Camp Hackaway

by Cameron Kane

In 1981, teen counselors prepare a summer camp for opening day—and find themselves stalked, mutilated, and murdered by a seemingly indestructible killing machine.

Genres: Horror

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2021

Reviews

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man with the melted face lowered the bloody shears and stepped over to the side of the road, picked up the head by its curly hair, and lifted it up to stare intently before tossing it away.

There are some horror books that feel stretched past their limit, and then there are others that could use a little bit more filling out. For me, Cameron Kane’s Camp Hackaway falls into the latter category.

Out of the gate, the book – well, novella really – does a nice job of smashing two seminal 1980s properties into a pastiche of blood splatter as Friday the 13th mixes with the Terminator to bring an unstoppable killer to the cheekily named Camp Hackaway to lawnmower his way through a bevy of camp counselors in pretty gory abandon. Kane gives his killer a rather credible motivation for the carnage and the plot – though a little predictable – is a cut above that of most ‘freebie’ Kindle books.

At less than 100-pages, though, there’s really not much room to breathe. Characters are quickly introduced and dispatched assembly-line fashion and, while the kills have the requisite level of gruesome creativity, the other staple of the slasher genre – bare skin -- is curiously lacking. I guess I wonder why – if you are writing a love letter to particular genre – why not go all in, especially when a little more spice certainly would not have hurt this one. Or at least give yourself a few more pages to play with your plot.

So … put Camp Hackaway pretty solidly into the mediocre category … it’s short enough to occupy a few hours on plane or train, but isn’t quite deep enough, bizarre enough, or titillating enough to really stick.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Friday the 13th and Terminator had a baby, Camp Hackaway would be it. Featuring a very suspiciously named 1980's summer camp, naive stoner counselors, and a flesh covered cyborg, this book is a creative, though confusing, homage to the classic camp slasher.

I love a good 80's slasher, and reading this gave me huge Friday the 13th vibes. I got that same creeping unease that I did when I watched the movie for the first time. I found myself peering through my house at any sort of noise, imagining it was scraping. I'll absolutely give Cameron credit as well for one of the most interesting murders, I thought the bit with the logs was most inspired.

However, I thought the sections with the Terminator-like cyborg were confusing. It took me longer than it should have to understand what exactly was going on with it. Once I finished the book, I was left with more questions than answers. Who sent the cyborg? Why did they want a certain character dead? Where did it go in the end? I feel like everything to do with the cyborg is one big, blank hole.

Camp Hackaway has some really good bones. I loved the addition of some sci-fi elements to bring something new to retro camp slashers. I just wish the story was a little longer to give some very crucial explanations and wrap up the loose ends. This had the potential to be one of my favourite horror reads, but I just wanted more.

[Destiny Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1981, teen counselors get ready for summer camp when things go wrong. They find themselves with something lurking nearby, hunting them. Can they survive or will they end up dead?

I really enjoy this short story, it reminds me of Friday the thirteenth and the Terminator. I was rooting for the characters, I enjoyed each of their personalities and I was surprised how detailed this short story was.

I give this story 8 out of 10 stars or 4 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys horror!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we have a new twist to the legendary camp with a slasher inside. This time it's a cyborg killing the counselors in the most spectacular ways. Can Lynne save herself? What about the device she has? The book started strong with the mysterious melted face (e.g. the cyborg) but the longer you read the more confusing it becomes. What about the mine shaft, the room under the trap door and the final? It was okay overall but nothing too spectacular. Recommended for camp horror die-hards!

[Thomas Or Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terminator goes to Summer Camp

Camp Hackaway starts off as a camp slasher but turns into a Terminator story half way through. It's a fast read and good for a lazy afternoon or a dreary rainy day read.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terminator meets Friday the 13th (or basically any camp counselor slasher ever). This isn't the worst thing I've ever read but it wasn't great and it's not something I'd recommend. But it's short and the body count is high...so if that's what you're looking for then you'll find it here.

[PJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little slasher. I understood what the author was trying to do with this one but I feel like it would have been even better if they had just picked a genre and stuck with it. The killing started basically from the start and I really enjoyed reading it.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read that is very Friday the 13th meets Terminator.