How to Survive Camping: The Man with No Shadow - Review

Author: Bonnie Quinn

Genre: Horror

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

I've never been much of a Reddit user, just casual things here and there when doing research on this or that. Like when I fall down a rabbit hole because of a book or something. That means I missed when Bonnie Quinn originally posted her stories that would eventually lead up to 'How to Survive Camping.' When I first saw this book, it was described as being for fans of Night Vale, and that immediately caught my attention. Because it's so rare to find something as truly rare as Night Vale. So I've been so excited for the release of this book. A mix of Reddit's creepy pastas and one of my favorite podcasts. What more could a person ask for? 

The answer: for this not to be a massive disappointment. Because I was so excited and the cover was so good, and it was a little book that was supposed to be full of weirdness. I just had so many high hopes for this.

Enough lead-up? Alright.

How to Survive Camping: The Man with No Shadow was everything I wanted it to be, and a little bit more. The little bit more was because I was expecting a field guide on how to not get eaten by things residing in Kate's Camp Ground. And to some degree, it was that. But, there was also a plot, and not a 'I'll just sneak in a little bit of plot' kind of situation. It was well thought out, engaging, and without it, I honestly don't think this book would have made any sense. So yes, this is a guidebook to survive your time in Goat Valley.

But it's a really good story.

Bonnie Quinn did one of my favorite things in books, where the author just drops us into the story, tells us to trust the process, and lets us go. So, trouble has already hit Goat Valley by the time you start this book. In fact, it starts farther back in this book. Quinn does a great job of weaving the past and present together, using moments as little plot twists here and there. Keeping just enough away to make your jaw drop, and occasionally giving enough crumbs to piece things together yourself. This was one of the reasons that this book was so hard to put down. Because you just keep thinking how much worse it can get, and then after a certain point, you just like, oh, no, what.

The other thing I love about this is how imperfect Kate is. In fact, at times, she is the absolute worst. She makes bad decisions, I'm not really sure she's even a good person, but I adore the ever-loving crap at her. I loved her journey through this first book. I loved that Bonnie Quinn gave her emotions; she wasn't just this unfeeling thing that found her emotions later. Throughout the whole book, she feels the loss of the people around her. Feels the pain of the town turning against.

She just feels, but eventually she realizes, she's got to do the thing. 

I also really like that this was, in a way, a lot of little stories that wove into a bigger one. Like it kept its Reddit roots that way, but it also broke up, which could have been some very boring moment in the book. While the Man with No Shadow was very cool, I liked that the plot moved along while also showing us the other things that lived in Goat Valley. Some more dangerous than others, but those were the moments this book became a field guide. Kate would give the specs of the creature and sometimes how to kill it, in that unique way of hers.

To give it perspective, she and Dean Winchester probably would have trauma-bonded. 

No matter how you shake it, this was a great read and hit every expectation I had. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I'm excited for the next book in the series. I will say this was pretty gory in places, though I didn't find it scary. There is a lot of ick in this book. So if gore makes you wobbly, maybe not this one, but if you want a little Grady Hendrix and Night Vale action. May I suggest this book?

HAPPY READING!!