Take a photo of a barcode or cover
myjourneywithbooks 's review for:
The Circus Train
by Amita Parikh
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lena Papadapoulos has spent her whole life with the World of Wonders, Europe's most magnificent travelling circus, where her father works as the star illusionist. But Lena, wheelchair-bound after a bout of polio during her early childhood, has never fit in at the circus. When an orphaned young boy named Alexandre joins the circus under unusual circumstances, Lena finds herself with a real friend for the first time in her life. They navigate their childhood together, Alexandre shadowed by secrets from his past and Lena determined to overcome the limitations life has set on her. The story is set during the second world war and events conspire to separate Lena from Theo and Alexandre halfway through.
This is a story with a lot of potential. From the author's note, it is clear she has done a lot of research to write about both Lena's struggle with her disability and the fate of the two men after they are separated from Lena.
The execution, however, leaves something to be desired for. There was rather too much telling instead of showing and the only part of the entire book that had me on the edge of my seat was the one where Theo and Alexandre attempt an escape.
One thing that usually annoys me is a story that keeps hinting at secrets for way too long before they are eventually revealed. As was the case with Theo's secret in this book, which I had already figured out long before the reveal.
This is a story with a lot of potential. From the author's note, it is clear she has done a lot of research to write about both Lena's struggle with her disability and the fate of the two men after they are separated from Lena.
The execution, however, leaves something to be desired for. There was rather too much telling instead of showing and the only part of the entire book that had me on the edge of my seat was the one where Theo and Alexandre attempt an escape.
One thing that usually annoys me is a story that keeps hinting at secrets for way too long before they are eventually revealed. As was the case with Theo's secret in this book, which I had already figured out long before the reveal.