Book Review: “Cirque Berserk” by Jessica Guess
Cirque Berserk
Jessica Guess
The senior trip is supposed to be exciting, different, not just going to the same place you’ve been a hundred times before. Keen to make the night really memorable, a group of friends head to Cirque Berserk where, in 1989, a group of teens killed a dozen people then disappeared. With the carnival still standing, the friends make their way to Shadows Creek, not expecting the night of bloodshed that waits on the other side.
Number four in the Rewind or Die series, and further proof that Unnerving are absolutely killing it with these books.
80s themed, slasher fun, a gory romp through an abandoned carnival, imaginative ways of killing off teens – there’s little else you can ask for in a novella.
The book is told in dual timelines, done really well as we switch between 1989 and the present day. The stories weave in well together, and there’s some great reveals sprinkled in throughout. It’s an edge of your seat kind of book, one which really would make an excellent film.
I’m someone who is big on character, and hates when characters feel like they’re only there to get slaughtered. Luckily, this book handles ‘additional cast’ really well, causing conflict when you’re not sure who, exactly, you want to root for.
The characters draw you in right from the start, and the switching timeline really adds extra weight to how you see particular characters involved in the story. Guess takes the slasher-antagonist trope and gives it a fresh spin, creating characters who solidly drive the story while remaining sympathetic.
I was so glad to finally get to read this one – it is definitely worth your time, especially if you like the slasher subgenre and want something different.
Grade: A
Publisher: https://www.unnervingbooks.com/
Review by Elle Turpitt
@elleturpitt
I won this book from Not Your Final Girl podcast.
