thatgirlwiththeteapot's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, this book was really quite good. I felt it took a bit too long to set up the world and get into the action, but once things started happening it became a really fast read.
As a warning, there is slight sexual content. Nothing truly explicit or anything, but worth noting.
As a warning, there is slight sexual content. Nothing truly explicit or anything, but worth noting.
witchofthemountains's review against another edition
4.0
I've been a Klause fan since ninth grade when I stumbled across Blood and Chocolate on my English teacher's bookshelf.
Klause is good - no, great - at delivering interesting plots that should be ridiculous but are so rooted in relatable characters that they ground the whole thing. The settings are well-rendered without being overdrawn, and Klause treats the history of "freak shows" with the complex lens it deserves. Given that this is essentially a paranormal YA romance (from a male perspective I might add, which is incredibly rare) I didn't expect that kind of treatment for the source material. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
If you're in the mood for a historical paranormal YA, then this is the book for you. The characters are intriguing, the setting is well-rendered, and the writing itself is artfully crafted. Klause is a master storyteller and this novel is just one more piece of proof to that.
Klause is good - no, great - at delivering interesting plots that should be ridiculous but are so rooted in relatable characters that they ground the whole thing. The settings are well-rendered without being overdrawn, and Klause treats the history of "freak shows" with the complex lens it deserves. Given that this is essentially a paranormal YA romance (from a male perspective I might add, which is incredibly rare) I didn't expect that kind of treatment for the source material. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
If you're in the mood for a historical paranormal YA, then this is the book for you. The characters are intriguing, the setting is well-rendered, and the writing itself is artfully crafted. Klause is a master storyteller and this novel is just one more piece of proof to that.
heyshay07's review against another edition
4.0
I had some trouble getting into this audio book initially, but it ended up being good. The characters are interesting but the plot is a little slow. The whole "reincarnated star-crossed lovers" thing is a bit much but I guess the author had to have some reason for Able to leave home. Able is almost too virtuous and suffers from a superman type complex, except he thinks about and refers to sex a lot so this is more a YA high school book than middle school book. Minus the sexual references, I think the characters and plot would appeal more to middle schoolers so it is a book that doesn't fit well into either level. Also, despite the reincarnated lives thing, this book is probably more historical fiction than fantasy so if you're looking for a fantasy type book like Cirque de Freaks, this isn't what you'll get.
tatted_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
Yes yes yes yes YES! I LOVED this book and the characters in it. I love the ending. I feared they all wouldn't be together in the end, but they did and it makes me happy.
shinychick's review against another edition
4.0
I've loved Klause since I read The Silver Kiss, and even more since Blood and Chocolate, which I used as extensive background for my very favorite Gangrel, Ari Lang. This was an interesting take on freak shows of the early 1900s, and also provided a good basis for Carnivale, which Mark and I are watching now. Slightly far-fetched, but written with the same adroitness as her other offerings.
samwescott's review against another edition
3.0
While I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as "Blood and Chocolate", I did enoy this book. It's not fantastic - the plot is alternately unbelievable and dully realistic, but it was charming in its way and provided a wonderful cast of characters. I am indeed a sucker for lovable side characters. I'd recommend this as a great mindless read in between more substantial books, or for young adults.
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
booktasticallyamazing's review against another edition
3.0
This was... not a very good book.
Work death caused me to read this and yes, at least it distracted me from bloodsucking things such as ✨socializing✨
Work death caused me to read this and yes, at least it distracted me from bloodsucking things such as ✨socializing✨
abigailweas's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
3.0
I'm going to start this out by saying the cover is beautiful and by one of my favourite artists.
That said, I agree with most of the reviewers of this book in that it does talk about the boy and his out of control sexual desires quite a bit. It doesn't make the book any less appropriate for an older teen audience (14+) but it does get a little tedious. We know how a boy his age would react to an enticing topless dance. We don't need to hear about it every time he has a dream, honestly. I did enjoy the story, though, and would recommend it for people interested in a rarely used subject in YA of circus acts and sideshows. It seems that Klause did quite a bit of research on the subject while writing and you actually get transported to the time and place with ease - the history doesn't seem forced.
I didn't like it as much as I remember liking Blood and Chocolate but I like it much better than The Silver Kiss (which seemed quite juvenile and ordinary to me).
That said, I agree with most of the reviewers of this book in that it does talk about the boy and his out of control sexual desires quite a bit. It doesn't make the book any less appropriate for an older teen audience (14+) but it does get a little tedious. We know how a boy his age would react to an enticing topless dance. We don't need to hear about it every time he has a dream, honestly. I did enjoy the story, though, and would recommend it for people interested in a rarely used subject in YA of circus acts and sideshows. It seems that Klause did quite a bit of research on the subject while writing and you actually get transported to the time and place with ease - the history doesn't seem forced.
I didn't like it as much as I remember liking Blood and Chocolate but I like it much better than The Silver Kiss (which seemed quite juvenile and ordinary to me).