by Jeff Strand
Published by (Independently published)
Publish Date: September 19, 2019
Plot Synopsis:
Jaunty the Clown just wants to entertain families with lighthearted slapstick antics, but people think of clowns as terrifying, nightmarish creatures who hide in closets or under beds. When Jaunty, along with his fellow performers Guffaw, Wagon, Reginald The Pleasant Clown, and Bluehead are fired from the circus, they're told that the world just doesn't like clowns anymore.
Still, clowns have to eat. And since these clowns don't eat children, to make ends meet they're eventually forced to take a job in a popular haunted attraction, the Mountain of Terror. Instead of charming entertainers, they're now scary clowns. A zombie clown. A demon clown. A creepy doll clown.
But the town is about to discover something more frightening than clowns. Because on opening night, millions of oversized spiders emerge from a cave and begin their deadly invasion...
From Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Jeff Strand comes an insane mix of shameless silliness and grisly creepy-crawly horror. Clowns vs Spiders—who will win?
Review:
If you rolled your eyes when you read the book's title, let me start this review by urging you to push your initial assumption aside and give this book a read. It is definitely worth it.
Just like its title suggests, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS is a story about a group of circus clowns who must pit themselves against a cluster of ancient, voracious arachnids that have recently awakened in a nearby cave. But how does a clown fight off countless dog-sized predators that can overtake their prey in poisonous-teeth-filled waves? Hopefully with a dose of humor and a lot of bug spray!
Author Jeff Strand offers up an interesting premise here, and he executes it very well. The story is tight and well-contained. It is not filled with fluff, nor does it rely on its clever premise to carry it along.
Instead, Strand gives the reader much to consider in regard to group dynamics when faced with an apocalyptic situation, and he even explores the age-old nature of clowns themselves. If you are looking for Pennywise or Killjoy in this group of jesters, you will find neither; the clowns in CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS are pure, good-natured human beings who truly seek to entertain people. This aspect alone makes the book worth reading. When was the last time you read a story with clowns that weren't evil??
CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS is written well and flows at a nice pace. Strand does a fantastic job of creating suspense and offering a load of thrills (as well as a nice helping or three of gory demises) in this entertaining jaunt. It is campy sometimes, but it works here; at times, the book feels like a spider-filled version of Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
The characters are well fleshed-out and believable. They are also likeable, which helps the reader empathize with them when things go bad. It seems like too many horror movies and books these days are filled with detestable characters, which means the audience or reader roots for the monsters instead of the protagonist(s). While that can be fun, I'd personally rather have main characters I actually enjoy and care about.
This book is a definite win for me. If you are afraid of clowns, spiders or both, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS is sure to scare the living hell out of you...and you'll love every minute of it.
Scott
