Review of The Man With No Shadow (How to Survive Camping #1)

Blurb: I am a campground manager. I don’t have a list of rules because I’m trying to ruin your fun…I’m trying to keep you from doing small, simple things that could result in your horrific and most agonizing demise.

Goat Valley Campground has killed generations of Kate’s family. The land is old, passed down through generations, but the campground’s reputation doesn’t just draw campers year after year. Creatures from folklore and horror have made Goat Valley not just their home, but their hunting ground.

As campground manager, Kate has rules to protect her campers—if the man with the skull cup offers you a drink, accept it or you will die a gruesome death; don’t buy ice from the children with no wagon; and of course, never ever follow the lights. Still, not every camper follows the rules…which means not every camper survives their stay.

Soon decapitated and exsanguinated campers are the least of Kate’s worries; one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the campground is determined to claim the land for himself. Meanwhile, something in the land is shifting, the tides are turning, and the curse that hunts members of her bloodline begins to close in…

Review: Kate is the owner and manager of Goat Valley Campground. She doesn't want to ruin anyone's fun, but she has a strict set of rules. Follow them, or you could die. The land is old and has been passed down through Kate's family for generations. Not only do they manage the campers, they protect them from the monsters that reside on the land. Or, at the very least, she tries to protect them, and then cleans up their bodies when they don't listen. Yet more and more campers are being killed, and something from the campground is extending its reach beyond. It doesn't want Kate to be the manager anymore, but she's going to fight to keep her land no matter the horrors that come her way.

This is a new genre to me, and I'm not sure it exactly fits what one might what expect, but I enjoyed it a lot. It's cozy horror. It definitely has the horror aspects, but more on a fun and campy level. The coziness can be felt at parts with the campground being near a small town, its smaller cast, and sort of light-hearted moments. Yet it definitely isn't low stakes, it's dark, the graphic violence isn't off-screen, and the protagonist does not have character growth.

That being said, it hooked me immediately. I love the idea of a campground owner having to deal with campers and the monsters that live on her land. Sometimes it's silly, and sometimes it can be terrifying. This novel was first an episodic story on Reddit, and it still has that episodic feel. It doesn't flow continuously, but it didn't detract anything from the plot for me. The "episode" of the Man With No Shadow is resolved, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions, which makes me want to read more. (This would make a fantastic TV series in the style of Buffy and Supernatural.)

I loved all the different sorts of monsters and the personalities given to them. Not all of them are bad, but they all have to follow some rules. It's a matter of figuring out what those rules are, though. Also, the villain, the Man With No Shadow, is my favorite sort of villain who has a well thought out plan and deals it out slowly and maliciously. Kate is a tough anti-hero and kicks butt. While she certainly has her flaws, the town needs her whether they like it or not. I was a little disappointed she had no character growth, and that her asexuality was suddenly thrust at us in one certain scene. I don't mind that she's ace, but it felt like it was just the author declaring she didn't want to write anything romantic when she had already tied these two characters together. Great cast of characters, and yes, I did particularly like the Man with the Skull Cup. Lots of action, backstabbing, and mystery.

You can find Bonnie Quinn on her site and buy the book here.