Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
(Courtesy of Goodreads)
This review is going to be short and sweet. This book took me FOREVER to read. It was THAT good. Let me explain... This is the type of book that you read slowly and savor because there is really nothing else out there like it. It was full of magic and mystery; it was tragic and sexy and romantic; it was beautifully written. It is the type of book that stays with you for a long time after you've finished it. I can't go very deep into the story or the characters like I usually do in my reviews, because this book is something to be experienced without a lot of preconceived notions. I will say that the world building is astonishingly good and it filled my head with visions that made me long to be a part of that time and this story. This is one of those books that I think any person who loves books would love. It is destined to be a classic, read by millions, for many years to come.
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ +
Grade Level Recommendation: This is not technically a YA book, but I don't think there is any objectionable content for the typical YA reader. I would say that to get the most out of it, the reader should be a bit older, maybe HS. Grades 9 and up (ages 14+).
Grade Level Recommendation: This is not technically a YA book, but I don't think there is any objectionable content for the typical YA reader. I would say that to get the most out of it, the reader should be a bit older, maybe HS. Grades 9 and up (ages 14+).
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