This was fun. Definitely a vintage B horror movie feel to it, a little nostalgic, with a ton of classic horror elements. But the social commentary feels very relevant for today’s world. Overall, good easy read in a comfy chair on a rainy night.

This is the 3rd book from the ‘Rewind-or-Die’ book series, which are like Goosebumps books but a bit darker, this one is about a girl who sees going to camp as an escape from being bullied and forgotten by busy parents, but the bully shows up also, but things are different at camp.
I really enjoyed this book, more than I expected, and I am so relieved the author didn’t go soft on the ending (definitely NOT a Scooby-Do ending).

This is the 29th book (don’t worry you don’t need to read the others before this one) in the ‘Rewind-or-Die’ book series, The series is for people who miss the golden era of VHS rentals from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, those awesome B-grade slasher and monster movies.

I will be getting more of the series, and more from Lisa Quigley.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*

Well this is a deliciously devious little horror romp!

Honestly, I’m more of a door-stopper kind of girl, so it’s rare that a novella hits me as really satisfying, but this one did.

Lots of old-school horror nostalgia in the camp setting, but fun, modern characters and some serious girl power! I loved our characters and found myself a little too invested in a bit of bloody vengeance.

This was an absolute blast of a read. I enjoyed every page and would happily read the author again!

*ARC via Net Galley

Camp Neverland by Lisa Quigley is the latest installment in the series of Horror novels, Rewind or Die. I have enjoyed every book I've read in this series and this is book definitely lives up to my standards!

It invokes a sense of nostalgia for days I was young enough to head off to camp for the summer....only making it more enticing with the elements of magic and murder. And I especially loved the way they dealt with stressing to keep camp a safe space, especially for women. But the consequences of not participating in safe behaviour is very high...which is where the terrors come in!

If you are wanting a fun, short horror themed female centric coming of age story this definitely fits the bill! It may be the perfect read for a weekend camping trip!

With horror, I always think the shorter the better, and this novella is a fun, creepy, one-sitting read.

I think the intent was to write a feminist horror, which usually I'd be all for, but unfortunately I don't think it works here. The male antagonist was so needlessly awful that he came across like a cartoon villain – it would have been scarier to make him more realistic, as he just didn't feel like a real person and so it was difficult to feel invested. The female campers were fun and sweet, and I appreciated the trans representation, though due to the short word count they are quite simplistically drawn. But overall the main problem was that it's just all so simplistic. I won't give away the ending, but it does seem align with what the worst sort of men's rights activists think that feminists want. Which is a shame, as I don't think that was the author's intention.

I wanted to love this book, I loved what it was trying to do. It just doesn’t do it well at all.

The entire time I was reading, I was being told what was going on, not shown. Some of the sentences are clunky and rough with odd word choices that drag down the reading.

I only finished this because it’s a novella and was already very short.

With it being a novella things have to move quick, I’ve read a few and I understand that. However that doesn’t mean it has to move a warp speed. There are so many times where just a paragraph could have been used to up the tension or the dread and instead it’s over in a few words.

The girls in the camp are supposed to be welcoming but they’re written in such a way that just screams “weird and magical” and it isn’t done in a great way.

The dialogue was awkward to read, it didn’t sound like an actual conversation people would have. A lot of the lines came off as cliche or just not great.

I hate leaving negative reviews on books but the best thing about this book is that it’s super short.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it NetGalley and publisher.

Camp Neverland is a horror novella with a teenage heroine named Max (short for "Maxine") who will likely appeal to female young adult readers. The setting of a summer camp with the familiar forest, lake, cabins, s'more, art sessions, and campfire ghost stories will likewise resonate with a young adult audience. The way the familiar aspects of a summer camp are twisted in this horror story would make this book one that could produce shivers up the spine if read at sleepaway camp in particular.

The most fascinating aspect of this book is how it explores its themes of gender relations between males and females (how the history of men abusing women and committing violence against women becomes the justification for acts of vengeance against the boys attending this camp) as well as analyzing the dark side of an adolescent longing for acceptance and the desire for summer and camp to never end but endure forever.

Max's experiences of being bullied in school will also be relatable to many young women who read this novella as will be her feelings of bonding with the girls who share her cabin. I do appreciate how Camp Neverland features female friendship rather than having the girls seeking to destroy one another as is common in young adult literature.

The book certainly contains many delightfully disturbing ideas and images. A woman made of snakes. Scary initiation rites. Ghost stories that might have a basis in truth. Comics and pictures that might create real consequences for real people.

Despite those strengths, the book would benefit from further editing. I noticed multiple typos throughout the book as well as missed or repeated words and some oddly spaced paragraphs. With a book this short, hopefully every page will be checked with a fine-tooth comb before final publication and these errors will be rectified.

Camp Neverland is a short novella that explores the consequences of bullying with a supernatural twinge.

We follow the character of Max, a lonely girl who has suffered abuse throughout her school life and is not sure where she belongs – until she gets an invitation to stay at Camp Neverland.

Once she arrives she sees this is a place where the women rule and the men serve, or else!

Quigley does not try to hide the social commentary throughout Camp Neverland, although sometimes it does feel it is beating the reader over the head.

This novella is at its best when it is ambiguous and tries to play with some of its pre-established conventions although it does resolve these into a fairly predictable conclusion.

It is certainly great to see female authors trying to give us stories of real female empowerment although Camp Neverland does fall short slightly as it takes some characters to places where they are hard to sympathise with.

Camp Neverland won’t be for everyone but it is fun and harmless short read.

Camp Neverland by Lisa Quigley is released on 24th June 2021.

“A forked tongue darted from her mouth She was hungry. Hungry for blood. Hungry for revenge. Hungry for men.”*

Camp Neverland gives Max the opportunity to find friendship and explore her artistic talent. But the special serenity shatters once she discovers the boy who bullied her at school is a fellow camper. And Max fears her new found friends will abandon her once he reveals her shameful secrets.

I really enjoyed HELL’S BELLS, Quigley’s earlier Rewind or Die installment with its Freddie-Mercury-obsessed protagonist and CAMP NEVERLAND proved even more delightful.

This installment definitely delivers on it’s promise of having CARRIE and SLEEPAWAY CAMP vibes. I’ll add that there’s a dash of Medusa mythology goodness and THE CRAFT as well.

Max makes a great protagonist as she struggles with moral dilemmas while being wooed by the women at camp. These women include a trans woman, which I absolutely loved. I wanted more world building and more time getting to know Max’s bunk mates, but dug Miss Flo, the fabulously flamboyant headmistress and her studly security detail.

I devoured the story, finding the ending and epilogue supremely satisfying.

The Rewind or Die books are a blood-splattered oasis in these turbulent times. I am a huge fan of the series, which invokes the spirit of horror movies watched on videotape.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Unnerving for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

This was a quick read that left me wanting more. The storyline and writing style are very engaging. I hope to see more from this author.

Camp Neverland is a very very quick read - a book I finished in under 2 hours. The book had an interesting premise but it ended way too quickly. I would have liked it better if the story had built up more.