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The Clarette Trilogy #1
Clarette
Clarette, a doll-turned-goddess, lives to punish the wicked. From school bullies to gangsters, she slaughters them all, summoning snakes and using telekinesis to execute evil doers for their foolish life choices.
When popular highschooler Summer Jackson witnesses the murder of her best friends at the hands of the goddess, she begins electrocuting innocents with powers of her own. Hell-bent on revenge, she’s allied herself with another god, one even more powerful than Clarette.
Clarette targets Summer, eager to squish her before the teenager’s killing spree wipes out the city. But she’s never faced the likes of Summer before, and slaying her might prove difficult. In fact, it might mean Clarette’s death.
When popular highschooler Summer Jackson witnesses the murder of her best friends at the hands of the goddess, she begins electrocuting innocents with powers of her own. Hell-bent on revenge, she’s allied herself with another god, one even more powerful than Clarette.
Clarette targets Summer, eager to squish her before the teenager’s killing spree wipes out the city. But she’s never faced the likes of Summer before, and slaying her might prove difficult. In fact, it might mean Clarette’s death.
228 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2023
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 19, 2023
Disclaimer: I was offered a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my rating, and the below thoughts are mine alone.
A tear dropped on the greasy pepperoni slice. Without any real thought, Summer lifted the meat, revealing a cheesy pit of oil not unlike Brie's pus-oozing cheek after the rattlesnake had bitten her.
When we think about extreme horror, our minds tend to conjure up the most shocking imagery we can muster. It is, after all, what the genre is known for. But, as readers, how do we sift through the plentiful offerings, to find a story that truly shines? This, is where Clarette comes in. Brutal, completely and utterly unhinged, a novel that takes depravity to a new low, Clarette is a fantastic example of extreme horror done right. However, reader beware, this isn't a walk in the park, you'll be faced with some extremely intense and diabolical topics. If like me, you seek stories that offer horrendous, vile and stomach churning depictions of cruelty, enacted upon hateful and sickening characters, then you're in for a treat...
Something I appreciate greatly about this novel is how it's simply pure, unadulterated fun, it's so thoroughly entertaining and completely lacking a single dull moment. When you read a novel such as this, you can tell the author had an absolute blast writing it, never once did this novel take itself too seriously, instead it opted to go balls to the wall bonkers! I mean, why are we reading this type of story in the first place, it's for the violence right? To revel in grandiose depictions of brutality without having our experience marred by a forced sense of realism. What a perfect novel, to highlight all that's great about extreme horror.
Gore and blood and viscera everywhere! That's what this novel brings. It's a completely exhilarating, lightning fast read. Despite her sometimes flawed judgement, Clarette is a character you can't help but root for, she's an anti-heronie for sure, one that you'll be sad to stop reading about. This novel is a thrill ride, but at times, will have you wishing you could claw out your eyes.
At that moment, his heart broke again, literally, bursting in his chest and spraying blood across her nightgown. She giggled as he died, collapsing.
A tear dropped on the greasy pepperoni slice. Without any real thought, Summer lifted the meat, revealing a cheesy pit of oil not unlike Brie's pus-oozing cheek after the rattlesnake had bitten her.
When we think about extreme horror, our minds tend to conjure up the most shocking imagery we can muster. It is, after all, what the genre is known for. But, as readers, how do we sift through the plentiful offerings, to find a story that truly shines? This, is where Clarette comes in. Brutal, completely and utterly unhinged, a novel that takes depravity to a new low, Clarette is a fantastic example of extreme horror done right. However, reader beware, this isn't a walk in the park, you'll be faced with some extremely intense and diabolical topics. If like me, you seek stories that offer horrendous, vile and stomach churning depictions of cruelty, enacted upon hateful and sickening characters, then you're in for a treat...
Something I appreciate greatly about this novel is how it's simply pure, unadulterated fun, it's so thoroughly entertaining and completely lacking a single dull moment. When you read a novel such as this, you can tell the author had an absolute blast writing it, never once did this novel take itself too seriously, instead it opted to go balls to the wall bonkers! I mean, why are we reading this type of story in the first place, it's for the violence right? To revel in grandiose depictions of brutality without having our experience marred by a forced sense of realism. What a perfect novel, to highlight all that's great about extreme horror.
Gore and blood and viscera everywhere! That's what this novel brings. It's a completely exhilarating, lightning fast read. Despite her sometimes flawed judgement, Clarette is a character you can't help but root for, she's an anti-heronie for sure, one that you'll be sad to stop reading about. This novel is a thrill ride, but at times, will have you wishing you could claw out your eyes.
At that moment, his heart broke again, literally, bursting in his chest and spraying blood across her nightgown. She giggled as he died, collapsing.
September 7, 2023
A doll infused with life as a result of an ancient ritual, Clarette is born with an all-consuming desire to punish the wicked - starting with her own creator and following up with everyone from paedophiles to rapists. But when she discovers a way to transform herself into a goddess, she soon finds that she's not the only one out there with divine powers, and that her murderous proclivities have attracted the attention of someone hell-bent on her destruction.
Sometimes comic, sometimes brutal, Clarette is a highly original fusion of dark fantasy action and unflinching horror. I had the pleasure of reading this book more than once before release and it never failed to entertain me and keep me turning pages. The main draw is the utterly charming anti-heroine, whom I came to adore despite her tendency to murder people in the most horrific of ways. I also love the lore this book is infused with - Robinson has created an entire world of ancient gods of whom we will no doubt be seeing much more in the book's planned sequels.
Potential readers should be aware that this book covers some very dark subject material (the aforementioned paedophilia, for example), although it's only alluded to rather than shown outright. However, any discomfort only adds to the sense of satisfaction when the characters get their much needed comeuppance.
Overall an extremely fun and entertaining read, and I will be first in line for the sequel when it becomes available!
Sometimes comic, sometimes brutal, Clarette is a highly original fusion of dark fantasy action and unflinching horror. I had the pleasure of reading this book more than once before release and it never failed to entertain me and keep me turning pages. The main draw is the utterly charming anti-heroine, whom I came to adore despite her tendency to murder people in the most horrific of ways. I also love the lore this book is infused with - Robinson has created an entire world of ancient gods of whom we will no doubt be seeing much more in the book's planned sequels.
Potential readers should be aware that this book covers some very dark subject material (the aforementioned paedophilia, for example), although it's only alluded to rather than shown outright. However, any discomfort only adds to the sense of satisfaction when the characters get their much needed comeuppance.
Overall an extremely fun and entertaining read, and I will be first in line for the sequel when it becomes available!
September 17, 2023
You ever wonder what a baby between the movie Megan and the game God of War would be? Well, you get Clarette. A doll turned goddess who seeks a simple thing.
Revenge against wicked. Ranging from bullies, to pedophiles, to rapists. Clarette will slaughter everyone of them in her path.
But only one thing is stopping her, teenager Summer Jackson, who, after witnessing the murder of her best friends, aligns herself with another goddess, and Summer goes on a killing spree. Not stopping until justice gets brought to Clarette.
Holy fucking shit, was this fantastic. I loved how Joshua took inspiration from bits and pieces of other horror movies (Megan, Orphan first kill, and Evil dead) and blended them into one gore soaked book.
When I say gore soaked, I don’t mean it lightly, blood and gore is everywhere in this book. And it does not let up. Which makes for such a fun ride as you route for Clarette to get revenge on every human scum she finds.
The characters were well fleshed out and well developed. And can I take a second to mention how badass Clarette was? She was fantastic.
The setting as well, chefs kiss. Ranging from places like France, to Thailand, to even more, it all feels refreshing. Instead of it just taking place in a casual area.
And the kills. Amazing. Joshua had some really creative kills in here, which I can really appreciate.
And I personally want to thank Joshua for sending me a copy of Clarette for an honest review. Really, thank you Joshua.
Revenge against wicked. Ranging from bullies, to pedophiles, to rapists. Clarette will slaughter everyone of them in her path.
But only one thing is stopping her, teenager Summer Jackson, who, after witnessing the murder of her best friends, aligns herself with another goddess, and Summer goes on a killing spree. Not stopping until justice gets brought to Clarette.
Holy fucking shit, was this fantastic. I loved how Joshua took inspiration from bits and pieces of other horror movies (Megan, Orphan first kill, and Evil dead) and blended them into one gore soaked book.
When I say gore soaked, I don’t mean it lightly, blood and gore is everywhere in this book. And it does not let up. Which makes for such a fun ride as you route for Clarette to get revenge on every human scum she finds.
The characters were well fleshed out and well developed. And can I take a second to mention how badass Clarette was? She was fantastic.
The setting as well, chefs kiss. Ranging from places like France, to Thailand, to even more, it all feels refreshing. Instead of it just taking place in a casual area.
And the kills. Amazing. Joshua had some really creative kills in here, which I can really appreciate.
And I personally want to thank Joshua for sending me a copy of Clarette for an honest review. Really, thank you Joshua.
September 9, 2023
A lonely witch yearns for a good-girl doll as a companion to replace her estranged sister. After multiple ritual attempts, Clarette is created. First of all, I loved the witchy intro, which is so suitable for spooky season!
Clarette finds a way to become a goddess with the help of Michael, and vows to crush all the cockroaches on Earth with her serpent powers and telekinesis. A hybrid of Chucky-Carrie with nods to Lovecraft, there’s just something extremely satisfying about a doll-turned-girl with superpowers giving baddies what they deserve.
This book contains lots of graphic violence and a little tour around the world with diverse characters, which I really enjoyed. However, there are some seriously questionable decisions made throughout the book and if you could look past those, this would be one hell of a story for you!
Clarette finds a way to become a goddess with the help of Michael, and vows to crush all the cockroaches on Earth with her serpent powers and telekinesis. A hybrid of Chucky-Carrie with nods to Lovecraft, there’s just something extremely satisfying about a doll-turned-girl with superpowers giving baddies what they deserve.
This book contains lots of graphic violence and a little tour around the world with diverse characters, which I really enjoyed. However, there are some seriously questionable decisions made throughout the book and if you could look past those, this would be one hell of a story for you!
September 13, 2023
This is a great horror book that will draw you in. Clarette is a doll (made by a witch) turned goddess. Her life is consumed with targeting the wicked and the ‘cockroaches’ on Earth and brutally killing them. The book has hints of Chucky but better! Clarette is captivating and she draws you into her world.
Warning :The book does have sensitive topics such as rape and pedophilia.
What I really love is this book reminded me of when I used to sneak and read my dad’s collection of horror books in the 80’s. I am looking forward to reading some more of Robinsons books. Perfect reading for spooky season!
Warning :The book does have sensitive topics such as rape and pedophilia.
What I really love is this book reminded me of when I used to sneak and read my dad’s collection of horror books in the 80’s. I am looking forward to reading some more of Robinsons books. Perfect reading for spooky season!
September 8, 2023
To start I was given an early copy of Clarette as an Arc read. That being said when I first started the book I wasn’t to sure because of the nature of the first few chapters but those chapters are a big tie in to the story giving you background about Clarette. To me it was like Megan meets Chucky with some occult sprinkled in. J.Robinson tells a very interesting story that keeps you hooked wanting to see what will happen next. He crafts an interesting character that makes you wonder is she a villain or a hero. I look forward to reading more works buy this author in the future.
October 4, 2023
This. Is. Nuts.
I've never read a book like this before, and I'm not saying that due to the concept alone. Sure, it's difficult to crack anything truly original these days, but if you smash together a bunch of elements that would make any literary agent run and hide and package them together in a fast-paced, unpredictable, and utterly WEIRD novel, you end up with a truly unique story like Clarette.
Joshua Robinson's novel is a mix of killer dolls movies, witchcraft, cosmic horror, body horror, angsty teen drama, and Akira TK fights, with extreme horror that made me a little squeamish, and even a little erotica (huh??). If you read that description and feel like it'd float your boat, well... it probably will!
The story is a split narrative that jumps around between multiple perspectives. When I say I've never read a book like this before, it's because halfway through the story I was still wondering who the main character was. The narrative is set up in such a way that characters earn your trust as a reader only to betray it in the next chapter. I can see a lot of people put off by the turns the plot takes, as basically everyone in the book is objectively bad (even Clarette, the doll-turned-goddess, has a very flimsy idea of justice), but if you think of this as a high-budget gonzo grindhouse movie, there's a lot to love here.
Big time trigger warnings. Without spoiling much, there's a certain type of bad person that several (maybe four or five) different characters turn out to be. Some of the details were a bit hard for me to stomach as I'm particularly sensitive to it.
I received a digital copy from the author and am writing this review voluntarily.
I've never read a book like this before, and I'm not saying that due to the concept alone. Sure, it's difficult to crack anything truly original these days, but if you smash together a bunch of elements that would make any literary agent run and hide and package them together in a fast-paced, unpredictable, and utterly WEIRD novel, you end up with a truly unique story like Clarette.
Joshua Robinson's novel is a mix of killer dolls movies, witchcraft, cosmic horror, body horror, angsty teen drama, and Akira TK fights, with extreme horror that made me a little squeamish, and even a little erotica (huh??). If you read that description and feel like it'd float your boat, well... it probably will!
The story is a split narrative that jumps around between multiple perspectives. When I say I've never read a book like this before, it's because halfway through the story I was still wondering who the main character was. The narrative is set up in such a way that characters earn your trust as a reader only to betray it in the next chapter. I can see a lot of people put off by the turns the plot takes, as basically everyone in the book is objectively bad (even Clarette, the doll-turned-goddess, has a very flimsy idea of justice), but if you think of this as a high-budget gonzo grindhouse movie, there's a lot to love here.
Big time trigger warnings. Without spoiling much, there's a certain type of bad person that several (maybe four or five) different characters turn out to be. Some of the details were a bit hard for me to stomach as I'm particularly sensitive to it.
I received a digital copy from the author and am writing this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2023
This eerie tale takes us to a world of horror and fantasy, complete with dolls, snakes and plenty of gore and torture. Right up my alley.
Clarette starts with her creator, Elizabeth, who dabbles in black magic. She uses her power to make a beautiful porcelain doll come to life. But, during a domestic altercation with Elizabeth's boyfriend, Clarette discovers a magical knife called the Blade of Souls, that when used to kill people, that person will become a God. Clarette uses her powers as punishment to several scum of the earth that deserves it.
Summer, who comes into the story, is a pretty high schooler who witnesses her friends murdered at the hands of Clarette. As revenge, Summer becomes powerful herself and searches for Clarette to end her murderous deeds.
All in all, this book had me turning the pages faster than I thought I would. Clarette is clearly sadistic and brutal but in a charming way. Her victims are horrible people who, in the end, you want to cheer her on. The book is extremely gory and does have some trigger warnings of child and sexual abuse. Joshua Robinsons' writing is wonderfully detailed of the characters' perspective and doesn't hold back on the creepiness of the characters. I give this 5 stars.
Clarette starts with her creator, Elizabeth, who dabbles in black magic. She uses her power to make a beautiful porcelain doll come to life. But, during a domestic altercation with Elizabeth's boyfriend, Clarette discovers a magical knife called the Blade of Souls, that when used to kill people, that person will become a God. Clarette uses her powers as punishment to several scum of the earth that deserves it.
Summer, who comes into the story, is a pretty high schooler who witnesses her friends murdered at the hands of Clarette. As revenge, Summer becomes powerful herself and searches for Clarette to end her murderous deeds.
All in all, this book had me turning the pages faster than I thought I would. Clarette is clearly sadistic and brutal but in a charming way. Her victims are horrible people who, in the end, you want to cheer her on. The book is extremely gory and does have some trigger warnings of child and sexual abuse. Joshua Robinsons' writing is wonderfully detailed of the characters' perspective and doesn't hold back on the creepiness of the characters. I give this 5 stars.
September 25, 2023
A twisted supernatural story, about a doll came to life to rid the world from the wicked. It's M3GAN 2.0 but French. Yes, sounds weird and it is for sure. I had a lot of fun reading this and would say that Clarette is very memorable character.
The writing is very good, I was pleasantly surprised at that, the paste is quick and there is a lot of action. And by action I mean gross and evil stuff happen. I love gore, I love snakes, I love revenge stories and this is exactly that. It’s not for people who get easily offended by human intestines and torture. The horror may offend some people but for me it wasn't even enough. I wanted more horror and depravities. The twist at the end was a nice touch.
I have some minor issues with the other main character - Summer, I found her motivation not convincing. Another aspect that kind of put me off, was part of Clarette powers, a little all over the place, her teleportation and shape shifting skills were a little too much in my opinion, but she is a goddess after all.
Over all, this is a lot of fun and I would recommend for horror beginners.
Big thanks to the author, who sent me the book for free in exchange of honest review. I see a lot of potential in his writing skills, so you should give him a chance.
The writing is very good, I was pleasantly surprised at that, the paste is quick and there is a lot of action. And by action I mean gross and evil stuff happen. I love gore, I love snakes, I love revenge stories and this is exactly that. It’s not for people who get easily offended by human intestines and torture. The horror may offend some people but for me it wasn't even enough. I wanted more horror and depravities. The twist at the end was a nice touch.
I have some minor issues with the other main character - Summer, I found her motivation not convincing. Another aspect that kind of put me off, was part of Clarette powers, a little all over the place, her teleportation and shape shifting skills were a little too much in my opinion, but she is a goddess after all.
Over all, this is a lot of fun and I would recommend for horror beginners.
Big thanks to the author, who sent me the book for free in exchange of honest review. I see a lot of potential in his writing skills, so you should give him a chance.
October 26, 2023
There may well be something morally questionable about the notion of a dainty, ten year old girl with a penchant for pancakes, singing as she skips barefoot along the pathway to a life as a blood thirsty vigilante. Yet, Joshua Robinson has accomplished it with the ability and assertiveness of a master story teller with an emotional center hitherto lacking from most stories in this genre. Without a doubt, the very idea is absolutely preposterous, but that's an essential part of its quality and why you will fall in love with Clarette.
Oozing style, wit and charm and offering a dizzyingly, fresh perspective on the horror genre that only Robinson could bring, this is, in a word, wonderful.
Oozing style, wit and charm and offering a dizzyingly, fresh perspective on the horror genre that only Robinson could bring, this is, in a word, wonderful.
October 12, 2023
I was offered a free e-book from the author, which in no way influenced this review.
Loved the introduction to this book - it was super witchy! This book is about a very unique doll, Clarette. Her owner wanted something to replace her sister, then Clarette was born. Clarette’s first task at hand was murder. Throughout the book, you’ll be following characters who do bad things, and the bad things that happen to bad people.
I enjoyed lots of pieces of this book - would recommend to someone interested in graphic and cosmic horror! Rating a 3/5 because it was harder for me to follow at times, but I see where a ton of people would absolutely love it.
Loved the introduction to this book - it was super witchy! This book is about a very unique doll, Clarette. Her owner wanted something to replace her sister, then Clarette was born. Clarette’s first task at hand was murder. Throughout the book, you’ll be following characters who do bad things, and the bad things that happen to bad people.
I enjoyed lots of pieces of this book - would recommend to someone interested in graphic and cosmic horror! Rating a 3/5 because it was harder for me to follow at times, but I see where a ton of people would absolutely love it.
September 14, 2023
This book had everything in it- snakes and a doll and a witch and gods and goddesses and I enjoyed every minute of it! I went back and forth on if I liked Clarette or not- because she kills sinful people.
Joshua is an amazing writer who transformed me into this world- thank u to Joshua Robinson for sending me a copy for an honest review.
I’m not going to lie, there are some pedophiles in this book and it can be a bit hard to stomach. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought
Joshua is an amazing writer who transformed me into this world- thank u to Joshua Robinson for sending me a copy for an honest review.
I’m not going to lie, there are some pedophiles in this book and it can be a bit hard to stomach. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought
September 29, 2023
Cosmic Horror and Supernatural Revenge
Clarette works best when it's about cosmic horror and supernatural revenge against evil humans. The final battle is pretty epic.
Clarette works best when it's about cosmic horror and supernatural revenge against evil humans. The final battle is pretty epic.
July 16, 2024
Clarette is told through multiple POVs which sometimes gets a little muddy, especially since their voices aren’t terribly distinct so it bleeds together a bit. I found the writing to be a bit juvenile at times, but to be honest, with the plot of this book I really didn’t expect to read a literary masterpiece. It’s very reminiscent of the ‘80s killer doll tropes where you forgive the cheesy dialogue because the gory visuals more than make up for the paper thin plot and basic dialogue.
Clarette contains lots of gore, however it never quite reaches splatterpunk territory, although it definitely makes an attempt. There are loads of inferior similes (ie: “Her skin had become as sticky and cold as a melting ice pop left in the sun.”), repetition where variety was sorely needed, and a few errors/typos that should have been caught by an editor.
The characters are so one dimensional and not relatable that I really wasn’t invested in what happened to them since there was no emotional connection whatsoever. A lot of the characters are pedos which seems lazy to pick one type of “cockroach” to stick with throughout, and there seems to be a lot of unresolved daddy issues happening with multiple characters as well. The final showdown was anticlimactic and underwhelming, culminating far too quickly and easily to be satisfying. The ending was incredibly simple, finishing on a humorous note, and definitely leaving a lot of room plot wise for the next book in the trilogy. It reads like a light, cheesy ‘80s B movie slasher flick that relies more on gore than solid material, which is fine if that’s what you like or are in the mood to read, but if you’re looking for something with more substantial content you’ll be left wanting. There’s no real terror, no psychological fear and no atmospheric imagery… things just happen without any buildup or anticipation. It’s violence and gore strictly for the sake of violence and gore.
Unlike the majority of the reviews here, I actually purchased this book & didn’t receive a complementary copy.
All in all it could be better, but it’s not awful.
Clarette contains lots of gore, however it never quite reaches splatterpunk territory, although it definitely makes an attempt. There are loads of inferior similes (ie: “Her skin had become as sticky and cold as a melting ice pop left in the sun.”), repetition where variety was sorely needed, and a few errors/typos that should have been caught by an editor.
The characters are so one dimensional and not relatable that I really wasn’t invested in what happened to them since there was no emotional connection whatsoever. A lot of the characters are pedos which seems lazy to pick one type of “cockroach” to stick with throughout, and there seems to be a lot of unresolved daddy issues happening with multiple characters as well. The final showdown was anticlimactic and underwhelming, culminating far too quickly and easily to be satisfying. The ending was incredibly simple, finishing on a humorous note, and definitely leaving a lot of room plot wise for the next book in the trilogy. It reads like a light, cheesy ‘80s B movie slasher flick that relies more on gore than solid material, which is fine if that’s what you like or are in the mood to read, but if you’re looking for something with more substantial content you’ll be left wanting. There’s no real terror, no psychological fear and no atmospheric imagery… things just happen without any buildup or anticipation. It’s violence and gore strictly for the sake of violence and gore.
Unlike the majority of the reviews here, I actually purchased this book & didn’t receive a complementary copy.
All in all it could be better, but it’s not awful.
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