A Reading in the Making
Do you ever see a book at the store and think, "Hey, I'll come back for you?"
I remember this thought as I took in the cover of the newly released novel, The Night Circus, back in 2011. But for some reason, whenever I would go to the bookstore, I would never actually pick it up.
Skip ahead to 2018 when I'm working night shifts and Aubile was the newest listening app from Amazon. Game of Thrones was all the rage, so listening to 60 hours of audio per book was nothing. I only had half of the fourth novel left when I decided I should begin looking for my newest book.
Then, I saw it. The Night Circus.
It had been 7 years since the book had been released and using one of my credits added it to my list. But two weeks later, I was given a promotion and the quiet nights of listening to books and working turned into exhausting hours of supervising my team leaving The Night Circus to sit for another 4 years on my TBR.
The last few years, I've been to busy to enjoy picking up a book and reading. So, to get back into the swings of things, I downloaded the Aubile app once more and finally clicked on the book I've been meaning to get to for over 11 years.
Overview of The Night Circus
Ceila, a daughter of a magician, and Marco, an orphan since birth, are bonded into a lifelong competition where they must compete using the magic they possess. The kicker... they don't know each other, they don't know when the big event will occur, and the rules are unknown except for them needing to win.
Then, one day, a circus appears, where everyone and everything is perfect. See what magic lies inside and who else becomes involved with the mysterious competition.
The Cons of The Night Circus
· Many Characters
Even though I loved how the author would bring in different characters, it was hard to keep track of who was who as some characters wouldn't have been mentioned for several chapters and seemed insignificant to the story.
· The Ending
The Night Circus was written during NaNoWriMo which might be one of the reasons the ending felt lacking. It seemed like the plot was building up to a significant moment so when it finally did occur it felt underwhelming. This could have been fixed with a few more chapters with less of a time jump.
The Pros of The Witch's Kind
· POV's
The writing jumps back and forth between second and third person. The second person POV allows the reader to feel emersed in the circus and experience what the characters are feeling within the book. The third person POV allows you to see why and who is involved in the competition.
· Characters
Each character felt real and enjoyable even if they weren't considered 'good guys'. I would be sad leaving one character's POV but then would really enjoy the next person's POV.
· Time Jumps
The Night Circus takes place over a span of 25 years and jumps between characters, present time, and the past. It gives you clues here and there of what to expect while also wanting to see what's going to happen next.
· Descriptions
The world building and descriptions of the circus felt as if you were there in person. The imagination and creativity were on another level making it feel real even though most of these things could never exist.
· Narrator
When it comes to narrators and audio books I think it is important to find someone who can do the book justice. I'm so glad I listened to this book as the narractor did a wonderful job.
Overall Review Summary
The Night Circus was my first audible read on the blog and the 11-year wait was very much worth it.
The time era and feel of the book gave a truly magical performance- something the author was really pushing for and succeeded at. The cover, which lurded me in, captured the essence of the book which is important when needing to sell them on the shelves. Even though the book was written back in 2011 I think this book could be picked at any time in the future and be read.
Overall, The Night Circus was enjoyable even if the ending isn't what I thought it would be which is why I'm giving it 4.4 stars out of 5.
Have you read The Night Circus? Tell me in the comments below, I know it's been making its way around booktok.
If you love book reviews and are interested in reading more, I suggest taking a look at my reviews for The Witch's Kind, Let Me In, and Migrations.
