c0ulda been longer and coulda had more detail on the endings of the stories and more detail on the, well, characters of the characters. but in general was pretty awesome as a horror adjacent work! 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Step right up to Freakslaw, a dazzling and chaotic carnival ride packed with revenge, found family, and unapologetic queerness! Jane Flett’s debut is bursting with wild energy and unforgettable characters—like Gloria, the worm-charmer fortune teller, and Nancy, the contortionist witch. Each member of the Freakslaw is bizarre, lovable, and brimming with life, making it impossible not to root for this quirky crew.

The writing crackles with sharp wit and vivid imagery, bringing the neon carnival to life against the bleak backdrop of a repressed Scottish town. While the pacing falters in a few spots, the mix of dark humor, sparkling chaos, and deeper themes about belonging and resilience kept me hooked. It’s strange, bold, and wonderfully unique—a must-read for anyone who loves their horror with a glittery, rebellious edge. Trust me, you’ll want to run away with the Freakslaw.

Freakslaw by Jane Flett

"Freakslaw" invites readers to explore the intriguing arrival of a traveling funfair in the Scottish town of Pitlaw. The narrative immerses the reader in a routinely monotonous community where the local men congregate at the pub to escape their daily hardships.

Channeling an aspect of freedom, the "freaks" unabashedly stake a plot within a field, looking to offer a wake-up call. Unbeknownst to the city dwellers, there is a hidden reason why the fair has arrived. Their focus remains on seeking retribution for crimes committed centuries ago.

The backstory is cleverly woven thanks to the story's numerous points of view. The question remains: will the traveling spectacles impose the proper punishment for which they seek?

An enjoyable little romp through a dreary town left me happily staring at the colorful spectacle lighting the night sky and tempting those within sight to indulge in the forbidden charms. The constant barrage of unfamiliarity challenges our senses. That allure has a seductive feel. The circus atmosphere, skilfully depicted by our author Jane Flett, appeals to our inherent desire for discovery. A conjoined twin, a young wolfman slathered in hair, and even a woman of severe gluttonous proportions await your arrival.

I found the stark contrasts between normality and the unconventional fascinating. Looking at society through a microscope and recognizing that "normal" does not invoke happiness. On the contrary, anyone who genuinely lives within the constraints of social norms longs for a sense of genuine freedom of speech and thought.

However, with every new morsel of intrigue, this story reverts to the diabolical plan. For who is the enemy? Is it the band of misfits or the drunken, abusive father? Therein lies the beauty of the tale.

The residue from cotton candy was firmly coated on the underside of my lips. So as the lights dim and the noise dissipates, I am left shocked. Amazed! A sense of danger was present but ultimately avoided, creating a beautiful outcome. By no means a perfect novel, for there were times bordering on outlandish. The book is saturated with sexuality, and at times I feel it may have crossed the line a bit too far for my liking. However, I did enjoy this tremendously. This gets 4 of 5 stars from me!

Many thanks to Zando for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

I was interested in the premise of this book but found the execution to be lacking. The number of characters we flip back and forth between felt too overwhelming and Nancy straight up got on my nerves. It’s such a bummer because I really wanted to stay engaged with this story but picking it back up always felt like such a chore. I never cared about any of the characters which is a shame because I think they’re interesting but something just felt like it was missing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a great premise and a great cover. Unfortunately those are the only things I liked about it. There were way too many characters to keep up with. I got lost in the beginning with immediately being thrown in to different characters povs. I kept finding myself just not caring.

Freakslaw has a great concept—a travelling carnival are looking to take revenge against the inhabitants of a small Scottish village. But sadly the story didn’t really work for me. There was such an interesting cast of characters, but the vast majority of them got hardly any development and I wasn't particularly taken with the ones who did. I also didn’t find the revenge aspect of the story to be all that compelling in the end; it all felt a little vague.

I think there are many people who will fall in love with the writing style, but again, it just didn’t land with me. The prose is certainly evocative, but it felt too crafted. It’s like I could feel the author’s presence in every word, when I wanted to be swept away by the story and forget that the author was even there.

This was a good read and it remind me of American Horror Story, Freakshow. Its dark and has lots of disturbing moments but a great varied group of performers who are a family.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc for this book!

I really liked the initial concept of this book - a travelling funfair arrives in an ordinary small Scottish town, and soon infiltrate themselves into the lives of the townsfolk. The residents have mixed feelings about the carnivals arrival, with some intrigued by its presence, whilst others are unsettled. Many dark themes are explored in this story, so if you’re looking for a book which explores rage, hatred and violence, this is it!

I think there could have been a really good story to be told here, however parts of it fell slightly flat for me. There were numerous characters, so the character list at the beginning was helpful; however, even so, it sometimes felt like a struggle to follow who was who with such a variety of cast. Some characters were also uncomfortable to endure at points - *cough* Nancy *cough* - whilst I loved the dynamics portrayed with some of the others, in particular those townsfolk’s who embraced familiarising themselves with the Freakslaw characters.

The first half of the book was quite slow, with not a lot happening; in turn, the ending then felt a bit rushed, with lots of action happening in a short space of time.

Overall, a really interesting concept for a book, it’s definitely memorable and will stick with me for a while!

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc for this edition of this book!

the elements: a travelling circus with a wide array of different characters settles in a sleepy scottish town and starts some shit aka it has all the elements to make it a good book, and i really do believe there's a good book in here somewhere, but it didn't really fully develop. there were chapters that made me gasp at how beautifully they were written, that felt like a fever dream and that really made the author's writing style shine, but other chapters were so boring or clinical and were a slog to get through.

i think there's too many characters in the book with not nearly enough backstory. there's a couple of characters that only get one chapter dedicated to them and then they're relegated to the background, which makes you a) want to know more, because they were often quite interesting characters and b) want to know less because what the fuck was the point if we're just barely going to mention these people from now on?

i think the author set up an interesting arc with both ruth and derek, but didn't really succesfully finish either of them? there's also some very iffy consent issues with ruth which is a whole other story.

also just saw that this was tagged as horror, and it's not horror besties, the only horrific thing is nancy.

At the core of this novel is such an intriguing concept: a carnival descends on a boring and repressed small town, there's a group of unique people bound together by a shared history & camaraderie, one group versus another in a battle that's likely to have happened many times before.
Except that's not really what "Freakslaw" turned out to be for me. All the carnie folk were written as such one dimensional people. Not a single one went beyond 'I want revenge and will take what I feel is owed to me', and not a single person was likeable at all (especially characters like Nancy). The town's people seemed to have just one defining characteristic to them and nothing else to make the reader care about any of them (with themes like repression, gullibility, domestic violence, graphic animal abuse, etc). No one in the book seemed to behave & react like a normal person as fiery showdown at the funfair concluded. The narrative would work if at least the ending wasn't so anti-climactic (nothing really changes, no one gets a true sense of justice, etc).

Great for a debut! Fun visceral horror about a traveling freak show. My only real issue is the writing style. Sadly it didn't work for me and hindered my overall experience. Would still recommend to anyone looking for this type of horror.

Absolutely love this cover. It really drew me in. The plot was good and a little predictable though. Otherwise it's a normal freakshow type novel

A funfair comes to a small town and seemingly corrupts some of the townfolk, chaos ensues.

This book gave American Horror Story vibes (when it was actually a good show). The cast of characters were such a treat and I really enjoyed all the horror elements combined with its own unique touch of weirdness. Well written, absolutely entertaining, and definitely freaky, I definitely recommend this book for those who want a spooky little horror read with lots of queerness and silliness. And of course what's a horror read without some revenge and a bit of sacrificing?

It’s 1997 and the freak show has arrived in a small Scottish town. Ready to stir up trouble and vengeance on behalf of all those who have been wronged - the outsiders, the queer, the disabled, the foreign.

The writing is very flowery and the story is lewd and crude. But I was expecting it to go further, whether in horror, sex or depravity, but unfortunately it just toed the line.

The way too many characters really killed the pacing, and honestly, I would have preferred POVs for the freaks only, the normies were unnecessary and boring.

It was ok but I felt like it could have been more.

I will read just about anything featuring freaks, freakshows, etc. So if even if this novel's lurid cover didn't draw me in, I'd still be into it.
The book begins with a lengthy disclaimer to appease the "softer" readership of the modern age. The freakshow rolls into a small Scottish town. The townies are all variously repressed and backwards. The freaks are all progressive and liberated. The two mix about as nicely as oil and water, but mix they do. Romantically, sexually, emotionally, etc. For the freaks of Freakslaw are just that irresistible. And it all ends about as happily as you might have expected.
So that's it for the basic plot. The real star of the show here is the writing. It's also some of the downside. First and foremost, Flett's style is striking, synesthetic, dazzling. She can turn a phrase beautifully and has a considerable gift for metaphor.
But it's all a bit too self-aware, which results in a sort of precociousness where you can just imagine the author laboriously crafting each sentence to precisely the right degree of whimsy. Moreover, it ends up overwhelming the novel. Yes, there is such a thing as too many metaphors, similes, etc. It's possible to overwrite something. This is Frett's debut, after all. And it is definitely possible to overwrite something to the point where it overwhelms the plot itself.
That said, it is certainly a very impressive debut and a very interesting novel from an obviously gifted author. I'm sure it'll find its adoring audience. Thanks Netgalley.

Freakslaw is a surreal novel about a "freakshow" carnival which comes to a small Irish town and tells a story about magic, revenge, and acceptance of who you are.

The Freakslaw are a wonderfully varied group of performers who are more a family than anything. Featuring a wolf boy, a fat lady, a fortune teller, and a contortionist (among others) they pull into towns once a year with revenge on their minds. There's a magic realism at work as sins of the past are revealed and this troupe will exact their revenge.

But this town s filled with people who find these people disgusting. The town is steeped in bigotry and prejudices towards anyone different. While the 'freaks" are comfortable in their own skin and relish in who they are, this pisses the town folks off even more. This is going to lead to a battle that doesn't end well for many of them.

That's the basic plot but it doesn't do this book justice. It's a very well written piece of horror fiction and the writing style cements these scenes in your head. With queerness being the driving force and the town who rejects all they stand for outright, the battle lines are drawn.

Yet there are certain folks who find the allure of this carnival too much to resist. But is it because of the magic being done or because of their own desires and hidden secrets? The answer is both and that's where this book really shines.

With fantastic characters, a beautiful surreal narrative, and the ultimate sacrifices some must make before everything is lost, this novel makes for a great read. I highly recommend it.

This was such a great horror novel that I wanted and enjoyed the way this story was told. I loved the idea of a carnival filled with troublemakers. It was a wonderfully done story and worked with the world set. The characters were interesting and worked with everything that I was looking for. Jane Flett has a strong writing style and can’t wait for more from Jane Flett.

This was a wild ride that I was absolutely here for! I could not put this book down! I absolutely loved how the author lovingly wrote about the Freakslaw performers. This book is wild, freaky, and a damn good time!

"Freakslaw" by Jane Flett explores themes of identity, challenges to societal expectations, and the complexities of personal relationships, including chosen family.

The story follows a group of misfits navigating a world that often marginalizes them. With elements of humor, the narrative offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be different in a conformist society.

Set in the 1990s, the tale revolves around a traveling circus—a modern-day freak show—that establishes a home in a small town in Scotland. Their objective is to lure the youth, much like the Pied Piper, while seeking revenge on those who have historically ostracized and oppressed their communities.

"Freakslaw" embodies a rebellion against norms that oppress and harm minorities. It celebrates uniqueness and challenges the status quo. The story presents a revenge twist on the concept of a freak show, placing the disenfranchised in positions of control and power.

I recommend this novel. While it is playful, the messages resonate both historically and in today's world. Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC.

Okay, the cover caught my eye then the title, and by that point the synopsis, the cherry on top.

This was a entire trip, dinner and a movie, all tied up with absolute chaos.
Big big AHS vibes, which personally I like.
This though was better then AHS. The story line was better and had Alot more oomph packed into it.

This kept my attention the whole time, and honestly I felt like it was medium to fast paced, you did not have time to catch a breath 😂

Pitlaw, yall, every small town I've ever lived in but more fucked up.

I saw some complaints that there were too many characters, but considering Needful Things by Stephen King is my favorite book ever, bring on all the characters,

I want to meet them, hell I want more stories of the people that lived in the town.

I would have loved more but not everything needs to go on forever.

Honestly I will buy this when it's released and will be buying my bestie a copy they will LOVE this.

Weird horror is on the rise and I am absolutely here for it

Thanks netgalley for another great read