This week, a young boy runs away to join the circus (becomes a clown-shaped killing machine) and finds a family he never knew he needed (other clown-shaped killing machines). Join me as we dig into The Dance of Mervo and Father Clown by A.P. Fuchs!
What Is The Dance of Mervo And Father Clown About?
When nine year old Jackson decides to face his fear of haunted houses, he ends up involved in something much worse.
The circus is taking children.
And when a clown paints Jackson’s face with mysterious white paint, the only thing Jackson knows anymore is how to kill for Father Clown.
This is one of the first horror books I picked up on the Kobo Store, and it did not disappoint! A perfect weekend read, and just the right level of disturbing to keep me wanting more.
What I liked…
For those of you that haven’t noticed, I’ve been in a major reading slump lately. Maybe ‘reading slump’ is the wrong word, because I have been reading, I just haven’t been reading as much horror as I would like to. I’m working on my newest book (you can find some of my freebies here!), and in all the stress, it’s been easier to reach for the cheesiest of cheesy romance. But I’m ready to get back on the horse, and that meant picking up as many novelettes and novellas as I could find. My first book? The Dance of Mervo and Father Clown, which I picked up on Kobo.
This is such a fun and quick read. I found the pacing on this to be perfect, and the writing is incredibly clear. Just coming at it from a more mechanical perspective, this is a very easy book to get through. The fact that it also made me a little queasy is the cherry on top.
I do find that having Jackson at the tender age of nine makes it a bit of a difficult read, but that’s never been a bad thing around here. In a very short amount of time, I was terrified both for and with the kid. For such a short book, this did feel very heavy for me. A fairly major mechanic of the book is also what makes it so heartbreaking. For those who don’t want to be spoiled, I’ll hide it in a carrot below.
Spoiler re: Father Clown’s methods
The face paint Father Clown puts on poor Jackson has a way of removing him from reality. So while we get to read and fully comprehend the gruesome murders he’s committing throughout the story, Jackson doesn’t really connect what’s happening (until it’s far too late). As a reader, it creates a really unique experience where there’s all of this build up and you know exactly how much it’s going to hurt when this all comes crashing down. And hurt it does. The writing creates a huge emotional payoff, and I think the author did a fantastic job!
… And What I Didn’t
Not to spoil the ending for you or anything, but…
Spoiler: it is definitely dark
…it is dark. I’ve been loving to read horror that ends with some closure or some restoration of power at least. Jackson’s story just goes from awful to horrific, and there really is no climbing out of the hole. While this is still a five star read for me and I thought it was great, I just think maybe it’s something to be aware of when you’re going into it.
Final Thoughts
The Dance of Mervo and Father Clown is a dark, short, and disturbing little read. If you weren’t afraid of the circus before, you will be after hearing Jackson’s Mervo’s story. If you need a bit of a slump buster, this is a well crafted story told in a perfect little package.