Freaks! by Nik Perring, Caroline Smailes and Darren Craske
Today on The Tattooed Book, I’m taking a look at Freaks! by Nik Perring and Caroline Smailes. This is a unique collection of just under 50 short stories featuring illustrations from Darren Craske.
Synopsis
Freaks! contains some of the weirdest and most wonderful characters. From zombie hairdressers rekindling their passion for life and mermaid women to stalkers and mothers with split personalities. Each of these stories begins with a speech bubble explaining the superpower behind the character. These include the ability to see the truth, amplify memories, read minds and see thoughts, talk with insects and duplicate themselves.
Freaks! by Nik Perring, Caroline Smailes and Darren Craske
Almost every tale is illustrated with at least one unique image by Darren Craske. My personal favourites accompany the sadder stories as he really captures the pain of the characters. I also adore the cover itself, it really is an eye-grabber and will stand out on your bookshelves.
Thanks to The Friday Project publishing this collection, I was expecting Freaks! to be an absorbing, quirky and surreal combination of superheroes. I wasn’t disappointed. What I didn’t expect were the philosophical undertones. The statements about how we treat the people around us and how people appreciate different aspects of life. In the wrong place, this could come across preachy. However, in the right place, such as this collection, it adds great depth to an excellent collection. In conclusion, for any alt/indie reader, this quirky collection with hidden depth is unmissable.
If you liked Freaks! by Nik Perring and Caroline Smailes, with illustrations from Darren Craske, you’ll love Skin & other stories by Roald Dahl.
Buy Freaks! by Nik Perring, Caroline Smailes and Darren Craske