I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House: a Novella

by Ben Farthing

Can you escape the labyrinth of circus tents?

Dave and his four-year-old Jacob find a circus tent in the woods behind their house.

A strange voice invites them through the dark doorway. When they refuse, the tent swallows them anyway.

What follows is a nightmare fleeing through a maze of circus tents. Strange performers lurk inside. They want Dave and his little boy to put on a show. The a shifting figure on a platform high above the trapeze wires.

With Jacob perched in the crook of his arm, Dave determines to outsmart the boss of this dark circus, and escape this horrifying tent.

I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House is a horror novella from the “darkly inventive” purveyor of creepy places, wondrous evils, and can’t-look-away storytelling, Ben Farthing.

Genres: Horror, Novella, Fiction, Short Stories, Thriller, Splatterpunk, Supernatural

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2023

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea, and I loved the imagery in the book. The clowns and circus folk were super fun and creepy. My only gripe was the protagonist. His repetitive narrative kept pulling me out of the otherwise fantastic story.

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Losing Performer was in Trouble...

I FOUND A CIRCUS TENT IN THE WOODS BEHIND MY HOUSE by Ben Farthing

No spoilers. 3 stars. Father took his son Jacob for a walk in the swampy woods behind their house...

Playing in the wet leaves, they saw a red and yellow striped circus tent erected on their patch of land...

Rain was expected that day...

... and soon water would be up to the tent entrance, and there would be liability for Father if someone got hurt...

So...

Father called to someone inside the dark tent interior, but no one answered...

Little Jacob told Father: I don't like it. Father didn't like it either...

Suddenly...

The tent seemed to swallow Father and Jacob up. They ran toward the exit, but the tent flaps closed them in...

Trapped inside the tent, the two saw shadowy-like circus people who appeared and disappeared...

They also saw...

A vast sea of interconnected circus tents without end that bled when Father tried to cut into them to escape...

There were...

Clown sculptures that came to life like a nightmare and something dark waiting for them to prove their showmanship...

Because, you see...

Father and son were pitted against each other in a contest to show the shadow monsters who was the better performer...

And the loser was in big trouble...

I think the nightmare of this story was a worthy plot, but I found the storytelling very confusing. With better clarification of what was happening, this would have been a stellar story, but as is, I gave it 3 stars.

An excellent tent story is THE TENT by Kealan Patrick Burke.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well what the eff!!!! This was seriously the scariest book I’ve read all year. There were some parts where I had to put it down and cuddle my dogs I was SO terrified. Yikes on bikes!!!

“It was an autumn day. The leaves had moved passed the “oh how beautiful” stage of bright yellows and oranges, and now were in that interstitial moment between their last gasp of brightness and their plummeting, fluttering deaths.”

A circus tent appears in the woods as a father and his son are playing. This isn’t any normal travelling carnival…. The mysterious entity running the show wants a performance, but not from its creepy carnies… it wants blood and it might even want YOUR SOUL!

Something about clowns just doesn’t sit right with me as an adult, they seem so nefarious now….

Honestly, don’t read this story in the dark it will actually give you nightmares!

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars but I rounded up. This was a quick, intriguing read that was inventive and captivating. Reading in bed late at night definitely added to the creep factor! I will be looking into more by this author.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost in a labyrinth of circus tents...Dave and his four-year-old son, Jacob, find a circus tent in the woods behind their house. A strange voice invites them through the dark doorway. When they refuse, the tent swallows them anyway. What follows is a nightmare fleeing through a maze of circus tents. Strange performers lurk inside. They want Dave and his little boy to put on a show. The audience: a shifting figure on a platform high above the trapeze wires. With Jacob perched in the crook of his arm, Dave determines to outsmart the boss of this dark circus and escape this horrifying tent.
My first experience with this author, was with "I Found Christmas Lights Slithering Up My Street", followed by A Lost Hallway in A Dying Mall... A Boogie Man Under My Brothers Crib...and Puppets in An Apartment Wall...get the idea? I am no longer surprised at anything this man can come up with. All his works are the epitome of creepiness at its finest, and truckloads of fun. This little offering is no different. It's creepy in a way that fans of horror will love, without a lot of blood and gore. Ben Farthing has managed to take the "sinister factor" to the next level.

I don't, and never have, liked clowns. They aren't funny...I remember thinking that they dressed and tried to be funny but just looked scary to lure the kids they had for their three meals a day. I know that I'm not entirely alone in this...well, maybe not the eating part. When clowns are involved, it never ends well. With the first appearance of the juggler and with every other new "carny type" making their appearances, the foreboding feeling becomes more and more palpable. With each new room in this endless tent revealing more and more bizarre items it was easy for the reader to start running wild with all the possibilities of what some of the items could signify or be used for.

The story is told in a "first person perspective" and was easy to quickly have me imagining myself in the role of the main character. In fact, I do not believe that the father figure in the story even had a name, which is quite odd for a main character yet oddly effective here. Almost like the author is telling us "you don't need to know him or his name, because he's not going to be this story very long". As the father and his little boy venture further and further into the tent in an attempt to escape their captors, they encounter increasingly more bizarre rooms. All of this comes together at the end in what can only be called a creepy and lingering, "Big Top Center Ring performance".

This review has almost been longer than the book...so I'll just say if you like horror where the characters are dumped into impossible situations with no end in sight and relentless pursuers that are as bizarre as they are terrifying, then I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House or any other of this authors works would be a quick, fun read. Be aware that Ben Farthing has a very strange mind and if this is your first foray into his very strange mind, I would also recommend the “Horror Lurks Beneath” series for a deeper, darker dive into this author’s completely creepy worlds. His books are just loads of fun...of the nightmare variety.

[John Durgin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is, HOLY F*CK! To be able to pack such a punch in a short novella takes some skill, and Farthing did just that. This is a terrifying story about a dad and son discovering a random circus tent in the woods behind their new home. I won’t spoil it from there, but let’s just say all is not as it appears on the outside. They enter the tent and that’s where the terror really begins.

Now for the narrator. I was so damn impressed with Aaron Camacho’s performance (yes I don’t say narration here because this performance was worth the ticket price alone), that I had to reach out to him directly. Then I found out it was only his second ever narration and it blew my mind. He will surely be a household narrator in short order. He brings this story to life and significantly adds to the creep factor. Do yourself a favor, don’t worry about spending an audible credit on a short book, you will be happy you did. Highly recommended.

[hannibal · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read!

I think I was as obsessed with the thing in the platforms above as the MC was. Fun, short, creepy little book. Actually wish there was more to it. Would have loved to know the backstories of the circus performers and have certain questions answered.

[Amy Cobb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this…at first. I quickly got lost in the father caring about the sons psychological well-being. It felt hammered in and took me out of the story. I kept thinking why are you worried about his mental health in the future when the scary ass clowns might kill him right now? Like y’all literally might die. Worry about mental anguish AFTER you survive.

I saw so many reviews praising the ending and it just didn’t smack me. I was expecting some kind of punch to the gut but…it fell flat.

Overall the writing quality is very good and I will definitely peruse the authors work. This one just didn’t do it for me m, but two stars for creativity and writing ability.

[Leigh Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do if you found a circus tent in the woods behind your house? What would you do if you had your very young son with you?

A short but wonderfully written tale of the lengths a parent will go to shield their children from trauma, both physically and emotionally. It's a very quick read but still manages to pack an emotional punch.

Filled with characters nobody would ever wish to meet, the author takes us from ring to ring, and tent to tent as we panic right alongside our protagonist. Bdn Farthing delivers a thrilling tale that can be easily devoured in one sitting 🎪

[Benji's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Quick, atmospheric, and chilling...

My brother ended up buying the first three "I Found" novels on Amazon, and "I Found Puppets Living in My Apartment Walls" was calling me the most to read. It sounded the most fun and intriguing. I may have gone in with too high expectations, since while I did enjoy it, I had already expected to, but it didn't exceed my expectations.

This book, however, blew me away. What I loved the most about it was that not every secret was given away, though you may or may not be able to piece it together. I had wanted "Puppets" to give me an "I get it now!" attitude after finishing, but I ended up saying that before we got to the climax, and so I felt it was somewhat too early to say that.

This one had me biting my fingernails and on the edge of my seat, wanting more and growing sadder seeing the page count decrease. It was really well done. I was expecting Killer Klowns From Outer Space, but ended up with so much more.

The only con I can think of is that character development was very minimal. It's there, but you've gotta squint your eyes to see it. Almost like the inside of a certain tent I recently read about...

I dont want to give any secrets away, so I'll stop right here. Highly recommended.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short, to the point, and it managed to creep me out without spilling a single drop of (human) blood! Quite an accomplishment. The most satisfying part was the ending: unexpected, original, truly disturbing, and very, very moving; the most serious drawback, on the other hand, the constant worry of the father about his son being traumatized - this got old very quickly. In fact, the emotional factor was stressed too much, exploding into psychological horror too many times, instead of focusing on the clowns and the circus' origins. Anyway, perhaps there isn't much else one can do with such a premise, however original it turned out to be.

[Rocio Voncina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titulo: I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House
Autor: Ben Farthing
Motivo de lectura: Letras Macabras (Isla Macabra 2023)
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 3/5

Comenzaria por decir que en mi vida tengo dos grandes fobias, una es la colombofobia (fobia a las palomas) y la otra es la coulrofobia (fobia a los payasos)..por que hablo de mis fobias? Tendran que leer el libro! 😱😱

Los personajes principales estan bien desarrollados, igualmente no podria hablar de una verdadera construccion ya que esto es una novela muy cortita y toda la trama ocurre durante un dia (o mejor dicho un par de horas).

La trama me parecio bastante original, con elementos espeluznantes presentados como un juego demencial del gato y el raton. La atmosfera es aterradora, asfixiante y hasta desesperante por momentos. Pero hubo un detalle que me saco del mood, y esto es una frase por parte del padre "intentar salvar al hijo del trauma", varias veces repite eso, y la sensacion por mi parte era "ya entendi, no lo vuelvas a repetir que me arruinas la lectura!" jajaja.

Si queres entretenerte un rato, leyendo algo que seguramente no hayas leido antes (por lo original de la premisa), este es tu libro!

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t exactly scared. There was some creepy imagery that I really enjoyed, but it could be that since I’m not afraid of clowns, that I wasn’t going to be scared. The father character did annoy me though. He was constantly rattling on about “saving his son from trauma”. Mentioning it once or twice would’ve been fine, but I read it far too many times in such a short novella. That kind of takes you out of the actual “scare”

[Caylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not scary, creepy or disturbing for me at all. I never felt creeped out while reading this and was expecting so much more from this so I am kind of disappointed but it was still pretty good.

[S.A Reidman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate circuses. I saw one when I was in Istanbul pre-pandemic (the last of a dying breed of spectacles) all I saw was animal and differently-abled people abuse not even well disguised beneath the stupid tent lights and gaudy outfits oh yeah and vomit-inducing shiny makeup. Whoooowee, I need a minute. Okay there, unburdened. 

Now onto the bloody horror of this sodding circus.
I so loved the theme of the father shielding his son from physical and emotional and fantastical threats even to his own detriment. A beautiful  heartbreaking undertone about parent-toddler relationship. 

The play on size in relation to level and force of threat, of violence was executed well. We expect bigger to be bad and the worst whilst smaller would be sweeter therefore easy to overpower. In this case, Biggest tent ever housing smaller than Dave's average average height things/clowns/shadows/ trapeze artists - all the worst hell on earth. 

Plot/Storyline:
I'm no mama-bear but I desperately wanted to rip into the pages, flatten myself into this book, dimension jump from my reality to that of the Circus Tent In The Woods and just rage against the forces threatening little Jacob. 

Character:  Oh for Fecking Sake  - I hate clowns.

Significant Scene:
Kids are perceptive even when they're 4 year olds and can't reason and have no choice but to heed instinct. Dave Dave Dave, should've listened to little Jacob - but hey no good horror starts with listening. 
■Can we watch a movie?” He asked, trying to get us back to the house. (Before entering the Tent)
■Jacob was looking over my shoulder. “Daddy, why is he a clown?”
“Because it’s a circus, buddy.” (When it was already too late)

Favorite Quote /Concept:
■A bloody bleeding tent. No, literally.
■ Jacob understood the need to stay quiet, which honestly was asking a lot of a four-year-old. (Dad/Narrator on his sweet son in the midst of a daring escape attempt)

StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt:  150 Horror Books by 2025

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: Language, gory scenes, blood

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Dave and his four-year-old, Jacob, find a circus tent in the woods behind their house. A strange voice invites them through the dark doorway.When they refuse, the tent swallows them.What follows is a nightmare fleeing through a maze of circus tents. Strange performers lurk inside. They want Dave and his little boy to put on a show. The a shifting figure on a platform high above the trapeze wires.With Jacob perched in the crook of his arm, Dave determines to outsmart the boss of this dark circus, and escape this horrifying tent.
Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 100
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Writing style was great
2. Atmospheric

What I Didn't Like:
1. Felt repetitive
2. Didn't know enough about characters to care if they died

Overall Thoughts:
This is the movie Cube with circus tents.


I was sucked into this book. It's short. I think I was more interested in the beginning but by the middle section it just felt repetitive and we were doing the same stuff over and over.

I just wish I could have known more about the family so I could have cared about them enough that if they did die.

Final Thoughts:
The writing style was fantastic and I really felt as though I was in the tent with them. I can't wait to read the authors other works.

Recommend For:
• Fans of Cube
• Father/son relationships
• Circus atmosphere

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[JasonA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this pretty blind. I saw it in the new arrivals at my library and picked it on the title alone. It was a pretty quick read at a hundred pages and change. It wasn't bad, and definitely better than I expected. . Based on the cover, I was kind of expecting it to lean young adultish, but it wasn't.

The story doesn't really waste much time. The titular circus tent shows up in the first few pages and we jump right into the weirdness. Most of the story stays in okay territory; it's not great, not horrible, and still entertaining. The ending though was what really kicked it up a notch. It was almost enough to bump it to four stars, but I'm still holding out.

Apparently the "I Found" is a series of sorts by this author, so I'll probably check out some of his other books. If they're all short like this and keep up the quality, they'll make a really good palate cleanser between larger books.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put off reading this because of the title. I really wasn’t expecting to love it so much! Very creepy and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming.

[Melissa Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely creepy. I love a good circus scare. The feel that everything encompassing the circus was alive gave a stimulating chill. It was dizzying running around with Dave and his son trying to find a way to escape. The ending was quite different and a bit disturbing. Really liked this hair-raising tale.

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I did enjoy this book. I love the horror circus theme and I hope to see many more books with this theme in the future. I just felt like there wasn't really anything happening through most of the book. It was the discovery in the beginning, then a lot of filler, then the build-up and climax till the end. For such a short book, I just felt it should have been a much faster pace. But I will continue with the series because they are entertaining.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the ending, and I thought the narrator's thought processes were a pretty great representation of parenthood and how much more terrifying this scenario would be with a small child to look after. That said, the book was lacking a little for me overall. I was left wanting more explanation into where this tent came from and what sort of phenomenon was fueling its denizens.

[Ashli Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little short book to read when you need a spooky read. Clowns and all circus folk alike join in this story of a circus tent in the woods!

[Sophie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting. I enjoyed the story and descriptions, but the repetitive narration got annoying.

[Aaron Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bone-chilling horror novelette that deftly combines elements of the supernatural with the creepy world of the circus. From the first page until the last, I was on the edge of my seat.
Ben Farthing has a way of building tension and creating a sense of impending doom in each sentence. The haunting narrative blends the familiar comfort of a backyard with the sinister allure of a hidden, evil, unescapable circus.
If you love horror and crave a unique and unnerving tale, "I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods behind my House" is a must-read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, but intense, read. Written from the first person viewpoint of a father and his 4 year old son. If you have kids, you can relate to the pain of carrying around a 40 lb preschooler and can only imagine the fear of not wanting to put him down in some creepy circus tent that just showed up in your back yard.

I very much enjoyed this, including the imagery, and it left me wondering about the tent's back story.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I didn't take his fear seriously. Hell, I didn't take my own fear seriously.
Not a day goes by now that I don't regret my neglect on that strange day in the woods."

If you saw a random circus tent in your backyard would you go investigate? I might have before but after reading this book I will be doing no such thing.

Dave is out playing with his four year old son Jacob in the woods behind their house when he happens upon a circus tent. The circus tent is dark inside and appears to be abandoned, but since it is on his property he decides he needs to check it out. After all, neighbors can't just be putting up circus tents everywhere, right?!

Needless to say, investigating is a bad decision and Dave and Jacob spend their time in the tent running from some very strange carnees. This book is a quick, tense read and you probably won't be heading to the big top after reading it. Thank you so much Ben Farthing for sending me a copy. Can't wait to read more of your I Found Horror series.

[Mike Salt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, this one was unexpectedly fun to read! I enjoyed the fast pace and the different clowns that appeared. It was atmospheric and dark. And the ending was executed perfectly.

[Jennifer Osborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: 🎪 🍂🌲
I finished this last night and I think it’s safe to say that it’s earned a place in my top reads based on the experience alone. It has been a long time since a book ‘scared’ me… or made me really feel nervous while reading, but this one accomplished that in just 95 pages.

My initial thought… was “Oh, that’s so similar to the tent the found in the woods in Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Like almost exactly.” … (which is great movie 🍿 so this wasn’t a negative)… but there are no popcorn blaster clowns or cotton candy people pods inside… no… this tent is much more sinister.

I’m not sure if it was more frightening for me because I pictured my own little boy (Jack) as the 4yr old character Jacob the whole time… but I could certainly put myself in the father’s shoes… I know what it’s like to carry a child that size for extended periods of time, and how heavy they become. I know how hard it is for a preschooler to be quiet 🤫… and I know how desperately I would be fighting to protect my child and get them to safety.

Farthing nailed it with the characters here… both father and child. And what waited inside the circus, was frightening indeed.

I read this in two sittings, though if could easily be read in one. And I’m not exaggerating when I say my heart was pounding for the entire last half. Bravo!! 👏🏻

I even jumped out of my skin a little when my dog scratched on the door. 😅 I was fully invested, and it’s truly been awhile since a story gripped me like this one did.

Thanks Ben Farthing 🎪 🎪 🎪 🎪 🎪

[Jessica (Read book. Repeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fair bit creepier than I anticipated. The feeling of being trapped, of being completely isolated from the outside world and being stuck in a maze that was full of things that looked kinda normal but gave you that ick feeling was so real. I actually felt like I couldn't breathe at times, not because of anything that was happening, but purely because of the feeling of being trapped. Even thinking about it now my anxiety is spiking a bit. So yeah, this really surprised me. It was a fast paced read and I feel that it was the perfect length for what it was. If it were any longer, the story would have felt really dragged out.

This is another great one to round out those reading goals before the end of the year! If you don't mind reading about clowns and a weird demon circus, then what are you waiting for?

[Kristen Thomason]

Finished this one real quick. I’m laid up with COVID right now and making my way through a couple of popcorn books. Super compelling title that tells us exactly what happened followed by a fun spooky book with plenty of cosmic dread. Not too much gore or disgusting stuff in this one, just a good spooky time. The narrator for the audiobook is great too, and the note from the author at the end of the book is genuinely so sweet.