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lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of a gross, though moderately interesting story. Not particularly well written, though. I don't have much interest in reading the other ones in the series.
libritosblog's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series with my whole heart, it's so special to me - i remember reading it one by one (obviously) but I'd go to the library and look for the next one, remember so much of the imagery that I created in my head, remember the character's feelings and some of the situations too. Can't wait to finish re-reading the rest and just ordered the first manga :)
achillreads's review against another edition
5.0
I'm biased in this rating cause this was one of my favourites as a child. I loved this book. It was a great middle school read but also had a bittersweet tragedy instead of the story of a hero. It depicted a great fear of mine in a way that made me understand it better. A filter of fantasy on some reality. It had a sadness in it despite the somewhat cheerful children's book writing style. I still really like that misery in Darren's voice as he talks about what's happening to him. He wants to be hopeful but he knows he can't change anything.
I remember reading the books and forgetting the world's existence. But as fate is, I never found the time to go past book 4. So, one of my goals as a 20 year old is to finish what I've once started.
I remember reading the books and forgetting the world's existence. But as fate is, I never found the time to go past book 4. So, one of my goals as a 20 year old is to finish what I've once started.
amaldae's review against another edition
2.0
Series rating: 1.75/5
I think I read this series up to book 5 (the newest translation out back then). I don't think I ever really liked them, though: the characters and narration failed to engage me and I remember thinking some of the more gory/weird details were in these books just for shock value. But, as I still remember them and managed to plow through multiple volumes, there must have been something to keep me interested in the story... Admittedly, DS's take on vampires was and probably still is much preferred to some of the others out there.
Re-read the first instalment a couple of years ago. Shorter than I remembered and didn't make a whole lot of sense, to be honest, but not the worst re-read ever - still, I'm probably not going to continue with these.
I think I read this series up to book 5 (the newest translation out back then). I don't think I ever really liked them, though: the characters and narration failed to engage me and I remember thinking some of the more gory/weird details were in these books just for shock value. But, as I still remember them and managed to plow through multiple volumes, there must have been something to keep me interested in the story... Admittedly, DS's take on vampires was and probably still is much preferred to some of the others out there.
Re-read the first instalment a couple of years ago. Shorter than I remembered and didn't make a whole lot of sense, to be honest, but not the worst re-read ever - still, I'm probably not going to continue with these.
garnetofeden's review against another edition
3.0
I first read this many years ago when only a couple of the books in the series had been published. At the time, I was really intrigued by the series and was interested in reading more of the books. But as a kid I didn't really keep track of when books got published the way I do now as an adult, so I forgot about the series until I saw a commercial for the movie. Since it has been at least 10 years since I read the book, I figured I should probably refresh myself on the story before picking up where I left off in the series. It's a good thing I did, for although I remembered some key things, there were others that I had completely forgotten. In this particular book, the vampire powers present in this universe haven't been fully fleshed out yet. My rating is cautious because a solid introduction doesn't guarantee the same quality throughout the series, but I'm looking forward to rereading the next book.
Rating reviewed 2/8/2023.
Rating reviewed 2/8/2023.
minimoose21's review against another edition
4.0
I love revisiting this series. I first picked this up when I was in middle school and now all these years latter it is still a fun tale to read.
dsuttles's review against another edition
1.0
When an author relies on exclamation marks and italics to make their story exciting, readers aren't fooled. They are just disappointed by rhetorical gimmicks lazily used to create perceptions of fear, horror, etc. That's exactly how I felt about the first book in Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak series. Sure, I read about how scared the protagonist felt when he first entered the circus, when he witnessed his friend secretly confronting the vampire, when he let Madame Octa crawl up his leg - but I never felt the fear along with him. And what I've come to expect from stories written in the first person is to be taken along the journey with the narrator. For something geared to be so sensational, this book really fell flat. A fast, but dissatisfying read.
theshadowplay's review against another edition
2.0
OK, I know it's a children's book, or a Young Adult book, but I was expecting more from it due to it's poularity. It is possible to have a book of this type appeal to adults as well. Unfortuneately it was too juvenile and it didn't really seem to go anywhere. It is the first in the series , but there was hardly any plot besides a thieving main character and how he becomes a Vampire's assistant. I'll read the next one, but if it fails to pique my interest then I will leave it for the children. The ones who are probably less discriminating than me.
lorithereadingfairy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0