What’s that? I’ve actually read a book that has just come out? No, guys, I’m feeling absolutely fine, I just knew that I had to read this book as soon as it was released because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to wait any longer. I’d already had to wait longer than I thought because I thought that the release date for The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue came out on the same date in both the U.S and the U.K. …
I’m quite late to the party for Stalking Jack the Ripper. I’m always a bit wary of when authors take a moment in history and turn it into a piece of fiction. But lately, I seem to be finding quite a few YA books that do this perfectly, like A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. As you’ve probably guessed, this book is about Jack the Ripper, so you’ll have to prepare yourself for a gruesome ride. …
A book about books? Yes, please! A book about a corrupt bookish society where you’re not allowed to own your own books? Hell, yeah! Sign me up. I went into this book with very high expectations because of the two aforementioned reasons, and I really wasn’t disappointed. …
A debut novel set in the Roman Empire and fictionalises the battle between the Romans and the Germans… It sounds epic. It sounds amazing and it sounds bloody. It was definitely bloody. …
If you haven’t seen the books, How to Stay Alive or The Humans by Matt Haig floating around BookTube, the blogosphere or just anywhere, where have you been? I have not read either books, but I know that Matt Haig is an author who is greatly admired within the book community. When I was given the opportunity to read How to Stop Time, I jumped at the chance to read this book, and oh what a wonderful book it was! …
Time travel and reincarnation? Yes, please. This is the first book that I have ever read by Lauren James and I have to say… I’m quite impressed. Even though parts of the book felt very familiar, the overall style of writing and character development captured my attention and I ended up finishing this book in a couple of days.
I can see where all of these points begin to make sense but for me, what happens in this story is to be taken at face value.
I never used to read a wide range of books. My reading material would just consist of young adult books and then one day, I decided to branch out. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street was one of the books on my list: ‘Books to Branch Out To’. It sounded interesting, it sounded very different and I was very intrigued by the whole premise of the book. Even the blurb left an aura of mystery still shrouding the storyline.
The cover is so interesting as well. I’m not 100% about the U.S edition, but with the U.K edition, there’s a hole in the front cover where the watch is and when you open up the book, the watch that is a significant part of the story, is shown on the inside page. It’s an absolutely gorgeous cover and one of the things that pulled me towards the book.
I don’t know where to start with this review. I had seen everyone on Goodreads, BookTube, Twitter, Bookstagram… Basically, everywhere there was hype about this book and say how amazing it was and that it was perfection.
A few weeks ago, I popped down to my local library and I saw this book on the shelf. I picked it up and I realised it was about time that I read it. I had high expectations: I wanted to love it and I wanted to take a big breath and scream to the world about how amazing it is.
In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Réves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.
Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers, and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems to almost cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs – the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. at the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of their imagination and of their love…
The Night Circus jumps to different timelines. One chapter you could be in 1894 and the next chapter, you’re in either 1900 or 1890. I don’t know. I got very very confused by it, I can understand why Morgenstern did it: there were characters who’s lived intertwined with the circus and their point of view had to be told so that all of the loose ends could be tied up at the end. So I get why she did it; it just wasn’t an easy read so if that’s what you’re looking for, this book isn’t for you.
I also found the blurb on the book very misleading. It states there’s a deep romance between the two main characters. There really isn’t. One minute they’re just going about their typical Night Circus days and the next, they’re professing their love for each other. What? Where in the world did that come from? The romance was just so sudden and there was hardly any build up to it.
The blurb also states that there is a battle. Again. No there isn’t. There is a thirty-something year battle and for half of those years, they don’t even know who they’re “battling” against. And it’s a magic match. To see which one of the two competitors is the best at using magic because two very old guys are bored and just want to use kids for fun.
BUT! ENOUGH OF ME MOANING! MOANING IS BORING! LET’S GET ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!
The plot idea was fascinating. A circus that only comes at night and includes actual magic? A circus that is actually a stage for a life-long battle? It sounds amazing and the plot really was. I loved the characters of Herr Thiessen and the twins. And I also loved to hate the teachers: Hector and Alexander. They just didn’t have a care in the world about the consequences of their games. I also really didn’t like Marco. I found him to be very arrogant and selfish. But I loved Celia, so again, I loved to dislike Marco.
This is a slow book to read but when all of the characters come together and the timelines become consistent, the book gets rather exciting because all of the individual storylines come together and become one.
The Night Circus is a very good read. If you’re looking for something different then I recommend this. There’s beautiful writing, a beautiful, magical world has been created. There are elements of this book that are just brilliantly thought out and proves how much of an excellent writer Morgenstern is. I actually do understand the hype that surrounds this book and although I wasn’t that captivated to scream how much I love it from the rooftops, I did thoroughly enjoy reading it.