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The Pilo Family Circus

By Will Elliott
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3.82 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 3,846 ratings, 505 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott plunges readers into a bizarre, nightmarish world where a young man's life is upended after a chance encounter with a dangerous, otherworldly circus. As he enters this twisted realm, he must navigate strange and terrifying characters who seek to transform him while trying to retain his grip on reality. This novel deftly mixes horror and dark humour, keeping readers on edge throughout.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5400

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by dark humour and psychological thrillers. The story delves into the unsettling world of a monstrous circus where the protagonist grapples with eerie and chaotic challenges. It offers a unique and bizarre experience with elements of horror and fantasy, perfect for readers who appreciate unexpected twists and eccentric characters.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Inaugural Winner of the ABC Fiction Award. Chilling and highly original, The Pilo Family Circusis a fast-paced and darkly funny novel by an exciting new voice in Australian fiction.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Jamie’s tyres squealed to a halt. Standing in the glare of the headlights was an apparition dressed in a puffy shirt with a garish flower pattern. It wore oversized red shoes, striped pants, and white face paint. It stared at him with ungodly boggling eyes, then turned away...

This seemingly random incident triggers a nightmarish chain of events as Jamie finds he is being stalked by a trio of gleefully sadistic clowns who deliver a terrifying ultimatum: you have two days to pass your audition. You better pass it, feller. You're joining the circus. Ain't that the best news you ever got?

Jamie is plunged into the horrific alternate universe that is the centuries-old Pilo Family Circus, a borderline world between hell and earth from which humankind's greatest tragedies have been perpetrated. Yet in this place, peopled by the gruesome, grotesque, and monstrous, where violence and savagery are the norm, Jamie finds that his worst enemy is himself—for when he applies the white face paint, he is transformed into JJ, the most vicious clown of all. And JJ wants Jamie dead.

Chilling and highly original, The Pilo Family Circus is a fast-paced and darkly funny novel by an exciting new voice in Australian fiction.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott has been praised for its imaginative and darkly comedic narrative that skilfully blends horror with absurdity. Reviewers often highlight its unsettling atmosphere and the vivid depiction of its eccentric characters, offering both chills and unexpected humour. The novel is frequently recognised for its originality and the way it challenges the boundaries between reality and madness.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733323881

Publisher: ABC Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 July 2008

Country: Australia

Imprint: ABC Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 403g

Pages: 354

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Will Elliott

About the Author

Will Elliott won the ABC manuscript award with The Pilo Family Circus; in 2006 it won the Golden Aurealis Award and was published in the UK, US, Italy and Germany to great acclaim. He also won The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist Award, a Spanish Nocte award for Best Foreign Novel, a Ditmar award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the International Horror Guild Award. He published a memoir, Strange Places, with ABC books in 2009 and the Pendulum fantasy trilogy with Voyager in 2010 and 2011. His standalone novel Nightfall was published in 2012. He lives in Brisbane.

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