ROMANCE RATING: 2/5
OVERALL RATING: "OKAY" 2.5/5 Stars
BUY or BORROW: BORROW
This review will not recap the story, but these are the thoughts on the book.
I really, really wanted to like this book. Everyone and every review (okay maybe not every,) but the majority say that this is the best book in forever. I might be in the unpopular opinion here, but I would have wanted someone to tell me that the book's official summary is misleading. I was lead to believe that this was going to be non-stop action book, by this statement: "...a fierce competition is under way-- a dual between two young magicians..." And... It's not.
WHY I READ IT: I was extremely excited to read it! It has more five star reviews than not, rave reviews, and it has a confirmed film deal. Maybe I shouldn't have know that there was a film deal, because I kept thinking that there was no way for this to be seen on film, and I think w/ the lack of action, it might make people fall asleep. Overall, the book left me with shrugged shoulders. I wouldn't say I regretted reading it, but I wouldn't necessarily say it was enjoyable either.
WHAT I LIKED: I like the circus setting, the "magic", and at points I was rushing through the pages to see what was happening next, it is well written and there are certain very nice quotes. The imagery and details of the circus were beautiful, but there were somethings I just could not visualize. Maybe that's the point?
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The book has time jumps that at first make things very confusing. It also introduces many characters at once. I found myself flipping back to see who they were and in what year I was reading. I understand it's done to hold the reader's interest, but it is mostly distracting. It makes the reader feel distant from the characters, at least for me. The characters they introduce are of importance, but I'd rather the story not focus on certain characters to give me more of the characters that mattered to me the most: Celia, Marco, Bailey, Poppet and Widget. Although I cared for these characters, I really felt like I didn't connect as much as I'd like to have. Also, I like reading books with a great romance aspect, and I thought this romance would be of EPIC proportions. It was sweet, but it is easily forgettable.
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