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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
(A+) 95% ~ This story is so cute and touching. I really loved the relationship between Micah and his grandpa. It’s incredible the capacity of children to believe in many things and the author really suceeded in capturing that essence!
Micah grew up listening to his grandpa's stories of a magical circus that came to town long ago. When his grandpa becomes ill, Micah has the chance to go to Circus Mirandus to try and help his grandpa get better. Micah finds a new friend in Jenny, the smart girl in his class. Together they have to overcome challenges and believe that magic is real. The plot moves quickly and the theme of hope and magic create a nice backdrop. As I read this, I thought it was a good read aloud book for 4th-5th grade. My middle schoolers might not be as drawn to it, because it did feel like it would appeal to a younger crowd. Fans of magical realism will enjoy this book.
Enjoyable and emotional story. Micah's dying grandfather Ephraim calls in a miracle held in reserve from his childhood, when he happened upon a magical (and to most people, invisible) circus. In the hopes of helping, Micah seeks out the circus and enjoys many of the same wonders his grandfather saw. Micah learns more about his family and finds that the miracle Ephraim wanted is not as expected.
This story was about family and faith (i.e. believing in magic), and plays with the idea of children being able to believe in magic while adults tend to lose that faith.
This story was about family and faith (i.e. believing in magic), and plays with the idea of children being able to believe in magic while adults tend to lose that faith.
Circus Mirandus.
The publisher hyped it.
Sam loved it.
Brandy hated it.
As for me? Well, don't mess with me, folks, because I'm Mr. In Between.
I think first-time-novelist Cassie Beasley does a lot of things well in this book. Most notably, she pulls off that mothball-scented Olde Time Storyteller voice that can be magical and engaging, but is so often cloying and off-putting instead. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what it is, exactly, that makes a particular instance of this style effective or ineffective, and I've come up empty-handed. It may just boil down to personal taste. For me, it doesn't work in The Night Gardener or A Snicker of Magic. It does work in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, and it does work in Circus Mirandus. Your mileage may vary.
Also notable - possibly even more notable - is the way Beasley portrays an irredeemable character. Characters who are puuuuure eeeeeeville don't bother me, necessarily - I can appreciate a Cruella deVil - but I know that Sam hates them. So I had to ask him, after I finished Circus Mirandus: what makes Victoria different? His best answer was that she rings true as a sociopath, and I have to agree. She's less a mustache-twirling villain and more of a John Wayne Gacy. Which makes her scary as hell.
Finally: circuses. It's hard to sell me on them. The Night Circus is the first book that made me actually want to visit the circus in question, and that made me even more skeptical about Circus Mirandus. Surely The Night Circus had fully covered the Circus Acts That Rachael Might Enjoy ground, and this would only be a retread. But it's not! This circus sounds great, and if not completely original, at least charmingly re-imagined.
Maybe I only like magical circuses.
Anyway, if that all makes it sound like I liked this book a lot, well, I did. I do think it's a bit rough around the edges, though. Brandy complains about character development, and I do think that's a weak point, especially with the secondary characters. As much as I wanted to like her, Jenny never felt like a real person to me, and even Ephraim (especially older Ephraim) is more idea than person.
There are also some questionable plot choices. I don't want to spoil anything, but I didn't think the final test of the book didn't made sense in terms of the book's internal logic. Sorry to vagueblog.
In a year with The War That Saved My Life in it, as well as new Laura Amy Schlitz and Rebecca Stead novels coming out soon, I just don't think Circus Mirandus is The Most Distinguished. It is, however, a deeply satisfying novel.
The publisher hyped it.
Sam loved it.
Brandy hated it.
As for me? Well, don't mess with me, folks, because I'm Mr. In Between.
I think first-time-novelist Cassie Beasley does a lot of things well in this book. Most notably, she pulls off that mothball-scented Olde Time Storyteller voice that can be magical and engaging, but is so often cloying and off-putting instead. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what it is, exactly, that makes a particular instance of this style effective or ineffective, and I've come up empty-handed. It may just boil down to personal taste. For me, it doesn't work in The Night Gardener or A Snicker of Magic. It does work in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, and it does work in Circus Mirandus. Your mileage may vary.
Also notable - possibly even more notable - is the way Beasley portrays an irredeemable character. Characters who are puuuuure eeeeeeville don't bother me, necessarily - I can appreciate a Cruella deVil - but I know that Sam hates them. So I had to ask him, after I finished Circus Mirandus: what makes Victoria different? His best answer was that she rings true as a sociopath, and I have to agree. She's less a mustache-twirling villain and more of a John Wayne Gacy. Which makes her scary as hell.
Finally: circuses. It's hard to sell me on them. The Night Circus is the first book that made me actually want to visit the circus in question, and that made me even more skeptical about Circus Mirandus. Surely The Night Circus had fully covered the Circus Acts That Rachael Might Enjoy ground, and this would only be a retread. But it's not! This circus sounds great, and if not completely original, at least charmingly re-imagined.
Maybe I only like magical circuses.
Anyway, if that all makes it sound like I liked this book a lot, well, I did. I do think it's a bit rough around the edges, though. Brandy complains about character development, and I do think that's a weak point, especially with the secondary characters. As much as I wanted to like her, Jenny never felt like a real person to me, and even Ephraim (especially older Ephraim) is more idea than person.
There are also some questionable plot choices. I don't want to spoil anything, but I didn't think the final test of the book didn't made sense in terms of the book's internal logic. Sorry to vagueblog.
In a year with The War That Saved My Life in it, as well as new Laura Amy Schlitz and Rebecca Stead novels coming out soon, I just don't think Circus Mirandus is The Most Distinguished. It is, however, a deeply satisfying novel.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent
Minor: Blood
Fun, easy read with characters that are easy to care about. And talking animals.
Or this ending broke and warmed my heart. It's like a mg condensed Caracal setting but more focused on the relationship between the Mc and his wonderful grandpa
my friend gave this book to me in maybe 5th? grade because her cousin wrote it. (it was signed) I never got around to reading it until now, sure that it would be a bit too childish for my tastes. I was astonished to find that not only was this book interesting, it was GOOD. thank you, Cassie Beasley, for writing this! I read it SUPER quickly for my usual slow reading pace. also, if you ever read this, tell Kelsey I said hi!
Another book on the William Allen White award nominee list. Another that I would have never read if not for that. And another that I am so grateful was on the list because I loved it.
This book has such a magical, mysterious feeling to it that I love. It starts off so simple and I wasn't quite sure about it at first, but then it slowly starts to give you hints and answers about what's to happen. I love the way we slowly get answers, but every time we get an answer we're left with more questions! I need to stop being surprised by MG books because they can be so much deeper than I am prepared for.
The story is definitely very character driven. Of course there's the magic and the theme of faith and hope, but it's focus is on on Micah, Jenny, and the Lightbender. I read a few reviews that not everyone liked Micah, but I think he's just a kid who's had a different upbringing and has dealt with more death than necessary at his age. And then Jenny! I love that she gained faith through the story and that it was a process for her - she didn't just instantly believe Micah.
And I loved the way the story ended. It was 100% not what I expected, but way better than what I could have guessed.
I'd definitely recommend this read, but only if you've enjoyed middle grade books before and enjoy stories that focus more on the characters rather than a fast pace plot.
This book has such a magical, mysterious feeling to it that I love. It starts off so simple and I wasn't quite sure about it at first, but then it slowly starts to give you hints and answers about what's to happen. I love the way we slowly get answers, but every time we get an answer we're left with more questions! I need to stop being surprised by MG books because they can be so much deeper than I am prepared for.
The story is definitely very character driven. Of course there's the magic and the theme of faith and hope, but it's focus is on on Micah, Jenny, and the Lightbender. I read a few reviews that not everyone liked Micah, but I think he's just a kid who's had a different upbringing and has dealt with more death than necessary at his age. And then Jenny! I love that she gained faith through the story and that it was a process for her - she didn't just instantly believe Micah.
And I loved the way the story ended. It was 100% not what I expected, but way better than what I could have guessed.
I'd definitely recommend this read, but only if you've enjoyed middle grade books before and enjoy stories that focus more on the characters rather than a fast pace plot.