Name: Circus of Wonders
ISBN: 9781529002539

ELIZABETH. MACNEAL

The spellbinding novel from Elizabeth Macneal, author of the Sunday Times bestselling The Doll Factory.

Circus of Wonders

Elizabeth Macneal

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the “lush, evocative Gothic” (The New York Times Book Review) The Doll Factory comes an atmospheric and spectacular novel where one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders... Step up, step up! In 1860s England, circus mania is sweeping the nation. Crowds jostle for a glimpse of the lion-tamers, the dazzling trapeze artists and, most thrilling of all, the so-called “human wonders.” When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders pitches its tent in a poor coastal town, the life of one young girl changes forever. Sold to the ringmaster as a “leopard girl” because of the birthmarks that cover her body, Nell is utterly devastated. But as she grows close to the other performers, she finds herself enchanted by the glittering freedom of the circus, and by her own role as the Queen of the Moon and Stars. Before long, Nell’s fame spreads across the world—and with it, a chance for Jasper Jupiter to grow his own name and fortune. But what happens when her fame begins to eclipse his own, when even Jasper’s loyal brother Toby becomes captivated by Nell? No longer the quiet flower-picker, Nell knows her own place in the world, and she will fight for it. A gorgeously wrought exploration of celebrity, power and belonging, this is a historical novel unlike any other, with an unforgettable heroine at its heart.

A Novel

Rebecca Hurd

So this was a good read…a little bit of a slow beginning but it kept me interested. The characters were very well developed Nell truly grows into her own!! My biggest critique would be the ending but only because I am a sucker for a neat and tidy happily ever after!!

Lara Engle

What I wanted this book to be: 
A blazing circus spectacle
A tale of the show's underbelly 
A coming of age story of the young woman who was sold to the circus and found her own voice

What it was: 
Two confused dudes being alternately complete assholes or pathetic lumps
Lack of communication being framed as drama or heartache
The Crimean War
Unsatisfying 

About twenty pages from the end, it seemed like I might get my satisfying conclusion, but no. Oh, well, I guess they can't all be winners.

Shawna Delellis

** spoiler alert **
           Queen of the Moon and Stars!

Nellie Moon made this book for me. I loved seeing her grow and come out of her shell and grow into herself. The relationship between Nell and Pearl was so sweet and was my favorite part of this story. Sadly I was a little bored and I think this story could have been trimmed down. 

The ending did save it for me. The all women’s circus was an amazing ending and seeing pearl grown up. The ending had me near tears. Two people thinking about and looking for each other for years, who wanted different things. 

Jasper was the worst and Toby should have left him in that fire.

This was OK, not a favorite I had a little trouble with the language tbh and the begining was REALLY hard to get through tbh. But as we get further into the story and get to know more of the characters it gets better. I really liked Nell and I felt really sorry for her that she was being made out to be a freak because of birthmarks.. and Toby, that poor boy just wanted to be loved. Jasper was a power hungry idiot and I get that they are brothers but Toby should not have gone back to him.. I wish we would have had a more love-filled ending but I liked that the women made their own show❤️

Jennifer

I loved the storytelling and the atmosphere a lot!! Review coming later this month <3

N.B. This book contains following content warnings: emotional blackmail / abuse, violence, kidnapping, accidents, and separation 

(4.5 stars out of 5)

Samantha King

A historic fiction that I didnt think would be my sort of read. However I was pulled into the world quickly. It's beautifully written, sort of poetically. The writing flowed perfectly and I loved the character Nell.
We follow three pov Nell, jasper and Toby. Out of the three I enjoyed Nells more but still found the other twos interesting and it left me wanting to know more
I found the characters to unique and strong. The ending left me feeling sad but also happy. It wrapped up perfectly 
The author wrote this book incredibly her writing style drew me in from page one and I cant wait to read more from this Author.

For fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, and Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River, an atmospheric and spectacular novel in which one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders. Step up, step up! In 1860s England, circus mania is sweeping the nation. Crowds jostle for a glimpse of the lion-tamers, the dazzling trapeze artists and, most thrilling of all, the so-called “human wonders.” When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders pitches its tent in a poor coastal town, the life of one young girl changes forever. Sold to the ringmaster as a “leopard girl” because of the birthmarks that cover her body, Nell is utterly devastated. But as she grows close to the other performers, she finds herself enchanted by the glittering freedom of the circus, and by her own role as the Queen of the Moon and Stars. Before long, Nell’s fame spreads across the world—and with it, a chance for Jasper Jupiter to grow his own name and fortune. But what happens when her fame begins to eclipse his own, when even Jasper’s loyal brother Toby becomes captivated by Nell? No longer the quiet flower-picker, Nell knows her own place in the world, and she will fight for it. A gorgeously wrought exploration of celebrity, power, and belonging, this is a historical novel unlike any other, with an unforgettable heroine at its heart.

Circus of Wonders

Reviews

Highlights