Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Night Circus

I didn't think I'd like this book after reading the blurb, but I am so glad I ended up reading it. The book was so intricately written and the language itself was so fantastical that the book mirrored the circus itself. Reading this book felt like how I'd imagine walking through the circus would feel, with unexpected twists and turns and beauty all around and joy and wonder as well. For those who have a hard time with jumping around in time, this may be a hard book to get into. For me, the way it jumped through time felt fitting for the story that was being told, not to mention the constancy of the circus gave it a sort of connected feel, no matter which point we were at. The narration style itself was so interesting to read, especially the points with direct language (where it uses "you" as the subject) it isn't something you see often and fit so well with the story.
I really enjoyed this cast of characters, they were all unique and well thought out. I loved the way each of them felt individual just as their role in the circus was, but still, a coherent cast that related in an understandable way. The romance of this book was so visceral. I wished we had more scenes between Marco and Celia, and at first, I thought it was because their relationship was undeveloped but then I realized they were developed, just separately. What I mean by that is that they basically fell in love with what the other created before they even knew the other, so when they met the connection was already there. What I really wanted was more scenes with them because I loved that pairing so much and I thought they deserved more time together. Each character was written with such care, and it had a tremendous impact on the way the reader is impacted by the story.
I am one of those people who doesn't really picture things in their heads. When I read, I don't really see the seen so much as I see small flashes of specific details as they appear. This can make books that are overly descriptive tedious to read, since I'm not really getting anything from scenery descriptors. This book uses description less to actually give a picture of what the character may be seeing and more to give the feeling of what they are seeing. As much as the visual description of the circus is very in-depth, the reader feels the essence of the circus less than they may just see it in their head. For me, this really created a sense of wonder and amazement while reading the descriptive language, rather than skipping over it.
I don't really know the right words to describe just how magical reading this book was for me. I'd say give it a chance, it might surprise you.

Content Warnings