What do you think?
Rate this book
Slaughter Series #1
Camp Slaughter
It’s a local legend. No one is sure if this “Camp Slaughter” place is real or not. But a group of college kids renting out a cabin deep in the woods of Pennsylvania will soon realize the truth. They’ll realize the danger, too. Or rather, the cannibal out in the woods will bring the danger to them…
275 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2019
562 people are currently reading
10971 people want to read
About the author
Sergio Gomez
15 books430 followersBorn in Mexico. Raised in the 'States. I live in Philadelphia with my family, which includes 3 cats. I enjoy writing novels that evoke thrills, fears, and any strong emotions out of my readers. I'm an avid reader, a martial artist, and a Nintendo fanboy.
My FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsergio...
My FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsergio...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 790 reviews
July 5, 2021
I really wanted to love this book, but it ended up being so disappointing. I thought the first chapter started off so strong but I quickly grew bored of all of these characters - they are all so one dimensional. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the rude comment about asexuals. The main character says this about her friend: “she wasn’t sure Emeril was sexual at all. He never talked about past relationships or marriage or anything like that. It was kind of odd, like he was some sort of asexual alien or something.” …. Like WHY is this line even included in this book? It’s so irrelevant to the story and it’s so harmful. Asexual people exist and they are valid and it’s not odd that some people don’t think about sex and marriage all the time.
May 15, 2025
This was a fun little Slasher. It kept me turning pages and cringing almost the entire way through.
Perfect for Spooktober fun. 🖤
Perfect for Spooktober fun. 🖤
April 19, 2021
4.5 Stars ⭐️
This was a damn good slasher book. I mean it’s more in depth then a slasher book or movie. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of slashing, bashing and other nasty things.
The characters and the villain are very well fleshed out. Oh, I shouldn’t have used that reference!!
I recommend to all horror fans that like a bit of a back story to their villains. Like meat to a certain extent. People that aren’t totally stupid. And a cool camp with a touch of Jason and Texas Chainsaw Massacre thrown in for good measure
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
This was a damn good slasher book. I mean it’s more in depth then a slasher book or movie. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of slashing, bashing and other nasty things.
The characters and the villain are very well fleshed out. Oh, I shouldn’t have used that reference!!
I recommend to all horror fans that like a bit of a back story to their villains. Like meat to a certain extent. People that aren’t totally stupid. And a cool camp with a touch of Jason and Texas Chainsaw Massacre thrown in for good measure
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 18, 2019
4.5 Stars
Camp Slaughter is Serious Nightmare Fuel!
This was easily the scariest horror story that I have read in quite a while. As a piece of realistic horror, the situations were so terrifying because they felt entirely possible. The prologue alone was incredibly intense. I started reading this book at night, in the dark, which might have been a mistake because I got legitimately anxious. Beyond that first scene, there were several more creepy and downright disturbing moments throughout the rest of this bone-chilling novel.
As a book involving cannibalism, readers should expect some very gruesome and gory content. There were also a lot of wonderful body horror that lead to some absolutely stomaching churning moments. Readers probably won't want to eat while reading this one.
Told over multiple perspectives, I found all the characters to be well developed and interesting to follow. I especially loved reading from the perspective of the cannibals, because I always enjoy getting inside the head of a psychopath.
There were also diverse elements in this story with the inclusion of several predominant hispanic characters of Mexican descent. Since the author was born in Mexico himself, this novel was a fantastic example of #ownvoices horror.
Overall, this novel was such an entertaining read. The writing was great with a good balance of description and action. The narrative moved along at a good pace so I was able to fly through the story in just a few days.
I would highly recommend this novel to any horror readers who can handle an intense story with plenty of body horror.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the author.
Camp Slaughter is Serious Nightmare Fuel!
This was easily the scariest horror story that I have read in quite a while. As a piece of realistic horror, the situations were so terrifying because they felt entirely possible. The prologue alone was incredibly intense. I started reading this book at night, in the dark, which might have been a mistake because I got legitimately anxious. Beyond that first scene, there were several more creepy and downright disturbing moments throughout the rest of this bone-chilling novel.
As a book involving cannibalism, readers should expect some very gruesome and gory content. There were also a lot of wonderful body horror that lead to some absolutely stomaching churning moments. Readers probably won't want to eat while reading this one.
Told over multiple perspectives, I found all the characters to be well developed and interesting to follow. I especially loved reading from the perspective of the cannibals, because I always enjoy getting inside the head of a psychopath.
There were also diverse elements in this story with the inclusion of several predominant hispanic characters of Mexican descent. Since the author was born in Mexico himself, this novel was a fantastic example of #ownvoices horror.
Overall, this novel was such an entertaining read. The writing was great with a good balance of description and action. The narrative moved along at a good pace so I was able to fly through the story in just a few days.
I would highly recommend this novel to any horror readers who can handle an intense story with plenty of body horror.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the author.
November 30, 2020
“Slasher” is a recognizable and popular genre of horror films but it is also a hotbed of activity this year in horror fiction. I read three slasher books so far in 2019 and while I used to think all slashers were created equal, CAMP SLAUGHTER convinced me that some slashers rise above the stereotypes.
Typically, Slasher books have a large cast of underdeveloped characters in order for the “psycho killer” to have plenty of people to hunt, maim and kill. I’ve also found that slasher fiction isn’t too concerned with plot, leaning heavy on violence as the primary vehicle for entertaining readers. Not really my favorite brand of horror but in all three slashers I have read, something piqued my interest right away.
With CAMP SLAUGHTER, it was the consistently high reviews this book has received from reviewers and readers I trust. So I went outside my preconceived notions and took a chance on this slasher set in the woods of Pennsylvania. Sergio Gomez wastes zero time getting his readers invested in his characters. I noticed this right away. He spends time with them, brings them to life for us and makes us care. Which is dangerous. It’s so dangerous to care about the characters in a slasher novel right?
But then here’s the real unexpected curveball, Gomez threw at me: He made me care about the psycho-killer too. Through some impressive storytelling told in flashbacks--we get to see into Ignacio’s past. Gomez infuses these scenes with detailed imagery and a rich, cultural backdrop that was compelling and drew me in.
So here I am with all these emotions and these people who are so fleshed out and real and about halfway through the story, that tension is thick. Here’s this killer with a name and a backstory who is going to unleash some fresh hell on these teens who show up to a cabin for a weekend getaway. But these aren’t just your average, run-of-the-mill teens ripe for the picking...they’re funny, they have goals and dreams, backstories, relationships, one of the teens brought his little brother along and the more the author closes that gap between his killer (who is increasingly becoming more and more unhinged) and this group of kids, the more I’m trying to read the words through my fingers--I don’t want to see this! This was some scary stuff guys and it was powerful and effective because my heart was involved. I wasn’t just a spectator to blood, guts, and gore--this was a story. It had a real plot with real people and I was compelled to see it through all the way to the heart-pounding conclusion. And it sounds like there could be more- a series? A sequel? A trilogy? Whatever Sergio Gomez decides to offer us, I’m here for it.
5 out 5 stars
Typically, Slasher books have a large cast of underdeveloped characters in order for the “psycho killer” to have plenty of people to hunt, maim and kill. I’ve also found that slasher fiction isn’t too concerned with plot, leaning heavy on violence as the primary vehicle for entertaining readers. Not really my favorite brand of horror but in all three slashers I have read, something piqued my interest right away.
With CAMP SLAUGHTER, it was the consistently high reviews this book has received from reviewers and readers I trust. So I went outside my preconceived notions and took a chance on this slasher set in the woods of Pennsylvania. Sergio Gomez wastes zero time getting his readers invested in his characters. I noticed this right away. He spends time with them, brings them to life for us and makes us care. Which is dangerous. It’s so dangerous to care about the characters in a slasher novel right?
But then here’s the real unexpected curveball, Gomez threw at me: He made me care about the psycho-killer too. Through some impressive storytelling told in flashbacks--we get to see into Ignacio’s past. Gomez infuses these scenes with detailed imagery and a rich, cultural backdrop that was compelling and drew me in.
So here I am with all these emotions and these people who are so fleshed out and real and about halfway through the story, that tension is thick. Here’s this killer with a name and a backstory who is going to unleash some fresh hell on these teens who show up to a cabin for a weekend getaway. But these aren’t just your average, run-of-the-mill teens ripe for the picking...they’re funny, they have goals and dreams, backstories, relationships, one of the teens brought his little brother along and the more the author closes that gap between his killer (who is increasingly becoming more and more unhinged) and this group of kids, the more I’m trying to read the words through my fingers--I don’t want to see this! This was some scary stuff guys and it was powerful and effective because my heart was involved. I wasn’t just a spectator to blood, guts, and gore--this was a story. It had a real plot with real people and I was compelled to see it through all the way to the heart-pounding conclusion. And it sounds like there could be more- a series? A sequel? A trilogy? Whatever Sergio Gomez decides to offer us, I’m here for it.
5 out 5 stars
July 26, 2022
I rented a cabin in the middle of nowhere to read horror books, including 'Camp Slaughter', and posted the terrifying video on YouTube, check it out: https://youtu.be/QMm7TZZkmS0
March 27, 2021
This was an intense read!
A small backstory:
A cabin out in the woods named Camp Slaughter has been known for bad things happening out there with murders and disappearances. Some friends decide to go out there to investigate as they want to see if the rumors are true. In the meantime, two paranormal investigators also want to check out the place as they think it might be haunted.
Unbeknownst to all of them is that a crazed cannibal maniac lives out in the woods and he uses the cabin as his home. Who lives and who dies? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
The story was really good, but it took me to almost 65% before anything actually happened with the crazed cannibal guy. There was a smattering of a couple of things, but the crap didn't hit the fan for the friends and investigators till after the 65% mark. By that time the story goes into full action gore mode and it is non-stop till the end of the book. Normally I put down a book that isn't grabbing me right away and keeps up the intensity, but I was drawn into the storyline as I was hoping for something to happen, so I just kept reading. Thankfully the story took off when the gore started flying. Giving this book four "splatter" stars!
A small backstory:
A cabin out in the woods named Camp Slaughter has been known for bad things happening out there with murders and disappearances. Some friends decide to go out there to investigate as they want to see if the rumors are true. In the meantime, two paranormal investigators also want to check out the place as they think it might be haunted.
Unbeknownst to all of them is that a crazed cannibal maniac lives out in the woods and he uses the cabin as his home. Who lives and who dies? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
Thoughts:
The story was really good, but it took me to almost 65% before anything actually happened with the crazed cannibal guy. There was a smattering of a couple of things, but the crap didn't hit the fan for the friends and investigators till after the 65% mark. By that time the story goes into full action gore mode and it is non-stop till the end of the book. Normally I put down a book that isn't grabbing me right away and keeps up the intensity, but I was drawn into the storyline as I was hoping for something to happen, so I just kept reading. Thankfully the story took off when the gore started flying. Giving this book four "splatter" stars!
April 28, 2021
What an absolutely AMAZING homage to 80s slasher films. I fell instantly in love with it from the very first word and my love only grew stronger as the story progressed. Gomez knows how to write one HELLUVA horror novel! This book made me laugh one minute and gasp in disgust and horror the next and I really could not have loved it more. I legitimately felt like I was reading Friday the 13th in book form and it was GLORIOUS. From start to finish it is just pure campy 80s slasher horror excellence and by now y’all know I LIVE for that shit. Horror fans and 80s slasher film fans, do yourself a favour and read this phenomenal gem of a book!
November 30, 2021
I don’t know what to feel about this book. It was OK, I guess. I was expecting more given the fact that I’m a fan of this genre. However, it came out a little bit bland and vapid.
I don’t mind the gore and the blood, (I actually enjoy splatterpunk books so much) but this one didn’t have that particular effect that I was looking for. The characters were boring, clichéd and one dimensional. I just didn’t care about any of them. (There were too many characters, anyway.)
Also, the supernatural aspect didn’t add anything to the story, like, it was completely unnecessary, I don’t see the point in putting that element in there. Maybe the writer wanted to add more depth to the plot but came out lacking in sense.
I love the genre, but I need a little more emotion than just the typical carnage and bloodshed.
Still, a constant reminder not to go in secluded cabins, you’ll never know what kind of monster is out there.
I don’t mind the gore and the blood, (I actually enjoy splatterpunk books so much) but this one didn’t have that particular effect that I was looking for. The characters were boring, clichéd and one dimensional. I just didn’t care about any of them. (There were too many characters, anyway.)
Also, the supernatural aspect didn’t add anything to the story, like, it was completely unnecessary, I don’t see the point in putting that element in there. Maybe the writer wanted to add more depth to the plot but came out lacking in sense.
I love the genre, but I need a little more emotion than just the typical carnage and bloodshed.
Still, a constant reminder not to go in secluded cabins, you’ll never know what kind of monster is out there.
July 14, 2021
Andy was losing his cool and was starting to get frustrated enough to not care if he lost these two as clients. “Who are you two?” “I am a paranormal investigator, Mister Cameron. My partner here is a documentarian. We investigate the odd, the mysterious, and the unexplained. These woods that your cabin is in, and the disappearances of these people, happens to fall into all three categories.”
I'm in the minority here and probably going to be unpopular, but I was expecting much more from this book after reading so many stellar reviews.
He looked over at Arturo to see if he was doing it right, and his father’s face had lightened up. He was back to being his dad teaching him how to cook breakfast, not the mean man who takes care of business. Ignacio was as fascinated with his father’s ability to change faces as he was with the sight of the blood. He hoped to grow up to be like him one day and be able to wear many faces.
I enjoyed the killer's backstory and his creative ways to deliver brutal gory deaths to the usual camp-slasher cast of despicable victims, including jocks, stoners, skinny dipping gals, and a potential final girl litterally hunted by her sister's death in a car accident years ago.
Varias Caras—Many Faces. It was a name that was fit for a luchador, but eventually became the name of the monster that lived inside of Ignacio.
He grabbed one of the masks and slipped it on over his head. It was the face of Stephen Lang. The transformation was complete. He was ready to go hunting. Varias Caras was awake.
I understand the author wanted to homage both classic both more recent slasher flicks and I appreciate it, the chapters from the killer's pov were well done too, but Ignacio aka Varias Caras—Many Faces ended being a patchwork of well known characters like Leatherface and Jason Voorhees, but including parts of less famous fictional serial killers like Victor Crowley, Gleen "Kane" Jacobs, and a pinch of El Mascarado from Wrestlemaniac (2006) too.
He looked at her face for a second. She was pretty, but she wouldn’t make a good mask. Her face was too small, and the skin was too soft. Even as leather, it would rip if he tried to squeeze his head into her face. She’d be good for food, though.
Too much at stake in my opinion, nearly bordering to plagiarism, and killing the mistery just giving away in the first pages the backstory origin tale of the many-masks-giant-retarded-assassin-keeping-his-mom's-head... it sounds familiar, uh?
“There are others besides Mister Buckley who think the cannibal story might be true,” Emeril said. “Okay, well, what’re you thinking, Emeril?” He tapped his fingers on the table. The vibrations caused the black coffee in the mug in front of him to ripple. “I think we’ve got an even more interesting film on our hands than we thought.”
The supernatural sub-plots were okay for me, besides the totally unnecessary super-hearing feature, and this was a not bad read after all, but I'm afraid I've enjoyed the ride much more than its loosy open ending, hinting to a sequel that I'm not looking forward to it.
Using the handle of the machete, he smashed a window. The exploding glass got their attention. The girl made a sound that was a cross between a scream and a sob. The cry of fear. Ignacio smiled. The blue-haired guy got up and started for a part of the room Ignacio couldn’t see. It didn’t matter, he was going to kill them all.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I was in the right mood for a cheesy camp-slasher gory read after watching Fear Street: Part Two: 1978 on Netflix.
February 15, 2022
Welcome to Camp Slaughter...
Where your friendly neighborhood cannibal will hunt you down and there will be no one to hear you scream!! Wow, what a campy fun thrill ride!
Where your friendly neighborhood cannibal will hunt you down and there will be no one to hear you scream!! Wow, what a campy fun thrill ride!
March 23, 2020
If you like gore and fucked up shit, this is for you my friend. So many good death scenes. Ugh I love it.
May 5, 2020
Camp Slaughter was everything I could ever want in a slasher book!
Intense as fuck gory scenes with references to Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Check!
Cabin in the rural backwoods? Check!
Cannibal killer? Check!
Comic relief throughout? Check!
I hear there might be a sequel...
Intense as fuck gory scenes with references to Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Check!
Cabin in the rural backwoods? Check!
Cannibal killer? Check!
Comic relief throughout? Check!
I hear there might be a sequel...
January 25, 2021
I wasn’t very kind to Sergio Gomez’s The Visitor. You can read my review of it if you feel so inclined but basically it was a huge disappointment for a variety of reasons. I say that because I didn’t have any plans to read another Gomez book, however since I accidentally downloaded Camp Slaughter and since this one was an actual full length novel and not a 70 page short story, I figured I’d give the guy one more shot.
And I really shouldn’t have.
Camp Slaughter is a total mess. Its badly written, horribly executed, terribly cliched and ridiculously unoriginal.
You know the horror film about teenagers at a lake who get killed by some crazy person? There’s plenty: Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, The Burning, Bloody Bible Camp, Wrong Turn, I Spit on Your Grave, Summer Camp, Cabin in the Woods. Take your pick. Well this book is all of those. It’s every single cliche from those films with nothing else. Take everything you know about slasher summer camp films and you have the entire freakin story for Camp Slaughter.
College age kids? Check
Drug dealer who is basically Shaggy from Scooby Doo?
Check
Hot girls who go skinny dipping? Check
Drugs and booze and teenage romance? Check
Crazy killer with some cliched backstory to describe why he’s so fucked up? Check
Excessive violence and gore just for the sake of it? Check
Open ended story that’s full of plot holes and no expiration for anything?Check
Yup. Unlike the first one or 2 camp slasher films that were unique and different for the time (both of the twists at the end of Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp were total shockers) Camp Slaughter is banal, boring, and senseless. And rather than try and make his book standout like those films, Gomez just took a pen and copied the bloodshed without any real reason. Oh sure his (blatant rip-off) antagonist has some kind of reason for his slaughter but it’s so stupid and so unoriginal that this book should be sued for copyright infringement.
This book is simple to the point of offensive. By that I mean that there is nothing redeeming or even worth complimenting. Gomez must think his readers are a bunch of brainless zombies who need to be spoon fed a story with little substance or creativity to be happy.
I’m not bashing fans of Gomez or this book as anyone is allowed to like whatever they want, but there is far far superior horror out there and wasting time on Gomez is a waste of possible brain cells that could be used on those better books.
At this point, I’m officially done with Gomez. He’s clearly overrated and needs people to stop inflating his ego until he can write something that is actually good.
And I really shouldn’t have.
Camp Slaughter is a total mess. Its badly written, horribly executed, terribly cliched and ridiculously unoriginal.
You know the horror film about teenagers at a lake who get killed by some crazy person? There’s plenty: Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, The Burning, Bloody Bible Camp, Wrong Turn, I Spit on Your Grave, Summer Camp, Cabin in the Woods. Take your pick. Well this book is all of those. It’s every single cliche from those films with nothing else. Take everything you know about slasher summer camp films and you have the entire freakin story for Camp Slaughter.
College age kids? Check
Drug dealer who is basically Shaggy from Scooby Doo?
Check
Hot girls who go skinny dipping? Check
Drugs and booze and teenage romance? Check
Crazy killer with some cliched backstory to describe why he’s so fucked up? Check
Excessive violence and gore just for the sake of it? Check
Open ended story that’s full of plot holes and no expiration for anything?Check
Yup. Unlike the first one or 2 camp slasher films that were unique and different for the time (both of the twists at the end of Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp were total shockers) Camp Slaughter is banal, boring, and senseless. And rather than try and make his book standout like those films, Gomez just took a pen and copied the bloodshed without any real reason. Oh sure his (blatant rip-off) antagonist has some kind of reason for his slaughter but it’s so stupid and so unoriginal that this book should be sued for copyright infringement.
This book is simple to the point of offensive. By that I mean that there is nothing redeeming or even worth complimenting. Gomez must think his readers are a bunch of brainless zombies who need to be spoon fed a story with little substance or creativity to be happy.
I’m not bashing fans of Gomez or this book as anyone is allowed to like whatever they want, but there is far far superior horror out there and wasting time on Gomez is a waste of possible brain cells that could be used on those better books.
At this point, I’m officially done with Gomez. He’s clearly overrated and needs people to stop inflating his ego until he can write something that is actually good.
July 9, 2023
Umm.. Nope. I went into this book convinced that it was gonna be a 5⭐ because of all the stellar reviews I've been hearing over the years. But as I was reading, the rating just kept going down. I know I'm in the minority here.
May 22, 2020
Oh man this was bad.
I was looking forward to reading this one because I love slasher horror films and this is exactly what it was. But this was just not a good story.
The killer was a joke and a ripoff of famous horror movie villains, absolutely zero creativity there.
I get that the author was trying to give background and depth to the many characters so the reader would feel something when they were killed but it was just too many different story lines and I did not care at all about any of them. They were poorly written, the dialogue was terrible (like what some adult who has never been on social media think kids talk like), and the killing scenes were unbelievable and rushed.
This was a rough one to get through, I'm only boosting my rating up because I love that the author tackled this difficult to write about genre.
I was looking forward to reading this one because I love slasher horror films and this is exactly what it was. But this was just not a good story.
The killer was a joke and a ripoff of famous horror movie villains, absolutely zero creativity there.
I get that the author was trying to give background and depth to the many characters so the reader would feel something when they were killed but it was just too many different story lines and I did not care at all about any of them. They were poorly written, the dialogue was terrible (like what some adult who has never been on social media think kids talk like), and the killing scenes were unbelievable and rushed.
This was a rough one to get through, I'm only boosting my rating up because I love that the author tackled this difficult to write about genre.
March 23, 2023
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Ugh, damn it...
This is such a bummer.
I really wanted to love this, but it was just meh for me. It’s got all the things you expect from a slasher story – unsuspecting victims being gruesomely murdered in the woods by a psychotic killer – but, really all it has are things taken from other slasher stories. A lot of this felt off, like it was simply a copy of a copy rather than a story with something of its own to say.
The plot invests in giving the cannibal killer a backstory, but I found it kind of boring, with pieces that didn’t totally connect. He was living independently off the grid, has excellent hunting skills, can make pants out of human skin and has escaped detection as a prolific serial killer for years, but he’s also intellectually disabled with the linguistic skills of a third-grader? And he’s a cannibal, but also interested in keeping women as pets? Okay, I guess. We'll just go with it.
The killer was a mishmash of every other killer from other slasher stories and that felt kind of lazy. Like, just put Leatherface, Jason and The Hills Have Eyes cannibals into a cabin in the woods and then fold in the cheese. And voila! It’s this fucking guy.
The opening chapter was deceiving – a promising bloodbath with some creepy moments that got me excited about what this novel could be. But after the eleventy-hundredth chapter about college students thinking about weed and sex and “the friend zone,” the sparkle of the first chapter had worn off. The bulk of the chapters is spent getting to know the main group of students who are very clearly about to be killed as they head out for a wild weekend at a cabin. There are also two ghost hunters making a documentary. (They were my favourite part of this novel.)
The young people marked for death are stereotypical copies of every other young adult in a slasher. Not too much thought or effort seemed behind their creation as characters. They spoke like how adults think young people speak, but don’t actually. It was forced and silly, and the dialogue was super cringe most of the time.
In a slasher movie, a plethora of shallow characters work because they are just meant to be killed in a visually cool and disgusting way, never sticking around for very long. But here, we spend a lot of time getting to know the players without actually getting to know them aside from their shallow problems and pointless conversation. Irrelevant information and scenes seemed to be included because they appeared in these kinds of stories before, not because they made an impact on the plot. And then all these kids die in fast, anti-climactic ways that just didn’t match up to how much page time they had beforehand.
Things happen in the beginning and the end of the book, but everything else feels like filler – cringe flirting and shallow conversation. And those things were not more interesting than scares and kills, which I would have preferred to be more constant and evenly paced throughout the plot, instead of saving it all for the end.
Truthfully, I’m always wary of slasher novels, because even though they are some of my favourite movies, that kind of story doesn’t easily translate from what we love about them on-screen to the written word. In my opinion anyway. And I haven’t found one yet that really works for me.
The writing here isn’t great. The prose are basic and odd turns of phrase are constantly used. The narrative jumps back and forth between reading modern and reading like it was taking place in the 90s. The college kids are using Instagram and smartphones, but also know what Roadhouse is enough that it’s their first choice of pop culture reference? Give me a fucking break. I don’t think my 23-year-old even knows who Patrick Swayze is, because he sure as fuck didn’t know who Jack Nicholson is.
“He was like the best Joker ever.”
“You mean Heath Ledger?”
Get the fuck out of my house.
Also, what was with the ghosty sister showing up randomly? Like how did that make sense at all to this plot? That felt like a "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" plot element.
Anyway, since this is a slasher, let’s get into my Twisted Totals, à la Joe Bob Briggs.
We’ve got:
1 Cabin in the woods
1 prisoner in a barn
1 Rucksack full of human flesh masks
1 Pile of ears
9 Dead bodies
2 Ghosthunters
1 White guy with dreads
1 Pair of human leather pants
1 Bag of human jerky
2 Darts to the face
1 Emotionally tormenting ghost sister
Skull splitting, Leg chopping, Neck slashing, Head smashing, Tree impalement
Machete shit, Chainsaw shit, Axe shit
And finally, mommy issue-flavoured misogyny.
Fucking Highlights include:
The character who was literally named Chad, for saying “We should have just fucking gone to Puerto Rico instead.”
Local dude Harold for his theory, “Methinks there’s some human-eating humans out there.”
And the killer for knowing his limits, saying. “I am sorry… My brain… It cannot handle taking care of two Barbies.”
Overall, was this terrible? Almost. I’ve never lied to you before, and I’m not going to start now. It was… whatever. It could have been so much better, but it could have been worse, too. It’s pretty much on par with other slasher novels I’ve read. The writing isn’t great, but it had some fun moments.
I was expecting something amazing after all the glowing reviews I read for this, but once again, I’m the asshole. That’s fine. For me, it needed better pacing, less cliché characters and better editing. But this is totally a genre that is difficult to write and to get right, so for not creating a total trainwreck that had a strong opening chapter and good moments of gore, my rating is what it is.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded up
Ugh, damn it...
This is such a bummer.
I really wanted to love this, but it was just meh for me. It’s got all the things you expect from a slasher story – unsuspecting victims being gruesomely murdered in the woods by a psychotic killer – but, really all it has are things taken from other slasher stories. A lot of this felt off, like it was simply a copy of a copy rather than a story with something of its own to say.
The plot invests in giving the cannibal killer a backstory, but I found it kind of boring, with pieces that didn’t totally connect. He was living independently off the grid, has excellent hunting skills, can make pants out of human skin and has escaped detection as a prolific serial killer for years, but he’s also intellectually disabled with the linguistic skills of a third-grader? And he’s a cannibal, but also interested in keeping women as pets? Okay, I guess. We'll just go with it.
The killer was a mishmash of every other killer from other slasher stories and that felt kind of lazy. Like, just put Leatherface, Jason and The Hills Have Eyes cannibals into a cabin in the woods and then fold in the cheese. And voila! It’s this fucking guy.
The opening chapter was deceiving – a promising bloodbath with some creepy moments that got me excited about what this novel could be. But after the eleventy-hundredth chapter about college students thinking about weed and sex and “the friend zone,” the sparkle of the first chapter had worn off. The bulk of the chapters is spent getting to know the main group of students who are very clearly about to be killed as they head out for a wild weekend at a cabin. There are also two ghost hunters making a documentary. (They were my favourite part of this novel.)
The young people marked for death are stereotypical copies of every other young adult in a slasher. Not too much thought or effort seemed behind their creation as characters. They spoke like how adults think young people speak, but don’t actually. It was forced and silly, and the dialogue was super cringe most of the time.
In a slasher movie, a plethora of shallow characters work because they are just meant to be killed in a visually cool and disgusting way, never sticking around for very long. But here, we spend a lot of time getting to know the players without actually getting to know them aside from their shallow problems and pointless conversation. Irrelevant information and scenes seemed to be included because they appeared in these kinds of stories before, not because they made an impact on the plot. And then all these kids die in fast, anti-climactic ways that just didn’t match up to how much page time they had beforehand.
Things happen in the beginning and the end of the book, but everything else feels like filler – cringe flirting and shallow conversation. And those things were not more interesting than scares and kills, which I would have preferred to be more constant and evenly paced throughout the plot, instead of saving it all for the end.
Truthfully, I’m always wary of slasher novels, because even though they are some of my favourite movies, that kind of story doesn’t easily translate from what we love about them on-screen to the written word. In my opinion anyway. And I haven’t found one yet that really works for me.
The writing here isn’t great. The prose are basic and odd turns of phrase are constantly used. The narrative jumps back and forth between reading modern and reading like it was taking place in the 90s. The college kids are using Instagram and smartphones, but also know what Roadhouse is enough that it’s their first choice of pop culture reference? Give me a fucking break. I don’t think my 23-year-old even knows who Patrick Swayze is, because he sure as fuck didn’t know who Jack Nicholson is.
“He was like the best Joker ever.”
“You mean Heath Ledger?”
Get the fuck out of my house.
Also, what was with the ghosty sister showing up randomly? Like how did that make sense at all to this plot? That felt like a "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" plot element.
Anyway, since this is a slasher, let’s get into my Twisted Totals, à la Joe Bob Briggs.
We’ve got:
1 Cabin in the woods
1 prisoner in a barn
1 Rucksack full of human flesh masks
1 Pile of ears
9 Dead bodies
2 Ghosthunters
1 White guy with dreads
1 Pair of human leather pants
1 Bag of human jerky
2 Darts to the face
1 Emotionally tormenting ghost sister
Skull splitting, Leg chopping, Neck slashing, Head smashing, Tree impalement
Machete shit, Chainsaw shit, Axe shit
And finally, mommy issue-flavoured misogyny.
Fucking Highlights include:
The character who was literally named Chad, for saying “We should have just fucking gone to Puerto Rico instead.”
Local dude Harold for his theory, “Methinks there’s some human-eating humans out there.”
And the killer for knowing his limits, saying. “I am sorry… My brain… It cannot handle taking care of two Barbies.”
Overall, was this terrible? Almost. I’ve never lied to you before, and I’m not going to start now. It was… whatever. It could have been so much better, but it could have been worse, too. It’s pretty much on par with other slasher novels I’ve read. The writing isn’t great, but it had some fun moments.
I was expecting something amazing after all the glowing reviews I read for this, but once again, I’m the asshole. That’s fine. For me, it needed better pacing, less cliché characters and better editing. But this is totally a genre that is difficult to write and to get right, so for not creating a total trainwreck that had a strong opening chapter and good moments of gore, my rating is what it is.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded up
October 24, 2019
This book is exactly as advertised..... a gory, campy slasher story. My first time reading this author and if he does write a sequel I'll be sure to check it out!
July 28, 2023
as much as i love slashers, i don’t think they translate well to books for me. i thought this was okay, i didn’t care about any of the characters nor did i care for the killer :/
November 3, 2025
contains spoilers⭑.ᐟ
sighhh...with all the reviews talking about how gory & brutal it is i was expecting a similar read to Jack Ketchum's Off Season but sadly, it was not. if Leatherface was let loose at Camp Crystal Lake this is what'd you'd get & i don't mean that in a good way.
i'm going to be real with y'all...i don't know if i just keep getting lied to in these reviews or if my idea of what gory is & my tolerance for it is just high due to all of the horror media i consume but this was really not gory or brutal in my opinion.
the writing was not that great & there's a lot of telling & absolutely no showing when it came to the cannibal aspect. i can't tell you how many times the word cannibal is used to describe Varias Cara (it's a lot) but i can tell you he does not munch on a single one of these people, in fact he kept a female victim & called her barbie??? uhhh ok
the killer himself was a straight temu version rip off of Jason Vorhees & Leatherface. from the killer having mental disabilities/developmental delays, to wearing his victims faces as masks, to his main weapon of choice being a machete & then switches it up for a chainsaw later, to him being a 7 foot giant lurking around the woods, even down to the random supernatural dream sequences/hallucinations similar to Friday The 13th New Beginning....like c'mon this is almost plagiarism.
this lacks originality, even most of the kills are very straight forward & not at all original except maybe the window kill but other than that i've seen all of these kills before. the gore did not deliver...even slightly... & the actual "slaughtering" doesn't even start until 65% into the story (besides the prologue)
2/5 🔪🔪
sighhh...with all the reviews talking about how gory & brutal it is i was expecting a similar read to Jack Ketchum's Off Season but sadly, it was not. if Leatherface was let loose at Camp Crystal Lake this is what'd you'd get & i don't mean that in a good way.
i'm going to be real with y'all...i don't know if i just keep getting lied to in these reviews or if my idea of what gory is & my tolerance for it is just high due to all of the horror media i consume but this was really not gory or brutal in my opinion.
the writing was not that great & there's a lot of telling & absolutely no showing when it came to the cannibal aspect. i can't tell you how many times the word cannibal is used to describe Varias Cara (it's a lot) but i can tell you he does not munch on a single one of these people, in fact he kept a female victim & called her barbie??? uhhh ok
the killer himself was a straight temu version rip off of Jason Vorhees & Leatherface. from the killer having mental disabilities/developmental delays, to wearing his victims faces as masks, to his main weapon of choice being a machete & then switches it up for a chainsaw later, to him being a 7 foot giant lurking around the woods, even down to the random supernatural dream sequences/hallucinations similar to Friday The 13th New Beginning....like c'mon this is almost plagiarism.
this lacks originality, even most of the kills are very straight forward & not at all original except maybe the window kill but other than that i've seen all of these kills before. the gore did not deliver...even slightly... & the actual "slaughtering" doesn't even start until 65% into the story (besides the prologue)
2/5 🔪🔪
October 29, 2024
This was a fun, fast-paced, gory slasher read. Very reminiscent of the 90s slasher films we all know and love. It's a combination of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, but, instead of a family, it's one person doing all the carnage.
The story flowed well, and I liked the characters. They were interesting, and their dynamic made the book a lot more fun. The murder scenes were quick and to the point. Not too drawn out or overly gruesome, not depending on shock value to carry the plot. Always a plus for me.
This was an action paced, suspenseful, tense, and bloody ride. This would be perfect for the spooky season. I'm so excited to get into the second book.
The story flowed well, and I liked the characters. They were interesting, and their dynamic made the book a lot more fun. The murder scenes were quick and to the point. Not too drawn out or overly gruesome, not depending on shock value to carry the plot. Always a plus for me.
This was an action paced, suspenseful, tense, and bloody ride. This would be perfect for the spooky season. I'm so excited to get into the second book.
June 4, 2020
This was a bit hit and miss for me. For the most part it was good, I really liked the story, it was suitably scary and gory with some really good horror ideas, not necessarily all completely original; it reminded me of a few different horror films shmushed together, but it worked so I was happy. There were plenty of horrible goings on, and a couple of nice slow realisations for the reader which is just as horrific as a shock when it dawns on you what is happening.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing though, at times it was a little cheesy and predictable and even repetitive on occasions (yes we get it, Ignacio’s brain doesn’t “work right” - frankly it was obvious without us being told several times over). Although he was without a doubt a great character.
As is often the case in cheesy horror books and films it is a requirement of some of the characters to make stupid decidions for the story to continue, and well this happened quite a lot and to the point of ridiculousness that no one could defend themselves even with a gun in hand! It made this more unbelievable for me.
Also while I am having a moan it was a little off putting at the beginning as there were a lot of characters, it was almost every other chapter we were introduced to a new group of people, and the build up to the big event seemed to go on somewhat.
Lastly and my biggest issue was there was a supernatural aspect to this book which was completely unnecessary and if anything detracted from the story, what was going on was exciting and dramatic enough, it didn't need to involve ghosts and superhuman powers! The story was more realistic without it.
I’ve made quite a few negative comments here, some parts of this book really grated with me, however if you can get past those and try to ignore the ghost /super powers part then this is a good story, with lots of action and some gore for those that like it and some suspense too, with some good character building (Igacio anyway, the others were pretty standard horror fodder).
I’m giving this a generous 4*/5 it might be closer to a 3.5*/5 for me. Not bad, not great.
P.S.
There is going to be a sequel but I don’t think I will bother (not immediately anyway, I’ll see if other reviewers think it worthwhile maybe). It wasn’t the best ending, it kind of fizzled out a bit.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing though, at times it was a little cheesy and predictable and even repetitive on occasions (yes we get it, Ignacio’s brain doesn’t “work right” - frankly it was obvious without us being told several times over). Although he was without a doubt a great character.
As is often the case in cheesy horror books and films it is a requirement of some of the characters to make stupid decidions for the story to continue, and well this happened quite a lot and to the point of ridiculousness that no one could defend themselves even with a gun in hand! It made this more unbelievable for me.
Also while I am having a moan it was a little off putting at the beginning as there were a lot of characters, it was almost every other chapter we were introduced to a new group of people, and the build up to the big event seemed to go on somewhat.
Lastly and my biggest issue was there was a supernatural aspect to this book which was completely unnecessary and if anything detracted from the story, what was going on was exciting and dramatic enough, it didn't need to involve ghosts and superhuman powers! The story was more realistic without it.
I’ve made quite a few negative comments here, some parts of this book really grated with me, however if you can get past those and try to ignore the ghost /super powers part then this is a good story, with lots of action and some gore for those that like it and some suspense too, with some good character building (Igacio anyway, the others were pretty standard horror fodder).
I’m giving this a generous 4*/5 it might be closer to a 3.5*/5 for me. Not bad, not great.
P.S.
There is going to be a sequel but I don’t think I will bother (not immediately anyway, I’ll see if other reviewers think it worthwhile maybe). It wasn’t the best ending, it kind of fizzled out a bit.
February 18, 2023
Jason and Leatherface who????
Bionic ears aside, this story was fun as hell. No morals to be taught and no lessons to be learned here- just silly teens, scary woods and a sky high body count. It all added up to an enjoyably entertaining slasher tale. Looking forward to the blood-soaked sequel.
3 1/2 Slaughtering Stars
Bionic ears aside, this story was fun as hell. No morals to be taught and no lessons to be learned here- just silly teens, scary woods and a sky high body count. It all added up to an enjoyably entertaining slasher tale. Looking forward to the blood-soaked sequel.
3 1/2 Slaughtering Stars
August 27, 2019
Camp Slaughter is just the book I needed to satisfy my pre-fall craving thirst for slasher horror. It's got a few different layers that come together to tell a great story: 1) some teens are going for one last celebration in the secluded woods 2) a pair of documentary filmmakers who specialize in mystery, occult, and supernatural 3) a cannibalistic killer with heart. All of these factors are what I loved so much about Camp Slaughter.
From the opening prologue I was HOOKED (and not like meat-hook hooked...) It really set the tone of the book and during one part I actually got shivers and had to look around my room to make sure I was alone. I love when a horror book can give me that feeling!
From then on, the story has a great pace and alternated back and forth between different groups of people until all stories ultimately collide at the end. I found all the characters extremely likable. I was rooting for them all and hated for any of them to die. I even found myself sympathizing with our killer from time to time.
I gasped quite a few times at how the author totally shocked me with his twists. I didn't see so many things coming. And while this book has this blend of Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Conjuring (slightly), it was refreshing that I still had no clue what to expect as I turned each page. But that is just another reason I really enjoyed this one!
The death scenes are quick and brutal, much like you might expect on-screen. A quick "AHH!!" moment and then you're back in it watching it all happen and waiting for the aftermath. There isn't tons of deliberating and bathing in the guts and gore and the blood like some books do.
Overall this book is easy to rate 5 stars! I absolutely loved it! And I thiiiiiiiiiiink there is going to be a sequel?! I can't wait! I highly recommend this one and I think it will make for excellent fall reading!
From the opening prologue I was HOOKED (and not like meat-hook hooked...) It really set the tone of the book and during one part I actually got shivers and had to look around my room to make sure I was alone. I love when a horror book can give me that feeling!
From then on, the story has a great pace and alternated back and forth between different groups of people until all stories ultimately collide at the end. I found all the characters extremely likable. I was rooting for them all and hated for any of them to die. I even found myself sympathizing with our killer from time to time.
I gasped quite a few times at how the author totally shocked me with his twists. I didn't see so many things coming. And while this book has this blend of Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Conjuring (slightly), it was refreshing that I still had no clue what to expect as I turned each page. But that is just another reason I really enjoyed this one!
The death scenes are quick and brutal, much like you might expect on-screen. A quick "AHH!!" moment and then you're back in it watching it all happen and waiting for the aftermath. There isn't tons of deliberating and bathing in the guts and gore and the blood like some books do.
Overall this book is easy to rate 5 stars! I absolutely loved it! And I thiiiiiiiiiiink there is going to be a sequel?! I can't wait! I highly recommend this one and I think it will make for excellent fall reading!
July 23, 2021
“𝗛𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. 𝗡𝗼, 𝗻𝗼. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗲.”
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀?
If Texas Chainsaw and Friday the 13th had a baby, it would be 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿.
When I say this was a wild ride from the beginning, I mean it. We have a group of kids going camping before they all magically turn into adults, a film crew looking for paranormal footage for a documentary, and a cannibal in the woods.
What more could you want?!!
Like all slasher novels, this one made me laugh. Is it supposed to? Probably not, but my humour is morbid and I was highly entertained and engrossed in this book.
First of all, check the boxes for the following:
We have a stoner, jock, artist, ditzy girl.
We have two girls tripping over things in the woods. Yes, yes and YES.
We have a crazed cannibal killer with serious mommy issues. Ahem, Ed Gein.
Onto the gory gooey parts. The deaths were EPIC.
Listen, Fletcher was my favourite character. It could be the fact that he’s a stoney baloney, the Ganesha statue or the fact that he was 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗪. 💥
Next death: Emeril, hanging in a tree…spilling the tea or in this case, his guts.
HEADS LITERALLY ROLL IN THIS BOOK.
So what was unexpected?
I felt bad for Ignacio. I didn’t think that I could feel bad for a raging lunatic, but when we get the back story for him….it kinda breaks your heart. It comes in flash backs and slowly you start to see that he’s been molded to become what he is.
5⭐️
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀?
If Texas Chainsaw and Friday the 13th had a baby, it would be 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿.
When I say this was a wild ride from the beginning, I mean it. We have a group of kids going camping before they all magically turn into adults, a film crew looking for paranormal footage for a documentary, and a cannibal in the woods.
What more could you want?!!
Like all slasher novels, this one made me laugh. Is it supposed to? Probably not, but my humour is morbid and I was highly entertained and engrossed in this book.
First of all, check the boxes for the following:
We have a stoner, jock, artist, ditzy girl.
We have two girls tripping over things in the woods. Yes, yes and YES.
We have a crazed cannibal killer with serious mommy issues. Ahem, Ed Gein.
Onto the gory gooey parts. The deaths were EPIC.
Listen, Fletcher was my favourite character. It could be the fact that he’s a stoney baloney, the Ganesha statue or the fact that he was 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗪. 💥
Next death: Emeril, hanging in a tree…spilling the tea or in this case, his guts.
HEADS LITERALLY ROLL IN THIS BOOK.
So what was unexpected?
I felt bad for Ignacio. I didn’t think that I could feel bad for a raging lunatic, but when we get the back story for him….it kinda breaks your heart. It comes in flash backs and slowly you start to see that he’s been molded to become what he is.
5⭐️
February 12, 2020
WOOOOOOOOOOW!!!
This was such a wild ride! I went into this book hoping it would get me out of my reading slump and it did not disappoint! The author held nothing back when it came to the gore and the kills, at one point I actually caught myself saying “OH MY GOD!” I absolutely LOVED the fact that this story played out like a slasher and I honestly felt like I was watching a movie. The author paced out the suspense so well and did a wonderful job of keeping me at the edge of my seat! I was never bored while reading this and it’s a definite page turner, a must have in your library if your a fan of horror!
This was such a wild ride! I went into this book hoping it would get me out of my reading slump and it did not disappoint! The author held nothing back when it came to the gore and the kills, at one point I actually caught myself saying “OH MY GOD!” I absolutely LOVED the fact that this story played out like a slasher and I honestly felt like I was watching a movie. The author paced out the suspense so well and did a wonderful job of keeping me at the edge of my seat! I was never bored while reading this and it’s a definite page turner, a must have in your library if your a fan of horror!
October 6, 2022
Wow! This was gory and action packed. Reminiscent of Friday the 13th and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I couldn’t help but cringe as I read this. The sequel to this book was recently released and I will most definitely be picking it up.
A group of college kids rent an isolated cabin in the woods of Pennsylvania dubbed Camp Slaughter. Rumors of disappearing campers lured the curious bunch to the spot where a brutal slaying took place a year earlier. It’s not long before they realize there’s a chainsaw wielding cannibal running around. Will any of them live to tell the tale?
Camp Slaughter is available now.
July 4, 2021
Camp Slaughter
Como leer el guion de una película slasher palomera, muy sangrienta, con alto gore, y lo mejor de todo entretenida.
3.5 star
Como leer el guion de una película slasher palomera, muy sangrienta, con alto gore, y lo mejor de todo entretenida.
3.5 star
October 29, 2024
Major Friday the 13th vibe and 90’s / 2000’s slasher flick. This book made me uneasy and feel the anxiety as if I was there with the characters. Gruesome , gory , and hard to read at times it felt like I was watching a horror movie.
You’ll never catch me in the woods or going away camping with friends like haven’t these people seen Friday the 13th?? Major Jason vibes!
It was a good spooky season read and if you just accept it for what it is like you do a Halloween slasher movie then you’ll most likely enjoy (to the best of your ability because it’s pretty gnarly) this book.
You’ll never catch me in the woods or going away camping with friends like haven’t these people seen Friday the 13th?? Major Jason vibes!
It was a good spooky season read and if you just accept it for what it is like you do a Halloween slasher movie then you’ll most likely enjoy (to the best of your ability because it’s pretty gnarly) this book.
March 18, 2022
Now I love a good slasher movie or book, but sadly, this left me unimpressed.
Having read the first chapter, I thought I was going to be in for a treat but it then went into a decline. I suspect it was due to the fact that I didn't really like any of the characters rather than the plot itself. 😐
Having read the first chapter, I thought I was going to be in for a treat but it then went into a decline. I suspect it was due to the fact that I didn't really like any of the characters rather than the plot itself. 😐
Displaying 1 - 30 of 790 reviews