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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=7038
I liked Circus Mirandus from the very beginning, but as soon as the circus officially enters he story, the magic just engulfs you. I think it is the Lightbender that makes the story. He is a mystery, but also the person that I feel like I connected with the most. I truly feel that he is what makes this book as magical as it is. I also really liked Jenny. Jenny represents the main stream (which is odd to say because Jenny is a little bit odd), but Jenny has already moved past magic and is so straight forward. Convincing her to believe in anything past what she sees and knows was such a challenge for Micah. (But she is such a great friend!)
One of the things I really liked about the text is the theme of helping kids stay kids for as long as possible. Circus Mirandus is around to help keep the magic of childhood alive. That is something I can believe in!
Circus Mirandus was my informal Twitter book club’s choice for July, and I loved chatting with them about the book (and Ricki joined us this time!). To see the archive of our chat, you can view it here. (Warning: There are spoilers for the book in the chat.)
Some of my favorite quotes from the chat were:
“I loved that Jenny was willing to go along on the journey even if she had trouble believing.” -Alyson Beecher
–“Yes! That is what made me love her. She was willing to support her friend.” -Kellee Moye
–“And Jenny needed a friend, found something in herself that “might” want to believe, too?” -Linda Baie
–“I love how great Jenny and Micah are for each other…helping each other find courage and comfort.” -Beth Sanderson
“It was interesting that the light bender just dismissed G., rather as we all should dismiss evil people.” -Linda Baie
“I loved the relationship between Micah and Gpa. He had so many words of wisdom to prepare Micah.” -Leigh Anne Eck
–“The wonderful relationship between Micah and his Grandpa is what I will remember the most about this book.” -Cynthia Alaniz
“I don’t think we should hide kids from life truths like death. Kids need to be taught healthy ways to grieve.” -Ricki Ginsberg
“The artwork is special! It is interesting to read the Ch then look at the art & find the reasoning behind the art.” -Kellee Moye
–“Yes! There is something special when physical aesthetic of book matches aesthetic of the language.” -Christy Rush-Levine
Favorite quotes shared from the book:
“Because when you try too hard to hold on to something, you break it.”
“Who you are is more than good enough.”
I liked Circus Mirandus from the very beginning, but as soon as the circus officially enters he story, the magic just engulfs you. I think it is the Lightbender that makes the story. He is a mystery, but also the person that I feel like I connected with the most. I truly feel that he is what makes this book as magical as it is. I also really liked Jenny. Jenny represents the main stream (which is odd to say because Jenny is a little bit odd), but Jenny has already moved past magic and is so straight forward. Convincing her to believe in anything past what she sees and knows was such a challenge for Micah. (But she is such a great friend!)
One of the things I really liked about the text is the theme of helping kids stay kids for as long as possible. Circus Mirandus is around to help keep the magic of childhood alive. That is something I can believe in!
Circus Mirandus was my informal Twitter book club’s choice for July, and I loved chatting with them about the book (and Ricki joined us this time!). To see the archive of our chat, you can view it here. (Warning: There are spoilers for the book in the chat.)
Some of my favorite quotes from the chat were:
“I loved that Jenny was willing to go along on the journey even if she had trouble believing.” -Alyson Beecher
–“Yes! That is what made me love her. She was willing to support her friend.” -Kellee Moye
–“And Jenny needed a friend, found something in herself that “might” want to believe, too?” -Linda Baie
–“I love how great Jenny and Micah are for each other…helping each other find courage and comfort.” -Beth Sanderson
“It was interesting that the light bender just dismissed G., rather as we all should dismiss evil people.” -Linda Baie
“I loved the relationship between Micah and Gpa. He had so many words of wisdom to prepare Micah.” -Leigh Anne Eck
–“The wonderful relationship between Micah and his Grandpa is what I will remember the most about this book.” -Cynthia Alaniz
“I don’t think we should hide kids from life truths like death. Kids need to be taught healthy ways to grieve.” -Ricki Ginsberg
“The artwork is special! It is interesting to read the Ch then look at the art & find the reasoning behind the art.” -Kellee Moye
–“Yes! There is something special when physical aesthetic of book matches aesthetic of the language.” -Christy Rush-Levine
Favorite quotes shared from the book:
“Because when you try too hard to hold on to something, you break it.”
“Who you are is more than good enough.”
Jako lijepa i topla priča sa maštovitim elementima.
Ono što je definitivno omelo čitanje je samo izdanje knjige u kojoj su stranice bile pomiješane i neke su se ponavljale, što svakako treba popraviti ili povući ovo izdanje.
Ono što je definitivno omelo čitanje je samo izdanje knjige u kojoj su stranice bile pomiješane i neke su se ponavljale, što svakako treba popraviti ili povući ovo izdanje.
I sat on this review for almost an entire week half scared to write it because almost every person I know who's read this book has raved about it. Talk about being on the outside of a popular opinion. True, due to all those five star rave reviews and Newbery buzz, I went into this with some pretty high expectations.
As I began reading Circus Mirandus, I mostly just felt underwhelmed. It is an intriguing concept, but nothing about the way it was presented gripped me. The writing is adequate but nothing to get super excited about. I was perplexed because I read so much MG fantasy and so much of it is executed far better than this. I was perplexed because there are so many really great 2015 books that this doesn't come close to touching in terms of excellence. Why the Newbery buzz?
For about 1/3 of the book I thought this was going to be a relatively enjoyable but mostly forgettable 3 star read.
Then I started to get annoyed.
I'm a character reader. When I read a book, I want to believe the characters are real. Real people. Making real decisions. That make sense in terms of who they are. If a character does something that makes sense for plot purposes, but doesn't fit who they've been presented as a person, then I start to get annoyed. If it happens over and over again with every character in the book, the book's lost me. Beasley had a very particular story she wanted to tell, and her characters are props. I think this can sometimes be an intentional commentary in a book, but it's not here. It's just poor character development. Micah is an empty vessel into which the reader can insert himself/herself. All the supporting characters are shallow stereotypes who only briefly break from their assigned niches when the plot requires moving forward. I also had a major issue with how the book divided characters into "good" and "bad". (Those weren't the terms used, but it's what it boiled down to.) And if you're already in the "bad" camp there is no hope for your redemption. I actually really enjoy when MG authors present darker themes and characters in their books. Are there people who are mean and cruel who do terrible things to people they should care about? Yes. Are there people who hold on to grudges and never change? Again, yes. But the way all of that was presented in this, the way it was tied to the plot and the magic, really rubbed me the wrong way. It all felt so forced. (Particularly given that I think we were meant to like Micah's grandfather and see him as a secondary hero, but nope nope nope. That guy was not awesome. Are people sometimes thought of as heroes or sympathetic who don't deserve it? Yes. But again, this book isn't commenting on that. We're really supposed to root for this guy. NO.)
By the end of the book I was infuriated. The flat characters and their forced actions which ended in the conclusion all of that comes to left me wanting to hurl the book into the pool I was sitting next to. (I refrained. It was a library book.) It made me really confused about the why of it all too. What is Beasley trying to say with her symbolism combined with this forced characterization? What it the thematic purpose here? It was all too frustrating for me.
As I began reading Circus Mirandus, I mostly just felt underwhelmed. It is an intriguing concept, but nothing about the way it was presented gripped me. The writing is adequate but nothing to get super excited about. I was perplexed because I read so much MG fantasy and so much of it is executed far better than this. I was perplexed because there are so many really great 2015 books that this doesn't come close to touching in terms of excellence. Why the Newbery buzz?
For about 1/3 of the book I thought this was going to be a relatively enjoyable but mostly forgettable 3 star read.
Then I started to get annoyed.
I'm a character reader. When I read a book, I want to believe the characters are real. Real people. Making real decisions. That make sense in terms of who they are. If a character does something that makes sense for plot purposes, but doesn't fit who they've been presented as a person, then I start to get annoyed. If it happens over and over again with every character in the book, the book's lost me. Beasley had a very particular story she wanted to tell, and her characters are props. I think this can sometimes be an intentional commentary in a book, but it's not here. It's just poor character development. Micah is an empty vessel into which the reader can insert himself/herself. All the supporting characters are shallow stereotypes who only briefly break from their assigned niches when the plot requires moving forward. I also had a major issue with how the book divided characters into "good" and "bad". (Those weren't the terms used, but it's what it boiled down to.) And if you're already in the "bad" camp there is no hope for your redemption. I actually really enjoy when MG authors present darker themes and characters in their books. Are there people who are mean and cruel who do terrible things to people they should care about? Yes. Are there people who hold on to grudges and never change? Again, yes. But the way all of that was presented in this, the way it was tied to the plot and the magic, really rubbed me the wrong way. It all felt so forced. (Particularly given that I think we were meant to like Micah's grandfather and see him as a secondary hero, but nope nope nope. That guy was not awesome. Are people sometimes thought of as heroes or sympathetic who don't deserve it? Yes. But again, this book isn't commenting on that. We're really supposed to root for this guy. NO.)
By the end of the book I was infuriated. The flat characters and their forced actions which ended in the conclusion all of that comes to left me wanting to hurl the book into the pool I was sitting next to. (I refrained. It was a library book.) It made me really confused about the why of it all too. What is Beasley trying to say with her symbolism combined with this forced characterization? What it the thematic purpose here? It was all too frustrating for me.
Well done! Creative idea and interesting characters.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Love, love, love this book! This is Ms. Beasley's debut novel, and she satisfies the reader in every way. She creates a magical circus where every reader wants to go, but more importantly, she restores your faith that miracles do happen. How will she top this novel? I look forward to seeing.
Life as we know it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows but sometimes life is as good as one can make it. This is Ephraim Tuttle’s belief in life. His father was in the middle of the war and Ephraim missed him terribly. When Ephraim was a little boy he played hooky from school more times than he could explain mostly because he didn’t want to live life while his father was off to war. One day while playing hooky at his usual hiding place- the beach. he hears pipes and drums and goes out to seek where they were coming from. When Ephraim finally arrived at the music he found a circus. Not an ordinary circus. A circus that changes Ephraim’s life forever.
Micah Tuttle is Ephraim’s grandson. His whole life Micah has been told stories of the circus that his grandfather had visited as a child. He was told about the magic, the beauty, the man who could bend light. Micah dreamed of visiting the circus just as his grandfather did, only he needed to fix his grandfather who was dying first.
Circus Mirandus is not only a story of magic, mystery and wonders it’s a story about relationships, fulfilling dreams and understanding that not everyone can, will, or wants to understand the faith it takes to believe in miracles.
Miracles can come when you least expect it. Answers can be found at the saddest times and imagination can soar even when you don’t want it. This is the story of Circus Mirandus.
Author Cassie Beasley creates a world that blends together the feel of the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and the movie Little Boy written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. It is endearing, it is imaginative and it is also heartbreaking in an oddly not your typical cry-your-eyes-out sort of way. The characters are delivered masterfully, built to a height that as a middle-grade reader you could be friends with each person except for maybe Grand Aunt Gertrudis whom you would run away from as fast as you could. This book is full of adventure and yet brings a reality to its readers that help children deal with grief and faith.
“It’s important, when you first see magic, to recognize it. You don’t often get a second chance.” This book shows that sometimes if your lucky and have enough faith that you might just get that second chance… A wonderful, adventure-filled book.
Micah Tuttle is Ephraim’s grandson. His whole life Micah has been told stories of the circus that his grandfather had visited as a child. He was told about the magic, the beauty, the man who could bend light. Micah dreamed of visiting the circus just as his grandfather did, only he needed to fix his grandfather who was dying first.
Circus Mirandus is not only a story of magic, mystery and wonders it’s a story about relationships, fulfilling dreams and understanding that not everyone can, will, or wants to understand the faith it takes to believe in miracles.
Miracles can come when you least expect it. Answers can be found at the saddest times and imagination can soar even when you don’t want it. This is the story of Circus Mirandus.
Author Cassie Beasley creates a world that blends together the feel of the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and the movie Little Boy written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. It is endearing, it is imaginative and it is also heartbreaking in an oddly not your typical cry-your-eyes-out sort of way. The characters are delivered masterfully, built to a height that as a middle-grade reader you could be friends with each person except for maybe Grand Aunt Gertrudis whom you would run away from as fast as you could. This book is full of adventure and yet brings a reality to its readers that help children deal with grief and faith.
“It’s important, when you first see magic, to recognize it. You don’t often get a second chance.” This book shows that sometimes if your lucky and have enough faith that you might just get that second chance… A wonderful, adventure-filled book.
Life as we know it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but sometimes life is as good as one can make it. This is Ephraim Tuttle’s belief in life. His father was in the middle of the war and Ephraim missed him terribly. When Ephraim was a little boy he played hooky from school more times than he could explain mostly because he didn’t want to live life while his father was off to war. One day while playing hooky at his usual hiding place — the beach he hears pipes and drums and goes out to seek where they were coming from. When Ephraim finally arrived at the music he found a circus. Not an ordinary circus. A circus that changes Ephraim’s life forever.
Micah Tuttle is Ephraim’s grandson. His whole life Micah has been told stories of the circus that his grandfather had visited as a child. He was told about the magic, the beauty, the man who could bend light. Micah dreamed of visiting the circus just as his grandfather did, only he needed to first fix his grandfather who was dying.
Circus Mirandus is not only a story of magic, mystery, and wonders it’s a story about relationships, fulfilling dreams and understanding that not everyone can, will, or wants to understand the faith it takes to believe in miracles.
Miracles can come when you least expect it. Answers can be found at the saddest times, and imagination can soar even when you don’t want it. This is the story of Circus Mirandus.
Author Cassie Beasley creates a world that blends together the feel of the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and the movie Little Boy written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. It is endearing, it is imaginative, and it is also heartbreaking in an oddly not your typical cry-your-eyes-out sort of way. The characters are delivered masterfully, built to a height that as a middle-grade reader you could be friends with each person except for maybe Grand Aunt Gertrudis whom you would run away from as fast as you could. This book is full of adventure and yet brings a reality to its readers that help children deal with grief and faith.
“It’s important, when you first see magic, to recognize it. You don’t often get a second chance.” This book shows that sometimes if your lucky and have enough faith that you might just get that second chance… A wonderful, adventure-filled book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.
Micah Tuttle is Ephraim’s grandson. His whole life Micah has been told stories of the circus that his grandfather had visited as a child. He was told about the magic, the beauty, the man who could bend light. Micah dreamed of visiting the circus just as his grandfather did, only he needed to first fix his grandfather who was dying.
Circus Mirandus is not only a story of magic, mystery, and wonders it’s a story about relationships, fulfilling dreams and understanding that not everyone can, will, or wants to understand the faith it takes to believe in miracles.
Miracles can come when you least expect it. Answers can be found at the saddest times, and imagination can soar even when you don’t want it. This is the story of Circus Mirandus.
Author Cassie Beasley creates a world that blends together the feel of the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and the movie Little Boy written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. It is endearing, it is imaginative, and it is also heartbreaking in an oddly not your typical cry-your-eyes-out sort of way. The characters are delivered masterfully, built to a height that as a middle-grade reader you could be friends with each person except for maybe Grand Aunt Gertrudis whom you would run away from as fast as you could. This book is full of adventure and yet brings a reality to its readers that help children deal with grief and faith.
“It’s important, when you first see magic, to recognize it. You don’t often get a second chance.” This book shows that sometimes if your lucky and have enough faith that you might just get that second chance… A wonderful, adventure-filled book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.
What a beautiful work of art! I hadn't read such a fantastic book for this range of age in a while, and I am obsessed with it. I'm not giving the 5 stars because I wanted to know more about Victoria and the circus. Specially the circus. I can't wait to know what the kids at my bookshop think!
This book left me in tears...good tears! I love the relationship between Micah and his grandfather. (It made me miss my grandma). If you believe: magic and miracles can happen.