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The Summer Is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved
Martin is going to Bible Camp for the summer. He's going to learn archery and swimming, and he's going to make new friends. He's pretty excited, but that's probably because nobody told him that this is a horror novel.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2013
23 people are currently reading
2,616 people want to read
About the author
Joey Comeau
41books652followersJoey Comeau is a Canadian writer. He is best known for his novels Lockpick Pornography and Overqualified, and as co-creator of the webcomic A Softer World (with Emily Horne).
Comeau currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. He has a degree in linguistics.
Comeau currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. He has a degree in linguistics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
September 30, 2018
The title made me expecting a funny slasher tale Friday the 13th style from this quick page-turning read, instead rhis was one of the most intense and disturbing novels I've ever read.
Know this: people who marked this novel as Young Adult never really read it... and I'm afraid I'm just never going to send my daughter to a summer camp when she's grown up after reading this.
May 10, 2018
4.0 Stars
Gruesome and bloody, this little novel certainly packed an emotional punch. I initially thought this would be a straight-forward, fun piece of slasher fiction. So I was surprised when this story ended up being more devastating than I would normally expect from the genre. Even though this book is often classified as young adult, I would personally recommend it to an adult audience. The narrative was intelligent and self aware. I loved the details involving the horror make up artistry. I also adored the quirky relationship between the young male protagonist and his single mom.
I highly recommend this one to horror fans looking for a smart, thought-provoking version of the classic slasher formula.
Gruesome and bloody, this little novel certainly packed an emotional punch. I initially thought this would be a straight-forward, fun piece of slasher fiction. So I was surprised when this story ended up being more devastating than I would normally expect from the genre. Even though this book is often classified as young adult, I would personally recommend it to an adult audience. The narrative was intelligent and self aware. I loved the details involving the horror make up artistry. I also adored the quirky relationship between the young male protagonist and his single mom.
I highly recommend this one to horror fans looking for a smart, thought-provoking version of the classic slasher formula.
July 21, 2013
You can always count on Comeau to deliver a strange, unique read (I'm a big fan of his Overqualified and One Bloody Thing After Another), and his latest is no exception.
Martin is an 11 year old Momma's boy. Only his Mom loves horror movies and gets a make-up/gross out effects gig in Toronto. Martin ships himself off to the bible camp near his grandparents' house so his Mom can take the three-week gig. Then at the camp, all kinds of 80's slasher stabby stabby stab stab happens.
Martin and his mother make the sad and quirky heart of this book, and I loved the weird, and ultimately heartbreaking letters she wrote to him while he was at camp. Unexpectedly dark (yeah, I said unexpectedly, despite the blood and grue on the cover), the quick novel will move and disturb you.
Martin is an 11 year old Momma's boy. Only his Mom loves horror movies and gets a make-up/gross out effects gig in Toronto. Martin ships himself off to the bible camp near his grandparents' house so his Mom can take the three-week gig. Then at the camp, all kinds of 80's slasher stabby stabby stab stab happens.
Martin and his mother make the sad and quirky heart of this book, and I loved the weird, and ultimately heartbreaking letters she wrote to him while he was at camp. Unexpectedly dark (yeah, I said unexpectedly, despite the blood and grue on the cover), the quick novel will move and disturb you.
September 12, 2013
This should have been so much better. The setting is a wasted opportunity (yes, fine, I had hoped to exorcise some personal demons here and was thwarted, but STILL), and the whole thing was repetitive and felt soulless. Granted, the letters from Mom to Martin sparkle - truly sparkle - but the rest of it was a sodden bone-crunching meh.
June 14, 2015
An amazingly smart, dazzlingly written, deconstruction of the slasher. If I had a "this book feels like it was written just for me" list, this would be near the top.
November 21, 2019
3.5 stars. Martin and his mom live what seems to be a pretty normal life for the first third of this book. Martin's Mom wants to do makeup for horror movies, and things aren't always totally stable, but they really love each other and they seem pretty happy. Then the book takes a pretty hard turn. Two hard turns, actually. Martin and his mother are separated when she gets a job on a new movie filming in another city. Martin finds himself at Bible Camp and his mother is in Toronto. And yet this camp isn't a very normal camp, and this city isn't a very normal city. It's likely you already know going in that things at camp won't end well. This is a horror novel, after all.
I don't read a lot of slasher novels, but most of them operate a lot like slasher movies. Characters are picked off, the suspense comes from who will die and when and how. Here that does not happen. It becomes apparent very quickly that the killer priest is not your average killer. His victims are mostly children, which means this isn't a book for the weak, and the killings are described in detail, so it's also not for the squeamish. The priest kills as if it is his job, he does not terrorize or scare, most of the campers don't even realize what is happening. It is instead a slow but horrifying massacre.
Meanwhile Martin's Mom sends him emails where we slowly realize that the world she is living in is not quite the world we expected. She has not left Martin in a horror movie to be in the real world. Instead she seems to be living in her own horrifying world, with terrors all around that she sees as entirely normal.
It's an unusual book, one that doesn't comply with plot conventions and doesn't wrap up things nicely for you. More for the wisened horror reader than the casual, that's for sure.
I don't read a lot of slasher novels, but most of them operate a lot like slasher movies. Characters are picked off, the suspense comes from who will die and when and how. Here that does not happen. It becomes apparent very quickly that the killer priest is not your average killer. His victims are mostly children, which means this isn't a book for the weak, and the killings are described in detail, so it's also not for the squeamish. The priest kills as if it is his job, he does not terrorize or scare, most of the campers don't even realize what is happening. It is instead a slow but horrifying massacre.
Meanwhile Martin's Mom sends him emails where we slowly realize that the world she is living in is not quite the world we expected. She has not left Martin in a horror movie to be in the real world. Instead she seems to be living in her own horrifying world, with terrors all around that she sees as entirely normal.
It's an unusual book, one that doesn't comply with plot conventions and doesn't wrap up things nicely for you. More for the wisened horror reader than the casual, that's for sure.
July 15, 2015
WHAT THE EVER-LOVING ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?!?!?
It...I...THE FUCK, MAN??????
RANDOM-ASS THOUGHTS BECAUSE I JUST FINISHED THIS AND THERE'S NO WAY I CAN BE COHERENT RIGHT NOW:
1. Some of the best (re: most disgusting) imagery I've ever read. I felt nausea--true, genuine queasiness--more than once while reading this.
2. Could not stop picturing Christian Bale as the priest. There needs to be a petition somewhere that I can sign to make that happen.
3. This book is full of false hope. That may be a spoiler but fuck it.
4. The Mom.....................oh God................that's too raw to talk about.
5. I need to read something happy now.
It...I...THE FUCK, MAN??????
RANDOM-ASS THOUGHTS BECAUSE I JUST FINISHED THIS AND THERE'S NO WAY I CAN BE COHERENT RIGHT NOW:
1. Some of the best (re: most disgusting) imagery I've ever read. I felt nausea--true, genuine queasiness--more than once while reading this.
2. Could not stop picturing Christian Bale as the priest. There needs to be a petition somewhere that I can sign to make that happen.
3. This book is full of false hope. That may be a spoiler but fuck it.
4. The Mom.....................oh God................that's too raw to talk about.
5. I need to read something happy now.
January 9, 2022
This was a short but fun read. Well, fun� you know what I mean. ‘The summer is ended and we are not yet saved� is a horror novel about a bible camp and a priest, who goes on a killing spree.
In typical slasher movie-fashion there are some gory kills throughout this book, so it won’t be for everyone, but it did exactly what I wanted and hoped for.
There isn’t much substance to the characters and I don’t think that’s needed here, but I did like our main character, Martin. He does seem more mature than other 11-year-olds, though, which is probably because of his mother, but I ended up rooting for him and his camp friends.
I said it once before, after reading Camp Slaughter, I want more slasher books. If you have some you can recommend, I’d be very grateful.
In typical slasher movie-fashion there are some gory kills throughout this book, so it won’t be for everyone, but it did exactly what I wanted and hoped for.
There isn’t much substance to the characters and I don’t think that’s needed here, but I did like our main character, Martin. He does seem more mature than other 11-year-olds, though, which is probably because of his mother, but I ended up rooting for him and his camp friends.
I said it once before, after reading Camp Slaughter, I want more slasher books. If you have some you can recommend, I’d be very grateful.
October 10, 2022
TW: language, drinking, gory scenes, child abandonment, child abuse, gaslighting, child murder
SPOILERS
About the book:Martin is going to Bible Camp for the summer. He's going to learn archery and swimming, and he's going to make new friends. He's pretty excited, but that's probably because nobody told him that this is a horror novel.
Release Date: July 15th, 2013
Genre: Horror
Pages: 255
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
What I Liked:
1. The plot sounded amazing
2. The writing style is very engaging
3. Love the mom/son relationship
4. The cover is adorable
What I Didn't Like:
1. Children =annoying
2. No explanation of storyline
3. Felt more like a young adult book
Overall Thoughts:
Reminds me of The Visit
Some parts of the book are a little bit boring. Like when Martin's mom is describing her eyeball mechanism and how it's going to work. I found it to be boring and coming in at almost two pages.
Parts of this book come off very Night Vale like. Martin's mom is staying in a hotel and chairs are disappearing out of the bathroom a man has called her asking her to tell his daughter that he's happy from death. Like strange things happening.
Why does it always seem like when you have this chaotic mom the child is always this ocd clean freak kid? Like how often does that happen? In books and movies it seems like it happens ALL the time.
(Gilmore girls gif)
Final Thoughts: The book started off way more interesting then it ended up being when I got to the ending. The priest wakes up one day deciding he’s going to kill all the kids at the campground. It felt repetitive as he just goes from one kid to the next killing them off.
Recommend For:
� Summer vibes
� Camp stories
� Short books
|
SPOILERS
About the book:Martin is going to Bible Camp for the summer. He's going to learn archery and swimming, and he's going to make new friends. He's pretty excited, but that's probably because nobody told him that this is a horror novel.
Release Date: July 15th, 2013
Genre: Horror
Pages: 255
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
What I Liked:
1. The plot sounded amazing
2. The writing style is very engaging
3. Love the mom/son relationship
4. The cover is adorable
What I Didn't Like:
1. Children =annoying
2. No explanation of storyline
3. Felt more like a young adult book
Overall Thoughts:
Reminds me of The Visit
Some parts of the book are a little bit boring. Like when Martin's mom is describing her eyeball mechanism and how it's going to work. I found it to be boring and coming in at almost two pages.
Parts of this book come off very Night Vale like. Martin's mom is staying in a hotel and chairs are disappearing out of the bathroom a man has called her asking her to tell his daughter that he's happy from death. Like strange things happening.
Why does it always seem like when you have this chaotic mom the child is always this ocd clean freak kid? Like how often does that happen? In books and movies it seems like it happens ALL the time.
(Gilmore girls gif)
Final Thoughts: The book started off way more interesting then it ended up being when I got to the ending. The priest wakes up one day deciding he’s going to kill all the kids at the campground. It felt repetitive as he just goes from one kid to the next killing them off.
Recommend For:
� Summer vibes
� Camp stories
� Short books
|
March 20, 2015
Beyond mis-deliveries, cancelled orders, and children’s books with beautifully artful covers but not one single illustration inside, this book is the ultimate argument for NOT BUYING BOOKS ON LINE. It is also testimony to the inherent unreliableness of the Goodread recommendation algorithm (call me naïve, go ahead, I won’t mind). Perhaps it is unknowable by algorithm that the description of the killing of children at a summer camp is not my cup of tea. Enjoyment of senseless mayhem is just not where I am in life right now. Looking back, I cannot think of any period when I would have been. American Psycho, which I read in 2003, is not on my favorites shelf. I did not give it three stars. And this book, a sort of Psycho for the YA crowd, is not even getting two.
November 19, 2013
Rating: 2.5 of 5
The Summer Is Ended did have its strengths - namely, the relationship between Martin and his mother - but they were overshadowed by its biggest weakness which, in my opinion, was the rapid descent into a predictable "all gore, no guts" slasher novel. By "no guts," I'm referring to the author's choice to play it safe within horror's clichés, choosing the mundane versus something riskier.
Now, don't get me wrong, I heart slasher movies - they're my second favorite horror movie, right after zombies - but in a novel, it's tricky to get all the elements right. So, not only was The Summer Is Ended a brutal splatterfest featuring children (aged 10 and up) as its victims, it devolved into the lackluster campy type. Most likely as a way to lighten up the depraved subject matter.
In the end, I was really torn between two and three stars on this one. It wasn't the story I expected at all, but I did finish it. And I would give Comeau another read...if I heard his next book ditched his reliance on the expected and embraced his strengths such as characterization.
Recommended if you're looking for a blood-soaked campy slasher novel that's a quick read with the typical unhappy ending.
Disclaimer: Featured the brutal murders of children and adolescents.
The Summer Is Ended did have its strengths - namely, the relationship between Martin and his mother - but they were overshadowed by its biggest weakness which, in my opinion, was the rapid descent into a predictable "all gore, no guts" slasher novel. By "no guts," I'm referring to the author's choice to play it safe within horror's clichés, choosing the mundane versus something riskier.
Now, don't get me wrong, I heart slasher movies - they're my second favorite horror movie, right after zombies - but in a novel, it's tricky to get all the elements right. So, not only was The Summer Is Ended a brutal splatterfest featuring children (aged 10 and up) as its victims, it devolved into the lackluster campy type. Most likely as a way to lighten up the depraved subject matter.
In the end, I was really torn between two and three stars on this one. It wasn't the story I expected at all, but I did finish it. And I would give Comeau another read...if I heard his next book ditched his reliance on the expected and embraced his strengths such as characterization.
Recommended if you're looking for a blood-soaked campy slasher novel that's a quick read with the typical unhappy ending.
Disclaimer: Featured the brutal murders of children and adolescents.
January 19, 2022
This book has a lot of tension and dread. It started off innocent enough and then it gets bloody good. It was a really fast to read. It's horror at its finest.
January 11, 2022
I don't think I've ever been spooked by words.
The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved by Joey Comeau is an excellent spooky read. Gory? Check. Creepy? Check. Makes you look around to make sure no one's watching you? Definite check.
I really liked the story, the whole building up part was excellent. My only displeasures were:
1) the format (it was a bit unclear)
there wasn't an indication that said when we were switching povs, and the emails threw me off
2) originality
the tropes in this book felt like they were the whole book. now, don't get me wrong - tropes ARE a big part of stories. i just wish Comeau put his own sort of twist on the story, to make it his truly. a sort of signature that makes the reader realize why Comeau is better than other horror authors!
3) ....some of the characters kind of *sucked* but we don't speak of it-
All in all, I really enjoyed this read! It made me cringe in the best ways a horror book can make me cringe:) Definitely recommend to those who like gory horror books
The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved by Joey Comeau is an excellent spooky read. Gory? Check. Creepy? Check. Makes you look around to make sure no one's watching you? Definite check.
I really liked the story, the whole building up part was excellent. My only displeasures were:
1) the format (it was a bit unclear)
there wasn't an indication that said when we were switching povs, and the emails threw me off
2) originality
the tropes in this book felt like they were the whole book. now, don't get me wrong - tropes ARE a big part of stories. i just wish Comeau put his own sort of twist on the story, to make it his truly. a sort of signature that makes the reader realize why Comeau is better than other horror authors!
3) ....some of the characters kind of *sucked* but we don't speak of it-
All in all, I really enjoyed this read! It made me cringe in the best ways a horror book can make me cringe:) Definitely recommend to those who like gory horror books
October 24, 2015
Well…� What a strange book, before I sat down to write this I didn’t think it was possible to express my feelings without major spoilers but I am going to give it a go, so if this seems a little vague it’s because I don’t want to give anything away, and I would want people to read this without fear of the story being ruined.
Okay so story is Martin who lives with his mother who is a special FX artist for cheap B-Horror Movies, when she is given an opportunity in Toronto, Martin takes it upon himself to go to Bible Camp where is grandparents said he was welcome to come anytime, his mother however hesitant, agrees and off he goes, from there we basically have the epitome of slasher movies. We have an absolutely� MANIC! Priest, I mean just seriously, totally off his rocker, the worse and scariest kind of villain is someone who doesn’t have a motive, no underlying issues, but purely just because he WANTS to kill people, he WANTS to get caught, and is fully aware that he will be caught, but just wants to feel what it is like to kill people. But� however, this may just seem your typical slasher book, it’s really not it’s darkly comical, I’d say black comedy! It is total and utter CARANGE so for all those who love flying limbs and lots of blood and gore, dive in and enjoy because this has some pretty gruesome scenes, and very descriptive deaths. In between the bloodshed we have some pretty zany and random emails from Martin’s mother who is quite possibly just constantly drunk or probably high on something the entire time during her trip, but they were a fun read and broke things up nicely.
Again without spoiling this book definitely has some surprises and I found this very harsh, I don’t know if that is necessarily a bad thing, but I just felt so sorry for the characters, never did I feel any glimmer of hope, at any point did the priest seem vulnerable or that he could be beat, he was just an unstoppable force, don’t get me wrong it was amazing and fun to read, I love bats**t crazy villains I may be making it seem like it’s a negative I just genuinely wanted our protagonists to kill that SOB!
So as we come to characters� special mention has to be for the antagonist, the priest was such fun to read (does this make me sick) he was just a total lunatic with no remorse, or conscience, and here’s the crazy thing� even though what he was doing was totally sick and twisted he was really funny!!! This book was pure gold at times, some of the scenes we have with Father Michael? I’m sure that’s his name maybe Thomas? Anyway�. His kill scenes were both disgustingly brilliant and absolutely side-splitting!! Then we move to out to our protagonist Martin I thought that he was your typical geek, I felt his relationship with his mother was a little…�. Odd? I’m not implying anything sexual or weird but just at times it was a little unusually close? I don’t know, but his mother aside he was a little spineless, I felt that with him being grown up around horror, around his mother and doing all these disgusting effects he might be at least slightly useful? I know he’s a kid but the way this story is told crazy kids wouldn’t exactly be surprised and one scene in particular infuriated me a little but for the most part he played his part as the shy geeky and weird protagonist. Also I mentioned Martin’s mother, boy was she a character, clearly an alcoholic and just so bizarre and eccentric, her emails were so random and funny to read, one of those cool mums that let you watch horror movies late at night and was just generally cool even though everyone thought she was nuts!
The rest were just your typical slasher characters, the camp officers, the slutty girls, it all makes a set up for a camp slasher
The negatives that I can touch upon was only really a spineless protagonist, but I’m being a little harsh seen as he’s just a young frightened kid. I was frustrated at the way things turned out at the end (I really can’t comment without spoilers and I’ve got this far so may as well finish spoiler free) it was purely my own taste and I wanted things wrapped up a little different, but the author chose another and that’s well within their right and it was in a way refreshing to not take the generic slasher ending so for that I half amend him!
So if you enjoy a good bloody massarce with amazing manic priests, give this a read, a really quick read and just under 250 pages and fast action you will finish it before you realise. It has it’s fault but it has some fantastically quirky characters and the black comedy is used really well and makes it as much hilarious as it is sick!
Okay so story is Martin who lives with his mother who is a special FX artist for cheap B-Horror Movies, when she is given an opportunity in Toronto, Martin takes it upon himself to go to Bible Camp where is grandparents said he was welcome to come anytime, his mother however hesitant, agrees and off he goes, from there we basically have the epitome of slasher movies. We have an absolutely� MANIC! Priest, I mean just seriously, totally off his rocker, the worse and scariest kind of villain is someone who doesn’t have a motive, no underlying issues, but purely just because he WANTS to kill people, he WANTS to get caught, and is fully aware that he will be caught, but just wants to feel what it is like to kill people. But� however, this may just seem your typical slasher book, it’s really not it’s darkly comical, I’d say black comedy! It is total and utter CARANGE so for all those who love flying limbs and lots of blood and gore, dive in and enjoy because this has some pretty gruesome scenes, and very descriptive deaths. In between the bloodshed we have some pretty zany and random emails from Martin’s mother who is quite possibly just constantly drunk or probably high on something the entire time during her trip, but they were a fun read and broke things up nicely.
Again without spoiling this book definitely has some surprises and I found this very harsh, I don’t know if that is necessarily a bad thing, but I just felt so sorry for the characters, never did I feel any glimmer of hope, at any point did the priest seem vulnerable or that he could be beat, he was just an unstoppable force, don’t get me wrong it was amazing and fun to read, I love bats**t crazy villains I may be making it seem like it’s a negative I just genuinely wanted our protagonists to kill that SOB!
So as we come to characters� special mention has to be for the antagonist, the priest was such fun to read (does this make me sick) he was just a total lunatic with no remorse, or conscience, and here’s the crazy thing� even though what he was doing was totally sick and twisted he was really funny!!! This book was pure gold at times, some of the scenes we have with Father Michael? I’m sure that’s his name maybe Thomas? Anyway�. His kill scenes were both disgustingly brilliant and absolutely side-splitting!! Then we move to out to our protagonist Martin I thought that he was your typical geek, I felt his relationship with his mother was a little…�. Odd? I’m not implying anything sexual or weird but just at times it was a little unusually close? I don’t know, but his mother aside he was a little spineless, I felt that with him being grown up around horror, around his mother and doing all these disgusting effects he might be at least slightly useful? I know he’s a kid but the way this story is told crazy kids wouldn’t exactly be surprised and one scene in particular infuriated me a little but for the most part he played his part as the shy geeky and weird protagonist. Also I mentioned Martin’s mother, boy was she a character, clearly an alcoholic and just so bizarre and eccentric, her emails were so random and funny to read, one of those cool mums that let you watch horror movies late at night and was just generally cool even though everyone thought she was nuts!
The rest were just your typical slasher characters, the camp officers, the slutty girls, it all makes a set up for a camp slasher
The negatives that I can touch upon was only really a spineless protagonist, but I’m being a little harsh seen as he’s just a young frightened kid. I was frustrated at the way things turned out at the end (I really can’t comment without spoilers and I’ve got this far so may as well finish spoiler free) it was purely my own taste and I wanted things wrapped up a little different, but the author chose another and that’s well within their right and it was in a way refreshing to not take the generic slasher ending so for that I half amend him!
So if you enjoy a good bloody massarce with amazing manic priests, give this a read, a really quick read and just under 250 pages and fast action you will finish it before you realise. It has it’s fault but it has some fantastically quirky characters and the black comedy is used really well and makes it as much hilarious as it is sick!
December 27, 2021
3.5, rounded up because this made me feel like garbage and horror rarely manages that for me these days
September 10, 2014
The Summer Is Ended And We Are Not Yet Saved is two books in one. We have the story of Martin and his mother and you also have the slaughter going on at the Bible Camp. It sounds like it wouldn't work but it does. Good God does it work.
The letters that Martin's mother writes makes her appear insane and you can truly sense just how much she loves her son. Hold onto that feeling because in the next chapter you have a madman weilding an ax chopping up campers. It's an interesting balance that keeps the novella from becoming just another splatterpunk masterpiece and becomes something unexpected.
You want Martin to survive, hell you want everyone to survive but this is a horror novel and it's a well written one. I actually found the killer amusing and his dialogue had me laughing out loud on several occasions.
As a straight up slasher novel we know what to expect, we've seen the movies but for true fans we don't care because if a slasher novel or movie is done right you get hooked and become absorded in the chaos.
The reason this is a favorite is not only because I enjoyed the murderer but I liked the letters that Martin wrote to her son. It was an original idea that could have failed miserably but it held up well. This is a well paced gorefest that ends far too quickly but I couldn't imagine this going for three hundred or so pages. Best of all it all happens at a Bible Camp of all places and the killer is the last person you would expect to go batshit crazy and start slaughtering innocent campers and counselors. Buy this and you'll thank me later.
The letters that Martin's mother writes makes her appear insane and you can truly sense just how much she loves her son. Hold onto that feeling because in the next chapter you have a madman weilding an ax chopping up campers. It's an interesting balance that keeps the novella from becoming just another splatterpunk masterpiece and becomes something unexpected.
You want Martin to survive, hell you want everyone to survive but this is a horror novel and it's a well written one. I actually found the killer amusing and his dialogue had me laughing out loud on several occasions.
As a straight up slasher novel we know what to expect, we've seen the movies but for true fans we don't care because if a slasher novel or movie is done right you get hooked and become absorded in the chaos.
The reason this is a favorite is not only because I enjoyed the murderer but I liked the letters that Martin wrote to her son. It was an original idea that could have failed miserably but it held up well. This is a well paced gorefest that ends far too quickly but I couldn't imagine this going for three hundred or so pages. Best of all it all happens at a Bible Camp of all places and the killer is the last person you would expect to go batshit crazy and start slaughtering innocent campers and counselors. Buy this and you'll thank me later.
September 29, 2013
I was going to give this book a really solid four stars, and then I got to the end and WOW! Launched right into five-stardom. I can't write much about the book without spoiling things, but the relationship between Martin and his mother is what really makes this book shine. Having grown up as the only son (for most of my childhood) of a single mother the relationship between these two read note-perfect to me. I'm also not a fan of precocious child stories, but Comeau writes Martin with a voice that reflects his home life (a child with more adult friends than young ones and a mother who encourages him to think like an adult) while still leaving him with the doubts and coping skills of a child. Perfectly drawn. I suppose at this point in the review I am fooling myself if I still think I was ever only going to give this book four stars. It's brilliant from start to finish. Another solid home run from the folks at ChiZine.
August 12, 2013
What a bizarre little book - very reminiscent of Tony Burgess' works, except a little more on the slasher side, rather than the surrealist side.
This book incorporate two disturbing narratives - the bible camp priest who murders everyone, along with letters from Martin's mother - which indicate either a vivid imagination or a disturbing schizophrenic-like illness wherein she experiences life like it's a horror movie.
I can't decide which one I think is weirder.
Either way, a quick read that will horrify you before bed. Recommend.
This book incorporate two disturbing narratives - the bible camp priest who murders everyone, along with letters from Martin's mother - which indicate either a vivid imagination or a disturbing schizophrenic-like illness wherein she experiences life like it's a horror movie.
I can't decide which one I think is weirder.
Either way, a quick read that will horrify you before bed. Recommend.
October 26, 2016
Great fun, although short and simple. It falls somewhere between Scooby-Do and a slasher film in the story department, the bad guy is almost cartoon-like in his villainy. The stand-out for me was the correspondence from Martin's mum, she has such a wicked sense of humour and catching up with her letters each chapter kept the whole thing moving.
I'll be checking out some more of Joey Comeau's books.
I'll be checking out some more of Joey Comeau's books.
April 29, 2025
A perfect book! Anything is possible and everything is incredible. I feel alive, unlike some very unfortunate campers and camp counselors. What else could you ask for from a horror novel? The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved screams instant classic. Recently back in print, you should buy a copy immediately.
November 21, 2013
Well, what can I say?
It is exactly as advertised - a horror novel set at Bible camp, where campers go missing one by one in terrible, awful ways.
There is no great mystery about who is the cause for the disappearances. Rather, the suspense lies in wondering whether our protagonist, Martin, a camper, will survive.
It is not great literature, but if you like horror movies/books with a lot of silliness and campiness thrown in, it might be your cup of tea.
My favorite parts were Martin's mother's emails to him. They made me laugh, but they also worried me because I was never sure whether or not she was writing her crazy stories to amuse Martin, or because she was genuinely losing her mind . . . I couldn't really tell at the end either.
The book could have used some basic editing to make things clearer, and the timeline doesn't quite work for who appears where and when - but, again, it's campy horror, you're not supposed to ask a lot of questions.
In short, a quick, scary, albeit silly, read.
*language, gruesome violence, sex
It is exactly as advertised - a horror novel set at Bible camp, where campers go missing one by one in terrible, awful ways.
There is no great mystery about who is the cause for the disappearances. Rather, the suspense lies in wondering whether our protagonist, Martin, a camper, will survive.
It is not great literature, but if you like horror movies/books with a lot of silliness and campiness thrown in, it might be your cup of tea.
My favorite parts were Martin's mother's emails to him. They made me laugh, but they also worried me because I was never sure whether or not she was writing her crazy stories to amuse Martin, or because she was genuinely losing her mind . . . I couldn't really tell at the end either.
The book could have used some basic editing to make things clearer, and the timeline doesn't quite work for who appears where and when - but, again, it's campy horror, you're not supposed to ask a lot of questions.
In short, a quick, scary, albeit silly, read.
*language, gruesome violence, sex
May 14, 2022
This book was a chilling and fast-paced slasher book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I only wish the author would have spent a little more time exploring the antagonist's psyche. That would be my one big gripe, but I do think the choice of antagonist was at least unique and clever.
I also found the other characters to be fleshed out and quite likable. I especially loved the relationship between Martin, the main character, and his mother. Reading about their close bond helped create a looming sense of dread in the book whenever Martin was in danger.
The majority of the story takes place at a bible summer camp. In my opinion, that choice of locale was a nice touch, and I really liked the atmosphere it provided.
Overall, this is a tense and thrilling summer read that definitely packs a punch, and I would totally recommend it!
I also found the other characters to be fleshed out and quite likable. I especially loved the relationship between Martin, the main character, and his mother. Reading about their close bond helped create a looming sense of dread in the book whenever Martin was in danger.
The majority of the story takes place at a bible summer camp. In my opinion, that choice of locale was a nice touch, and I really liked the atmosphere it provided.
Overall, this is a tense and thrilling summer read that definitely packs a punch, and I would totally recommend it!
July 24, 2013
Every once in a while there comes an author who is so good, they can write a novella that blows your mind, then essentially retract it and say they didn't want to end it that way, re-write it into a full length novel where the only change to the ending is an epilogue, and you'll still read it, and it will still blow your mind. In exactly the same way. Plus all the stuff they added into the middle.
And that is what I thought of The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved. Please go read this book.
P.S: If you didn't read Bible Camp Bloodbath, the synopsis on the back of the book pretty much sums up all you need to know going in. And all you'd want to know, honestly.
And that is what I thought of The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved. Please go read this book.
P.S: If you didn't read Bible Camp Bloodbath, the synopsis on the back of the book pretty much sums up all you need to know going in. And all you'd want to know, honestly.
June 30, 2017
This was a gift.
Weak.
It felt like I was reading something a university student wrote while smoking pot and doing beer bongs. There was no lead up to the unexplained and senseless blood bath where children were mutilated, tortured and degraded. Add a mother of one of the children with bipolar disorder who isn't even part of the main story, for what reason I still don't understand. Unless she was supposed to represent the back story of why the murderer was a murderer, which was never revealed. The title is also misleading, everything took place within days of arriving at the camp, no summer to be had � to have ended.
Waste of my time.
Weak.
It felt like I was reading something a university student wrote while smoking pot and doing beer bongs. There was no lead up to the unexplained and senseless blood bath where children were mutilated, tortured and degraded. Add a mother of one of the children with bipolar disorder who isn't even part of the main story, for what reason I still don't understand. Unless she was supposed to represent the back story of why the murderer was a murderer, which was never revealed. The title is also misleading, everything took place within days of arriving at the camp, no summer to be had � to have ended.
Waste of my time.
April 29, 2021
Had I realized this was a slasher novel, I wouldn't have finished reading it. I really appreciated the letters from Martin's mother. They were smart, wry, spooky, and I felt emotionally connected: all things I have come to expect from Joey Comeau. The rest of the book wasn't my cup of tea. I preferred One Bloody Thing After Another. That being said, I'm always looking forward to new work from Joey Comeau.
October 29, 2013
Hilarious, and violent. This was the perfect Halloweeen book!
April 24, 2015
4.5/5. Review coming soon =)
August 9, 2020
I read this with a disbelieving, delighted grin as the story got loopier and more wonderfully violent. Every page, nay, every word was pure delight. So glad I sought this one out!
June 4, 2019
A gruesome, dark, gory book, TSiEaWANYS follows Martin, the son of a movie make-up artist. His mother is responsible for all the gore and blood on the set of horror movies and Martin has grown up around all the terror and graphic effects.
But when his mother gets a job in Toronto on the set of the movie and with no-one to look after him while she's away, he decides to go to Bible camp for the summer. Great idea, except that the priest running the camp has gone crazy and decided to start killing the campers..
I was expecting a campy (pardon the pun) story a la Friday the 13th, but I was not expecting the gore! This book is horrific and I kinda loved it. The ending was a little weak and I was expecting something big to happen so .
But overall, I was terrified and tense, and this was a great scary book for fans of horror movies from the 70s and 80s!
But when his mother gets a job in Toronto on the set of the movie and with no-one to look after him while she's away, he decides to go to Bible camp for the summer. Great idea, except that the priest running the camp has gone crazy and decided to start killing the campers..
I was expecting a campy (pardon the pun) story a la Friday the 13th, but I was not expecting the gore! This book is horrific and I kinda loved it. The ending was a little weak and I was expecting something big to happen so .
But overall, I was terrified and tense, and this was a great scary book for fans of horror movies from the 70s and 80s!
May 29, 2018
This book is wonderfully creepy and weird, but also completely gross and gruesome. It's basically slasher horror, with a relentless, horrific, evil villain and an isolated, hopeless setting filled with unsuspecting victims. Joey Comeau does a great job at mixing classic horror elements with quirkiness. In this case: an odd, horror movie-obsessed, never-serious makeup artist mother's witty, morbid letters to her son at summer camp intertwined with violent, gory murders. When you live your life in the fictional reality of horror movies and conversations with your son revolve around haunting hypothetical scenarios, would you think twice if your son told you he suspected the priest at Bible camp to be a murderer? Probably not until it was too late...
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