The Man With No Shadow (How to Survive Camping) by Bonnie Quinn

TL;DR: A fantastic cozy, dark horror.
Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!!

Plot: Kate has to manage a supernaturally infested campground and keep her job when the town gets turned against her.
Characters: Fun but not the strongest.
Setting: This was very fun and I hope we get more in the campground in the series.
Horror: If you like supernatural creatures you’ll love this.

Summary:

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…

Thoughts:

This book is for the Nightvale listeners who want more cozy horror. How to Survive Camping was a series posted to the r/nosleep subreddit online. It has a conversational style, and an easy and approachable writing that I think could appeal to a lot of folks. We are reading Kate’s story as she works to manage her family’s campground which is infested with paranormal creatures, and not the nice kind at that. The town is being turned against her and she’s fighting to keep her land and job and things start to really unravel.

This book is both cozy and dark. We have people loosing their heads, their lives, but the vibe and atmosphere will keep you reading, keep you comfortable. There are excerpts from Kate’s handbook that also help illustrate and bring the book to life. I was sucked in immediately and really found it hard to stop reading this one.

I cannot wait for the next books in this series and I really recommend this for horror fans or those getting into it who want something a little cozy and a little dark all at once. Just remember, don’t talk to the man with no shadow.