Let me make clear before I begin that I do not just review adult or nonfiction books, I also do fiction and young adult books. This is a reread of a book I read probably two or three years ago, and I'm going to review the series (although I only have a few books, so I will not be reviewing all of them).
Summary: Cirque du Freak is a fiction book about a boy who wins a ticket to an illegal freak show.
What I liked (spoilers forthcoming): The voice is real, and Shan's writing style stays true throughout the book. When Darren "died", I liked that he made clear how hard it was to leave his home and family. I liked that he reacted like a real person.
What I did not like: It was very short. I did not like his selfless attitude throughout parts of the book (although he was plenty selfish at some points). I also didn't like that he didn't react enough like a real person when he found out about vampires and such. The dialogue was also nothing to write home about.
Overall: I would give it a 4 out of 10.
Alternative reivew:
Publishers Weekly:
With strong sales overseas and a movie deal in the works, book one in The Saga of Darren Shan series is poised to capture a wide audience of series horror readers. After a rather slow buildup, a boy with the same name as the author sneaks out with best friend Steve to an illicit freak show, and his life becomes entangled with a vampire spider-wrangler, Mr. Crepsley. "This is a true story," writes Shan. "In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins." The scenario is compelling, and the author mines the exploitative history of early 20th-century sideshows to create an artfully macabre "Cirque du Freak." But Darren's actions are often undermotivated: "I can't explain why Madam Octa [the spider] meant so much to me, or why I was placing my life in such danger to have her. Looking back, I'm no longer sure what drove me on." Also his intermittent attraction to and repulsion by the vampire is never fully explored. His behavior may be explained in the sequel, The Vampire's Assistant (due in Sept.), but the open ending leaves so many loose ends that readers may leave more frustrated than intrigued, especially since the characters' wooden dialogue drains them of personality ("I'm upset," says Steve. "It hurt, what Mr. Crepsley said, and you ignoring me at school... If you break up our friendship, I don't know what I'll do"). Readers interested in boys becoming vampires would be better served by M.T. Anderson's Thirsty and those fascinated with freaks by Iain Lawrence's Ghost Boy. Ages 10-up.
Book details:
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 254 KB
Print Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (August 1, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B000SESJ0Q
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