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Buttons
Nearly twenty years after the violent murders in the small town of Cedar Hill, Karen finds herself face to face once again with the psychopath believed to be the suspect.
Is Buttons the clown really back? Or is Karen suffering a mental breakdown at the hand of her trauma?
Is Buttons the clown really back? Or is Karen suffering a mental breakdown at the hand of her trauma?
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
30 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2025
13 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 17, 2025
3.5 stars. Killer clowns are my jam. From the time that I was a little Topside to my current, older, more rugged and grumpy form. They will always be scary and carry a respectable place in our culture. However, that makes me very picky about how they’re used. Here, there were some interesting plot points that sort of set it apart from the pack. Nothing necessarily groundbreaking, but it used concepts from other similar stories and mashed them together into an unique idea. Karen, our lead, was a decent person to follow and the fact that we questioned what was reality versus PTSD was fun. However, the story moved much too quickly and didn’t properly develop all of its finer qualities. Lots of information dumps and jumping ahead before things were settled with the reader. I liked it, but it needed to be a bit longer and slow it’s pacing to be a more effective horror story.
January 4, 2026
After a small clown statue is thrown at Karen's door one night, she begins to panic, remembering the horror she endured 20 years ago, as a high school student in her new town of Cedar Grove....
Walking home one day, she realizes nearly every home displays a clown in some way: statues on their porch, painted on their mailboxes, hanging from their trees, etc. When she asks her new friend from school about this, the girl, along with two classmates comes over. They tell Karen it's something of an urban legend. Supposedly, a bunch of people were murdered by a psycho dressed like a clown, and every few years he comes out of hiding to strike again. They tell Karen he's called Buttons, because he always sews buttons onto the eyes of his victims. They also add that, according to the legend, if you have a clown in your yard, he skips your house.
Karen points out she doesn't have one for her home, but before she can grab something clown related from her horror collection, she realizes it's already too late.....
Walking home one day, she realizes nearly every home displays a clown in some way: statues on their porch, painted on their mailboxes, hanging from their trees, etc. When she asks her new friend from school about this, the girl, along with two classmates comes over. They tell Karen it's something of an urban legend. Supposedly, a bunch of people were murdered by a psycho dressed like a clown, and every few years he comes out of hiding to strike again. They tell Karen he's called Buttons, because he always sews buttons onto the eyes of his victims. They also add that, according to the legend, if you have a clown in your yard, he skips your house.
Karen points out she doesn't have one for her home, but before she can grab something clown related from her horror collection, she realizes it's already too late.....
May 5, 2025
i'm not particularly afraid of clowns but this was creepy and fun! short horror stories are always a joy for me 🙂↕️
October 8, 2025
This is creepy.
#31daysofhorrorshorts - EXTREME EDITION
#31daysofhorrorshorts - EXTREME EDITION
February 1, 2025
My awesome friend and amazing author Jenn Osborn wrote this terrifying short story for me 😀
It was really cool and fun to read about myself in a book and to have my cats Regan and Karras in it. This story was awesome and so creepy. Buttons was absolutely terrifying 🤡😱 Lock your doors, leave the lights on, and don't forget to leave a clown statue on your porch unless you want to meet Buttons
It was really cool and fun to read about myself in a book and to have my cats Regan and Karras in it. This story was awesome and so creepy. Buttons was absolutely terrifying 🤡😱 Lock your doors, leave the lights on, and don't forget to leave a clown statue on your porch unless you want to meet Buttons
February 1, 2025
Who will Buttons visit next?
You?
You?
February 28, 2025
I don't like clowns ..... a creepy and haunting quick read!
February 5, 2025
**ARC Review**
I got to read this wonderfully creepy short story written by none other than Jennifer Osborn. At only 24ish pages (according to the Kindle app), this was a quick read that left me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
For people who love scary stories about creepy, killer Clowns, this one is definitely for you.
A young Karen had her life change horribly one fateful day when little clown figurines start showing up around her neighborhood. This led to a night full of the scariest experiences anyone could survive. Twenty years later, another clown figurine appears in her back yard, an omen of something about to happen.
This book started off fast-paced and did not let up the entire time. This book shouldn't take you more than 20 or 30 minutes to read. The release date is set for February 14th. So grab it when you can
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I got to read this wonderfully creepy short story written by none other than Jennifer Osborn. At only 24ish pages (according to the Kindle app), this was a quick read that left me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
For people who love scary stories about creepy, killer Clowns, this one is definitely for you.
A young Karen had her life change horribly one fateful day when little clown figurines start showing up around her neighborhood. This led to a night full of the scariest experiences anyone could survive. Twenty years later, another clown figurine appears in her back yard, an omen of something about to happen.
This book started off fast-paced and did not let up the entire time. This book shouldn't take you more than 20 or 30 minutes to read. The release date is set for February 14th. So grab it when you can
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
October 24, 2025
In this story we follow Karen. When Karen was younger she lived in a town where people would put a clown figure in front of their house to protect them from Buttons the clown. He wouldn’t come if there was a clown out front. Karen and her mother don’t know that and they don’t have a clown out front. When something tragic happens Karen is left as an adult with severe ptsd and anxiety. 20 years later the same clown doll she saw when she was a kid is in front of her home….
This was a really good short story. The details of the clown were very scary, I loved the whole art the clown vibe with the no talking mime action. The was a fast paced read but still a very good one for the length.
This was a really good short story. The details of the clown were very scary, I loved the whole art the clown vibe with the no talking mime action. The was a fast paced read but still a very good one for the length.
February 1, 2025
A virtuoso performance of creepiness! Now that's how you write a short horror story: an atmosphere of menace from the very first page, the tension escalating to the inevitable carnage, the gore kept to a minimum and serving exclusively the plot. Osborn's short tale is a supernatural slasher in miniature, easily a campfire tale of coulrophobia for adults. And there are also cats, two of them to be precise. If Buttons appears again in the future, they should be the ones to get sweet revenge!
March 29, 2025
What can I say…A quick, terrifying read about a clown. Didnt go into depth about the clown, but there was no need to. We got the point..quick. Was really fast paced, but really had you thinking about what is happening. This 23 page book reminded me of my favorite time of the year to read horror books… October. This book may be short, but this packed a punch, consisting of one hundred tiny little fists, jabbing you in the chest. Loved it.
October 19, 2025
This was a fun horror short centered around a killer clown.
January 22, 2026
Adequately creepy for a short story!
March 30, 2025
Thank you to the author and the publisher or publishers for all your hard work! I'm leaving this review voluntarily and happily! Take a look!
This was a super fast-paced short read. I enjoyed it to the very end. As I'm trying not to spoil it, this review will be short and sweet. I enjoyed the little bit of backstory and lore you get about buttons. There is death in this bit, not a whole lot of blood or gore , so that's what you are looking for this isent the book for you. If you love creepy clowns, then this is definitely up your alley. It seems that clowns are written about constantly, but this was a refreshing twist, in my opinion.
Are legends true or something just made up? Maybe some are and should be listened to. Karen finds this out about the clown buttons in the town she moves to with her mother. Suffering something truly awful, she runs from it only to come face to face once more with her past. What's going to happen?
For such a short story, it really packs a punch. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. I wish there was more. I definitely would love to learn more about Buttons himself, perhaps. Only time will tell.
This was a super fast-paced short read. I enjoyed it to the very end. As I'm trying not to spoil it, this review will be short and sweet. I enjoyed the little bit of backstory and lore you get about buttons. There is death in this bit, not a whole lot of blood or gore , so that's what you are looking for this isent the book for you. If you love creepy clowns, then this is definitely up your alley. It seems that clowns are written about constantly, but this was a refreshing twist, in my opinion.
Are legends true or something just made up? Maybe some are and should be listened to. Karen finds this out about the clown buttons in the town she moves to with her mother. Suffering something truly awful, she runs from it only to come face to face once more with her past. What's going to happen?
For such a short story, it really packs a punch. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. I wish there was more. I definitely would love to learn more about Buttons himself, perhaps. Only time will tell.
February 6, 2025
A quick ARC read, but again, one that packs a punch.
The cover slighly freaks me out just a tiny bit also lol.
If something like that was basically stalking, or is it haunting, me, I too would consider I was having a mental breakdown .
This is one of those stories that I want to use next time I'm at a campfire thing, but for adults that can handle it, lets just say that, this isn't a spooky fun tale to tell while eating smores, this is one you tell to win " most likely to freak my friends out and no one is going to sleep alone in their tents" kind of story.
This being short, I don't want to give away anything, so i wont say more, but yall, the "Vibes" are there.
Her stories are easily becoming ones I look forward too, whether she's doing her own thing or part of a anthology, hers is a name I look out for.
The cover slighly freaks me out just a tiny bit also lol.
If something like that was basically stalking, or is it haunting, me, I too would consider I was having a mental breakdown .
This is one of those stories that I want to use next time I'm at a campfire thing, but for adults that can handle it, lets just say that, this isn't a spooky fun tale to tell while eating smores, this is one you tell to win " most likely to freak my friends out and no one is going to sleep alone in their tents" kind of story.
This being short, I don't want to give away anything, so i wont say more, but yall, the "Vibes" are there.
Her stories are easily becoming ones I look forward too, whether she's doing her own thing or part of a anthology, hers is a name I look out for.
February 2, 2025
The creepy clown on the cover of this book should give you an idea of the terrors harbored within! The town of Cedar Hill was the site of several horrific murders many years ago, but it seems like the killer might be back. Was Buttons the clown responsible for the crimes?
Karen is the only survivor of an earlier attack so when she starts to see some suspicious things, she wonders if Buttons is back or if she is just having a breakdown.
If you are creeped out by clowns or just looking for a quick, scary read, give this one a try. And, you might want to put a clown out on your doorstep first, just in case!
Karen is the only survivor of an earlier attack so when she starts to see some suspicious things, she wonders if Buttons is back or if she is just having a breakdown.
If you are creeped out by clowns or just looking for a quick, scary read, give this one a try. And, you might want to put a clown out on your doorstep first, just in case!
February 3, 2025
Here is the synopsis:
"Nearly twenty years after the violent murders in the small town of Cedar Hill, Karen finds herself face to face once again with the psychopath believed to be the suspect.
Is Buttons the clown really back? Or is Karen suffering a mental breakdown at the hand of her trauma?"
My review: it's a short book and sometimes the short reads are the best! They pack a punch and leave you stunned. This was no exception! Absolutely brilliant!
I couldn't read it fast enough, this would make an amazing movie that's for sure!
Absolutely brilliant!
"Nearly twenty years after the violent murders in the small town of Cedar Hill, Karen finds herself face to face once again with the psychopath believed to be the suspect.
Is Buttons the clown really back? Or is Karen suffering a mental breakdown at the hand of her trauma?"
My review: it's a short book and sometimes the short reads are the best! They pack a punch and leave you stunned. This was no exception! Absolutely brilliant!
I couldn't read it fast enough, this would make an amazing movie that's for sure!
Absolutely brilliant!
March 11, 2025
A woman is haunted by a childhood nightmare, a killer clown that terrorized her town. Buttons the clown was genuinely creepy and I could envision each scene vividly. Buttons feels like it could be an episode of one of the old horror anthology shows I used to watch growing up, shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark and Tales from the Crypt. Fast and thrilling, but short.
The story was unfortunately too short for me to become all that invested, and I think the premise would have been more engaging if it was told in a longer form. Still, it’s a good bite-sized story for those that enjoy urban legends and creepy clowns.
The story was unfortunately too short for me to become all that invested, and I think the premise would have been more engaging if it was told in a longer form. Still, it’s a good bite-sized story for those that enjoy urban legends and creepy clowns.
April 17, 2025
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!! How does someone pack so much terrifying horror into so few pages? Well, Jennifer Osborn is giving a Master Class here with Buttons, the story of a clown that has haunted Karen's youth, only to return for more chills and thrills as Karen has grown and become a mother. The pace in this 24 page (according to my kindle) read borders on the frantic, and the story grabs you from the beginning. One thing is cler after reading this gem of a story: We need more Buttons in our lives! Are you listening, Jennifer Osborn?
March 26, 2025
This is a short story with a big scare factor! It will haunt me for a long time! 😱
I have always found clowns creepy; however, I was not expecting all of the chills that came over me while reading it. This story takes every inspiration from the famous clowns in horror and adds to it in the most frightening ways possible. Yikes & thanks for the solid scare (and nightmares) Jennifer!
I'd give it a rating of 5/5 clowns 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
Pick it up now- you won't be disappointed!
I have always found clowns creepy; however, I was not expecting all of the chills that came over me while reading it. This story takes every inspiration from the famous clowns in horror and adds to it in the most frightening ways possible. Yikes & thanks for the solid scare (and nightmares) Jennifer!
I'd give it a rating of 5/5 clowns 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
Pick it up now- you won't be disappointed!
September 6, 2025
This was a very quick read at just 28 pages, and it packed in plenty of creepy atmosphere. Told in dual timelines, the story leans into clown horror, which personally taps into one of my biggest fears.
While it’s short, the pacing worked and the setup kept me engaged. The ending includes a twist that hints at the possibility of a part two, and honestly, I found myself wishing this story was longer.
While it’s short, the pacing worked and the setup kept me engaged. The ending includes a twist that hints at the possibility of a part two, and honestly, I found myself wishing this story was longer.
February 2, 2025
Twenty years ago, Cedar Hill was the site of murders. Now, twenty years later, Buttons is back! If the cover doesn’t get you; Osborn creates an atmosphere that consistently amps up the ominous dread. This fantastic, short, 30 page read gave me the willies and I LOVED IT! Well written, minimal gore, and two cats, Regan and Karras, makes this a must read.
February 15, 2025
Thanks A lot, Jenn
I have read several books and watched even more movies involving clowns. I have never been afraid of clowns, but I'm pretty sure that I will be having nightmares tonight. I could definitely see this story being expanded upon, either with more short stories or turning Buttons into a novella.
I have read several books and watched even more movies involving clowns. I have never been afraid of clowns, but I'm pretty sure that I will be having nightmares tonight. I could definitely see this story being expanded upon, either with more short stories or turning Buttons into a novella.
July 28, 2025
This is a creepy story, especially if you’re a clown hater. It was creepy for me and I don’t have a specific fear of them. My only criticism is that it wasn’t longer because I definitely would have devoured a longer version of this quickly. I love this authors talent at creeping you out. An instant buy from me!
February 2, 2025
Ok so…I’m terrified of clowns. Is that why this 30 page short story from Jenn Osborn was freaking terrifying for me? Or is she just an amazing writer? Or both? 🤣 I need to go buy a clown statue to stick in my yard now just in case. I loved this and I hated this (only because… f*ck clowns)! Go read it when it comes out next month.
March 29, 2025
Such a brutal short read!
Oof. This book will unlock all of your childhood fears about clowns. The writing is masterful, as usual, from Jennifer Osborn. If you weren't scared of clowns before, you will be now!
Oof. This book will unlock all of your childhood fears about clowns. The writing is masterful, as usual, from Jennifer Osborn. If you weren't scared of clowns before, you will be now!
June 5, 2025
I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a quick read that got right to it. I got some serious Art the Clown vibes and loved it! This one is for Lovers of creepy clowns and urban legends!
I read this in one sitting and it hit the spot for me, 5⭐️s!
This was a quick read that got right to it. I got some serious Art the Clown vibes and loved it! This one is for Lovers of creepy clowns and urban legends!
I read this in one sitting and it hit the spot for me, 5⭐️s!
February 4, 2025
Holy hell guys, I loved this.
Short, sweet and to the point. Who thought such a short story could hold so much creepiness!!
Thanks for the ARC, Jennifer.
Short, sweet and to the point. Who thought such a short story could hold so much creepiness!!
Thanks for the ARC, Jennifer.
February 19, 2025
SHORT AND CREEPY!!!
Whoa! This was creepy as ever!!
Loved this short quick read to have done in between my novels.
Well done Jennifer!
Whoa! This was creepy as ever!!
Loved this short quick read to have done in between my novels.
Well done Jennifer!
February 23, 2025
Really fun short read. Clowns are always creepy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews