The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers

"It tried to be mysterious and otherworldly but it just fell flat and was a chore to get through."

1 Star

Pros: I've always had a soft spot for mysterious circuses, IE Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and I had hopes for this book but that hope quickly vanished.

Cons: The plot was scattered, confusing/The characters were one dimensional, their apparent love stories made no sense and felt forced, a man buys you an apple and you're in love?/Althacazur/Cecile and the dialogue between them while Lara is at Le Cirque Secret was so painful it was horrific.

Full Review:

Lara is left on the altar on her wedding day. Her fiancée didn't just leave, he disappeared. His car was found in the same spot that the only crime in Kerrigan Falls' history ever occurred. A musician, Peter Beaumont, best friend to Lara's father, disappeared as well, 30 years ago. She doesn't know how it's connected but she knows that her mother is holding something back.

Lara and her mother also have the ability to do magic. They come from a long line of magicians it seems. Lara's great grandmother was the star of Le Cirque Secret, Cecile Cabot. We learn that the history behind Le Cirque Secret is dark and deadly. It's not a Circus. It's a prison and its inmates are denizens of Hell who have agreed to serve their eternal punishment acting in this fantastical performance. Althacazur, a being who appears to Lara as a child and then again as an adult, runs the whole show and his twin daughters, Cecile and Esme, are the stars.

I don't know if I can pinpoint the exact point where this book became a chore but, it was probably a little more than halfway through. And I felt like each chapter was convoluted, each character annoying and one dimensional. I'm not sure when I lost all faith in this book but by the end I was just glad to be done with it. When Althacazur explains that he's the demon of "real awesome shit" yeah...I just about threw the book across the room. I'm all for dark carnivals, IE, Bradbury's classic, Something Wicked This Way Comes but there was nothing in this book that had an ounce or inkling of the draw that Bradbury does. Suffice it to say, this book was a struggle and a waste of time.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet #3) by Madeleine L’Engle

“The apocalypse is looming when a random South American Dictator threatens Nuclear War. Of course, Charles Wallace is the only one who can stop it! It's all tied into the descendants of Meg's mother in law, Mrs. O'Keefe, Calvin's mother. With the help of a Unicorn named Gudior, Charles Wallace is off to save the day. This was another head scratcher and I'm not holding out much hope that the series will start making sense." 2 Stars Pros Time travel, to me, is far less surreal than whatever was going on in #2. So this was an easier read. Cons: Megs constant questioning starts right on page 1, at least she’s consistent/I do love how Mr. Murry is on speed dial with the President/The various timelines got very confusing and all the Brans/Maddocs/Maddox/Gwens/Gwyns and the multiple Zillah and Zillies were extremely frustrating. I had no idea who I was reading about at the end. Full Review: Years have passed and all the Murry children have grown. Dennys and San...

All the Books.

Search This Blog