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The Truth About Demons: A Memoir
Growing up shouldn't be this dangerous.
Eight year-old Cameron’s life teeters between terror and sanctuary. With his only refuge the local library, he faces a neighborhood psychopath, brutal family tragedy, and a demon-obsessed mother in the grips of an apocalyptic cult. When Cam turns eighteen, the doomsday cult tightens its grip, and his journey spirals into homelessness, drugs and alcohol, and the violent criminal underworld of 1980s New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Of all the demons that haunt us, the ones we inherit are the hardest to kill.
Witty, funny and fierce, The Truth About Demons is a relentless rollercoaster of heartbreak and hope, featuring larger-than-life characters that could easily grace a movie screen. Amid shattered dreams, and haunting events is a deeply moving, coming-of-age story packed with plenty of laughs, some tears, and enough heart to make even the demons blush.
Eight year-old Cameron’s life teeters between terror and sanctuary. With his only refuge the local library, he faces a neighborhood psychopath, brutal family tragedy, and a demon-obsessed mother in the grips of an apocalyptic cult. When Cam turns eighteen, the doomsday cult tightens its grip, and his journey spirals into homelessness, drugs and alcohol, and the violent criminal underworld of 1980s New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Of all the demons that haunt us, the ones we inherit are the hardest to kill.
Witty, funny and fierce, The Truth About Demons is a relentless rollercoaster of heartbreak and hope, featuring larger-than-life characters that could easily grace a movie screen. Amid shattered dreams, and haunting events is a deeply moving, coming-of-age story packed with plenty of laughs, some tears, and enough heart to make even the demons blush.
- GenresMemoir
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2025
299 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Gilchrist
1 book6 followersCameron Gilchrist is an author residing in San Diego, California, a far cry from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he grew up.
Through the years, Cameron had multiple ventures including owning and running an art gallery, an entertainment company, a video production company and a career in solution engineering.
Witty, funny and fierce, his memoir, The Truth About Demons is a relentless rollercoaster of heartbreak and hope, featuring larger-than-life characters that could easily grace a movie screen.
Amid shattered dreams, and haunting events is a deeply moving, coming-of-age story packed with plenty of laughs, some tears, and enough heart to make even the demons blush.
Cameron fell in love with books at an early age and he credits the public library and its story-heavy shelves for giving him the courage to persist through the dark times.
When not herding words into some semblance of order, Cameron can be found pretending to play guitar or perfecting a stand-up routine that will most likely never see a stage.
Through the years, Cameron had multiple ventures including owning and running an art gallery, an entertainment company, a video production company and a career in solution engineering.
Witty, funny and fierce, his memoir, The Truth About Demons is a relentless rollercoaster of heartbreak and hope, featuring larger-than-life characters that could easily grace a movie screen.
Amid shattered dreams, and haunting events is a deeply moving, coming-of-age story packed with plenty of laughs, some tears, and enough heart to make even the demons blush.
Cameron fell in love with books at an early age and he credits the public library and its story-heavy shelves for giving him the courage to persist through the dark times.
When not herding words into some semblance of order, Cameron can be found pretending to play guitar or perfecting a stand-up routine that will most likely never see a stage.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 4, 2025
An extremely moving memoir about growing up in a house with two distinctively odd parents; one of sound mind and the other, completely out in left field.
The writing is superb, almost feels like one is reading a fictional biography rather than an emotional heartfelt memoir.
The highs and lows of the emotional waves throughout shows as both triumphant and extreme frustration as we, the reader sifts through Cameron’s early years.
The highs are obviously the nurturing and bonding Cameron shared with his father, his hero and his shield of protection from his mother.
The lows, are, well indicated by the dissociative term in which mother (the mom) is described. She is presented as someone who barely kept herself balanced in the real world.
Delusional and hell bent on claiming “demons are everywhere”, hence the title. Religion and familial abuse always creates difficult situations for all involved.
Cameron, truly is the underdog here-great joy was felt when reading his love for books of science fiction and his pursuit to better himself through philosophical means. Trying to escape the insanity that his mother smothered her two sons in must have felt unbearable at times.
The writing is superb, almost feels like one is reading a fictional biography rather than an emotional heartfelt memoir.
The highs and lows of the emotional waves throughout shows as both triumphant and extreme frustration as we, the reader sifts through Cameron’s early years.
The highs are obviously the nurturing and bonding Cameron shared with his father, his hero and his shield of protection from his mother.
The lows, are, well indicated by the dissociative term in which mother (the mom) is described. She is presented as someone who barely kept herself balanced in the real world.
Delusional and hell bent on claiming “demons are everywhere”, hence the title. Religion and familial abuse always creates difficult situations for all involved.
Cameron, truly is the underdog here-great joy was felt when reading his love for books of science fiction and his pursuit to better himself through philosophical means. Trying to escape the insanity that his mother smothered her two sons in must have felt unbearable at times.
October 4, 2024
The book was captivating, exhilarating and heartwarming. Some of the early chapters were of people and places and a religion that Cam and I shared. We lost touch for close to 40 years. Reading his book brought back many memories both good and bad. I enjoyed reading how his life unfolded and took inspiration from his tenacity, resilience all while keeping his sense of humor. The book is a master class in knowing where you came from is not always where you belong. I am excited to see where this new chapter takes him.
September 25, 2024
Inspiring. Heartwarming. Emotional. The Truth About Demons is hard to put down, a story of an almost unbelievable rollercoaster of a life. Reading this book, it's hard to imagine that one person could have endured so much and lived to tell the story with humor and insightful perspective. The telling is brave and reinforces the belief that we can't make assumptions about other peoples' experiences.
December 14, 2025
The theme of this book was how Jehovah’s Witnesses caused all of his life‘s pain. He stuck with this throughout the entire book, it got very old. There was no serious accountability for his own actions. I would’ve better liked it if it would have been listed as fictional memoir. I had a hard time believing a lot of his experiences. He’s a great writer though! I was not surprised at all to read at the end of the book that he turned out to be good at selling.
October 3, 2024
A riveting, can’t-put-it-down trip. Juggles multiple themes—all with a very personal angle from a main character who is easy to root for. A wide cast of complex characters show the breadth of human potential: from cruelty to kindness. Engaging story. Brilliantly written.
November 17, 2024
In his 1996 memoir Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt establishes mood early on. “It was, of course a miserable childhood,” he wrote. “The happy childhood is hardly worth your while.” Like McCourt’s tortuous path to adulthood through the slums of Depression-era Limerick, Ireland, Cameron Gilchrist’s The Truth About Demons (2024, True Ink Press) recounts a horrifying coming of age, this one set a half-century later in Levittown, Pennsylvania, the epitome of post-war, suburban America.
As with McCourt before him, Gilchrist, the child, is forced to plot and execute a plan to survive in an adult world that is uncaring at best and hostile at worst. Where McCourt suffered at the hands of an alcoholic father who regularly drank the proceeds of his pay packet, Gilchrist was subject to the emotional torment and physical abuse of a mother controlled by fundamentalist religious leaders.
As the story opens, we meet Cam as a nerdy, gangly youth on a gleaming Sting-Ray bicycle. Smart, caring, and ambitious, he is captivated by the possibilities of science and working to overcome challenges presented by dyslexia. His home is a battleground between a hard-working, temperate and attuned-but-exhausted father and a mother wholly focused on preparations for the end times. Cam seeks to navigate this growing abyss while also maneuvering through a suburban enclave that proves less than idyllic. His mother is institutionalized but returns. His father dies and Cam suffers severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother and her religious enablers. He becomes homeless before he can finish high school.
Somehow Cam survives through an improbable embrace of sex, drugs and rock and roll. He rubs shoulders with mobsters and models, stares down the wrong end of a handgun and achieves a degree of relative stability. As readers, we celebrate his success in escaping homelessness but yearn for deliverance for the sensitive boy who dreamed of becoming something more.
It’s no spoiler to say Cam overcomes his situation and moves on. After all, we know from the outset that he lived to write about it. But the way Cam triumphs is a bit unexpected, as are some of the things he recovers on the way. In The Truth About Demons, Cameron Gilchrist takes us on an eerie journey, through the hidden dangers and demons of a familiar and seemingly benign landscape, demonstrating the uncommon resilience that proved his redemption.
As with McCourt before him, Gilchrist, the child, is forced to plot and execute a plan to survive in an adult world that is uncaring at best and hostile at worst. Where McCourt suffered at the hands of an alcoholic father who regularly drank the proceeds of his pay packet, Gilchrist was subject to the emotional torment and physical abuse of a mother controlled by fundamentalist religious leaders.
As the story opens, we meet Cam as a nerdy, gangly youth on a gleaming Sting-Ray bicycle. Smart, caring, and ambitious, he is captivated by the possibilities of science and working to overcome challenges presented by dyslexia. His home is a battleground between a hard-working, temperate and attuned-but-exhausted father and a mother wholly focused on preparations for the end times. Cam seeks to navigate this growing abyss while also maneuvering through a suburban enclave that proves less than idyllic. His mother is institutionalized but returns. His father dies and Cam suffers severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother and her religious enablers. He becomes homeless before he can finish high school.
Somehow Cam survives through an improbable embrace of sex, drugs and rock and roll. He rubs shoulders with mobsters and models, stares down the wrong end of a handgun and achieves a degree of relative stability. As readers, we celebrate his success in escaping homelessness but yearn for deliverance for the sensitive boy who dreamed of becoming something more.
It’s no spoiler to say Cam overcomes his situation and moves on. After all, we know from the outset that he lived to write about it. But the way Cam triumphs is a bit unexpected, as are some of the things he recovers on the way. In The Truth About Demons, Cameron Gilchrist takes us on an eerie journey, through the hidden dangers and demons of a familiar and seemingly benign landscape, demonstrating the uncommon resilience that proved his redemption.
October 15, 2025
An amazing story
An amazing story of growing up, love, family, friendship, heartbreak and religion.
Reading Cameron Gilchrists memior, I was drawn into his world. I was tight there with him through everything. I cheered for him when things went well and I was sad when they didn't.
I loved his heart, that he stayed kind through his whole time coming up. That he always did what he could for others, even when no one was doing anything for him. I was proud of how he was able to recover himself and be hopeful and keep trying, in the face of tragedy and disaster, at multiple ages.
I was truly inspired. And reminded of things to be grateful for that I sometimes take for granted. I was reminded that as a book reader and lover, I am never alone.
I love memoirs, and this is now one of my favorites.
Thanks for sharing your story.
An amazing story of growing up, love, family, friendship, heartbreak and religion.
Reading Cameron Gilchrists memior, I was drawn into his world. I was tight there with him through everything. I cheered for him when things went well and I was sad when they didn't.
I loved his heart, that he stayed kind through his whole time coming up. That he always did what he could for others, even when no one was doing anything for him. I was proud of how he was able to recover himself and be hopeful and keep trying, in the face of tragedy and disaster, at multiple ages.
I was truly inspired. And reminded of things to be grateful for that I sometimes take for granted. I was reminded that as a book reader and lover, I am never alone.
I love memoirs, and this is now one of my favorites.
Thanks for sharing your story.
January 5, 2025
It's been hard to find books to settle into and digest - my attention span has been easily diverted by current events. This book pulled me into a world outside my comfort zone, threw punches in my gut, broke my heart, surprised me, frightened me, and made me root hard for the author's physical, mental and emotional well being. It's a book that leaves its mark on the reader...a promising first book from an author I hope to see more from.
November 17, 2025
This memoir broke my heart at times. I felt I was walking along side of this young boy and witnessing his tumultuous childhood and bearing witness to all that he had no control over. Readers will cry and readers will cheer. This powerful story is one of strength and survival. One of love and loyalty and a lesson to always rise above your circumstances.
I highly recommend this powerful memoir. Laura L. Engel
I highly recommend this powerful memoir. Laura L. Engel
July 10, 2025
Interesting story about a boy whose father dies when he is a young boy and he is left to be raised by a crazy mother who is super religious. After he is kicked out of the house at 18, he lives on the street and meets a variety of characters. So many bizarre things happen to him that you start to think that this couldn't all be happening to one person.
August 22, 2025
good
This was quite a read! Im a fan of biographies written first hand so this one did not disappoint. Cam’s life was unusual, losing his honorable father at a young age and having to live under his unstable, crazy mother left him to fend for himself. Then surviving homelessness, he finds his way into the world using his very intelligent mind!
This was quite a read! Im a fan of biographies written first hand so this one did not disappoint. Cam’s life was unusual, losing his honorable father at a young age and having to live under his unstable, crazy mother left him to fend for himself. Then surviving homelessness, he finds his way into the world using his very intelligent mind!
August 22, 2025
Beautifully written!!
This memoir is one of the most powerful I’ve ever read. It demonstrates that, no matter how devastating a childhood may be, we all have the choice to rise above it or be consumed by it.
Truly inspiring! Thank you for teaching me all that you shared. A must read for anyone who is facing challenges in their journey of life.
This memoir is one of the most powerful I’ve ever read. It demonstrates that, no matter how devastating a childhood may be, we all have the choice to rise above it or be consumed by it.
Truly inspiring! Thank you for teaching me all that you shared. A must read for anyone who is facing challenges in their journey of life.
October 12, 2025
A fun and emotional ride!
I loved this book and the humor amongst turmoil was heartwarming. Most of all, the ending struck a nerve for me. Life is not perfect, our scars remind us that the past is real. However, our past does not own us, it gives us a chance to grow into who we want to be. Great read!
I loved this book and the humor amongst turmoil was heartwarming. Most of all, the ending struck a nerve for me. Life is not perfect, our scars remind us that the past is real. However, our past does not own us, it gives us a chance to grow into who we want to be. Great read!
November 1, 2025
Fantastic, deep, joyous and wise book
I did not expect to he so moved by this book.
I chose it by chance and read it in one sitting.
What a journey this man went through.
His honesty and courage inspired me and his resilience and hope, and overcoming depression and trauma helped me in my own struggles.
I did not expect to he so moved by this book.
I chose it by chance and read it in one sitting.
What a journey this man went through.
His honesty and courage inspired me and his resilience and hope, and overcoming depression and trauma helped me in my own struggles.
December 2, 2025
the message I didn’t know I needed
I was just casually reading this book when about 3/4 of the way through the words jumped out and hit me like a ton of bricks! My demons, the ones that had held me back for years and had nearly taken my will to live, were all lined up in front of me and now that I see them I know I can vanquish them. Thank you for writing this book.
I was just casually reading this book when about 3/4 of the way through the words jumped out and hit me like a ton of bricks! My demons, the ones that had held me back for years and had nearly taken my will to live, were all lined up in front of me and now that I see them I know I can vanquish them. Thank you for writing this book.
September 30, 2024
I couldn't put it down. Such an amazing story of survival and finding your way against the odds. The main character is so resilient and I especially loved the discovery of a chosen family when he was ostracized by his own.
June 10, 2025
Thank you
It was a great read, thank you for telling your story. Although it kept me up longer when I wanted to be asleep. A grate expression of your story. So true, we alk have one.
It was a great read, thank you for telling your story. Although it kept me up longer when I wanted to be asleep. A grate expression of your story. So true, we alk have one.
June 23, 2025
I met Cameron years ago through my mom and he’s a wonderful person. When he came out with this book my mom told me he wrote I had to check it out and I felt like I got to know him on another level and felt very intimate with his relationships and his hardships. I definitely recommend this book
October 10, 2025
Fantastic!!!
I loved this book being a true story which I connect to so well there were times I was crying and times I was laughing. What a journey this man endured.This book was amazing it kept me wanting to read more and more and actually sad it's done now.
I loved this book being a true story which I connect to so well there were times I was crying and times I was laughing. What a journey this man endured.This book was amazing it kept me wanting to read more and more and actually sad it's done now.
November 2, 2025
Incredible writing about an incredible life
I am an author, I am a voracious reader, I have a masters degree in creative writing and I have never read anything as rich and engaging as Cameron's memoir.
I am an author, I am a voracious reader, I have a masters degree in creative writing and I have never read anything as rich and engaging as Cameron's memoir.
November 21, 2025
We survive
No matter how screwed I think you are there is someone worse off. This was a great story of survival from abuse, loss, crime, drugs, and the whole rug pulled out from under you. Stupid spiteful deeds and rising above and beyond.
No matter how screwed I think you are there is someone worse off. This was a great story of survival from abuse, loss, crime, drugs, and the whole rug pulled out from under you. Stupid spiteful deeds and rising above and beyond.
November 25, 2025
Inspiring!!!!
I could not put this book down. This is such a special story that grips your heart right from the start. You guys are awesome and please keep those hearts filled with love, life and happiness. Great Memoir!!!!
Carol Howell
Danville VA
I could not put this book down. This is such a special story that grips your heart right from the start. You guys are awesome and please keep those hearts filled with love, life and happiness. Great Memoir!!!!
Carol Howell
Danville VA
September 14, 2025
Survival and beginning
Cameron Gilchrist survived things that would have broken anyone else. I wish I had his strength. Thank you for this story.
Cameron Gilchrist survived things that would have broken anyone else. I wish I had his strength. Thank you for this story.
September 18, 2025
4.8 ⭐️ great book, amazingly written.
November 22, 2025
WOW
I couldn’t put it down! Thank you for sharing your story! I really enjoyed when you were putting people in their place with your words!
I couldn’t put it down! Thank you for sharing your story! I really enjoyed when you were putting people in their place with your words!
December 6, 2025
Great book
Cam is a great story teller able to paint with words. He had a terrifying life at times but persevered and succeeded!
Cam is a great story teller able to paint with words. He had a terrifying life at times but persevered and succeeded!
July 20, 2025
Breathtaking
So well written and what a journey!! It's a must read for anyone that loves a good story of any genre!
So well written and what a journey!! It's a must read for anyone that loves a good story of any genre!
December 22, 2024
Early on, Cameron Gilchrist’s 1970s Levittown childhood is remarkable mainly for the budding serial killer who almost ends his life. But after a family tragedy, everything changes. His mother, already demonstrating signs of mental illness, joins a doomsday cult, forcing Cameron and his younger brother into an oppressive, demon-obsessed community that ultimately casts him out to fend for himself.
In The Truth About Demons, Cameron Gilchrist vividly and sometimes humorously describes a life journey that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, with twists and turns and characters that seem straight out of a Hollywood movie. Highlighting the power of love, loyalty, and literature, this powerful memoir is riveting, life-affirming, and just plain brilliant.
In The Truth About Demons, Cameron Gilchrist vividly and sometimes humorously describes a life journey that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, with twists and turns and characters that seem straight out of a Hollywood movie. Highlighting the power of love, loyalty, and literature, this powerful memoir is riveting, life-affirming, and just plain brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews