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the_bookfox's review against another edition
5.0
Hayley Barker war Englishlehrerin bevor sie sich dem Schreiben widmete. „Die Arena“ ist die Übersetzung ihres englischsprachigen Debüts „Show Stopper“. Die beiden Titel, der Originaltitel und der Titel seiner deutschen Übersetzung, lassen schon ahnen, dass es sich in diesem Jugendbuchroman unter anderem um einen Zirkus handelt. Dieser befindet sich in einer Welt, in der die Menschen in Dregs und Pures aufgeteilt sind. Der Zirkus ist eine komfortable Möglichkeit für die Pures Dregs loszuwerden, auch wenn das einigen nicht schnell genug geht. Stellvertretend für beide Lager übernehmen Ben und Hoshiko die Hauptrollen. Aus ihren Blickwinkeln ist die Geschichte erzählt.
Hoshiko ist eine Dreg und der „Showstopper“ im Dregzirkus. Sie wurde als kleines Mädchen ihrer Familie entrissen, weil sie sich in einem Auswahlverfahren für den Zirkus qualifiziert hat. Die meisten Dregs nehmen an diesem Auswahlverfahren, genau wie Hoshiko, nicht freiwillig teil.
Ben ist ein Pure. Er kennt nur ein schönes, privilegiertes Leben und ist dementsprechend sehr naiv, als er das erste Mal in den Zirkus kommt, auch, wenn er schon vorher in ein leises Zweifeln über sein Leben gekommen ist. Doch, was er im Zirkus erlebt, verändert Stück für Stück seine Weltanschauung und damit sein Leben komplett.
Besonders erschreckend wird die Weltanschauung der Pures, wenn man aus Bens Sicht von seiner Familie liest. Hayley Barker schreibt so, dass man gewisse politische Meinungen heute und auch in der Geschichte in vielen Zeilen wiedererkennt. Somit wird dieses Buch leider immer aktuell bleiben und als Jugendbuch hoffentlich auch ein paar Jugendliche nachdenklich machen.
Spannend, zum Nachdenken anregend und mitreißend mit einer süßen Liebesgeschichte, aber auch dunkel und brutal, ist „Die Arena“ ein Buch, welches bestimmt eine breite jugendliche Leserschaft zum Lesen animieren wird. Während Ich glaube, dass dieses Buch zeitlos ist, ist es meiner Ansicht nach aber kein Buch für alle Altersgruppen. Ich empfinde es als ein spezifisches Jugendbuch. Die Liebesgeschichte entwickelt sich sehr schnell, die Charaktere und ihre Welt müssten für ein All-Age- Roman viel ausgeschmückter sein und die Sprache ist sehr einfach gehalten. Dies alles spricht aber nicht gegen das Buch. Ich würde es nur niemandem empfehlen, der lieber All-Age -Romane und weniger Jugendbücher liest. Jedem Jugendbuchfan möchte ich diese Distopie aber ans Herz legen und ich freue mich auf den zweiten Teil.
Hoshiko ist eine Dreg und der „Showstopper“ im Dregzirkus. Sie wurde als kleines Mädchen ihrer Familie entrissen, weil sie sich in einem Auswahlverfahren für den Zirkus qualifiziert hat. Die meisten Dregs nehmen an diesem Auswahlverfahren, genau wie Hoshiko, nicht freiwillig teil.
Ben ist ein Pure. Er kennt nur ein schönes, privilegiertes Leben und ist dementsprechend sehr naiv, als er das erste Mal in den Zirkus kommt, auch, wenn er schon vorher in ein leises Zweifeln über sein Leben gekommen ist. Doch, was er im Zirkus erlebt, verändert Stück für Stück seine Weltanschauung und damit sein Leben komplett.
Besonders erschreckend wird die Weltanschauung der Pures, wenn man aus Bens Sicht von seiner Familie liest. Hayley Barker schreibt so, dass man gewisse politische Meinungen heute und auch in der Geschichte in vielen Zeilen wiedererkennt. Somit wird dieses Buch leider immer aktuell bleiben und als Jugendbuch hoffentlich auch ein paar Jugendliche nachdenklich machen.
Spannend, zum Nachdenken anregend und mitreißend mit einer süßen Liebesgeschichte, aber auch dunkel und brutal, ist „Die Arena“ ein Buch, welches bestimmt eine breite jugendliche Leserschaft zum Lesen animieren wird. Während Ich glaube, dass dieses Buch zeitlos ist, ist es meiner Ansicht nach aber kein Buch für alle Altersgruppen. Ich empfinde es als ein spezifisches Jugendbuch. Die Liebesgeschichte entwickelt sich sehr schnell, die Charaktere und ihre Welt müssten für ein All-Age- Roman viel ausgeschmückter sein und die Sprache ist sehr einfach gehalten. Dies alles spricht aber nicht gegen das Buch. Ich würde es nur niemandem empfehlen, der lieber All-Age -Romane und weniger Jugendbücher liest. Jedem Jugendbuchfan möchte ich diese Distopie aber ans Herz legen und ich freue mich auf den zweiten Teil.
lenver's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
huyvivie's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
this was rlly good tbh ITS SUCH LIKE A LONG ASS BOOK PERO I FINSIHED IT SO FAST NEVAUSE I WAS SO INVESTED?????? IT WAS THOSE TYPES OF BOOKS WHERE IT FELT LIKE A MOVIIIEEEEEE like it was so easy to imagine and i liked the characters and everythigna ns IM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE ENDING 😊😊😊😊🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰
cylen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.0
julia2manybooks's review against another edition
2.0
"It was okay". Yes I think the two star description of goodreads describes my feeling of this book well.
I've finished this book already last month but I found it difficult to write a review about it. Because well... I just needed to figure out what exactly the reasons were why I didn't like the book that much..
I think if you aren't too familiar with this genre you probably will enjoy this book much more than I did. I've read and seen a bit more science fiction which probably makes me too critical about stuff I mention below in the spoilers. I do not say this book is bad. It just wasn't the right book for me.
The promise of the story is good. A circus where people perform such dangerous shows they sometimes die. It is a world where you are either a Dreg or a Pure. Tbh I felt like Dregs could have been substituted with Jews during WO2 and the Pures by the Nazi's. Because the Dregs are not seen as people with feeling but rather disposable "things" by the Pures. After reading a few chapter I felt like "Aren't there any compassionate people in this book? Everyone is so horrible.. (well except Ben I suppose)"
So the story if about Hoshiko who is one of the biggest stars of the circus and Ben, who's mother is the powerful minister. Ben instantly falls in love when he sees Hoshika perform.. So I did like the two perspectives method. His point of view and hers. You can read the story quite easily as well. However, the story was written too simple in my opinion. The dialogues often felt unnatural to me and I sometimes imagined what would have been better (something I never do!).
The thing with dystopias is that it is an unreal world and you have to be sucked in to the story to be attached to it. Even more than normal fiction in my opinion. You have to believe while reading that it could be true and feel like you are living in this fictional world. Unfortunately, I didn't feel attached to the story or any of the characters in the book. I didn't feel sad when someone died and I didn't feel any aw when people kissed. I didn't hate the book but also didn't like it. I did finish it because I believe you can't rate and review a book without finishing it.
So a few other thoughts I had about the book:
How did the world come to this? Yes they explain some sort of migration problem. But Oh my they treat the dregs like slaves. How is that even possible? You would have to change the constitution and so many laws! Like how? I'm not saying it is impossible to happen but just explain the reader better how it did...
Is Ben really the only Pure with a heart? Like his mother, father and even his twin brother are so horrible...It is such a surprise he doesn't feel the same way. All the characters were either good people or terribles ones. No grey area at all..
I missed a lot of explaining about the surroundings. Like what kind of tent was it eventually? It was something temporary because they travel with it but then it seemed like some sort of bunker and somehow there were some sort of tunnels in the ceiling. It confused me greatly..
Silvio, he could have a been such an interesting and complicated character.. He is a halfling and doesn't belong to the pures but still yearns to be. He hates his mother for sleeping with a dreg (this father. Like really? You would not have existed if she didn't!! For a moment when he was upset about loosing the twins I had a little hope he might care or be a spy with an immoral cover.. However, he was just mad about having to come up with another idea for the show.. bummer.. I think his character had a lot of missed opportunities
I've finished this book already last month but I found it difficult to write a review about it. Because well... I just needed to figure out what exactly the reasons were why I didn't like the book that much..
I think if you aren't too familiar with this genre you probably will enjoy this book much more than I did. I've read and seen a bit more science fiction which probably makes me too critical about stuff I mention below in the spoilers. I do not say this book is bad. It just wasn't the right book for me.
The promise of the story is good. A circus where people perform such dangerous shows they sometimes die. It is a world where you are either a Dreg or a Pure. Tbh I felt like Dregs could have been substituted with Jews during WO2 and the Pures by the Nazi's. Because the Dregs are not seen as people with feeling but rather disposable "things" by the Pures. After reading a few chapter I felt like "Aren't there any compassionate people in this book? Everyone is so horrible.. (well except Ben I suppose)"
So the story if about Hoshiko who is one of the biggest stars of the circus and Ben, who's mother is the powerful minister. Ben instantly falls in love when he sees Hoshika perform.
Spoiler
She almost dies and he helps her get back upThe thing with dystopias is that it is an unreal world and you have to be sucked in to the story to be attached to it. Even more than normal fiction in my opinion. You have to believe while reading that it could be true and feel like you are living in this fictional world. Unfortunately, I didn't feel attached to the story or any of the characters in the book. I didn't feel sad when someone died and I didn't feel any aw when people kissed. I didn't hate the book but also didn't like it. I did finish it because I believe you can't rate and review a book without finishing it.
So a few other thoughts I had about the book:
Spoiler
How did the world come to this? Yes they explain some sort of migration problem. But Oh my they treat the dregs like slaves. How is that even possible? You would have to change the constitution and so many laws! Like how? I'm not saying it is impossible to happen but just explain the reader better how it did...
Is Ben really the only Pure with a heart? Like his mother, father and even his twin brother are so horrible...It is such a surprise he doesn't feel the same way. All the characters were either good people or terribles ones. No grey area at all..
I missed a lot of explaining about the surroundings. Like what kind of tent was it eventually? It was something temporary because they travel with it but then it seemed like some sort of bunker and somehow there were some sort of tunnels in the ceiling. It confused me greatly..
Silvio, he could have a been such an interesting and complicated character.. He is a halfling and doesn't belong to the pures but still yearns to be. He hates his mother for sleeping with a dreg (this father. Like really? You would not have existed if she didn't!! For a moment when he was upset about loosing the twins I had a little hope he might care or be a spy with an immoral cover.. However, he was just mad about having to come up with another idea for the show.. bummer.. I think his character had a lot of missed opportunities
gabriella_goring's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
katiebookqueen's review
4.0
Reviewed at: http://www.queenofteenfiction.co.uk/
Show Stopper is told from the POV of both Ben and Hoshiko, two very different characters in a dystopian world where people are split into Pures and Dregs. The Pures consist of those who are considered 'Pure English' whilst the Dregs are immigrants. Ben is a Pure, privileged from birth and living better off than most due to his mother's high position in the government. Hoshi is a Dreg who was taken away from her family in the slums and made to perform in the circus, a deadly show that doesn't shy away from killing Dregs for the entertainment of the Pures.
This book is very dark, and very terrifying. The attitude that the Pures have with regrads to anyone who is different to them is honestly horrific to read, and the worst part is that there are genuinely people out there in our world today who would share some of those opinions. This story's commentary on racial diversion is so important because whilst it may seem out there and exaggerated, there is a dark reality behind it. The way that this split is explained makes a situation like this feel so believable, and it makes you shudder just thinking about it.
Whilst I expected this story to be creepy, I wasn't prepared for just how grim it got. The way the Dregs are treated, even by the circus ringmaster who is also a Dreg, is stomach-turning. It's such a horrible world to read about, and yet I couldn't stop reading. I was completely sucked into Hoshi's struggle, and Ben's realisation that his life as a Pure is nothing like he thought.
Ben's side of the story was interesting because the world and the lifestyle he knew was crumbling down around him. Seeing him come to his senses and finally open his eyes to the horror that was going on around him was one of the few points of triumph in this story. Whilst I enjoyed his narration, it was Hoshi's side of the story that made Show Stopper such a compelling read for me. She had a huge amount of determination and strength that made it impossible not to root for her. The relationship she had with Greta and Amina, others in the circus, was touching and provided some of the more lighthearted scenes in the story.
There was romance between Ben and Hoshi, which I expected, but it develops very quickly over the course of a few days. Instalove is something that I really don't enjoy in YA, but when it comes to this story, I understood the need for things to move as fast as they did because no one has the benefit of taking their time with anything.
I have to mention that this book is very dark to the point that it felt emotionally draining at times because of how many negative events occur. But it was necessary for the plot and to show us all what the world within this book is truly like. It's definitely not for the lighthearted! I'm interested to learn more about this world, and the steps the society within it took to get to the point they're at now. There's so much more to learn and I'm excited to find out what happens next.
Show Stopper is told from the POV of both Ben and Hoshiko, two very different characters in a dystopian world where people are split into Pures and Dregs. The Pures consist of those who are considered 'Pure English' whilst the Dregs are immigrants. Ben is a Pure, privileged from birth and living better off than most due to his mother's high position in the government. Hoshi is a Dreg who was taken away from her family in the slums and made to perform in the circus, a deadly show that doesn't shy away from killing Dregs for the entertainment of the Pures.
This book is very dark, and very terrifying. The attitude that the Pures have with regrads to anyone who is different to them is honestly horrific to read, and the worst part is that there are genuinely people out there in our world today who would share some of those opinions. This story's commentary on racial diversion is so important because whilst it may seem out there and exaggerated, there is a dark reality behind it. The way that this split is explained makes a situation like this feel so believable, and it makes you shudder just thinking about it.
Whilst I expected this story to be creepy, I wasn't prepared for just how grim it got. The way the Dregs are treated, even by the circus ringmaster who is also a Dreg, is stomach-turning. It's such a horrible world to read about, and yet I couldn't stop reading. I was completely sucked into Hoshi's struggle, and Ben's realisation that his life as a Pure is nothing like he thought.
Ben's side of the story was interesting because the world and the lifestyle he knew was crumbling down around him. Seeing him come to his senses and finally open his eyes to the horror that was going on around him was one of the few points of triumph in this story. Whilst I enjoyed his narration, it was Hoshi's side of the story that made Show Stopper such a compelling read for me. She had a huge amount of determination and strength that made it impossible not to root for her. The relationship she had with Greta and Amina, others in the circus, was touching and provided some of the more lighthearted scenes in the story.
There was romance between Ben and Hoshi, which I expected, but it develops very quickly over the course of a few days. Instalove is something that I really don't enjoy in YA, but when it comes to this story, I understood the need for things to move as fast as they did because no one has the benefit of taking their time with anything.
I have to mention that this book is very dark to the point that it felt emotionally draining at times because of how many negative events occur. But it was necessary for the plot and to show us all what the world within this book is truly like. It's definitely not for the lighthearted! I'm interested to learn more about this world, and the steps the society within it took to get to the point they're at now. There's so much more to learn and I'm excited to find out what happens next.
colorfulleo92's review
3.0
This was sett in a near future England where to poorest people had to sell their kids to a very dangerous circus for them to perform and death isn't uncommon for them. You follow two teens Ben and Hoshiko. Ben is the son of a power fun government minister and Hoshiko is one of the poor forces to perform in the circus. This was a hard book two rate. The action and the plot was very engaging and exciting, even if it was insta love, I really liked the characters and much of it was very interesting to follow. That would be a 4 stars. However the world concept is uncomfortable and not in a good, make you think kind of way. The world is very racist but isn't explored or a big thing they try to fight against, it's more trying to survive. I didn't think it was dealt with in good way and that would be a 2 stars. So I'm giving this book a 3 stars. Maybe its touched upon more in the next book but I don't have it. And if I don't find it on my book app, I wont go and buy it brand new. Maybe if I find it second hand.
booksfemme's review
3.0
Some parts I loved, other parts I didn't. Overall a very enjoyable (if that's the right word..) read. Will elaborate soon!