I honestly was sure what to expect when I opened this book but that cover art and the name attracted me to it. It ended up being a entertaining read. I wouldn't say it was scary but it was very dark and twisted. Some of the characters down right gave me the creeps. That was enough for me.
This is a book about a circus world that is a bit outside our realm. They can come into ours any time they want. Unfortunately, for Jamie, that is exactly what happened and since he crossed paths with the clowns, he'll have to pay. His punishment? Well he is now destined to be a clown for the rest of his life. Not so fun when this circus is as demented as they get. Jamie wants out but his other self (the clown self, J.J.) is content in being there. Who will win?
This was a non-stop read that had me laughing at times and my skin crawling at others.
This is a book about a circus world that is a bit outside our realm. They can come into ours any time they want. Unfortunately, for Jamie, that is exactly what happened and since he crossed paths with the clowns, he'll have to pay. His punishment? Well he is now destined to be a clown for the rest of his life. Not so fun when this circus is as demented as they get. Jamie wants out but his other self (the clown self, J.J.) is content in being there. Who will win?
This was a non-stop read that had me laughing at times and my skin crawling at others.
Jamie is minding his own business when he spots some creepy clowns about town acting more than a wee bit strange. One drops a small bag containing some suspicious powder. When the coast is clear, Jamie picks it up and brings it home.
Well, wouldnt you?!
This little incident of finders keepers brings the clown smack down upon Jamie and his roomie after the two accidentally ingest some of the clown powder. And theres nothing funny about it. These clowns arent the happy go lucky, nose-honking types and they do some unimaginable gross-nasty things to Jamies abode. Its pretty scary what they accomplish in a short span of time and from there on out Jamies life gets seriously messed up. Jamie finds this note tucked into the mouth of a dead bat:
Creepy, no?
Jamie, likely out of fear, does something so oddly funny that the demented clown leader actually laughs. He has passed the audition and is now a reluctant apprentice in The Pilo Family Circus. Jamie has no say so in the matter. The clowns are intimidating, persuasive and violently unpredictable. Jamie plays along, foolishly thinking he will make a quick exit from this nightmare as soon as he can. That doesnt happen. Once the clown paint is slathered upon his face he becomes a new person and JJ the Clown takes over his body. JJ is unpredictable, mean just for kicks and refuses to follow the rules. Hes also a big cry baby which I have to say began to grate on my last nerve after a while. He also wants complete control of the body which was once owned by Jamie.
This is a weird ass book about a very twisted circus. The backdrop and the acts that inhabit this bizarre circus are painted with some vivid detail bringing the strange and tormented characters to life in my head. I could easily picture each one and felt especially bad for the once normal people touched by the matter manipulator who turned them into freaks for the sake of the show and were forced to do terrible, painful things to their bodies to entertain the masses. That bit disturbed the most. There are the typical petty jealousies you usually find in a book of this kind, with bad tempered carnies and lots of backstabbing but everything is amplified in this story. I dont think I liked any of the characters, except for maybe Jamie, but I didnt get to know him well enough to comment either way. And as much as I wouldve liked to have known more about the clowns, especially Doopy and his bizarre brother Goshy, this book wasnt about getting all cozy with the characters. It was about the circus and the mayhem The Pilos unleashed upon the world. It was an imaginative book with some big ideas that wasnt nearly as horrific in an in-yer-face sort of way as Id anticipated. It took some big twists that surprised me but mostly I enjoyed the skewed writing.
Heres a little taste of some of the offbeat descriptive moments and dialogue that litter the story:
And my personal favorite moment of dialogue:
This isnt a book for everyone but if youre in the mood for a uniquely strange read this will do the trick.
Well, wouldnt you?!
This little incident of finders keepers brings the clown smack down upon Jamie and his roomie after the two accidentally ingest some of the clown powder. And theres nothing funny about it. These clowns arent the happy go lucky, nose-honking types and they do some unimaginable gross-nasty things to Jamies abode. Its pretty scary what they accomplish in a short span of time and from there on out Jamies life gets seriously messed up. Jamie finds this note tucked into the mouth of a dead bat:
Sleep tight? Thirty hours to pass your audition. Make us laugh, feller. Thats the assignment. We dont care how. We dont care who gets hurt or killed. Make with the chuckles, you pass . . .
Gonko, on behalf of the Pilo Family Circus
Creepy, no?
Jamie, likely out of fear, does something so oddly funny that the demented clown leader actually laughs. He has passed the audition and is now a reluctant apprentice in The Pilo Family Circus. Jamie has no say so in the matter. The clowns are intimidating, persuasive and violently unpredictable. Jamie plays along, foolishly thinking he will make a quick exit from this nightmare as soon as he can. That doesnt happen. Once the clown paint is slathered upon his face he becomes a new person and JJ the Clown takes over his body. JJ is unpredictable, mean just for kicks and refuses to follow the rules. Hes also a big cry baby which I have to say began to grate on my last nerve after a while. He also wants complete control of the body which was once owned by Jamie.
This is a weird ass book about a very twisted circus. The backdrop and the acts that inhabit this bizarre circus are painted with some vivid detail bringing the strange and tormented characters to life in my head. I could easily picture each one and felt especially bad for the once normal people touched by the matter manipulator who turned them into freaks for the sake of the show and were forced to do terrible, painful things to their bodies to entertain the masses. That bit disturbed the most. There are the typical petty jealousies you usually find in a book of this kind, with bad tempered carnies and lots of backstabbing but everything is amplified in this story. I dont think I liked any of the characters, except for maybe Jamie, but I didnt get to know him well enough to comment either way. And as much as I wouldve liked to have known more about the clowns, especially Doopy and his bizarre brother Goshy, this book wasnt about getting all cozy with the characters. It was about the circus and the mayhem The Pilos unleashed upon the world. It was an imaginative book with some big ideas that wasnt nearly as horrific in an in-yer-face sort of way as Id anticipated. It took some big twists that surprised me but mostly I enjoyed the skewed writing.
Heres a little taste of some of the offbeat descriptive moments and dialogue that litter the story:
George Pilo marched in with someone at his heels, a fat man with eyes so close together it looked like they were sharing a socket.
And my personal favorite moment of dialogue:
Listen up. Shut your f(oh my!)k flaps!
This isnt a book for everyone but if youre in the mood for a uniquely strange read this will do the trick.
