What do you think?
Rate this book
Absurd
“The absurd is lucid reason noting its limits”
-Albert Camus
Uh oh. Seems like a killer clown is mutilating people in the peaceful city of Nyon.
Surely, this has nothing to do with Zeke, a bullied gay high-school student who loves to dress like a clown.
Anyway, his friends, a bunch of social outcasts and weirdos, decide to investigate the murders. What could go wrong?
In the midst of bloodshed and budding queer love, Zeke must find the inner strength to face his fears and be his true self.
Get ready to join the circus.
-Albert Camus
Uh oh. Seems like a killer clown is mutilating people in the peaceful city of Nyon.
Surely, this has nothing to do with Zeke, a bullied gay high-school student who loves to dress like a clown.
Anyway, his friends, a bunch of social outcasts and weirdos, decide to investigate the murders. What could go wrong?
In the midst of bloodshed and budding queer love, Zeke must find the inner strength to face his fears and be his true self.
Get ready to join the circus.
- GenresHorrorM M RomanceLGBT
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
26 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Aiden E. Messer
30 books126 followersAiden E. Messer does not exist. Are they an illusion, a ghost, a mere thought? No one knows. If we are to believe one of the children they seem to work with, if they were a teacher, they would be as tall as a human. They are not a teacher. According to various sources, they have studied psychology, and have always had a penchant for horror and the macabre. They like to combine these subjects in their books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 13, 2025
Clowns and creative kills are 2 of my favorite things to read so you can imagine my excitement when Messer announced this book. It did not disappoint. The book has something of a YA vibe to it and the juxtaposition with the brutality of the kills was particularly effective.
The ending was really solid to. 10/10 would recommend.
The ending was really solid to. 10/10 would recommend.
August 17, 2025
100% fun. Loved it.
July 24, 2025
If you want to get into splatterpunk, this book is just perfect!
In this novella, we see a group of high school friends that are labelled as different by others, but they have a friendship that most can only wish for. One of them, Zeke, dresses like a clown and owns it!!!
The problem is, Zeke isn’t just getting bullied anymore. There’s a killer clown on the loose, and all signs seem to point to them and this group of friends is determined to uncover the truth and decides to investigate and track down the culprit.
If there is such a thing as a cosy splatterpunk book, this book definitely fits the bill.
Yes, it is violent and filled with gory moments, but it also made me feel like I was part of the group, and I was just as invested as they were in discovering who was unaliving people in this town.
Absurd is going to be released on the 1st of August, and I hope you’re ready to join the circus!
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
In this novella, we see a group of high school friends that are labelled as different by others, but they have a friendship that most can only wish for. One of them, Zeke, dresses like a clown and owns it!!!
The problem is, Zeke isn’t just getting bullied anymore. There’s a killer clown on the loose, and all signs seem to point to them and this group of friends is determined to uncover the truth and decides to investigate and track down the culprit.
If there is such a thing as a cosy splatterpunk book, this book definitely fits the bill.
Yes, it is violent and filled with gory moments, but it also made me feel like I was part of the group, and I was just as invested as they were in discovering who was unaliving people in this town.
Absurd is going to be released on the 1st of August, and I hope you’re ready to join the circus!
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
July 18, 2025
I don't know how he managed to get so much violence in a story, but left me feeling like I just read the most wholesome book.
I'm having a harder time finding words! It was just so sweet and that won't make much sense until you read it?? As usual, the violent scenes are so well-done. The overall story is solid. It wraps up nicely...
I really loved the philosophy references, the nods to the LGBTQIA2S+ community with certain trials, bullying in school, and the societal aspects of the human race as a whole.
Aiden delivers every.single.time.
August 22, 2025
(4.5/5 rounded up)
This book gave me the kind of friend group I’ve always wished I had: the ones who don’t judge you, love you with all your quirks, and actually have your back. I won’t reveal my age (because no thank you), but if this group were real, I’d still want to be part of it. And honestly? If one of my friends was being mocked and accused of murder, I’d probably drunkenly decide to investigate too, just so they didn’t get bullied at school for dressing in clownish attire.
Speaking of clowns: yes, there’s a killer clown. But here’s the best part: this was somehow the most wholesome book I’ve read in a long time. This young adult story successfully combines elements of absurdity, heartfelt emotion, and a peculiar sense of comfort.
It’s a blend of slasher absurdity, found-family vibes, and a wannabe philosopher-murderer-clown (yes, that’s a thing). The result? A chaotic little gem that made me laugh, made me wish I had these friends, and left me smiling at just how bizarrely wholesome horror can be.
This book gave me the kind of friend group I’ve always wished I had: the ones who don’t judge you, love you with all your quirks, and actually have your back. I won’t reveal my age (because no thank you), but if this group were real, I’d still want to be part of it. And honestly? If one of my friends was being mocked and accused of murder, I’d probably drunkenly decide to investigate too, just so they didn’t get bullied at school for dressing in clownish attire.
Speaking of clowns: yes, there’s a killer clown. But here’s the best part: this was somehow the most wholesome book I’ve read in a long time. This young adult story successfully combines elements of absurdity, heartfelt emotion, and a peculiar sense of comfort.
It’s a blend of slasher absurdity, found-family vibes, and a wannabe philosopher-murderer-clown (yes, that’s a thing). The result? A chaotic little gem that made me laugh, made me wish I had these friends, and left me smiling at just how bizarrely wholesome horror can be.
July 28, 2025
Zeke is unapologetically himself. He dresses in very colourful clothes and isn't afraid to show his true self. Along with his friend group who are also outcasts, they do get bullied often by the bullies in school but it doesn't stop them from being themselves. Life is as normal as it is for them when all of a sudden there's a killer clown on the loose.
Zeke is looked at in a different light because of this killer clown. The kids in school judge Zeke and assume he's the killer because of the way he dresses. When Zeke starts receiving balloons in his bedroom, he feels he knows who it is but doesn't have proof. Hiding these incidents from his friends, he tries to ignore them until Mort, his bestie and boyfriend, goes missing. Now the outcasts are doing whatever they can to find their Mort.
I'm not one to love a cute book but Absurd changed that for me. You have a sweet group of friends, a cute little romance, and some great kill/torture scenes. I love Zeke as a character because he truly is himself and doesn't change for anyone. We should all take notes from him! The illustrations throughout the book were cute and fitting to the story. It's always nice to put faces to the characters. I really enjoyed this one and it's a definite must read.
Zeke is looked at in a different light because of this killer clown. The kids in school judge Zeke and assume he's the killer because of the way he dresses. When Zeke starts receiving balloons in his bedroom, he feels he knows who it is but doesn't have proof. Hiding these incidents from his friends, he tries to ignore them until Mort, his bestie and boyfriend, goes missing. Now the outcasts are doing whatever they can to find their Mort.
I'm not one to love a cute book but Absurd changed that for me. You have a sweet group of friends, a cute little romance, and some great kill/torture scenes. I love Zeke as a character because he truly is himself and doesn't change for anyone. We should all take notes from him! The illustrations throughout the book were cute and fitting to the story. It's always nice to put faces to the characters. I really enjoyed this one and it's a definite must read.
August 20, 2025
If Young Adults Splatterpunk was a thing…… this would be it. There’s a killer clown on the loose amongst a group of high school students that all have their own little quirks, fetishes and issues. There’s lies, murder, friendship, love and some other stuff all packed into this one. Although I do think this is one of the tamer books I’ve read by Aiden.
July 31, 2025
So did I read this mainly because Messer wrote it? Absolutely! At this point I will read ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING they write. When it comes to queer horror they are my number one go to. But I was also drawn to it because of the gorgeous cover.
This book was fantastic, it gave me all the gore but it also had great characters and some serious "feel good moments" too. I loved Zeke and Mort so much! As for the clown, I hated him but I loved how Messer wrote the character and showed how hatred motivated him. It's sad and unfortunate but we have people just like Schoppy the Clown, and that my friends is the real horror story.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was fantastic, it gave me all the gore but it also had great characters and some serious "feel good moments" too. I loved Zeke and Mort so much! As for the clown, I hated him but I loved how Messer wrote the character and showed how hatred motivated him. It's sad and unfortunate but we have people just like Schoppy the Clown, and that my friends is the real horror story.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 19, 2025
This was a decent read in which it felt like a YA murder mystery with a few heavy hitting adult death scenes. A bit choppy with a good bit of fluff before actually getting to the action. All in all, still a good read to get through in no time.
July 16, 2025
This was an interesting short read. Love the connections between the characters. I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Simon and I did not expect him the be, well you’re gonna have to read it to find out. If this is your genre or you kinda want to step into something new give this a shot
November 25, 2025
Love reading about clowns and I enjoy Aiden E. Messers characters. As well as the book is both gruesome and disturbing.
August 1, 2025
What actions would you take if a friend went missing due to a killer clown, prompting you and your friends to initiate a search? This book was exceptional, maintaining my interest. As I attempted to deduce the killer’s identity. The artwork within this book showcasing various characters and scenes, was also a notable aspect that I loved.
July 13, 2025
Absolute rollercoaster! This book had me guessing until literally the end. The comedy was hilarious. I would have to say Jenny is my favorite, she's a little spit fire! Overall, it was a good thriller splatterpunk.
July 10, 2025
Gotta love a murder mystery with a killer clown.
This book was right up my alley! Right when I thought I’d had everything figured out, I was thrown for a loop.
I absolutely adored Zeke, and his group of friends. I stayed rooting for them until the end.
As much as I usually enjoy bitter endings, I’m glad that they got the happy ending they deserved.
This book was right up my alley! Right when I thought I’d had everything figured out, I was thrown for a loop.
I absolutely adored Zeke, and his group of friends. I stayed rooting for them until the end.
As much as I usually enjoy bitter endings, I’m glad that they got the happy ending they deserved.
July 20, 2025
Absurd by Aiden E. Messer
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 (4.5 rounded up)
This novella is intense, gory and exciting! It’s a splatterpunk story with thrills, mystery, twists & surprises. Along side the torture and killings, there’s even a love connection that pops up and some deeper life lessons.
A group of high school friends are bullied for being different. One in particular is gay and dresses like a clown, and is therefore called a freak.
Murders are starting to occur in their town and the group of friends decide to do some investigating on their own.
Will they find out who the killer is? Will the killer find them?
It’s a very fast paced book with lots of action!
Thank you to Aiden Messer for an arc of this wildly entertaining book!
*It comes out August 1st! Check it out!*
🤡🔪🤡🩸🤡🔨🤡
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 (4.5 rounded up)
This novella is intense, gory and exciting! It’s a splatterpunk story with thrills, mystery, twists & surprises. Along side the torture and killings, there’s even a love connection that pops up and some deeper life lessons.
A group of high school friends are bullied for being different. One in particular is gay and dresses like a clown, and is therefore called a freak.
Murders are starting to occur in their town and the group of friends decide to do some investigating on their own.
Will they find out who the killer is? Will the killer find them?
It’s a very fast paced book with lots of action!
Thank you to Aiden Messer for an arc of this wildly entertaining book!
*It comes out August 1st! Check it out!*
🤡🔪🤡🩸🤡🔨🤡
July 20, 2025
First off, I LOVED the illustrations. Great addition to the book!
Zeke was a fun quirky character, but maybe it's the plot or writing style that just didn't keep my attention. I struggled to keep reading.
The gore was kind of kid like. Some of it really could have been awesome had it gone into more detail.
I won't give up on the author! Some other writings seem more promising.
* ARC reader*
Zeke was a fun quirky character, but maybe it's the plot or writing style that just didn't keep my attention. I struggled to keep reading.
The gore was kind of kid like. Some of it really could have been awesome had it gone into more detail.
I won't give up on the author! Some other writings seem more promising.
* ARC reader*
July 21, 2025
Wow! This book was intense. I do not like clowns at all but I love reading books that have clowns in them because they are CREEPY! This book was bloody and gory and also had some tough emotional parts dealing with the LQBTQ community that angered me. I think the author used these scenes appropriately. Also, there are illustrations throughout the book and I loved them!! They would make a great coloring book
July 10, 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!
I absolutely loved reading this. It was a twisted, dark, fun ride. Till the very end, it made me think who was going to be next. There is blood and gore and definitely death in this book. Oh yeah, definitely torture. If that's not ok, then don't go any further. There are also homophobic slurs and hate towards the gays in here as well. It's very aggressive, but even so, the other characters are such sweethearts. They all have a dark past that makes them all have hearts of gold.
A lot is packed into this short book. I love books like these. it's a buildup, and the ending is an explosion! You are rooting for everyone, and it's such a great book, in my opinion. Not to mention the cover of this book! I absolutely loved how colorful it is. And explosion of color to go with an explosive book! This is the first book I've read from this author, and i can definitely say I'll be reading more from them soon enough.
Also, if you're not a fan of clowns, don't read this... just don't unless you're wanting the scare. I mean, the cover pretty much covers that.
I absolutely loved reading this. It was a twisted, dark, fun ride. Till the very end, it made me think who was going to be next. There is blood and gore and definitely death in this book. Oh yeah, definitely torture. If that's not ok, then don't go any further. There are also homophobic slurs and hate towards the gays in here as well. It's very aggressive, but even so, the other characters are such sweethearts. They all have a dark past that makes them all have hearts of gold.
A lot is packed into this short book. I love books like these. it's a buildup, and the ending is an explosion! You are rooting for everyone, and it's such a great book, in my opinion. Not to mention the cover of this book! I absolutely loved how colorful it is. And explosion of color to go with an explosive book! This is the first book I've read from this author, and i can definitely say I'll be reading more from them soon enough.
Also, if you're not a fan of clowns, don't read this... just don't unless you're wanting the scare. I mean, the cover pretty much covers that.
July 18, 2025
Absurd is a mystery wrapped in a romance with gore and horror added to the mix. The story starts out one way and takes a turn that is intense but well paced. I do however have a new found hesitation when it comes to clowns. The romance that builds first from friends to lovers plays out with intense situations and levels of self discovery. The way the story wraps up was done with suspense that left you wanting to see what happens next. All in all, a great story to read and enjoy.
October 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
This one was a lot of fun. It had gore and comedic value. The illustrations in the book made the book even more interesting! If you want something quick and easy I’d definitely recommend this. Or if you’re getting into splatterpunk I’d try this one too.
This one was a lot of fun. It had gore and comedic value. The illustrations in the book made the book even more interesting! If you want something quick and easy I’d definitely recommend this. Or if you’re getting into splatterpunk I’d try this one too.
July 15, 2025
Absurd a book that follows the story of a group of friends that are the outcast of the school, a killer clown enters the picture and it throws this group of friends into a spiral of dirty little secrets being uncovered, a journey to uncovering the real identity of the killer clown that has thrown they lives for a dangerous spiral.
‼️THE PLOT TWIST WAS JUICY‼️
This book has it all Y/A romance, murder mystery and fucking amazing main characters and side characters no one was left out. We get to learn about everyone. Again and again. This author never misses!!
‼️THE PLOT TWIST WAS JUICY‼️
This book has it all Y/A romance, murder mystery and fucking amazing main characters and side characters no one was left out. We get to learn about everyone. Again and again. This author never misses!!
July 13, 2025
I went into this expecting a killer clown, gore and more. What I didn’t expect was a heartwarming and somewhat wholesome tale of a group of friends with unwavering love and support for one another.
Zeke, openly gay and openly clown, faces the world with a kind of bravery that I wish I had had at 18.
His character, along with others, spoke to my 18yr old self, who was also a “freak”.
Their battle against a killer clown wasn’t just a battle for survival but a battle against conformity, against hate.
I love clowns so I knew I’d enjoy this to some extent, but I read this in one sitting, unable to put it down. Aiden’s writing flows so easily, it sucks you in and keeps you gripped right until the end.
Also, the illustrations are amazing - so cute but so gruesome!
Zeke, openly gay and openly clown, faces the world with a kind of bravery that I wish I had had at 18.
His character, along with others, spoke to my 18yr old self, who was also a “freak”.
Their battle against a killer clown wasn’t just a battle for survival but a battle against conformity, against hate.
I love clowns so I knew I’d enjoy this to some extent, but I read this in one sitting, unable to put it down. Aiden’s writing flows so easily, it sucks you in and keeps you gripped right until the end.
Also, the illustrations are amazing - so cute but so gruesome!
July 18, 2025
Had a great time reading! I thought I had the mystery figured out, and boy, was I wrong. Really enjoyed the budding relationship of zeke and mort. A great splatterpunk book
July 10, 2025
"𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚗? 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚉𝚎𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔."
Clowns are my favorites, especially killer clowns!
Wow, Schoppy the Clown were brilliant! And the illustrations?! They were a whole new level of cuteness while remaining gory! I am obsessed with this book and impressed as always with Aiden's works. They are definitely one of my all time favorite author. Literally everything I've read by them, was 5 star reads!
Zeke and Mort were the cutest together!
It was such a sweet story with a happy ending! Honestly the word "sweet" might be a wild word to describe a splutterpunk but it really was sweet.
I highly recommend checking out this fun and gory read!
Thank you so much for an ARC of your upcoming release Aiden! I'm so grateful! ❤️🔥
Clowns are my favorites, especially killer clowns!
Wow, Schoppy the Clown were brilliant! And the illustrations?! They were a whole new level of cuteness while remaining gory! I am obsessed with this book and impressed as always with Aiden's works. They are definitely one of my all time favorite author. Literally everything I've read by them, was 5 star reads!
Zeke and Mort were the cutest together!
It was such a sweet story with a happy ending! Honestly the word "sweet" might be a wild word to describe a splutterpunk but it really was sweet.
I highly recommend checking out this fun and gory read!
Thank you so much for an ARC of your upcoming release Aiden! I'm so grateful! ❤️🔥
July 14, 2025
What a fun book! I love clowns so I was already hooked. This book had me guessing the whole time and I was wrong with my guesses. This is definitely a must read. It was wholesome with some uncomfortable scenes. This was my first book by Aiden and I was very impressed with the writing, I’ll definitely be reading more of their works.
July 16, 2025
I loved this!
It's like a YA murder mystery but make it splatterpunk horror.
Off brand use of a cheese grater was next level.
more to come
It's like a YA murder mystery but make it splatterpunk horror.
Off brand use of a cheese grater was next level.
more to come
July 23, 2025
I honestly LOVED Absurd by Aiden E. Messer! It has a very good, surprisingly super wholesome story! The gore was descriptive and the shock factor was definitely there. Especially when the plot twist happens and you find out who the murderer is!
I honestly just loved everything about this book. I didn’t think a Splatterpunk book could make me feel such a wholesome, warm and fuzzy feeling inside by the end of it, but Aiden made it work! This was my first impression of Aiden E. Messer, and I am definitely going to read more of their books!
Of course with this being of the Splatterpunk genre, please read the trigger warnings before reading. But if you’re like me and love to read things that are completely deranged, go ahead and pick this book up!
I honestly just loved everything about this book. I didn’t think a Splatterpunk book could make me feel such a wholesome, warm and fuzzy feeling inside by the end of it, but Aiden made it work! This was my first impression of Aiden E. Messer, and I am definitely going to read more of their books!
Of course with this being of the Splatterpunk genre, please read the trigger warnings before reading. But if you’re like me and love to read things that are completely deranged, go ahead and pick this book up!
July 12, 2025
Clowns freak the heeeeck out of me which make them a great character to make a splatter-punk book out of. Zeke and his group of friends are incredibly likable, sometimes annoying but what teenagers aren’t? The book has a nice storyline, plenty of breaks in between the gore but excellent written gore scenes, a nice pace to it and you don’t ever find yourself getting bored. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what else this author creates for us!
July 9, 2025
This is my first book by Aiden E. Messer, and, it was a really great read! I read the book in a matter of hours, as I could not put it down. It ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love clowns, blood, torture, and, always love when there are elements of dread, and, existential crisis. I, personally, loved the slasher elements, and, the plot twist. The ending was amazing, as well! I will read this, again, and, I highly recommend it!
August 3, 2025
Thank you for the ARC. This book was different. It had some good gory scenes which I did enjoy such as the cheese grater. I also didn’t expect the killer to be who it was. However, it was just a bit juvenile for my liking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews