The Scarecrow: A Gruesome Horror Slasher

by Samuel Small

Fans of Friday the 13th and Halloween will love this gruesome slasher following a group of teens hunted by a supernatural killer.You can run. You can try to hide. But no matter where you are, the scarecrow will find you. After a heart-wrenching breakup, the last thing high school sophomore Kyle Shoemaker expected was to fight for his life. But that’s exactly what happens after a drunken trip takes he and his friends to the abandoned farm at the edge of town. Nightly, the scarecrow claims one of them, leaving him with little time. Will he unravel the mystery of the scarecrow before it's too late? Or will its secrets remain buried beneath the dirt and wreckage at the old farm?Purchase this thrilling novel to dive into the chilling world of 'The Scarecrow' by acclaimed indie author Samuel Small. Join Kyle on a terrifying journey through the ominous town of Hollow, where darkness conceals secrets buried amidst the sprawling fields.

Genres: Horror

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2024

About the author

Samuel Small has been writing stories since he was five years old. His earliest book, titled Mario, was a thrilling tale in which the titular character had to jump up to get a key to open a door. His stories have gotten even more riveting over the years, now consisting of more than one sentence per page.

Reviews

[Susete Kunkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would picked it cause it was free on audible and I needed it for a game, but it was a pretty decent quick read.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally consider slasher books a joy to read, and this one, though it has its flaws, ultimately does not disappoint. Samuel Small's 'The Scarecrow' is a supernatural thriller, an intelligently written story of carnage, injustice, and sorrow. There are similar books about clowns (both demonic and not), revived serial killers, deranged female students on a rampage, and so on and so forth. Small's book is about... a scarecrow (obviously, duh!) Fans of slasher fiction will not find much that's unfamiliar here, though Small himself seems to believe otherwise (he implies in his afterword that the book puts the genre to the test - uhmmm, what?) And despite its flaws (overexplanatory, wordy, repetitive, and an ending that belongs to a book of middle grade horror), the book is entertaining! Also well-written, superbly edited, with some interesting structural choices (eg., every chapter is labeled by a numbered victim; the book might have ended at two thirds its current length, but a genius move allows it to go on, etc.)

My 5-stars, however, are given for a couple of scenes which, intentionally or not, make the book stand out and turn it into a cut above the rest: first, the author has put, almost in the middle of the story, an amazing scene of character depth and brutal realism, as the protagonist of the book (up to that point) discovers his best friend's betrayal, and decides to act accordingly when the murderous scarecrow comes for them. Keeping the review spoiler-free, I'll just say that the writing of that scene is top-notch, the dive into the character's mind incredibly compelling, and, what's more, the reaction of his former girlfriend to the events in that scene, leave an impact (she literally unlocks every little thing that's wrong with the character, chewing him up and spitting him out! Go girl!) The second scene is hard to describe without spoilers: it's essentially the moment that the plot makes a U-turn and a character kept totally in the background, becomes the star of the story. This was such a great development, pretty much entirely unexpected! It's worth reading the book for those scenes alone.

Although the story is marred by a childish ending (good endings of slashers are anyway rare), 'The Scarecrow' shows Samuel Small's talent at work in the best of ways, and I recommend it to all who enjoy revenge horror with some bloody, graphic scenes, and a lot of heart! Go grab it!

[Joey Frick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lock ya doors & hide ya kids cause Gary be comin! 3.5 stars rounded up! From start to finish, this kept me locked in and anticipating the worst and it sure delivered! The monster was scary and I enjoyed James’ character growth; I didn’t expect him to be the main character honestly, but was pleasantly surprised by it! My only complaint was the ending - it just felt too rushed, but other than that I dug this story.

[Daniel Nobles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, just a bit longwinded. A few times I felt as if things were a bit over explained, but if you can make it through that, it’s a great book.

I received a complimentary copy of this story and this is my honest review.

[Mike Prewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was ok. There were a couple of gnarly deaths, but other than that kinda forgettable.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Scarecrow does something pretty interesting in its setup. Instead of going through in chapters as one story, it's separated as chapters for the victims with subchapters in each to break them up a little. While this is different from most books that I've read, it does lose a bit of the cohesion that it would have if it was laid out in the traditional way.

It took me a little bit to warm up to this story. The first part seemed to be completely unconnected to the rest of the story, and it isn't until much later that I found out how it connects. I felt like I was missing a lot of context in the beginning, and that confusion carried over pretty far into the rest of the story.

The characters were a bit boxy since there wasn't a lot of development for them overall. Kyle seemed really inconsistent in his reactions to certain things and the actions that he took throughout the book. I don't feel like I got to know him or the rest of his friends as much as I'd have liked to before they were gone.

I did like the way that everything was resolved, though. It wasn't necessarily a happy ending as you'd think of one, but it was a unique way of handling the killer. It made me consider what would happen in other slashers if a similar resolution was done or even attempted. And we didn't get a Final Girl, as I don't think Sally counts in this situation. A very interesting take, indeed!

[Darren Manoharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A town, a curse, a group of teenagers. Usual stuff then. Maybe not in this case. A group of teenagers accidentally awaken possessed scarecrow who wants to take revenge on the town. It wipes out everyone in its path night after night and doesn’t appear to be stopping and no one knows why, or even believed it was a possessed scarecrow.

The first half of the book I found to be a bit of a slog. There is a bit of teenagers drama in there which slows the pace of the book down a bit. But the second half speeds up and is far easier and quicker to read. The book really looks at challenging preconceptions and does a good job of it. Overall it is a pretty decent read a well worth a shot. Has quite a nice moral to the story style ending. I have read a few other Samuel Small books and all have been pretty good. Not my favourite of his but still worth reading.

[Michael Heidle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is as much a psychological thriller as it is a horror novel; and it excels as each!
Admittedly, the first half of the book is mainly horror -- engrossing and captivating, yes; but just as I was beginning to wonder if there was a purpose, some theme, some meaning that would pull the story together in the end, well, yes layers and depth started building as this author does to pull you into an intriguing story that rattles your world in a way totally unexpected!!
I really don't want to give any spoilers, so there's not a lot I can say about what happens but I truly found this story intriguing and rewarding and know that you will as well!!
Great 'edge of your seat' writing made for a fun and frightening read!!

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarecrows are only for birds... right...?
Great Terror comes to those in the field, but you don't have to be in the field to be found!
This was a good fast read to keep the imagination going. What is really inside a scarecrow, and where are my friends going?
I would have liked something more added to the story, I was still waiting for another element, therefore rating a 4-star.
Thank you, Samual Small for a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this story and this is my honest review.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very slow through most of it. The ending was good although a little cheesy. Characters lacked development. Instead of it being a continuous story, the chapters were written regarding each victim. At times this interfered with the flow of the story. Gory details on the deaths. The ending wrapped up everything, but left me with a felling of wanting something else. Overall the book wasn't very scary as it was way to predictable.

[Joey Ehrlich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scarecrow was an enjoyable book to read. I think it suffers from over explaining and being long winded in some parts but I liked reading it. What I liked most about it was how gruesome and horrifying some of the deaths are. Sometimes authors try their hardest to be disgusting and sometimes they don’t explain at all. The deaths in this book weren’t drawn out and had great pacing. I read the book in two days I couldn’t put it down!

[Tina Kroh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good. Kinda predictable. If you are looking for a surface level, easy to read horror then this is a good one to spend an afternoon on. I just wish it had had a bit more depth to it. I have read this author before and really enjoyed his work so I think maybe this book just wasn’t my perfect cup of tea. It might be yours though if you like slasher scarecrows so give it a shot.

[Gabi Porcz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's face it - Anything along the lines of "Halloween" and "Friday The 13th" (plus if it includes a freakin' scarecrow), is my dosage of good medicine!
In places, it seemed like it strayed into a little bit of YA, but that didn't bother me as I am a YA addict.
An atmospheric book that will keep you turning the pages right to the very end. Highly recommended!

[Diana Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Scare Crow by Samuel Small and it was by far my most favorite. This Youth/adult book was so creepy and also so much fun to read. I could not put it down because I wanted to know if Kyle, main character, would survive! The story ended well but not how I expected it to. Most horror books do not scare me very much, but this scare crow sure did! It is a must read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to get an ARC of this book. I’ve never been afraid of scarecrows, until now. Shudder. I will say first it was wordy. Some could have been edited out. Especially at the end. But I will say parts brought me to tears. I will reread it, which means I did like it. I recommend the book to gory, bloody, creepy book lovers, like me.

[Amanda Grange · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scarecrow was so good! I was expecting something similar to Jeepers Creepers (which I love and would be 100% fine with reading) However, this was an intricate story of trauma, loss, and revenge. I am heartbroken that James did not get his goodbye hug, but the ending was absolutely perfect. I finished this a couple weeks ago and have been unable to get it out of my head.

[Sheri Corriero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The night bad for Kyle and his friends after the end up at an abandoned farm at the edge of town. A possessed scarecrow is awakened and is out for revenge. It takes one of them each night. The story goes through what they endure trying to not be the next victim. It was a good horror/thriller type book. I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle and his friends go to a place where an old legend was supposed to have occurred. Their actions bring something to life. It is angry and out for revenge. Can it be stopped? Unexpected ending amazing characters. It's hard to put down.

[Crystal DeBoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. Well written, entertaining, and holds your attention. How does one stop a zombie scarecrow from killing everyone in town? Read it and find out.

[Rowan Creech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good little horror read. Enough to get your heart pumping through each page.

[Cat B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 STARS
If I was not already freaked out by scarecrows after watching Jeepers Creepers, this would do it.
I received a free reader's copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[debb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable although predictable horror story that is very '80's slasher movie genre. The story moves well and provided a good rainy afternoon read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half was a little slow but really picked up in the second half. Seemed like I had it figured out but was pleasantly surprised where it went! Also taught a great lesson!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the story told in the book. The twists were surprising, and I was anticipating what would happen next. There were parts that were extremely wordy. Got bored from ALL the unnecessary details provided. The story itself was good.

I did receive a complimentary copy, this is my honest review.

[John Bitsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fast read that had me hooked right from the beginning pages. Definitely recommended!

[Bambi Goggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scarecrow by Samuel Small is a spirited throwback to the slashers of yesteryear. Great for fans of slice-and-dice horror with supernatural suspense.

[Christopher Combs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It let me escape for a few hours. The book kept my concentration
Instead of allowing the outside world to distract me. Awaiting your next story.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read with an unpredictable but good ending!!! I would believe all scarecrows have a story to tell. . . hopefully not the same as Gary's.

[Robert Rozell II · Rating 2 out of 5]

I put off posting a review.
I was very disappointed in this book.
There have been better books that use a similar plot.

[Susan Ballain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best and probably goriest Halloween books I’ve read for 2025!! I really liked it! It gave me the chills that I needed from a story!