I liked how this book is outlined. It’s kind of similar to a show like Supernatural where each episode/chapter has a new paranormal creature with the main character(s) combating them while they’re still being a kind of central plotline throughout. This book takes place at a campground and all the folklore creatures and paranormal activity that takes place there over the course of a year. It goes over this campground through the four seasons, starting in the summer, but this year in particular there has been an uptick in activity that seems to be spearheaded by one creature in particular— The Man with No Shadow.

I love the concept of a town aware of activity, a family tasked with protecting the land and people (a thankless job), and like a bunch of short creepy stories connected. These stories started off on the subreddit r/nosleep so if you like being freaked out, you’ll probably love this. Lastly, I really liked the main character. She was bitter and gritty — seriously just follow her campground rules and you’ll be fine!

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that opening chapter that I was expecting in this type of book, it was a strong entry to the How to Survive Camping series and wanted more. The concept was so well written and was invested from the first page. Bonnie Quinn was able to weave a strong story and that the characters worked overall in this universe. It had that horror element that I was looking for and was engaged with how everything worked in the concept. I enjoyed the idea of a haunted campground and was enjoying the overall concept.

3/5: The Man with No Shadow

Campground manager Kate is doing her best: running a busy campground, all while keeping her campers safe from the THINGS that lurk in the dark.

My thoughts:

I was unfamiliar with the "How to Survive Camping" universe, which apparently was a super popular set of stories/community on Reddit. So I went into this story pretty blind.

Pros:
-the Camping Rules are legit hilarious! I loved the dark humor. Example A: "If you see a group of people dancing in a circle around a fire, you may join them. If they welcome you in, dance with them until the music ends. Do not look at the musicians. If they do not welcome you, but instead stop and stare, back away slowly and then leave. If they follow you, you can try to run, but it is likely already too late. Pray that death comes swiftly."
-I enjoyed the "Freak of the Week" style of chapters; getting to know more about the campground and what lives within it.

Meh:
-The pacing and structure was weird. I'm thinking this is likely because of the previously-on-Reddit format, but things felt disjointed. Everything still made SENSE but it didn't exactly feel like ONE story, but a gaggle of different ones put together and made into one plot.
- I wanted more with the Lady with Extra Eyes! Such potential

Cons:
-I didn't really give two toots about the bad guy. Again, this is likely due to my "Meh" point. There wasn't any character development (with either the main bad guy or the main character Kate, really, now that I think about it).

All in all: this would be an EXCELLENT Netflix show. or honestly even a cool set of graphic novels, if you get the right illustrator. It kinda has Goosebump-y vibes and has the potential to be something really, really cool....but I don't think it's supposed to be a novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.

I really disliked this book and had to try hard to finish it. It was just clear that this was a series of reddit stories that were haphazardly thrown together in an attempt to make a cohesive storyline. The writing was very pedestrian for as interesting of a topic as the paranormal.

this book .. filled to the brim with cryptids, folkloric creatures, saints, ghosts, and demons.

🏕️🧟‍♂️🕴🏼🔪🧌🩸🍂🧚🏼‍♂️🔦🔮🕯️🧞💀

Kate is just trying to run her family’s campground and keep the people she cares about safe. But instead she faces a seemingly endless barrage of those previously listed.

It’s dark and slightly comedic at times. Super digestible storytelling and really kept me occupied for my 6 hour travel day

thank you @simonandschuster for this ARC.

—
🏷️: #bookstagram #readmorehorror #readersofinstagram #kindlereader #arcreader

This was a cute, cozy horror novel with some mildly graphic violence. Overall, the story was fast paced with a relatively simple plot. A young woman, Kate, has taken over the family campground after the deaths of her parents. The family who cares for the grounds are charged with keeping the nearby town safe from spirits, monsters, and other undead. Someone wants Kate out of the picture and she has to grapple with what it means to keep people safe. The characters weren’t particularly deep, nor was there much growth for the main character. We learn almost nothing about most of the secondary characters. This is a quick, light read if you’re looking for a diversion from heavier stuff or want to try something new.

DNF

was I reading the same book everyone else was? I couldn’t get into the story because I was so confused on what was going on and who I needed to be focusing on.

Wayyy too much going on for me to get invested

Creepy and haunted and full of campfire ghost stories, and I'm a little scared to go camping again but I'm also ready to book my next camping trip.

As someone who worked at a campground for many many years, it would have felt so wrong of me to not include this book so no this is not a non fiction book on how to build a fire and stake a tent, this is a horror novel, but a cozy one. About a manager of a haunted campground just trying to get through the season. It does mention haunted campground but it does actually involve monsters and cryptids, which I loved. It’s a perfect end of summer/beginning of fall read.

Kate has inherited her family’s campground, but this isn’t any ordinary camping site. Built on “old land,” this place attracts more than just campers; folkloric creatures, cryptids, and monsters also call it home. Tasked with trying to keep the “inhuman” inside the boundaries of the camp and the people who visit safe with her ever-growing set of rules, Kate soon finds herself losing control of the camp, her employees, and the townspeople as she encounters the most challenging monster yet…The Man Without a Shadow.

Written in the form of Kate’s guide for visitors, this novel follows the campground through each season of the year. I really enjoyed this unique, monster-of-the-week tale that was equally cozy, campy, creepy, and, at times, downright terrifying. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of the early seasons of Supernatural in the best ways; it addresses the problems caused on the campground by a different “inhuman” in each chapter, but with an overarching narrative about The Man Without a Shadow to tie the anecdotes all together. I do wish this story had had some deeper character development overall and further explored the motivations of the Man with the Skull Cup in helping Kate (I’ll admit, I ship them despite my better judgement), but I found this read to be very enjoyable overall and will certainly continue on with the series.

Synopsis –

How to Survive Camping is a campy horror novel that follows Kate, a no-nonsense protagonist tasked with a family legacy: managing the supernatural threats at Goat Valley Campground. Having inherited the haunted grounds from her parents, Kate's primary job is to ensure the survival of her guests. To do this, she's created a set of strict rules that campers must follow to stay alive. The book is divided up into seasons, with each chapter tying back to the importance of Kate’s rules.

Thoughts -

This was an entertaining and quick read, but it felt like each chapter was a standalone story to be told around a campfire. As a whole, it read a bit episodic and fragmented - the only threads creating continuity across the chapters and sections of the book were Kate and The Man With No Shadow.

One of the book's main weaknesses is its lack of character depth. Kate receives a light amount of exposition, but most of the supporting characters feel one-dimensional. They serve their purpose within the story but lack the development needed to make them memorable or emotionally resonant.

This could be a fun journey for fans of “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, or for those who enjoy Grady Hendrix’s writing style.

Thank you to Saga Press for the early copy for review! All opinions are my own.

This book is weird, creepy, and completely addictive. How to Survive Camping: The Man With No Shadow throws you into a world of eerie campground rules, unsettling folklore, and a narrator who’s just trying to keep people alive. Kate’s dry, no-frills voice cuts through the madness, making the horror feel oddly grounded—even when things get seriously unhinged. The pacing is fast, the creatures are nightmare fuel, and the mix of humor and dread actually works. I’m fully in for whatever comes next—this series is bizarre in the best way.

Oh I loved this book.
There were a few typos throughout which is understandble for an ARC.
That is my only qualm. It was beautifully scary and the pacing what excellent.
I will be purchasing this title for myself.

The Man with No Shadow is the first book in the How to Survive Camping series. What started as a Reddit subthread is now the perfect cozy horror read just in time for the BER months!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing style was different from the books I usually read and I loved it! Kate-the latest family member to inherit responsibility for the campground and all its supernatural inhabitants-shows readers around and teaches us the rules that need to be followed to survive a stay at Goat Valley. I liked getting to know each of the different beings that lived around the camp ground-the Man with the Skull Cup is my favorite. Kates character was also really well done. I loved seeing the lengths she would go to protect the campground, campers and ungrateful towns people. Her slightly unhinged personality also made me feel seen in the best way. The survival guide, folklore and humor made this campy horror a bingeable read. I look forward to seeing what happens next with Kate and the campgrounds.

This was a fun and interesting sci-fi/horror story with a good amount of gore (which I love). The author describes the setting and characters so perfectly that I felt like I could really imagine what the monsters looked like.

I loved Kate’s character. She has a dry sense of humor and sort of has a “it is what it is” attitude. As much as she tries to save the campers from a horrible fate, if they don’t follow the campground rules, it is really out of her hands at that point. These monsters are cruel and vicious and they will not spare the lives of the innocent.

The monsters were definitely creepy and I would not want to be in the same room as any of them, especially the Man with no Shadow. Some of them I learned to like because they were on Kate’s side and helped her throughout her journey. The Old Sheriff was also a great character and did whatever he could to protect Kate.

There are no crazy twists, but this book was truly unpredictable throughout its entirety and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a good camping horror, this one is for you 🖤

Title/Author: How to Survive Camping | The Man with No Shadow by Bonnie Quinn

Pub date: August 5th, 2025

Publisher: SAGA Press

Page Count: 320

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166809...
Format Read: NetGalley eBook

Recommended for readers who enjoy:

*Campy, darkly humorous

*Folklore & legend/Campfire tales

*Unusual story formats

*Summer Camp vibes/Summer vacations

*No/Sleep reddit forums/creepypasta turned into books (Like PenPal)

*A series of books
__

Minor complaints:

*Due to the nature of this book's origins as a sub-reddit, the format is a little disjointed. The first half and the backend don't really feel like the same book.

*Marketed as "cozy horror" I was expecting cozy/ dark cottagecore vibes like Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher but what I think fits as a marketing label a little better is cottageGORE--the distinction is important. This is on brand with Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees and not like Bloom by Delilah Dawson

*The main character, Kate, has a lot of great attribute--the dry humor, strong & capable but I didn't connect with her. I think this series is more about the plot/gimmicky storytelling style (reddit hooks) than character development and emotional investment--therefore, it's not really for me and I likely won't continue with the series--even though this is a lot of fun and I will be recommending it to the right audience

This book originally started in the form of a story on the NoSleep subreddit. I have stayed far away from that subreddit, mainly because I like to sleep, and I like to have pleasant dreams while I sleep. So the first time I heard about this story was on NetGalley, and I was intrigued enough to request an early copy.

Friends, this book is strange. It seems campy (get it?) at first, and then horrific things happen like it’s all in a day’s work. So horrifying that you do a double take at what you just read. There are scenes in here that are nightmare fuel, and I definitely do not recommend it for children under 12, and probably more like 14. However, maybe the kids these days can handle more gore than I ever could, so YMMV.

Kate is the campground manager for a very unusual plot of land that has been in her family for generations. It turns out that when land has been passed down by the same family for a long time, certain…beings are attracted to it. These beings can be good, neutral or profoundly evil. Some of them like to play pranks, and some of them are really, REALLY hungry. Still, the campground brings in a ton of money to the nearby town, so most locals can be persuaded to look the other way if a few campers disappear.

It’s not like they haven’t been warned.

Kate has a list of rules that each camper must read before coming. They must follow her instructions implicitly.

It’s not her fault if some don’t take the rules seriously.

Is it?


Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I see that the author has more stories up her sleeve, and I’ll be curious to see what she comes up with next!

As much I enjoyed the world-building in this novel and the variety of crazy monsters, there was something disjointed about how it all came together that left me dissatisfied in the end. I know this was serialized or something originally, and that comes through. Yes, there's a throughline (defeating the Man with No Shadow), but each chapter felt a little separate and Scotch-taped into the book to make a full piece. I did enjoy the creativity and variety that went into the monsters inhabiting the campground: that was the high point. But overall, the disjointedness kept nagging at me and keeping me from fully immersing myself in the world.

This was amazing. It was creepy and horrific but also hilariously funny in a way that didn’t take itself too seriously but also didn’t feel silly. It reads like a compilation of horror camp stories and it was just perfect.

I had to dnf this 27% in. I was supremely bored. Nothing was particularly grabbing my attention and I don't subscribe to the idea that a book can take 50-60% to rope you in. If I'm not sufficiently hooked by 30%, and motivated to find out what happens, I just don't want to read it. As it is, I didn't care for the FMC, I didn't particularly care that things were happening to the campers, and I didn't really care for anyone other than the Old Sheriff. Not worth finishing this book for.

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC!