"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."

Goat Valley Campground has been in Kate's family for generations & also killed those same people as it is home to creatures of horror and folklore who use it & the visiting campers as their hunting ground & prey. Still, Kate has managed to just about keep a lid on things until one of the creatures decides he wants the campground for himself.

Oh, this started off so well....but soon degenerated into a bit of a dog's dinner. The first chapter details the rules for staying at the campground & it really sets the scene & is very intriguing. Unfortunately the reader gets to see hardly anything of these assorted tricksters, fae, etc before we are left with the two most boring creatures there: the Man with No Shadow & the guy with the skull cup.

Also, the MC's personality (what there was of it) was a bundle of contradictions: one minute the MC was a tough, no-nonsense character who went off to despatch the unfortunate humans who had been tricked by evil entities, the next she was backboneless jelly having to be continually rescued by these supernatural beings. Whatever the author was aiming for with this, it missed the mark for me, however plenty of other reviewers enjoyed it so if it sounds like your thing, don't be put off by my review. 3.25 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book is gruesome, goofy, and gloriously addictive as bonnie Quinn turns haunted campground chaos into a horror-comedy masterclass.

As a big horror fan and someone who enjoys browsing the nosleep reddit stories this was a must read. I can honestly say I cannot wait for the next installment in this series. A little bit of humour mixed with horror and the age old ‘camping horror’ trope it was must read. Any horror fan needs to get a copy asap. I loved everything from the writing, characters and pacing. This is the perfect spooky season read, or if you are like me when every season is spooky a must read. You are bound to enjoy the humour and horror that are mixed so perfectly Pamela & Jason Voorhees would be proud.
As always thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

The first in a series, this book began as a collection of horror stories posted to horror fiction community NoSleep. Rewritten for self-publication, and now traditionally published, it takes the popular concept of the ‘rules horror’ story and grounds it in the mundane world - though Goat Valley campground is anything but mundane. Generations of camp manager Kate’s family have built up an intricate set of rules designed to keep their campers safe from flooding, tripping over tent lines, and more unusual dangers. The land is old, and that means monsters make it their home, and it’s her job to keep them from eating her campers, or spilling out into the town and the wider world.

The book’s strength lies in its imaginative twist on the urban legend-type of monster. Some of its creatures are familiar Internet horror fare, like the doppelganger or the black-eyed children, while others are drawn from real-world folklore (special mention to the Yule Cat, an Icelandic beast who hunts those who haven’t received clothes for Christmas this year). But it’s the original monsters, like the Woman With Extra Eyes and the sub-titular Man With No Shadow, which are the obvious standouts.

A fairly short and straightforward read with a good sense of pace and structure. While there are admittedly more impressive prose stylists at work in contemporary horror, this is still very good fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Forget ghost stories around the campfire at Kate’s family campground, the real nightmares are lurking in the woods. The place is crawling with folklore creatures who’d happily turn an unsuspecting camper into dinner, and Kate’s only line of defense is a downright bizarre set of rules that guests have to follow if they want to survive the night.

The book is told in these monster of the week style episodes each one feels like its own eerie campfire tale, but they all weave together into a bigger story. Kate’s a fantastic morally grey protagonist. She’s not trying to be a hero, she’s just keeping people alive, even if her methods seem off to outsiders.

I loved how well the horror and humor balance each other. The monsters are genuinely creepy and creative, but the wit keeps things from feeling too heavy. Some of these creatures even have surprisingly layered dynamics with Kate, which makes the tension between them feel extra sharp.

My only real complaint is that some of the campers and staff could’ve used a bit more depth. Kate is brilliantly written, but a few of the side characters felt more like plot devices than people who stand out, especially since the monsters are so full of personality.

Overall, this story nails that mix of fun and frightening. It’s horror with a twist where running a family business means keeping guests alive is a much bigger priority than profit margins.

3.5*

How to Survive Camping: The Man With No Shadow, the opening in a new cosy and campy cryptid slasher horror series.

This book has the perfect description for me and was one that drew me in immediately. I love slasher horror, I love when there's humour and it's a fun read and I love when books give you rules to follow because you know inevitably they'll be broken and carnage will follow.

There's gore, supernatural forces and our main character gets absolutely no respite from the horrors that follow her around.

So why didn't I love this?

It's a question I've been asking myself as this book has so many beats that remind me of the 'Welcome to Night Vale' podcast and 'Heads Will Roll' by Josh Winning both of which I love. The decision I came to was that whilst all of the individual elements are things I love, the writing and characters fell a little flat. I didn't truly get a sense of who our main character is and whilst she has great attributes - dry humour, strong, extremely capable, I didn't feel much of a connection to her,

I think this is a solid start to a series that has more to explore and I'll be interested to see how the writing and storytelling develops over coming books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for a digital review copy of "How to Survive Camping: The Man with No Shadow" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

The absolute perfect mix of humour and horror! Some of my favourite genres! I really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This had everything I love about a slasher movie, just in book form. There’s gore, a campground, there’s supernatural forces at work, and it does not let up on our main character.

However my biggest gripe with this book is that the main character felt a bit 2D, I couldn’t empathise with her when she was going through things and I really struggled to connect.

This book is definitely a great recommendation if you’re looking for some gruesome entertainment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Campfire Stories, Cryptids, and a Rulebook NOT Meant To Be Broken: A Delightfully Deranged Start To A Cozy Campy Horror Series

Bonnie Quinn's The Man With No Shadow is exactly what you’d get if Cabin in the Woods and Parks and Rec had a kid, and then left it to be raised by murderous forest creatures and a very tired, very stabby campground manager named Kate.

This is not your average summer camp tale. The playfulness found at Goat Valley Campground is overshadowed by monsters, mysterious deaths, and a disturbingly relatable protagonist who has absolutely had it with the eldritch nonsense haunting her property.

Kate, the heir to a cursed campground isn’t your typical female protagonist. She’s bloodthirsty, bone-weary, and brilliant—armed with a homemade rulebook that reads like it was written by someone equal parts cryptid scholar and disgruntled customer service rep.

The monsters here aren’t just spooky, they’re creatively horrifying. And Kate? She's not only surviving, she's managing. Filing paperwork in between banishing creatures back to the hell dimensions they crawled out of is not for the weak. It’s efficiency and carnage. A working woman’s reality dressed up as hell on earth. Kate’s losing employees, campers, and the respect of the nearby town all to rein the monsters in.

The horror is visceral, the humour is dry, and the whole thing feels like a cosy hot chocolate that quickly vaporises all the marshmallows and then scalds you. Quinn balances gore with charm, the existential dread with genuine heart, and the cosmic terror with jokes that land hard, right in the funny bone and occasionally the jugular. This is the kind of book you want to read under a blanket with a flashlight, periodically glancing out the window to make sure the woods aren’t watching you back.

In short: The Man With No Shadow is a promising start to a series that promises to be equal parts terrific and terrible (in the best, most ugly way). I can’t wait to see what Kate stabs next. Rule number one of the campground should be: to read the rulebook.

i dont know what to say. i dont know why or how i had so much fun reading this book. i dont know how to describe why. because it was just brilliant in the best most weird most fun way that i have no words for. it was so different. it was bizarre but made absolute sense. and you have to read it because its just a fantastic book that deserve to be read to give every read that does so a riot.
Bonnie did such a wonderful job of helping me imagine for myself all the scenes and characters she wanted me to. it allowed me to have just enough reign for my own imagination to fire off but also somehow like i new exactly what she was trying to create in her monsters.
the dry tone of Kate is right up my street. love that humour and it adds such a meh hilarity in comparison to what we are coming across in the story.
i had no idea where this book would take me. and there seemed to be no road maps that you can usually pull from others of similar genre or type. i had no tropes or main themes to follow and that delighted me all the more. and somehow, somehow Bonnie did indeed tie it all together to make it all make perfect sense.
i love how this book came into my life like a bright shiny "im new" piece of work.
i dont think i will find another like it and almost dont want to try for 'similar' because i want this to hit that mark it has done all on it own.

I absolutely loved this book as it was the perfect creepy/cosy mix.

The story is told from the POV of Kate who runs her family's campground. She has a few rules such as leave a walkway between tents... and don't speak to the man with no shadow.

I think one of my favourite things about this book is that there are average humans that have just accepted that camping might involve a brush with the fae. You're on Old Land, after all.

I really hope there are more to come as I'm invested in the campground. And you can tell I'm a romantasy girlie at heart because of the way I perked up at the Man With the Skull Cup.

This book is at it says. A guide to surviving camping in a campground which has things hiding in the dark.

Firstly, this must be the most beautiful forest that there ever was because how on earth is it still getting campers. With the amount going on I’d rather be camping in my back garden.

This is noted as a funny horror. And while horror is not my usual reads I did enjoy this one. It’s wasn’t ha ha funny, but the dry wit from the FMC was entertaining to read. And I wasn’t hiding behind things scared to continue, it was a quiet horror I’d say.

I can’t say sometimes I wished she did just let things go after the town because what do you mean it’s her fault you’re stupid enough to invite things in or to ignore the rules? You live there! You know!

I appreciated that this wasn’t just an FMC who flailed around. She was flawed, morally-grey, but fierce. I liked the overall plot and the other characters, of which you only learn a few names of, who came to help. There were interesting dynamics going on, even between the villain and some other not so great characters.

There’s glimpses of other things going on that might be looked into in further books but was just enough to pique interest here. And I would be interested to read about them all.

This was SO fun to read. I've always been a fan of horror novels in general and often spent hours on creepy pasta on Reddit when I was a teenager, so it was fun to see some of the stories I'd read on there, combined with old age folklore.

Kate was a great narrator and I loved her bluntness and constant determination. The side characters perhaps were not quite as fleshed out as they could have been, but I feel like the level of detail for the monsters balanced this out quite well.

In terms of pacing, it did feel quite choppy and perhaps like I was reading separate reddit posts for each chapter, but it didn't feel like this detracted too much from the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Initial thoughts: I love the overall vibes of this story, the monstrous being treated as mundane with campsite rules is a favourite trope of mine.

Kate inherits the campsite follow the brutal deaths of her parents and all the supernatural beings that live there from the Man with the Skull Cup, to the Children with No Wagon, but something new is stirring in the dark.

She’s a delightful protagonist to follow, blunt to a fault and brimming with realism over her situation. The side characters are less well developed but still enjoyable, especially the Old Sheriff.

The plot and monsters are solid as well, I enjoyed the variety given and that they were able to be monstrous, operating on their own systems of morals without being just generically evil.

However, the small let down of the novel for me is the overall tone of it. It’s adapted from a Reddit post and still very much reads like an internet post instead of a full-throated novel. This shift in voice can take some getting used to and I’d imagine it could be off-putting to readers expecting a typical horror story. It’s more of an aesthetic gripe but this would have been amazing if laid out in a faux-epistolary fashion. I loved the integration of the campsite with the town at large and would enjoy reading more about it.

I would continue this series.

How to Survive Camping: The Man with No Shadow by Bonnie Quinn is a chilling, offbeat horror tale with a unique voice and a surreal atmosphere that lingers. Set in a cursed campground with its own eerie logic, the story blends campfire legend with creeping dread, unfolding like a dark folklore mystery with a modern twist. Quinn’s writing is sharp, strange, and compelling.

The narrator is instantly engaging—sarcastic, grounded, and just the right amount of paranoid—making the bizarre events feel strangely believable. The pacing is tight, and the story builds suspense effectively, though some of the supernatural elements lean more cryptic than concrete. Still, the unsettling tone and vivid imagery keep the tension high throughout.

The ending delivers a satisfying punch, wrapping the weirdness in a way that feels earned. The Man with No Shadow is an inventive, eerie horror story—smart, creepy, and confidently told. A strong 4-star read for fans of internet horror, liminal spaces, and stories that leave you glancing over your shoulder.

⛺️𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟏𝟔 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Imagine going on a camping trip and you arrive at your destination and you’re greeted by the campsite manager, she hands you this ‘guidebook’ which means you have to read it if you want to survive camping… some of the rules are a bit… strange.
For example…. Rule 3 - Don’t follow the lights
Rule 5 - only buy ice from children who have a WAGON.
Rule 7 - if all the lights go out keep your eyes shut, get back in your tent and do not leave until sunup. Whatever you do, do not look outside.

This was one strange journey but I enjoyed every moment, Kate our main character has been handed down the campsite and loves her campsite. The only thing is… she has to make sure things run smoothly. No random dead bodies to clear up etccx

Recommend if you like a little bit of horror, humour and adventure.

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒 ⭐️
Thank you to @netgalley & @simonschusteruk for this eArc!!

Do you like going camping?

#bookstagram #bookstagramuk #booktok #booklover #bookish #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #horror #horrorreads #bookish #booklover #bookworm

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 3.75 stars.

This is dark, but it has such a sarcastic tone with the “it is what it is” approach to telling this story. Some of the scenarios are real nightmare situations, perfect if you’re a horror fan!

I like the way this unfolds and I genuinely like the FMC, she is so no nonsense it’s kind of endearing, but also has the potential to hurt. I’m honestly amazed by how she handles everything and I would totally watch a tv series version of this story.

“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.” 🏕️🔥

I LOVE a campground horror - and this was no exception. This was a fun and gory and the kind of atmospheric story that makes me feel cold in my bones.

If you’re someone that loves a lot of character development and world-building this may not be the book for you, but if you’re looking for a creepy “around the bonfire” tale laced in folklore, I would wager that this is right up your alley.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy!