"Freakslaw" by Jane Flett is a vibrant and evocative journey into the heart of a repressed Scottish town on the cusp of transformation. Set against the backdrop of the summer of '97, the arrival of the Freakslaw funfair ignites a spark of rebellion and desire for change among the town's inhabitants. Flett's cast of eccentric characters, from deviant queers to powerful fortune tellers, infuse Pitlaw with a kaleidoscope of color and intrigue. Yet, beneath the surface lies a simmering tension and a thirst for revenge that threatens to unravel the fabric of the town. "Freakslaw" is a mesmerizing tale of longing, rebellion, and the unyielding pursuit of freedom.

Freakslaw is a novel about a travelling circus that brings something shocking to a Scottish town. Pitlaw is the kind of town that no one ever leaves, though some of its residents want to escape. When the Freakslaw comes to town, a travelling circus of those who don't fit in including a fortune teller, a teenage witch, and many others, many residents of Pitlaw are appalled, but some are drawn to the fair, and to the freedom it offers. As the potential violence between Pitlaw and Freakslaw builds up, desires will be realised and revenge will be sought.

This novel opens with a list of characters, something which tends to put me off a book as it always feels like it means it won't explain who anyone is well enough within the actual narrative, but that wasn't the case with Freakslaw, thankfully. Though there are a lot of characters, they're not too difficult to keep track of, and the narrative is pretty straightforward, with a few main characters who are followed and then a lot of supporting ones. Though it is an adult book, the main characters are mostly teenagers, and generally the book has a sense of a different kind of coming-of-age, a chance to see that adulthood isn't just a straight-laced thing. Though it is set specifically in 1997, the narrative didn't particularly feel specific to that time, giving it an almost timeless feel.

The narrative builds up predictably, with a few darker moments but mostly just what you'd expect from a small-minded-community versus weirdos and queers story. It is maybe trying to be transgressive, but if you tend to read darker books, this is very light on basically any scale. There's not a huge amount of backstory given for any of the circus performers/workers, as the book is more focused on the people of Pitlaw, particularly teenagers Ruth and Derek, and I think that people looking for a story of a travelling circus of outsiders might be disappointed by this focus, but it does suit the coming-of-age feel.

Freakslaw is a decent read that I would've gone into with a better mindset if it didn't start with a list of all of the characters. There's some good plotlines in there—Ruth and Derek both get interesting narratives—but also a lot of underutilised characters due to the nature of the book and its focus. It's fun, but for me it didn't quite live up to the queer punk label it was promoted with.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this title.

The premise sounded like lots of fun and drew me in. In Pitlaw, a town which made me think of Footloose, people don't dream big and they rarely leave. When The Freakslaw comes to town, with their bright colours and variety of acts, the townsfolk are disapproving. But they don't know The freakslaw's real purpose - revenge.

The writing was a bit too crude for me, and even though I wanted to see how the story ended, I wasn't able to push through. It just didn't feel like some of the scenes were necessary to the narrative of the story and ended up just being uncomfortable to read.

Loved this! It's dark and spooky and explores the conflict between small-town small-mindedness and difference and queerness - both of the blow-ins with the funfair, and the townsfolk who find themselves with the help of the 'freaks'.

Thanks PRH & NetGalley for the early copy. I did enjoy this and felt it was a cool, dark and queer story all focused on our needs to fit into a community and place. It felt slightly YA with the themes, characters and language (minus some swearing) but that didn't stop it being a decent read.

Queer and dark read that explores the small towns mixed in with visitors, new ideas and darkness and teens who want to belong / explore.