Everyone needs to go on a wild ride every now and again; this book will churn your stomach as you climb, and then drop from under you as you whoosh down that rollercoaster steep drop. An unforgettable ensemble of characters, sharp-witted details, and clever plotting make this a book you won't want to put down!

Freakslaw is the name of our side-show, traveling circus type cast of characters. The author has a handy index of characters listed at the beginning of the book (but I only had to reference it a couple times, she doesn't go too crazy with too many characters all at once) - but I consider our main protagonists to be Nancy (teenage witch), Zed (cute boy who runs rides), and then two of the town kids, Derek and Ruth. Everyone else is important to the story too, but these 4 characters contribute to the majority of the interesting plot.

I won't give too much away, but Freakslaw rolls into the town of Pitlaw (book is based in Scotland) and set up the "funfair", much to the disdain of the local townspeople. What ensues is all kinds of magic and trickery, lust, wrong decisions and a wham-bam ending.

The author was SUPERB with her wit and details. So descriptive but not in an "ok she is trying too hard" type of way. It progressed very naturally and it was an easy and fun read. I loved all of the characters. I think my only minor complaint is that the ending was a bit predictable, but that's kinda how I wanted it to end. I would have been angry I think, if it would have ended differently.

The average life of a small Scottish town is disrupted when a funfair rolls into town. The Freakslaw is populated by people outside of acceptable social norms, particularly in a town where everything is only acceptable in black and white. The Freakslaw wants to bring some color into their lives, some fun and danger, but they also want revenge. Soon the town’s teenagers find themselves drawn to the funfair and its inhabitants, while the adults slowly grow concerned and then angry about these disruptions to their way of life.
This story takes the lives of those forced to make a living outside of society, including disabled, fat and trans bodies, who found a refuge in the freakshow, as well as people who have chosen this life on the margins because they found closer connections there than they ever found outside. What I personally adored was that the people of the Freakslaw are not perfect, noble and yearning for acceptance from ‘normal’ people. They are humans and as such sometimes they hate, they crave revenge, they flaunt their otherness on purpose to piss off those on the straight and narrow. And then of course, they do come to the small town with the intention of revenge. It is a joyful, queer, angry story and I really loved that.
There are also a lot of different POVs explored, both from people inside the Freakslaw and people from the town, diving deep into a variety of psyches, which sometimes made it a bit hard to follow along. Despite this I really found myself enjoying the story and I kinda wish it had been longer at points, so we could explore a few of the characters more deeply.
However, all in all I really enjoyed this story (even if the horror is minimal) and even though the ending felt like it happened a bit too fast, I had a lot of fun.

TW: ableism, abortion, burning alive, death, domestic abuse, drug trip, eating disorder (past, mention), fatphobia, injury, institutionalization (past, mention), physical assault (past), sexism, sexual assault (past), transphobia, violence

I give this 2 stars out of five, the writing while beautiful and descriptive is also a little bit confusing at times.

What do you get when you mix:
The disorienting weirdness of “Geek Love”, the revenge  found within Tod Browning's “Freaks” , and the lovely 90’s vibe of Tom Stern and Alex Winter’s “Freaked”?
You get Freakslaw
I absolutely loved this book. Give me a circus, a freak-show, a carnival and I’m in.  Raunchy and wild. The whole story disorients you like you’re on the Waltzer ride. Zed spinning that cart as fast as it can go.  Freakslaw encapsulates the feeling of being stuck in a small gray ignorant town and wanting out. The excitement of color coming through town and tempting you in with the bright lights and cotton candy. The sweet sweet taste of revenge and the loyalty of found family. 
This is a story I will absolutely read again!
(I bought the physical copy because I love the cover!

I really liked this story, and there were a lot of cool characters (some likeable, some unlikeable). My only issue (and it seems like this was an issue for other readers) is there were too many POVs, and it lessened the emotional impact of each story. I would have liked this more if we narrowed down the characters were saw the world through, but otherwise a fantastic story.

It’s the 90s and the Freakslaw has just rolled into the small Scottish town of Pitlaw. The townsfolk have never seen the likes of these newcomers before and they’re certainly not a welcome sight. But the folks behind the Freakslaw are used to this and now they want revenge.

This book reminded me of AHS: Freak Show for sure, but as someone who grew up watching Elvira and To Wong Foo I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to those as well. Freakslaw explores what happens when outsiders arrive in a repressed small town and turn the lives of the residents upside down. Some residents give into their base desires and welcome to newcomers, but most see them as freaks to be reviled.

At its heart this is a revenge story, but it’s very character driven and I did find myself struggling with the pacing at times. There are a lot of different characters to follow and I wish the author had given us fewer POVs as it got a bit cumbersome at times. However, the writing the writing was beautiful! Even when I found my mind wandering I still wanted to keep reading and see what happened next.

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for a review copy.

The vibes in this book were exactly right. The only vice I have with is that the huge amount of characters and the change in POV every chapter made it difficult to emotionally connect to the story. It had some really interesting bits, and there was plenty of foreshadowing to keep me speculating.

There are some very likable characters and there are some very unlikable characters. Freakslaw has you walking that thin line the whole time. It definitely takes you along for a journey. It would have been better to limit the amount of POV characters a little more, because it got confusing at times. But there definitely was a very interesting story there!

At times the writing style was a little odd, especially when I just started the book. It took me a while to get used to. But once I was, the book was much easier to read.

Overall an enjoyable read. Not great, but it entertained me more than enough!

I was very excited to read this book, as I think carnivals are a great and underutilized horror setting. Unfortunately the advance digital version was very hard to read on my device. Due to some very nice formatting that I'm sure will look great in print, the text was miniscule and I was unable to adjust it. I could zoom in and out every paragraph, but that was much too frustrating to try and read a whole book that way.

I am still interested in reading this, but I think it will have to be in print.

Ahhh so many characters. I do like the list of then in the beginning that was super helpful, but it did get a bit confusing. Fun story tho!

I went into this expecting a queerer, gorier Geek Love (an assumption supported by the blurb) and was extremely disappointed. From the first chapter, it seemed like the author was trying their best to highlight how WEIRD and FREAKY the characters were rather than embracing these aspects. While the characters themselves seemed to embrace their outsider status, it seemed as though the reader was still supposed to hold them at arms' length and acknowledge that they were Freaks first and humans/people/characters second. This was especially rough for the queer characters, as their queerness was treated with this voyeuristic jeering. Nancy goes to great lengths to prove to everyone how edgy and sexual she is, but somehow this comes across as a cautionary tale against queerness and sexual exploration rather than sex positivity. The reader is never allowed to forget how Weird and Wrong the characters are and as a result, none of them act like anything but caricatures -- I was constantly being taken out of the story by the bizarre things they did and said. I tried to push through to see how the witch revenge plot played out, or whether any real stakes ever appeared, but I tapped out at 50%.

This book was major Vibes. A story about a traveling carnival called the Freakslaw arriving in the small repressed Scottish town of Pitlaw. Freakslaw is dark, gritty, queer, and unapologetic. Think a 90’s Scottish version of Something Wicked this Way Comes mixed in with AHS Freak Show and the classic cult film Freaks “One of Us! One of us!” , along with an ancient line to witches and old magiks.

The story is told from multiple POVs, and there were A LOT of characters. I did spend the first quarter of the story trying to keep track of who was who. There is a character list with descriptions at the start of the book, which I suspect may have been added in later to help with confusion.

This is the first novel from Jane Flett . It did feel at times like Flett was trying to do and say so much in this story that unfortunately, it got a bit muddled in the middle. That said, there was a great sense of foreboding throughout and I was completely captivated by all of the characters, wanting to know more about each of them. I think I needed the book to be longer, allowing the story breathe and build up slower to its conclusion. Jane Flett is a talented writer however, and I ended up highlighting sections of her prose often.

Over all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend for those who love Scottish slang, carnival outsider vibes, and aren’t put off by body gore or frank depictions of sex and bodily functions. I am looking forward to reading future work from Jane Flett.

I got about 25% through this and decided to DNF it because the story felt both rushed and slow at the same time. I am vaguely interested in the sinister happenings of the carnival, but the writing and storytelling style was not creating an enjoyable experience for me at this time.

This is the fast-paced, thrilling tale of a traveling carnival known as the “Freakslaw” and their stay in a Scottish town, Pitlaw. We follow the stories not only of the carnival entertainers- specifically Nancy, a teenage, cortornionist and witch, her mom Glorida the fortune teller, and Freakslaw friend Zed (amongst others!). We also follow several town members who become entangled with the Freakslaw- specifically Ruth and Derek, who are exploring their identities and the world of the Freakslaw.

Ultimately this book speaks to the theme of society targeting those who are different and forcing them to make their own space. Only, the Freakslaw want revenge on the past, and the townspeople want the Freakslaw gone.

This is a really entertaining read. At first, I had a hard time following all of the characters and thought the pacing starting a little slow, but it sped up very quickly. I could’ve used a little more of each section since there were so many characters, some were harder to get to know. All in all, this is worth a read for my bookish friends who like a weird book like me! It’s horror, ‘90s, and has some queer love stories woven throughout. 3.5 rounded up to 4!

I really really wanted to like this book. The cover is absolutely stunning and the premise completely drew me in. However, from the very first page, I had my doubts. After a 3-5 page character list, way too many in my opinion, it became hard to keep track of who everyone is. Constantly swapping point of views mid-chapter was jarring and we are continuously swept back and forth between the "Freakslaw" and the characters of the town. I found the writing to be wonderful, I do wish we could have focused on fewer characters and really fleshed them out making them more loveable. It was hard to connect to any characters when there are just that many within the book. I would definitely read more by Jane Flett however as I do find the authors writing to be quite enjoyable.

Thank you to Zando Publishing and Netgalley for providing this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

The writing is fantastic! There are very unique phrases that remind me strongly of Ray Bradbury's writing. This author knew how they wanted to tell this story; and they did a fantastic job of creating a kaleidoscope of sentences that is rarely seen in modern writing. The story itself is straightforward, but the writing structure provides an intricate framework for it to hold its form.

The story itself is fairly chaotic, but in a great way. It flows nicely, almost like a storytelling instead of a book. It allows you to move with the feel of the words rather than rigidly focusing on the end goal. The plot is there, but haphazardly thrown in, again in a wonderful loosey goosey kind of way.

It very much feels like a carnival. How everything can be wild and free and wonderful, but stull confusing and just the tiniest bit of overwhelming.

It is rare for me to come across books that alter my perception, especially in such an interesting way. I will absolutelbe purchasing this book.

Thank you Zando Projects for allowing me to read this wonderful book ahead of release! I look forward to reading more from you!

Freakslaw is a dark, surreal tale that brings together a carnival of misfits with a story steeped in magic, revenge, and acceptance. This novel pulls readers into the gritty, uncomfortable world of the "Freakslaw" performers, a group bound together by a shared history of pain, sacrifice, and defiance against a world that rejects them. As they arrive in the small, bigoted town of Pitlaw, their presence sets the stage for a battle that is as much about vengeance as it is about the ugly truths lurking beneath the surface of society.

The narrative is gritty and graphic, with disturbing imagery that toes the line between horror and splatterpunk. The book does not shy away from uncomfortable topics; blood, gore, bodily functions, and the rawness of human desire. It's a story that will make you squirm, yet you can’t help but be drawn into the world Jane Flett has created. The characters are deeply flawed and often monstrous, but they are also achingly human, full of love, anger, and defiance. It's this duality that makes Freakslaw both repellent and magnetic, a book that leaves you unsettled, yet unable to look away.

However, this is definitely not a story for everyone. The intensity of the themes, the graphic content, and the often grotesque descriptions may be too much for many readers. The book does *not* hold back, making it a challenging and uncomfortable read at times. But for those who appreciate a raw, unapologetic narrative, it offers a cathartic experience that explores the darker sides of human nature and the consequences of repression, violence, and bigotry.

The conclusion is as powerful as it is bloody - a perfect end to a story that is as much about finding family and acceptance as it is about revenge and destruction. Freakslaw is a wild, queer, and unapologetically insane ride, full of magic most people are too afraid to face. If you're prepared to confront the uncomfortable, Freakslaw will leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Freakslaw by Jane Flett in exchagne for an honest review. All thoughts and opinons are my own and are not influenced by any third parties.

This is a ‘You get it or you don’t’ kind of book but I feel like I’m smack dab in the middle. Maybe I just wanted to get it more than I did. It felt over-romanticized at times. The writing was a little too flowery, when I just wanted it to speak for itself. The freakshow revenge premise really sparked an interest in me but I had to work for, and wait for, any payoff.
I can see many people loving this book and I can also respect the author’s intention with the story. I don’t really want to sway anyone from picking it up- I’d just tell you to expect a more liberating (at times, very gross) story about self expression and bigotry over a thriller/horror book.

A carnival descends on a quiet, repressed town in Scotland in the 90s and scandal, blood, guts, self-discovery and love follow.

This was a lot of fun to read for sure. The colourful characters (Gretchen and Ruth were the highlight, but everyone was well-written and felt real even in their punchy, exagerrated form), the relentless tension, lovely (and lively) writing - all kept my attention until the end. And the ending felt absolutely earned.

The only reason for 4* and not 5* is that perhaps there were too many characters and the story felt stretched a bit too thin at times. And Nancy, as a proper teenage girl should be, sometimes was a bit much for a middle-aged reader like me (only sometimes though).

Overall, a fun gory read full of great lines and fascinating characters. Excellent cover too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Okay, you know those posts that are like “Give me recs to match the vibes” *insert photo of 2000s indie grunge teen movie*, this book is that. What an intoxicatingly addictive ride this was! I didn’t really know what this was going to be about but it really impressed me! You follow multiple pov’s(don’t worry there’s a detailed character list at the beginning!) and how they handle the funfair coming to town! Very much recommend.

This was an easy 5 stars, this is the type of horror I absolutely LOVE. Set in the 90's, old school horror, so many colorful characters and small town vibes - think American Horror Story - Freakshow meets Rob Zombie's 31. I finished this in 2 days, I could not put it down. It was fun, it was colorful, it was a wild ride that I didn't want to get off of. I wish it was a little longer! If you love horror and the 90's this book is for you!

Thank you so much to the author, publishers and NetGalley for giving me this ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed it!