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maregred's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Genocide
Moderate: Medical content, Death, and Child death
Minor: Grief and Deportation
booksemmahasread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, War, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Ableism
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Classism, Violence, and Genocide
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I selected this as a Book of the Month pick, and my first read of 2023, and I was elated by how much I enjoyed this story!
"The Circus Train" follows a young girl named Lena throughout her late childhood, teenage, and early adult life. She has always struggled to fit in, in part because she was made disabled following an illness during her childhood. She lives with her single father on a Circus train that travels all of Europe. Her father is a master illusionist and the star of the production. One evening she stumbles across an unconscious boy, Alexandre, and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship. Spanning over decades, and taking place during World War II, this story is a heartbreaking tale of love, triumph, and perseverance.
My favorite aspect of the entire story was all of the discussion and commentary that surrounded having a disabled main character. The author did an amazing job at crafting a story that was both sensitive to the differently abled community, but maintaining the historical accuracy of verbiage that was used to describe someone like Lena during that time. World War II is a horrid time in human history, and we often get stories about how terrifying it was to be Jewish, but other communities were targeted by Nazis as well. I really enjoying getting a new story from an unrepresented community. Lena's father is terrified for her to go out into the world, and he keeps her very sheltered so nothing ill will come of her. He also is supportive of her trying different treatments and therapies to improve her life, but he accepts and loves her as she is.
Lena is a powerful and inspiring character to read from. She is so driven to succeed, and she does not doubt herself and her capabilities. Intelligent is an understatement to describe Lena. She studies so incredibly hard and is rewarded with amazing opportunities that were difficult to come by, especially for women of the time. Despite facing immense heartbreak and overwhelming grief, she remains a rock and never loses sight of who she is and what she wants from life.
I really enjoyed Lena and Alexandre's friendship. The pair have a strong bond that keeps them going through the hardest of times. I was always rooting for them, but I was happy to see them develop into their own people independent of each other.
I was absolutely blown away by this story, and I cannot wait to indulge in more from this author in the future!
"The Circus Train" follows a young girl named Lena throughout her late childhood, teenage, and early adult life. She has always struggled to fit in, in part because she was made disabled following an illness during her childhood. She lives with her single father on a Circus train that travels all of Europe. Her father is a master illusionist and the star of the production. One evening she stumbles across an unconscious boy, Alexandre, and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship. Spanning over decades, and taking place during World War II, this story is a heartbreaking tale of love, triumph, and perseverance.
My favorite aspect of the entire story was all of the discussion and commentary that surrounded having a disabled main character. The author did an amazing job at crafting a story that was both sensitive to the differently abled community, but maintaining the historical accuracy of verbiage that was used to describe someone like Lena during that time. World War II is a horrid time in human history, and we often get stories about how terrifying it was to be Jewish, but other communities were targeted by Nazis as well. I really enjoying getting a new story from an unrepresented community. Lena's father is terrified for her to go out into the world, and he keeps her very sheltered so nothing ill will come of her. He also is supportive of her trying different treatments and therapies to improve her life, but he accepts and loves her as she is.
Lena is a powerful and inspiring character to read from. She is so driven to succeed, and she does not doubt herself and her capabilities. Intelligent is an understatement to describe Lena. She studies so incredibly hard and is rewarded with amazing opportunities that were difficult to come by, especially for women of the time. Despite facing immense heartbreak and overwhelming grief, she remains a rock and never loses sight of who she is and what she wants from life.
I was absolutely blown away by this story, and I cannot wait to indulge in more from this author in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Violence, Murder, Confinement, Antisemitism, Ableism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
ibjilln's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, Dysphoria, War, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Body shaming, Classism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Abandonment and Pregnancy
spongebobbiii's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ughhhh… that ending was awful! Almost a 4 star book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Antisemitism
whatsamberreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Genocide, Xenophobia, and War
shannasbooksnhooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Though they ate the same food, slept in the same carriages, and enjoyed the same music, Lena's disability had taught her a harsh truth: she was different, and people didn't like different.
This book immediately climbed up to my favorites list (both for 2023 and in general). I was immersed in the story the entire time, and it was a beautifully woven tale of love and heartbreak during World War II. Everything - both inside and outside of the circus - was so magical. The characters had so much depth, and I fell in love with (almost) each and every one.Horace was an asshole but we can ignore that. I definitely recommend that people try to read this at least once.
This book immediately climbed up to my favorites list (both for 2023 and in general). I was immersed in the story the entire time, and it was a beautifully woven tale of love and heartbreak during World War II. Everything - both inside and outside of the circus - was so magical. The characters had so much depth, and I fell in love with (almost) each and every one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Grief, Xenophobia, Violence, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Genocide
katiejohns's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, and War
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Female MC is disabled (inability to walk without aide) Jewish male MC
I’m thrilled that this is my first book logged for 2023. This was such a different take on World War Two that doesn’t entirely revolve around resistance fighters, or service men/women. Anita allowed us to soak in Lena’s life from beginning and nearly into her mid/late twenties. Soaking in the travel of the circus life was a wonderful experience. She did build up a little bit of intrigue and mystery, keeping me interested throughout the way. There may have been a few things here & there that I would have changed in terms of filler (this was a wii longer than I anticipated) but a worthy read nevertheless!
I’m thrilled that this is my first book logged for 2023. This was such a different take on World War Two that doesn’t entirely revolve around resistance fighters, or service men/women. Anita allowed us to soak in Lena’s life from beginning and nearly into her mid/late twenties. Soaking in the travel of the circus life was a wonderful experience. She did build up a little bit of intrigue and mystery, keeping me interested throughout the way. There may have been a few things here & there that I would have changed in terms of filler (this was a wii longer than I anticipated) but a worthy read nevertheless!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: War and Antisemitism
aklandis42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I cannot say enough good things about this book. I was blown away at how engrossed in this book I was. I may have finished the last 20% today while I was at work and supposed to be working but secretly had my phone with the kindle app up propped on my computer because I needed to finish.
The main character Lena is someone you root for from the very beginning. She is so lovable that you do not want anything but good things to happen to her. And she is a strong woman who knows what she wants and will work harder than anyone else to get it. She has both a blood and a found family to support her through different times, and most characters were lovable. Even the ones who did less-than-ideal things, you could always see their perspective and how they felt they were doing right, which made it feel super realistic.
One thing I loved about this book is that most books seem to put “strong woman with goals and objectives” in a box that means they won’t also be able to have an epic love story, and this book lets you know that you can have both. Lena can compromise but not sacrifice her goals for love, and I think thats an incredibly important distinction and one illustrated beautifully in this novel.
There are twists I didn’t see coming, incredible world building both in the circus and in the cities in general while taking place in Europe during the start of WWII, and the story of a fiery girl who defies all odds. Cannot recommend enough.
The main character Lena is someone you root for from the very beginning. She is so lovable that you do not want anything but good things to happen to her. And she is a strong woman who knows what she wants and will work harder than anyone else to get it. She has both a blood and a found family to support her through different times, and most characters were lovable. Even the ones who did less-than-ideal things, you could always see their perspective and how they felt they were doing right, which made it feel super realistic.
One thing I loved about this book is that most books seem to put “strong woman with goals and objectives” in a box that means they won’t also be able to have an epic love story, and this book lets you know that you can have both. Lena can compromise but not sacrifice her goals for love, and I think thats an incredibly important distinction and one illustrated beautifully in this novel.
There are twists I didn’t see coming, incredible world building both in the circus and in the cities in general while taking place in Europe during the start of WWII, and the story of a fiery girl who defies all odds. Cannot recommend enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
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