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sannesbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-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
3.5
I like to read about the circus. It always has a magical and mysterious vibe. This is a sad story about a circus in the Victorian era. I think this gives us a good look into these old types of circusses that take advantage of vulnerable humans with 'freaky' and rare conditions. One of the main characters, Nelly, has a rare birthmark condition and, because of this, gets sold to the circus to be used as an curious act.
This book has three point of views: Nelly (one of the circus performers), Jasper (showman, owner of the circus) and Toby (brother of Jasper, photographer at the circus).
I unfortunately didn't feel too emotionally attached to the characters, because of that, the story did not hit that hard. However, I liked the writing, the pacing, and I think the atmosphere was portrayed well. I partly read it physically and partly listened to it as an audiobook. I enjoyed my time reading the book like this.
This book has three point of views: Nelly (one of the circus performers), Jasper (showman, owner of the circus) and Toby (brother of Jasper, photographer at the circus).
I unfortunately didn't feel too emotionally attached to the characters, because of that, the story did not hit that hard. However, I liked the writing, the pacing, and I think the atmosphere was portrayed well. I partly read it physically and partly listened to it as an audiobook. I enjoyed my time reading the book like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, and Chronic illness
Moderate: War, Death, Self harm, Violence, and Sexual content
alivictoria14's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A great book highlighting the horrors within the Victorian freak shows.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and War
Minor: Kidnapping
andreapap15's review
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, and War
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual content
mikaelaandherbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved how this circus-themed novel combatted the typically romanticized view of circuses with the reality of how circuses both exploited and empowered (at the expense of others) those within the industry. I also liked the integration of historical facts, without basing the fictional circus troupe on any real life people. While the actual story is entertaining, I didn't find it as great as the overarching critique of circuses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, and Ableism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Trafficking, and War
ladymredd's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Parts of the book kept me riveted, while parts left me bored and fighting to keep my mind from wandering.
The book is told from the perspective of 3 characters and focuses mainly on 2 events/points in time. The narrative in the book shifts between the present day and events in the past.
I found the parts of the book that focused on the titular Circus of Wonders to be fascinating and beautifully layered. But the flash backs to the brothers’ lives before the circus felt slow and only served to break up the momentum. After a while the flashbacks became repetitive and added very little to the story itself.
Overall I give the flashbacks 2 stars and the circus parts 4 stars (the circus might have been higher if every time I started to get invested, I didn’t get pulled out of it). I would have loved an entire book from the perspective of Nell that focused on the exploration of the Victorian circus, which is what I expected when reading the book’s description. Instead the book feels muddled by trying to cover too much.
The book is told from the perspective of 3 characters and focuses mainly on 2 events/points in time. The narrative in the book shifts between the present day and events in the past.
I found the parts of the book that focused on the titular Circus of Wonders to be fascinating and beautifully layered. But the flash backs to the brothers’ lives before the circus felt slow and only served to break up the momentum. After a while the flashbacks became repetitive and added very little to the story itself.
Overall I give the flashbacks 2 stars and the circus parts 4 stars (the circus might have been higher if every time I started to get invested, I didn’t get pulled out of it). I would have loved an entire book from the perspective of Nell that focused on the exploration of the Victorian circus, which is what I expected when reading the book’s description. Instead the book feels muddled by trying to cover too much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Animal death, and Death
leighsnerdlife's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a brilliant book that explores the dark world of the PT Barnum era of 'freak' shows. Macneal has created a world both dark and glittering, showing both the brutality of the industry, as well as the hopes and dreams of the performers.
The story moves at a slow but steady clip, and is told through 3 different POVs. I've never hated a character before, but damn, I absolutely despised one of the them - kudos to Macneal for getting me that emotionally invested!
The story moves at a slow but steady clip, and is told through 3 different POVs. I've never hated a character before, but damn, I absolutely despised one of the them - kudos to Macneal for getting me that emotionally invested!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and War
ellereadsbookslike's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nell has always felt different because of the birthmarks that speckle the skin all over her body. The only person that doesn't treat her differently is her older brother, but he is engaged to be married and Nell knows she cannot rely on him forever. But when Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders arrives in her village, her life is about to change forever...
I am a big fan of both books set in Victorian England and Circuses so right of the bat this book is right up my street. The Victorians, and the queen they are named after, really were obsessed with 'oddities' so setting the story in that time period couldn't be more perfect. This is a book that fans of the history of circuses will enjoy as there's lots of mentions about other very famous circuses and performers from that time.
This book is a multiple POV and even though Jasper isn't particularly a very likeable character, I think I enjoyed his POVs the most. I'm a fan of books that show the world from the 'villain's' point of view and I enjoyed seeing into Jasper's thoughts. Also Jasper's chapters were very much used for exposition.
There's a lot of mystery elements to this story although for me the reveal is definitely a bit underwhelming and built up to be more than it is. But I adored the ending. I obviously won't spoil it but I thought it was really clever and it definitely averted my expectations.
I am a big fan of both books set in Victorian England and Circuses so right of the bat this book is right up my street. The Victorians, and the queen they are named after, really were obsessed with 'oddities' so setting the story in that time period couldn't be more perfect. This is a book that fans of the history of circuses will enjoy as there's lots of mentions about other very famous circuses and performers from that time.
This book is a multiple POV and even though Jasper isn't particularly a very likeable character, I think I enjoyed his POVs the most. I'm a fan of books that show the world from the 'villain's' point of view and I enjoyed seeing into Jasper's thoughts. Also Jasper's chapters were very much used for exposition.
There's a lot of mystery elements to this story although for me the reveal is definitely a bit underwhelming and built up to be more than it is. But I adored the ending. I obviously won't spoil it but I thought it was really clever and it definitely averted my expectations.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking, War, and Kidnapping
emmagreenwood's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tuppence Middleton - she is very good at creating difference voices for each character but for some reason the audio version made the story less enjoyable to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Abandonment
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