Summer Camp for Slasher Victims

By: Matthew Mercer

Narrated by: Marina Craven

Welcome to Camp Safe Woods, a summer camp dedicated to repairing the spirits of those who have faced the unimaginable. Through tailored programs and a supportive community, we empower young hearts to rewrite their stories and unlock the potential for a future unburdened by fear, allowing kids to rediscover joy, hope, and the freedom to embrace life to the fullest.

Annie anticipated a life-altering journey, aiding trauma survivors at her grandfather’s camp as a counselor, but her expectations shattered against a macabre reality. Unveiling the tragic pasts of her fellow counselors and the campers under her care, she stumbles upon a world more chilling than her darkest fears. As the summer descends into a terrifying spiral and the camp’s serenity crumbles, they discover that a killer driven by a sinister secret is lurking among them. While those around her are forced to relive the worst experience of their lives and the camp is turned into a hunting ground, Annie faces a haunting uncertainty—will she fall victim to this deranged killer, or will she defy the odds, emerging with her very own survival story, worthy of a proper inhabitant of Camp Safe Woods.

©2023 Matthew Mercer (P)2024 Matthew Mercer

Fun story that maybe spread itself a little thin?

The setting was great and reminiscent of so many horror classics, but the characters felt too “slasher” for me. A lot of the characters are quippy mannequins that exist just to boost the body count which for better or worse, is very genre accurate, but in the audio-book format once the chaos starts I found it a bit hard to track who’s who and what’s at stake.

Disappointed

I was looking forward to a more interesting engagement between the killer and the veteran survivors. Apparently survivors are easier to kill than someone who's never experienced an attack before. There could have been all kinds of cool face offs but nope.... just teen drama before standard slasher set pieces. I would give this author another shot if he does a sequel because the set up isn't half bad, but I think there was a lot of interesting characters whose potential was wasted by focusing on the most boring character of Annie. Kinda reminds me of Twilight, tons of interesting characters and events but we focus on two blocks of wood.

The story is so good!!!

This story is a cute carnage palate cleanser. But the narration is a bit of a struggle.

Solid story for Slasher Fans

"Summer Camp for Slasher Victims" had a premise that truly hooked me, promising a thrilling ride, and while it delivered some enjoyable moments, it ultimately fell a bit short of being a truly great read.

The concept of a summer camp specifically designed for those who've survived slasher incidents is brilliant and ripe for both horror and dark humor. The author did a good job of setting the scene and introducing the characters, building a sense of unease and anticipation. However, my main critique lies with the pacing. It felt like it took almost the entire book to really get to the heart of the action. The build-up was extensive, perhaps a little too much so, making the initial chapters feel a bit drawn out.

Once the action finally kicked off, it was intense and engaging, but then, perhaps due to the long lead-in, the resolution felt rather abrupt and quick. After such a prolonged wait for the "slashing" to begin, I was hoping for a more sustained and intricate unraveling of the mystery and peril.

Despite these pacing issues, the writing was solid, and the characters were distinct enough to keep me invested. It's a fun concept that just needed a bit more balance in its execution. If you're looking for a unique take on the slasher genre and don't mind a slow burn with a quick resolution, you might still find this an entertaining read. It was good, but with a few tweaks to the structure, it could have been truly fantastic.

The narrator on the other hand had a pleasant voice and given time I'm sure will do great work but this wasn't it.

cliché

This was a very predictable campy slasher book. Some of it was cute but most was a little more cringe to me. I may have liked the story more if I read it instead of listening. Nothing against Canadians, but a Canadian accent in a story placed in California is very out of place. Mostly shame on the editing phase, there were too many oddly placed pauses, ran-together end of one chapter and start of the next.... like it was a continuous sentence, and mispronounced words. All of which distracted from the story.