sophiewilliams's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this! Got it free as a world book night gift from my mother-in-law to be. Was completely ingrossing and the ending made me smile lots. Well worth a read.
Think my favourite part were with 90year old Jacob. Really resonanted with the people I've worked with in care homes and the hospitals.
Think my favourite part were with 90year old Jacob. Really resonanted with the people I've worked with in care homes and the hospitals.
jess_segraves's review against another edition
4.0
I hate circuses. I hate everything they entail—over-the-top dramatization, a focus on "freaks," mistreatment and housing of animals (I also hate zoos for this same reason). I reluctantly picked up this book, because I wanted to satisfy my curiosity—why have people cited this as a favorite book so often?—and also satisfy one of the challenge tasks for the College Students Spring/Summer Challenge.
I actually liked this book a lot. Jacob is a narrator who is easy to relate to, and you really get a sense of his life and his environment. I especially like the transitions from the past to the present. I love books that send you into particular times and places. I could almost hear the sounds, and I definitely could picture August and Marlena—and I also loved Rosie!
All in all, this book was a good read. I wouldn't call it a favorite because I hated the subject matter, but the characters were likable and distinct despite the basic plot. Gruen has a wonderful way of storytelling and would definitely read other books from her in the future (though hopefully not related to circuses!).
I actually liked this book a lot. Jacob is a narrator who is easy to relate to, and you really get a sense of his life and his environment. I especially like the transitions from the past to the present. I love books that send you into particular times and places. I could almost hear the sounds, and I definitely could picture August and Marlena—and I also loved Rosie!
All in all, this book was a good read. I wouldn't call it a favorite because I hated the subject matter, but the characters were likable and distinct despite the basic plot. Gruen has a wonderful way of storytelling and would definitely read other books from her in the future (though hopefully not related to circuses!).
mazza57's review against another edition
3.0
I was carried along on the momentum of the prologue and then Jacob is suddenly 90 or 93 and we have yet another book that merrily zips backwards and forwards in time - they drive me mad.
Writing was quite simplistic and I did not like it as much as i thought. There is a brutality to the storyline which detracts from overall enjoyment. From the loss of his parents to how he joined the circus and his daily life within it there is violence and lack of choice. even in the nursing home Jacob's rights are ridden roughshod over.
Writing was quite simplistic and I did not like it as much as i thought. There is a brutality to the storyline which detracts from overall enjoyment. From the loss of his parents to how he joined the circus and his daily life within it there is violence and lack of choice. even in the nursing home Jacob's rights are ridden roughshod over.
laurenbea814's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
booksnooksandcooks's review against another edition
4.75
I really enjoyed this book but for the life of me, I cannot explain why?? It just had this sort of magnetic pull that had me glued to the pages. Now I need to watch the movie!
s_lesley's review against another edition
2.0
This has been on my tbr forever and I've kept passing it over. Now I know why. I skipped a lot in the middle. This one was difficult for me and I couldn't stick with it because it never grabbed me.
endotheline's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book was interesting, but I was disappointed by it.
I've had this book for about 6 years and I finally started reading it about a month ago. I probably could've finished this book earlier considering how much free time I have right now, but I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. I really liked the premise of this book and I was intrigued by the idea of a struggling circus, but I didn't care about any of the characters, (and I didn't really care about that old man subplot), so this book ended up being kind of disappointing.
By the way, when I started reading this, I considered on watching the movie adaptation again since I hadn't seen it in years and I thought it might help me keep track of the characters, but I decided to wait so that I could visualize my own version of the characters and follow the plot without anticipating anything. I guess that was a good decision, but now that I've finished the book, I definitely plan on watching the movie again.
Rating: 2.5/5
I've had this book for about 6 years and I finally started reading it about a month ago. I probably could've finished this book earlier considering how much free time I have right now, but I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. I really liked the premise of this book and I was intrigued by the idea of a struggling circus, but I didn't care about any of the characters, (and I didn't really care about that old man subplot), so this book ended up being kind of disappointing.
By the way, when I started reading this, I considered on watching the movie adaptation again since I hadn't seen it in years and I thought it might help me keep track of the characters, but I decided to wait so that I could visualize my own version of the characters and follow the plot without anticipating anything. I guess that was a good decision, but now that I've finished the book, I definitely plan on watching the movie again.
Rating: 2.5/5
cece2's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
abbehmelinda's review against another edition
DNF @ pg. 104
Sorry, I’m bored. And some of these scenes made me extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to throw up. I told myself I would decide whether or not to DNF by page 100, and I did. Maybe I’m just not in the mood right now but I was already skimming through because I lost interest, so idk. Oh well.
Sorry, I’m bored. And some of these scenes made me extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to throw up. I told myself I would decide whether or not to DNF by page 100, and I did. Maybe I’m just not in the mood right now but I was already skimming through because I lost interest, so idk. Oh well.
manhattan017's review against another edition
4.0
Rosie is my favorite character. I gave this book 4/5 stars because although I enjoyed it… there was something missing for me in the last few chapters I can’t quite put my finger on. The setting did keep me captivated though. How could it not, a train traveling circus during prohibition era?! Still recommended as a good read.