Synopses:
The grandeur of the traveling circus is at its peak in the early 1920s when sixteen-year-old Laila Vilonia is searching for an escape from her bleak future. Behind the gates of the legendary Marvelle Circus, she is thrust into a mysterious world she never knew existed—a paradise populated with outcasts. It’s in this glamorous new home that Laila sparks a controversial romance with notorious sideshow performer, "The Disappearing Man," and learns just how dangerous her new life can be.Touring the picturesque eastern coast of America, Laila’s immersed in friendship, vaudeville, festivals, sequins, and serial killers. But behind the curtain, a sadistic plan is brewing that will crack the very foundation upon which she’s become so dependent.
Review:
I should start by saying that I love the circus, so when the author agreed to send me an ebook, I didn't need to think twice.One thing I loved about this book was the writing. Chloe Kane uses a very different, yet understandable kind of writing, which always helps readers really getting into the story.
The plot was also very interesting and when we start reading the very first scenes of "Showtime", we know it is going to be a very interesting and unique experience. Nevertheless, as we progress further into the story, we realize that there are some aspects readers don't particulary enjoy.
It is sometimes repetitive, confusing and predictable, the characters often overreact, which makes their actions, reactions and thoughts seem unnatural and irrealistic. The romance is very sudden, but as we read more and more into this book, we come to find it very dark and mysterious, as well as beautiful and exciting.
Although these are most of the undesirable parts of the story contained in the middle of the covers of this book, they are minor and easy enough to be ignored.
The only things that kept me from giving Kayne's first book 4 out of 5 stars, were the following:
Primarily, the time period: When I started reading, I thought the narrative was set in today's days. However, we later learn that it is set during the early 1920's. We, as readers, don't get the felling that we are travelling with a circus in that era. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story to be written in our days, not in it's original time. I would have loved to have read a tale about the Marvelle circus in 1918 if there had been some changes in the way the characters act and think and in the environment the story is wrapped.
Lastly, I felt that some characters were forgotten as the tale progressed and it became a 'four character's story'. I would have loved to see more of Florence and Alysia, for example, towards the end of the book.
Despite all of the weak points quoted above, I can say I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Most scenes were very well put together and I particularly enjoyed the description of the actual circus scenes, while Laila was on the ring, performing.
I really liked how we, readers, could experience, feel and learn about the relationship between the main character and her mother. Those were the most emotional and heartbreaking scenes in the whole book.
The ending was beatiful and lovely, and really makes us love these characters more than we did in the beginning.
To finish this very, very long review, I ought to acknowledge that the design of the whole book was incredible and that always helps making the reading experience so much more pleasant and enjoyable.
Overall, 'Showtime' is definitely an amazing and magical masterpiece of the circus novels world and I congratulate Chloe Kayne for this fantastic job of wonder and love I would certainly read over and over again. The reason this review is so long and probably exhausting is because I had so much to say about this book, which is a good thing, so I'd like to thank the author for giving me the oportunity to do so.
