Do you enjoy horror stories? Do you have a thing for...or against clowns? Well, this novella, set deep in the woods of South Carolina, author Hoss takes readers on a desperate bid for survival against murderous clowns with a deadly desire for a grisly trophy.
Clowns in the Woods is a novella inspired by true events. Headlines of reports of “creepy clowns in the woods” kick off this short story. Set in 2016, the story begins to unfold with seeming innocence. Collin is somewhat excited to be going hunting with his girlfriend’s family. Author Hoss gives readers the early impression that Collin stands out in stark contrast concerned to the men he’s currently engaging with.
Collin is tattooed up with full sleeves and gaged ears. The guys he’s currently associating with? Well, let’s just say they are the exact opposite of Collin. Need another clue? His girlfriend’s father is nicknamed “The General” and even his wife calls him that. Collin stands out, but that’s not something he chooses to linger on. He thinks that this hunting trip will be fun, or at least an interesting experience.
As Clowns in the Woods unfolds the hunting party makes their way into the woods. Since Collin is a city slicker, he’s not the best with directions and the forest that surrounds him. He’s been given a compass, but the man have simplified things for him. Find the road if you get lost, and follow it in either direction until you hit “civilization.”
You’re sure to settle into the story easily enough as nothing too disturbing happens for a while. But things take a strange turn when one of the men shoots a buck who has come into their view. We know what you’re thinking...”Strange how exactly?” Well, the buck doesn’t behave like a wounded animal should.
At this point in Clowns in the Woods author Hoss lets things take a darker turn. It appears that none of the characters are too aware of the strangeness that is going on around them. That is until it becomes too obvious to ignore any longer. But by then...they are in too deep.
What unfolds from that point forward...it is intriguing and will literally pull you to the edge of your seat. Things begin to pick up the pace in action and drama. Now, readers who are hoping for a lot of detail in what transpires in the follow scenes will be disappointed. We would have liked more detail in what all happens to the men in the group.
We simply wanted the horrors of the moment to be more amplified and drawn out. Everything happens so quickly that it’s over in a flash. The clowns in Clowns in the Woods deserved a bigger presence in this story. They are the main theme of the story after all.
The overall storyline is good, but there are a couple of moments that took us out of the story. When Collin compares himself to the rest of the hunting party and views himself as “smarter” and “more clever.” It feels like a stretch, especially in light of the fact that he is reflecting on what has happened. Hindsight is 20/20 Collin, and that doesn’t make you “smarter” or “more clever” than someone else when you’re able to learn from their “mistake.”
Author Hoss writes an interesting novella with a nice amount of horror, and a few surprise twists that readers won’t think to expect. It would have been nice if the blurb actually matched the story, but unfortunately it’s a touch misleading.
The ending of this novella is open-ended leaving readers to question how things full play out. You get to decide for yourself. Readers who enjoy twisted horror will definitely want to check this book out. Who knows, it may have you thinking twice about that next expedition into the woods...are you safe? Or are there insidious clowns waiting to take a grisly price from you?
Pros:
- Decent amount of horror
- A touch of humor
- Drama
- Twisted
Cons:
- Wanted more focus on the clowns
