Clowning Around

Bumps in the Night #3

by A.D. Aro

THE CLOWNS ARE IN TOWN!
Billy isn't too excited about summer break. He doesn't live in a nice part of town, his mom works all the time and to top it all off, her newest boyfriend is a real jerk! There's always the summer carnival though, right?
WRONG!
Instead of having fun, Billy is fearing for his life when he accidentally upsets a group of clowns. If he isn't careful, he may just become the dreaded King Clown's next meal. The clowns in this carnival are no joke! Poor Billy. There's no time to laugh. No time to cry. And definitely no time for him to be CLOWNING AROUND!
The next terrifying installment in the BUMPS IN THE NIGHT series is here! Collect and read them all... IF YOU DARE!

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2025

About the author

A.D. Aro lives in Salisbury, Massachusetts. He has been a fan of all things spooky his whole life, raised on Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and the VHS box art from the horror section of the video rental stores. Currently, he writes a middle grade horror series called Bumps In The Night. "Baby's Breath", his first standalone YA horror novel, will be releasing April 7th, 2026 through Terrorcore Publishing.

He welcomes questions and comments at: bumpsinthenightbooks@gmail.com

Reviews

[Shiv (The Horrorlander) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, this felt essentially like EC Comics/Tales From The Crypt merged with kids horror. Little darker at points with great horror action, that is both fun and matched the carnival gimmick while being disturbing. There is a couple body horror moments as well with the idea clowns are birthed by pain/misery (thanks to influence by a certain villain) leading to a Venom-like possession angle.

Klunk The Clown was great and his crew was fun, he felt like Zombozo from Ben 10. The head honcho villain revealed later was also horrific and a cool idea, especially their name hinting what's really at play here, and the climax was absolutely batshit as well. Only points taken off for feeling like it ended little too soon + some vague stuff involving the clown aspect

9.2/10 Great

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy has nothing look forward to and the summer is long! But maybe the carnival will be fun that’s until he upsets the clowns and the Clown King thinks he will make a tasty snack!

The next in the Bumps in the Night series which continue the legacy of Goosebumps in that they are creepy little horrors full of peril and terrifying monsters. This time it’s killer clowns and poor Billy has a hell of a time escaping their king’s appetite for human flesh.

This would make such a great TV show as the imagery is vivid and Billy’s real life problems with a neglectful parent and her new idiot of a boyfriend is a real life horror in amidst the clown terror. Soaked in nostalgia and exciting to read, this series just gets better and better!

[Autumn Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this within a couple of hours! This was a really fun read! A.D. Aro has a really great writing style, it’s very visual and I love that, being a visual person! It had major zany vibes, but also deep real life problems for the main character, Billy, that I think a lot of people can relate to. Another banger book, he really knocked it out of the park yet again!!!

[spookimom reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Clowning Around a couple hours ago and I had SO MUCH FUN!! I feel like l've really hit the jackpot in the past couple of weeks with horror reads that are PERFECT for summer and so nostalgic! It also packed a lot of emotion in its pages that I wasn't expecting. I really loved Billy and from the first couple of pages was invested in him as a character.

This book is simple in premise but it's executed so well.
I am really loving the wave of indie YA horror l've been on lately and this is another book I highly recommend if you're looking to feel like you're 12 years old again. Up too late, reading under the covers.

[Pulp_Fiction_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great entry in the 'Bumps In The Night' series. It was quite a violent story in some real life ways which is not something you find too often in a book geared towards younger readers. It is also however really wacky... We get introduced to a fantastic gaggle of evil clowns all with their own unique looks and personality traits. This felt very much like a middle-grade version of 'The Cotton Candy Massacre' by Christopher Robertson (If you haven't read it, get on it ASAP and get on this one too).

[John Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my homies hate Nestor. This is a fun, nasty story of comeuppance and evil clowns. I'll second another review's comment that this entry feels the most rooted in Tales from the Crypt, at least in terms of its tone, and that's a good thing.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me some kid friendly body horror! I was delighted to read some middle grade horror that went to some darker places while still keeping it fun.

[E.D. Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, it’s the best book in the series so far.

A.D. told me this would be the darkest installment yet, and he wasn’t kidding. And for me the darkness works. It’s like Killer Klowns from Outer Space crashed into The Human Centipede and got reimagined as a lost ‘90s YA horror paperback in the best way possible.

Klunk the clown is easily my favorite villain so far. Terrifying, cartoonish, maniac, and tons of fun. The book kicks off with Billy stuck spending the weekend with his mom’s total jerk of a boyfriend. And from there, things spiral into full-blown clown chaos. There's a scene with a dunk tank that gave me major Saturday morning cartoon vibes, something Darla from Finding Nemo could get behind. Easily one of my favorite moments in the whole book.

I won’t spoil anything else because this one’s a wild ride, and you should absolutely experience it fresh. Creepy and dark but in a fun, tales from the crypt, kind of way. Clowning Around is another absolute hit from A.D. Aro. The Bumps in the Night series just keeps getting better with every release.

Can’t wait to see what A.D. has planned next. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, now’s the time. Clowns, and chaos what more could you want?

[Jennifer Sahms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished A.D. Aros’ third installment in the Bumps in the Night series, Clowning Around, and I have to say, it’s another hit. This series is perfectly crafted for elementary and middle school readers who love horror, and it also hits that nostalgic sweet spot for adults who grew up on Goosebumps. Book three really shows how much A D.'s has developed as a writer.
Anyone who knows me knows I can’t resist a theme involving a fair, carnival, or circus, so I was especially excited for this one. The playful, nostalgic clown names added a fun twist that I loved.
This story carries more emotional weight than the previous ones, especially in the beginning, before taking a darker turn that explores the consequences of one’s actions. It adds a meaningful layer to the spooky fun.

Overall, I’d give it a strong 4.7 out of 5.

[Kat Dicker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a bit darker and it really sucked me in immediately as I read it all in one go (could not put it down). A.D. Aro has captivated me from the first book in the Bumps in the Night series and each book since builds upon and proves his mastery of storytelling. The pacing is fantastic. The imagery is great. And the characters feel fleshed out. The fear is real as is my enjoyment. I'm a fan for life. Can't wait to read the next installment!!

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare for me to get excited about a new book series. Things were always so much better back in the day, you know? But this series will take you back there! Back to the days of scholastic book fair excitement. Of neon spines and kids in perilous situations. If you haven't read these books yet, do yourself a favor, and just do it.

[Nick Hatmaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book that showcases a boy stumbling on to something that straps him in on a roller coaster for his life! The beginning of the books builds up for an exciting second-half that will keep you engaged until the end. My favorite aspect is the unique and memorable characters along for the way through this ride of terror!

[Joey Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A read that manages to be weird, silly, and DARK all at once. A.D. Aro's macabre imagination is on full display as our lead character Billy sifts through a zany fever dream produced by a group of demented clowns.

And in true 90s YA fashion, the adults are either absent, irresponsible, or downright loathsome.

[Andrew Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book in the series without a doubt. It’s a page turner. I love the “ensemble cast” of the different clowns which are all really well thought out and described. It’s creepy, it’s dark. It’s fun.

[485street · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is my favorite of the series. Dark, at times I had to remind myself it was a MG.

[Evan Baughfman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, frightful read for kids interested in the spooky (and for adults seeking ’90s nostalgia)! I really appreciated the reference to “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”s classic episode, “The Tale of Laughing in the Dark.”

Lots of awesome imagery here, including a giant clown-monster built from balloons and a ball pit of doom!

There is, of course, loads of clown silliness and buffoonery- but it’s all tinged with a welcome bit of darkness. And there is also a really powerful message for readers about controlling one’s anger/worst impulses.

An imaginative tale for the pre-Pennywise set!

[Jen Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have another absolute banger from A.D. Aro in this series! Think Killer Clowns meets Goosebumps! Our main character Billy is so likeable and King Clown is one of the creepiest clowns ever imagined! I absolutely loved this book and look forward to the next installment in the Bumps in the Night series!