery. Kline must navigate the strange and twisted world of this bizarre cult. The deeper he goes, the more of himself he loses. Kline must decide how far he is willing to go to find out the goal of this cult, and potentially destroy them.

I say this as a compliment: Last Days does an excellent job of being deliberately confusing. There were plenty of “wait, what” moments that made me want to keep reading more. I think I could safely call this book an American Gothic novel because of the atmosphere and landscape of the novel. This book never slows down and delivers plenty of shocking twists. The violence is not terribly gratuitous but it is certainly shocking. I was thoroughly grossed out but that only benefited the reading experience. I would say this leans more towards psychological thriller with horror elements if you want something that is more plot-focused. Last Days was a fast-paced, shocking novel with plenty of twists and turns for any readers seeking some gruesome thrills.