This was a burst of colour in my readings! Amazing novel with amazing characters and a story-line that kept me clued to its pages! I could taste the circus life and colours with this brilliant show of imagination!
Freeks tells the story of the Gideon Davorin’s Travelling Sideshow, a circus where acts are real magic. Each sideshow presents different wonders, from levitation to necromancy and fortune telling and each member of the carnival has their own set of unique talents. All expect Mara, a young girl that travels with her mother in the circus and, even though she loves her carnival family, dreams of a normal life. That dream seems very far away, still the circus settles in the small town of Caudy, Louisiana and Mara meets Gabe. But something is amiss. Something is set in getting rid of the Freek sideshow and will stop at nothing to have that wish fulfilled. What or who is it? When members of carnival are attacked and one disappears, Mara must make the choice to stay and fight or run away while discovering that “normal” isn’t really her thing.
Where to begin? The mystery plot was very well thought and beautifully written. The mix between mystery and supernatural in the circus setting was perfect. The mystery plot left me clued to the pages. The style of writing was very good, easy to follow and the descriptions were very well made, especially of the characters and the different settings of the story. The unexpected twists are the bit of pepper that the story needed to become even more addictive.
The protagonist, Mara is a great character and I loved her way of thinking and seeing things. She’s impulsive but acts with her heart and the way she built the relationships with the rest of the members of the carnival is heart-warming and it definitely creates a sense of union. With Gabe on the other hand, I thought their romance was a bit rushed, I would have liked to see more build-up of their relationship and how their perspective of each other changed when they got to know each other better. Still, they make a cute couple. I’m not a fan of romance, but since in the novel the romance doesn’t take the front stage, I was still able to enjoy it.
A very enjoyable read that I recommend to the fans of the carnival world, the supernatural and mystery!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Griffin and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.
Book Traveller 