What’s a summer camp without a little ch ch ch ch, ah ah ah ah, ( and if you didn’t get that reference, move along, this book is not for you.)
Title: Long Night at Lake Never
Series: N/A
Author: Eric David Roman
Publisher: NineStar Press LLC
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Heat Level: N/A
Pairing: N/A
Length: 191 pages
Genre: Horror
Tags: Camp horror, dark horror, gay horror, gay lit, horror, horror fiction, lgbt horror, queer horror, queer lit, revenge, scary, slasher, supernatural
Content Warnings: Extreme violence and gore, conversion therapy, religious extremism
Blurb:
Welcome to Camp Horizons, where they pray all day…and get slayed all night!
Nestled against scenic Lake Never, recently outed Tyler Wills has arrived at the secluded conversion camp, where the delusional staff of counselors believes he and his fellow camper’s queer affliction can be healed solely through the power of prayer.
After a full day spent rallying against sadistic deprogramming therapies, the deranged camp director, and planning his escape, Tyler discovers a larger problem—a mysterious stranger has rolled into camp with a grudge to settle and a very sharp axe.
When night falls, the terror and body count rise. And Tyler, along with his fellow campers, find themselves trapped between a brutal, unrelenting killer and their holier-than-thou prey as they desperately search for a way to survive the Long Night at Lake Never.
My Review:
Imagine this.
You’re sitting in your parent’s rec room basement alone with all the lights turned off and you’re watching any of the Friday the 13th installments. You get to the point where a character is about to be whacked – WHAT DO YOU DO??
You cover your eyes, but secretly you’re peering out from between your fingers because as much as you don’t want to see someone die a horrible bloody death – you totally want to see that.
This is exactly how I felt reading Roman’s Long Night at Lake Never. I could not believe anyone would capture that intense feeling of an 80’s slasher movie in a book – and yet – Roman has done it.
Tyler is an outspoken gay teen whose parents cannot abide with their son’s queerness. So, off to Camp Horizons he goes – where his parents hope he will pray the gay away.
First off let’s just all face the reality: Conversion Therapy is abusive and wrong. Suppression and repression of anyone’s sexual orientation, or gender identity is harmful and destructive. The fact that Roman has taken this current hot topic and made the camp counsellors the victims of a supernatural slasher simultaneously brought joy to my dark violent heart, as well as striking the fear of all the gods in me.
The gore in this is excruciatingly detailed, and nasty. It is not for the faint of heart. But there’s so much more to this novel than an axe wielding, blood spraying, supernatural tortured spirit. So much more.
First off, Roman knows his Bible quotes. And for that – an extra 10 points should be awarded. Tyler goes after his camp counsellors when they start spewing the religious vitriol and goes to biblical quote war with them. Well Done!
Secondly, each of the four camp attendants are so relatable, and enjoyable you instantly become attached, or hate them and want to see them die (Spoiler – you do!). In particular and my favorite was Jamal, a fabulous, glittered, rainbow unicorn of colour. And without it seeming to be hasty or weird, Roman manages to pair up Tyler with the football jock Chris. By the end of the tale you want to see them living their best lives – of course after navigating the carnage of Lake Never.
The message – and believe it or not there is one – is simple: Be who you are and be proud to live in your own glorious skin. Okay, so there’s an axeblade or two chopping through some bodies in order to drive that point home. <Shrug> What’s a horror fan to do?
If you love horror like I do, pick up this quick read – you will not be disappointed.
My Rating:
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press
Meet the Author:
Eric David Roman spent twenty years wandering the wrong paths; he tends to get lost a lot (he’s from Florida). He worked the wrong jobs (as it turns out, streetwalking is not a profession for just anyone) and avoided his true passion—writing, or as he refers to it, shotgunning sleeves of gluten-free double stuff Oreos in a dark closet whilst crying. After hitting a low point while trapped in retail management hell (a harsh rock bottom), he rearranged his thinking (now with 75 percent less anxiety and depression), got a little spiritual (but isn’t all in-your-face about it) and switched his focus fully to writing; well, as much as his gAyDD allows. And now, you’re reading his bio, so things are progressing nicely. He is the author of the outrageous novella Despicable People, the new novel Long Night at Lake Never, and multiple upcoming works. Eric remains socially distant in Northern Virginia (don’t stalk him, you’d just be disappointed), where he lives, writes, and loves a mix of all things horror, campy, and queer. He spends the days with his adoring husband and loveable cat (both of whom remain indifferent to his self-proclaimed celebrity).
J.P. Jackson 