What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Survive Camping: The Ancient Things: A gruesomely funny and addictive must-read horror
Not yet published
Expected 10 Sep 26For fans of
Welcome to Night Vale
and
The World of Lore
, a horror-comedy series adapted from an r/nosleep subreddit thread with 16,000 passionate readers and originally self-published to cult fame.
Every year, campground manager Kate sends out a pamphlet titled “How to Survive Your Camping Experience.” In it is a list of rules to help campers have an enjoyable experience and hopefully survive any encounters with the campground’s… other… inhabitants.
With the land turning ancient, it is no longer just the campers that are in danger. Kate is the key to ascension and every inhuman entity is out for her blood. All the lesser creatures are making attempts on her life, from the hammock monster to the gummy bears. Kate isn't willing to let her land go without a fight. If these creatures are going to hunt her, then she'll hunt them in turn and eradicate everything from her land that cannot coexist with humanity. With the help of both her inhuman and human allies, it looks like Kate might actually have a chance at controlling her land. But ancient land attracts ancient things, and the town has a bad history with ancient creatures.
A new entity has come to the campground, bearing an old grudge against one of the inhabitants. Its malevolent designs will put the entire land at risk - unless Kate can stop it.
Every year, campground manager Kate sends out a pamphlet titled “How to Survive Your Camping Experience.” In it is a list of rules to help campers have an enjoyable experience and hopefully survive any encounters with the campground’s… other… inhabitants.
With the land turning ancient, it is no longer just the campers that are in danger. Kate is the key to ascension and every inhuman entity is out for her blood. All the lesser creatures are making attempts on her life, from the hammock monster to the gummy bears. Kate isn't willing to let her land go without a fight. If these creatures are going to hunt her, then she'll hunt them in turn and eradicate everything from her land that cannot coexist with humanity. With the help of both her inhuman and human allies, it looks like Kate might actually have a chance at controlling her land. But ancient land attracts ancient things, and the town has a bad history with ancient creatures.
A new entity has come to the campground, bearing an old grudge against one of the inhabitants. Its malevolent designs will put the entire land at risk - unless Kate can stop it.
- GenresHorror
Audible Audio
Expected publication September 10, 2026
About the author
Bonnie Quinn
11 books287 followersI am a Senior Software Developer and author. I'm active in the Reddit r/NoSleep community and wrote the popular "How to Survive Camping" series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: Kate uses her family's campground as a chance to both make money and to keep an eye on the inhuman inhabitants of the world. Due to the success of Kate's last pamphlets, her land is turning from old to ancient rather rapidly. Her true troubles start when a terrifying horse returns to the campground. What does the silver dapple stallion want? Who is the fairy? And what is Kate going to do? Let's find out.
Dislikes: This is definitely a pet peeve of mine. I read aloud, quite a bit actually. And I don't like to use vulgarity, so running across a lot of vulgarity in a novel, can be a turn off. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that vulgar language is never needed. Let's just say that many in Kate's situation very well might be saying much of the same things.
While this is a dark story, it's almost too dark at times.
Likes: The Old Sheriff is rather brave. He had already lost a limb due to the campground, and he still was willing to help where he could.
Tyler had a hard choice to make. He was a new father, and yet, he still felt like he held responsibilities to the campground, especially due to the killer horse.
The Dancers and Musicians at least followed through with repaying their debts.
Conclusion: This was an interesting story, however the series is too dark for my tastes. If you are a fan of black comedy, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Overview: Kate uses her family's campground as a chance to both make money and to keep an eye on the inhuman inhabitants of the world. Due to the success of Kate's last pamphlets, her land is turning from old to ancient rather rapidly. Her true troubles start when a terrifying horse returns to the campground. What does the silver dapple stallion want? Who is the fairy? And what is Kate going to do? Let's find out.
Dislikes: This is definitely a pet peeve of mine. I read aloud, quite a bit actually. And I don't like to use vulgarity, so running across a lot of vulgarity in a novel, can be a turn off. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that vulgar language is never needed. Let's just say that many in Kate's situation very well might be saying much of the same things.
While this is a dark story, it's almost too dark at times.
Likes: The Old Sheriff is rather brave. He had already lost a limb due to the campground, and he still was willing to help where he could.
Tyler had a hard choice to make. He was a new father, and yet, he still felt like he held responsibilities to the campground, especially due to the killer horse.
The Dancers and Musicians at least followed through with repaying their debts.
Conclusion: This was an interesting story, however the series is too dark for my tastes. If you are a fan of black comedy, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ll start this review by disclosing something that will make me seem like a dummy: I did not realize this was the third book in a series when I started reading.
Let me now turn that disclosure at my expense into a bit of praise for author Bonnie Quinn: It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize I was in the third book of a series, because Quinn does such an excellent job of creating a dense, rich world—and concisely explaining who everyone is and important details the reader must know—that I was never lost. In fact, when I did eventually learn The Ancient Things was the third book in the series, I spent a good chunk of the rest of the book trying to figure out which of the book’s many supporting characters, monsters, and historical plot developments were new to this book versus continuations of previous elements.
The Ancient Things—as I came to learn—is the third book in a series by Bonnie Quinn called “How to Survive Camping.” Originally published on Reddit of all places as a series of short stories, Quinn has rewritten and adapted the content into a book series. It follows a camp counselor named Kate who has inherited ancient, cursed land, turned it into a campsite, and tries to protect the campers and the residents of the nearby town from the monsters who lurk on the land. This particular book follows the arrival of a fairy, an evil spirit from parts unknown, and a murderous giant horse with ties to Kate’s family history.
The books have a unique tone, one I’ve heard described as creepy/cozy. To me, it reads like the book version of something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel (two series I quite like, despite the allegations that have come to light about their creator)—a mashup of horror tropes with a sarcastic, fearless protagonist that gives it an overall irreverent quality. And perhaps, to extend the metaphor: My reading experience felt a bit like when someone says about a show like that, “Just skip the first two seasons and start with three, that’s where it really gets good.” I immediately picked up on the stakes, the character’s relationships, the nature of the Big Bad, and followed it all with no problem; there is sometimes a sense that I was supposed to recognize a character I didn’t, that a certain element would have hit harder, or various bits of lore would mean more if I had seen the first two seasons, but I hadn’t, and it didn’t stop my general enjoyment with the book. It can become very funny or pretty effectively scary when it wants to be, and balances those two tones fairly well while being a breezy read. I also have to give Quinn credit for her ruthlessness and refusal to pull punches. Important-seeming characters are suddenly killed with little warning. Deeply upsetting and tragic things happen to characters you love. And potentially important trigger warning for some out there: Not even friendly animals are safe in Quinn’s world.
My experience with The Ancient Things was unique due to my own mistakes. Would I recommend approaching it the way I did? No. But if you did? I think, like me, you would have a pretty good time in the world.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for supplying me with an advance review copy.
Let me now turn that disclosure at my expense into a bit of praise for author Bonnie Quinn: It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize I was in the third book of a series, because Quinn does such an excellent job of creating a dense, rich world—and concisely explaining who everyone is and important details the reader must know—that I was never lost. In fact, when I did eventually learn The Ancient Things was the third book in the series, I spent a good chunk of the rest of the book trying to figure out which of the book’s many supporting characters, monsters, and historical plot developments were new to this book versus continuations of previous elements.
The Ancient Things—as I came to learn—is the third book in a series by Bonnie Quinn called “How to Survive Camping.” Originally published on Reddit of all places as a series of short stories, Quinn has rewritten and adapted the content into a book series. It follows a camp counselor named Kate who has inherited ancient, cursed land, turned it into a campsite, and tries to protect the campers and the residents of the nearby town from the monsters who lurk on the land. This particular book follows the arrival of a fairy, an evil spirit from parts unknown, and a murderous giant horse with ties to Kate’s family history.
The books have a unique tone, one I’ve heard described as creepy/cozy. To me, it reads like the book version of something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel (two series I quite like, despite the allegations that have come to light about their creator)—a mashup of horror tropes with a sarcastic, fearless protagonist that gives it an overall irreverent quality. And perhaps, to extend the metaphor: My reading experience felt a bit like when someone says about a show like that, “Just skip the first two seasons and start with three, that’s where it really gets good.” I immediately picked up on the stakes, the character’s relationships, the nature of the Big Bad, and followed it all with no problem; there is sometimes a sense that I was supposed to recognize a character I didn’t, that a certain element would have hit harder, or various bits of lore would mean more if I had seen the first two seasons, but I hadn’t, and it didn’t stop my general enjoyment with the book. It can become very funny or pretty effectively scary when it wants to be, and balances those two tones fairly well while being a breezy read. I also have to give Quinn credit for her ruthlessness and refusal to pull punches. Important-seeming characters are suddenly killed with little warning. Deeply upsetting and tragic things happen to characters you love. And potentially important trigger warning for some out there: Not even friendly animals are safe in Quinn’s world.
My experience with The Ancient Things was unique due to my own mistakes. Would I recommend approaching it the way I did? No. But if you did? I think, like me, you would have a pretty good time in the world.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for supplying me with an advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read this as a digital ARC from Netgalley.
There were some continuity issues with this book, which I'm expecting will be cleaned up in the official publication so I did not remove stars because of it. Namely, Tyler is with Kate when the dapple-grey stallion so the scene later in the chapter where Kate calls to tell him the stallion has returned to the camp ground is unneeded. It would make sense if Tyler was unconscious or if the scene is reworked to be Kate calling to check how he's processing the knowledge of the stallion's return. Also, there are a couple times where Tyler's wife Danielle is called Colleen (their newborn's name).
Aside from that, this was a solid continuation of the series. Kate is slowly acquiring additional tools to handle the campground troubles instead of jumping straight to murder, but she's definitely still a snarky chaos goblin and Beau is still a troll when the mood strikes.
Some small (very small) side questions I have: how is the town handling the loss of the local grocery after the events of book 2? Does the town have a community center where they hold a support group for people who have been adversely affected by their inhuman neighbors?
It would be interesting to get some short stories or bonus content that addresses how the community at large copes with having an inhuman prison being the largest tourist draw.
I am looking forward to the next installment as this is currently one of my favorites series.
There were some continuity issues with this book, which I'm expecting will be cleaned up in the official publication so I did not remove stars because of it. Namely, Tyler is with Kate when the dapple-grey stallion so the scene later in the chapter where Kate calls to tell him the stallion has returned to the camp ground is unneeded. It would make sense if Tyler was unconscious or if the scene is reworked to be Kate calling to check how he's processing the knowledge of the stallion's return. Also, there are a couple times where Tyler's wife Danielle is called Colleen (their newborn's name).
Aside from that, this was a solid continuation of the series. Kate is slowly acquiring additional tools to handle the campground troubles instead of jumping straight to murder, but she's definitely still a snarky chaos goblin and Beau is still a troll when the mood strikes.
Some small (very small) side questions I have: how is the town handling the loss of the local grocery after the events of book 2? Does the town have a community center where they hold a support group for people who have been adversely affected by their inhuman neighbors?
It would be interesting to get some short stories or bonus content that addresses how the community at large copes with having an inhuman prison being the largest tourist draw.
I am looking forward to the next installment as this is currently one of my favorites series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are mine.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Overall I've really loved this series and while I rated this book lower than the other two I still really really enjoyed my time with it. I think the author has done such a great job building out the world, adding details in each book to flesh out all the characters and I really like the writing style. The main character Kate is very morally grey, she doesn't always make the best choice which is somewhat refreshing because she never becomes a typical Mary Sue. I loved that this book really built out the character of Bryan (even if it did leave me crying in the end), seriously why did you do that to us Bonnie Quinn!?!?! I think this is such a great series and one that I really recommend to people. It's a great blend of horror and humor.
As for why this didn't get a higher rating mainly I felt that at times it was a little long, because this is book 3 we've been in this world for a bit and I don't think we need to be told repeatedly what happened to Kate's parents as we already know and there were a few other examples of that where it could have been cut and not had any effect on the story. These slow downs took me out of the story and my reading experience suffered from it.
Overall though this was a really great time and I look forward to more books in the series!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Overall I've really loved this series and while I rated this book lower than the other two I still really really enjoyed my time with it. I think the author has done such a great job building out the world, adding details in each book to flesh out all the characters and I really like the writing style. The main character Kate is very morally grey, she doesn't always make the best choice which is somewhat refreshing because she never becomes a typical Mary Sue. I loved that this book really built out the character of Bryan (even if it did leave me crying in the end), seriously why did you do that to us Bonnie Quinn!?!?! I think this is such a great series and one that I really recommend to people. It's a great blend of horror and humor.
As for why this didn't get a higher rating mainly I felt that at times it was a little long, because this is book 3 we've been in this world for a bit and I don't think we need to be told repeatedly what happened to Kate's parents as we already know and there were a few other examples of that where it could have been cut and not had any effect on the story. These slow downs took me out of the story and my reading experience suffered from it.
Overall though this was a really great time and I look forward to more books in the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sometimes horror books have this sarcastic, make fun tone for the narrator and it down plays the stakes of what is actually going on and the level of danger. Reading back over the blurb, I realize this is supposed to be funny, but it was more smartass tone for the narrator. The FNAF games are a bit more serious but have humorous edges. They commonly have a playful tone to the creepy and even make fun of potential dangers, but when the dangers come, they are real. I really think How To Survive Camping: The Ancient Things needed some of that.
In the beginning the paragraph for camp rules is repeated twice and I am not sure if that is intentional.
This book is a mix of fantasy and goofy, blunt edge horror. I think fans of Dungeon Crawler would appreciate the creatures and jokey atmosphere. Gummy Bears are not what you would think, and the term and definition around all that was the most gruesome and gross thing I found in the book.
The fairies are rough and remind me a lot of Scottish folklore. I would say that and the horse were positives to this book. I would have largely enjoyed How To Survive Camping The Ancient Things MORE even if it had jokes and humor, but the stakes hit harder or the sarcastic elements where crushed under a foreshadowing of the dangers to come.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yet another supernatural entity is threatening Kate's campground. This time it's a homicidal dapple gray stallion and a creature out of Irish folklore, a Fomorian. Of course, chaos ensued in the attempt to neutralize the new threats to the campground. Kate and her brother, Tyler, had to partner up to make sure that their family legacy would prevail (for the time being at least). It was great learning a little more about Tyler as well.
I really enjoyed that we got the lore behind Bryan and his pack of slightly unnerving hounds. It was a great take, and when told, it made absolutely perfect sense for Bryan.
I didn't like that Beau ( the man with the skull cup) seemed a more watered down version of himself than in previous books. He was still Beau, but he didn't have the gloriously snarky sense of humor that he once had.
Overall, I thought it was a really fun story and I will definitely continue to visit the campground to see what ancient, supernatural creatures are waiting for me.
I really enjoyed that we got the lore behind Bryan and his pack of slightly unnerving hounds. It was a great take, and when told, it made absolutely perfect sense for Bryan.
I didn't like that Beau ( the man with the skull cup) seemed a more watered down version of himself than in previous books. He was still Beau, but he didn't have the gloriously snarky sense of humor that he once had.
Overall, I thought it was a really fun story and I will definitely continue to visit the campground to see what ancient, supernatural creatures are waiting for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley. No consideration was given or expected.
I love this series so much. It's not an easy read by any means, and I cried more than once, but it's still one of my favorite series. It's got humor, and horror, and despair, and for all the supernatural terror it's such a deeply human story at it's heart. Kate is out there just trying her best, and somtimes it's not enough. She fights so hard, and loses so much, but she keeps on trying. There are no easy answers, and even the creatures around her each have their own lives and motivations. Those who work with her, and those that want her dead are never simple, and I appreciate that. It's the complexity of this series, and the characters that bring it to life for me, and always leave me wanting more. No easy answers, no trite message, or happy endings. Just people and creatures trying their best to live with what has happened, and what they have done.
I love this series so much. It's not an easy read by any means, and I cried more than once, but it's still one of my favorite series. It's got humor, and horror, and despair, and for all the supernatural terror it's such a deeply human story at it's heart. Kate is out there just trying her best, and somtimes it's not enough. She fights so hard, and loses so much, but she keeps on trying. There are no easy answers, and even the creatures around her each have their own lives and motivations. Those who work with her, and those that want her dead are never simple, and I appreciate that. It's the complexity of this series, and the characters that bring it to life for me, and always leave me wanting more. No easy answers, no trite message, or happy endings. Just people and creatures trying their best to live with what has happened, and what they have done.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley!
I actually thought this book was a collection of campground short stories HAHAHA. But it's actually the THIRD BOOK in a series. Honestly though, i didn't really need too much backstory to pick up on what's happened already. There were only a few holes that i filled on my own and, it's crazy, but even though i came in on the third book... i still got SO ATTACHED to the characters! This is a lot to say for the authors writing. I loved Beau, the Dancers, Bryan and his DOGS UGH. The stakes also felt extremely high and i feel like i was really invested in the outcome of this book. Pacing was amazing and i was never bored.
The only issue i had was the repetitiveness of "the land was turning ancient" It was a bit too much. But i understand it's hard to describe this any other way.
Thank you again for the ARC. This was such a fun read :)
I actually thought this book was a collection of campground short stories HAHAHA. But it's actually the THIRD BOOK in a series. Honestly though, i didn't really need too much backstory to pick up on what's happened already. There were only a few holes that i filled on my own and, it's crazy, but even though i came in on the third book... i still got SO ATTACHED to the characters! This is a lot to say for the authors writing. I loved Beau, the Dancers, Bryan and his DOGS UGH. The stakes also felt extremely high and i feel like i was really invested in the outcome of this book. Pacing was amazing and i was never bored.
The only issue i had was the repetitiveness of "the land was turning ancient" It was a bit too much. But i understand it's hard to describe this any other way.
Thank you again for the ARC. This was such a fun read :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow. This was my introduction to the series, and it did not disappoint. Kate's distinct voice and no nonsense attitude drew me in right away. It started out with a morbidly comedic horror vibe which led me to believe I knew which direction it was going. The rules of the campground and Kate's early interactions with the first camper and The Children With No Wagon were fun. It quickly turned more serious and gained higher stakes as additional threats showed up and ruined my expectations. I was fully invested in finding out what Kate was going to do next and loved the variety of entities that showed up at the campground. Also, the last 20% of the book was top notch. I will be reading the rest of the series after this!
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy!
This was a good read! I felt that this book had a lot more heart to it than the first book did (I didn't get a chance to read the second one so I can't speak to it), and it was quick to get through while still being an enjoyable story. I thought the new inhuman characters were neat, and I found the plot to be compelling. It was appropriately gory and gross when it needed to be, and the horror elements were done well. Overall, a great read! 4.5/5 ⭐️
This was a good read! I felt that this book had a lot more heart to it than the first book did (I didn't get a chance to read the second one so I can't speak to it), and it was quick to get through while still being an enjoyable story. I thought the new inhuman characters were neat, and I found the plot to be compelling. It was appropriately gory and gross when it needed to be, and the horror elements were done well. Overall, a great read! 4.5/5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25/5
If you like Gravity Falls and Scooby Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog, this book (and its series) is for you.
This is very literally about how to survive camping when you come across some spooky characters.
This series (and book) is a lot of fun. I think it would be especially fun to read whilst camping.
I didn't like this as much as I did the first book in the series, but I still enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you like Gravity Falls and Scooby Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog, this book (and its series) is for you.
This is very literally about how to survive camping when you come across some spooky characters.
This series (and book) is a lot of fun. I think it would be especially fun to read whilst camping.
I didn't like this as much as I did the first book in the series, but I still enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Love this series. This book just as good.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews