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A review by julia2manybooks
Showstopper by Hayley Barker
2.0
"It was okay". Yes I think the two star description of goodreads describes my feeling of this book well.
I've finished this book already last month but I found it difficult to write a review about it. Because well... I just needed to figure out what exactly the reasons were why I didn't like the book that much..
I think if you aren't too familiar with this genre you probably will enjoy this book much more than I did. I've read and seen a bit more science fiction which probably makes me too critical about stuff I mention below in the spoilers. I do not say this book is bad. It just wasn't the right book for me.
The promise of the story is good. A circus where people perform such dangerous shows they sometimes die. It is a world where you are either a Dreg or a Pure. Tbh I felt like Dregs could have been substituted with Jews during WO2 and the Pures by the Nazi's. Because the Dregs are not seen as people with feeling but rather disposable "things" by the Pures. After reading a few chapter I felt like "Aren't there any compassionate people in this book? Everyone is so horrible.. (well except Ben I suppose)"
So the story if about Hoshiko who is one of the biggest stars of the circus and Ben, who's mother is the powerful minister. Ben instantly falls in love when he sees Hoshika perform.. So I did like the two perspectives method. His point of view and hers. You can read the story quite easily as well. However, the story was written too simple in my opinion. The dialogues often felt unnatural to me and I sometimes imagined what would have been better (something I never do!).
The thing with dystopias is that it is an unreal world and you have to be sucked in to the story to be attached to it. Even more than normal fiction in my opinion. You have to believe while reading that it could be true and feel like you are living in this fictional world. Unfortunately, I didn't feel attached to the story or any of the characters in the book. I didn't feel sad when someone died and I didn't feel any aw when people kissed. I didn't hate the book but also didn't like it. I did finish it because I believe you can't rate and review a book without finishing it.
So a few other thoughts I had about the book:
How did the world come to this? Yes they explain some sort of migration problem. But Oh my they treat the dregs like slaves. How is that even possible? You would have to change the constitution and so many laws! Like how? I'm not saying it is impossible to happen but just explain the reader better how it did...
Is Ben really the only Pure with a heart? Like his mother, father and even his twin brother are so horrible...It is such a surprise he doesn't feel the same way. All the characters were either good people or terribles ones. No grey area at all..
I missed a lot of explaining about the surroundings. Like what kind of tent was it eventually? It was something temporary because they travel with it but then it seemed like some sort of bunker and somehow there were some sort of tunnels in the ceiling. It confused me greatly..
Silvio, he could have a been such an interesting and complicated character.. He is a halfling and doesn't belong to the pures but still yearns to be. He hates his mother for sleeping with a dreg (this father. Like really? You would not have existed if she didn't!! For a moment when he was upset about loosing the twins I had a little hope he might care or be a spy with an immoral cover.. However, he was just mad about having to come up with another idea for the show.. bummer.. I think his character had a lot of missed opportunities
I've finished this book already last month but I found it difficult to write a review about it. Because well... I just needed to figure out what exactly the reasons were why I didn't like the book that much..
I think if you aren't too familiar with this genre you probably will enjoy this book much more than I did. I've read and seen a bit more science fiction which probably makes me too critical about stuff I mention below in the spoilers. I do not say this book is bad. It just wasn't the right book for me.
The promise of the story is good. A circus where people perform such dangerous shows they sometimes die. It is a world where you are either a Dreg or a Pure. Tbh I felt like Dregs could have been substituted with Jews during WO2 and the Pures by the Nazi's. Because the Dregs are not seen as people with feeling but rather disposable "things" by the Pures. After reading a few chapter I felt like "Aren't there any compassionate people in this book? Everyone is so horrible.. (well except Ben I suppose)"
So the story if about Hoshiko who is one of the biggest stars of the circus and Ben, who's mother is the powerful minister. Ben instantly falls in love when he sees Hoshika perform.
Spoiler
She almost dies and he helps her get back upThe thing with dystopias is that it is an unreal world and you have to be sucked in to the story to be attached to it. Even more than normal fiction in my opinion. You have to believe while reading that it could be true and feel like you are living in this fictional world. Unfortunately, I didn't feel attached to the story or any of the characters in the book. I didn't feel sad when someone died and I didn't feel any aw when people kissed. I didn't hate the book but also didn't like it. I did finish it because I believe you can't rate and review a book without finishing it.
So a few other thoughts I had about the book:
Spoiler
How did the world come to this? Yes they explain some sort of migration problem. But Oh my they treat the dregs like slaves. How is that even possible? You would have to change the constitution and so many laws! Like how? I'm not saying it is impossible to happen but just explain the reader better how it did...
Is Ben really the only Pure with a heart? Like his mother, father and even his twin brother are so horrible...It is such a surprise he doesn't feel the same way. All the characters were either good people or terribles ones. No grey area at all..
I missed a lot of explaining about the surroundings. Like what kind of tent was it eventually? It was something temporary because they travel with it but then it seemed like some sort of bunker and somehow there were some sort of tunnels in the ceiling. It confused me greatly..
Silvio, he could have a been such an interesting and complicated character.. He is a halfling and doesn't belong to the pures but still yearns to be. He hates his mother for sleeping with a dreg (this father. Like really? You would not have existed if she didn't!! For a moment when he was upset about loosing the twins I had a little hope he might care or be a spy with an immoral cover.. However, he was just mad about having to come up with another idea for the show.. bummer.. I think his character had a lot of missed opportunities