Reviews

Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan

itsmechelly's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

lena_wsr's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

sunny_platypus's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

ebby013's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I decided to revisit a book series that I liked when I was younger and it did not disappoint! The story is still captivating as an adult and I’m excited to get to know the characters again. 

raegraham97's review against another edition

5.0

Absolutely brilliant one of the best books I have read, this book is very skilfully written you just can't put it down. Love it!!!

eldritchreader's review against another edition

2.0

Trigger warnings:

Spoiler

loss of limb, blood depiction, blood drinking, spiders, animal attack, paralysis, hospitalisation, death from fall, death of a child, grief depiction

I can totally see why this series may be beloved by middle-graders wanting something a bit more gritty to read. But I suggest parents perhaps skim through the book or check out some reviews beforehand, because there is quite a bit of graphic violence in here.

For older readers, I don't think there is much entertainment value. The plot is very poorly established and by the end of the book it feels like you've just been given an intro, rather than the entire first book in a series.

blog • trigger warning database • more links

Happy reading! ❤

laytongraph's review against another edition

5.0

It seems only right that roughly a decade after joining Goodreads I should reread Darren Shan’s bibliography. Darren Shan was in fact the person who brought Goodreads to my attention all the way back in 2012. He had a link to his account on his website and when I clicked on it I felt like I was in some sort of reader heaven.

Is this book perfect? No. Is it worth a five star rating? No. But I am rating it that anyway purely based on nostalgia and based on the fact that when I first read it in 2008 after coming upon it in a B. Dalton books in the mall, it changed my life. It was the first book I ever read that I felt was written especially for me, and that is such a special feeling that I have been chasing ever since.

heidi_may91's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ple1237's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jrosenstein's review against another edition

3.0

Several of my students are really into the Cirque du Freak books so I thought I should check it out and see what they're actually like. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It's not nearly as gruesome or violent as I expected it to be, but has some genuine tension and suspense. There's actually a sort of charming innocence to the main character. Yeah, he's becoming a vampire by the end of the book but he talks about his admiration for his favorite teacher and his love for his little sister. Maybe the later books get more gory, but I feel better now about letting students check this series out.