Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Summary:

England. 1866. When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in a coastal village, Nell soon catches the showman’s eye. Shunned by her community because of the birthmarks speckling her skin, to Jasper she is a prize - she could be his very own leopard girl. But how to make her his?

Soon Nell finds herself the star of Jasper’s show. Suddenly she is famous. Crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. Figurines are cast in her image. Even Queen Victoria wants to see her perform. But is Nell free to live and love as she chooses? And when her fame begins to eclipse Jasper’s own, could she be in danger? After all, the higher you fly, the steeper the fall…

About the Author:

Elizabeth Macneal (born 1988) is a Scottish author and potter. She lives in Twickenham with her two young children. Her debut novel The Doll Factory was a Sunday Times Bestseller. Circus of Wonders (published in 2021), also a Sunday Times Bestseller, was additionally a Sunday TImes ‘Book of the Month’.

Rating:

5 stars - ★★★★★

Review:

I think I’m going to have to update my ratings guide to add that I definitely rate based on vibe. If I love a book, I love a book despite little niggles, sometimes they’re eclipsed by the story and the atmosphere and the characters, so I don’t even care.

Circus of Wonders is a 5 star book for me, without a doubt. It was enchanting and captivating and atmospheric. I couldn’t put it down. I was given Circus of Wonders as a birthday present from my mum last year, after it had been on my ‘To Be Read’ list for quite a while. And I don’t know why I didn’t read it straight away. But it’s nice that my first read of the year is a 5-star read I guess.

I do think the blurb is a little misleading. Nell and Jasper are framed as the main characters and there is no mention of Toby who I feel like I got to know more deeply than Nell and Jasper. The story really delves into Toby and Jasper’s relationship, more than any other relationships in the book. Circus of Wonders is so much more than what the blurb makes out. There’s so many relationships and backstories and dreams at play, so much more than I expected when picking up this book. 

Circus of Wonders throws you right into the action, there’s barely any time to breathe and take in Nell’s life in her village before she’s taken away and becomes part of Jasper’s show. You are carried away in the narrative right from the start and I didn’t feel like I could breathe until the very end.

My favourite characters were Stella and Brunette. They were both bold and trying their best to follow their dreams in the wake of their own personal tragedies. Nell herself, although framed as a main character, seemed to be a bit of a secret somehow. I didn’t feel like I got to know her as deeply as Toby and Jasper. I felt I was told, rather than shown, how she felt and what drives her. Whereas Toby and Jasper, I completely understood their motivation and why their stories played out the way that they did. I’d love to hear many of the character’s stories in more detail - Pearl and Brunette especially. I could easily read a book for each character.

Jasper, Toby and Stella’s stories are told through a series of flashbacks. These are captivatingly macabre and showed an aspect of war that I wasn’t aware of at all: the fact that there were spectators, and how numbing it must have been to be surrounded by death for so long. The little snippets of flashbacks are mysterious enough to keep the suspense going through the whole book, and also littered with so many other anecdotes that I found myself wanting to read more about them. They didn’t just serve to create mystery or even to give us background on the characters, they were strong enough to stand on their own as mini

I wouldn’t say that there are any surprises or twists, you can anticipate much of the story but when it comes to it, it’s delivered so beautifully that you’re just carried away in the narrative. 

I did enjoy the ending for Nell, Stella and Pearl. It was just what they needed. 

The one storyline that wasn’t tidied up was The Jackal. There could definitely have been more drama there. And without spoiling any parts of the end - what happened to the debt? Was it forgotten? Did they run away where he could never find them? Seems unlikely given his reputation. 

My favourite part of the book was Toby’s tattoo storyline. I loved these descriptions and how it made him feel before he had shown anyone else. 

Generally the atmosphere and descriptions were consistent and believable. I particularly loved all the weather changes and the descriptions of the insides of the caravans.

I would have liked Nell’s act to include water, after seeing how much she loved the sea at the beginning. I’d have made her finish her act with a dive from a height or something similar. But here I go again - nit-picking at a book that I really loved. . 

I enjoyed that the circus performers all had different opinions of their positions. Some loved performing and felt empowered by it. Some didn’t and wanted a more normal life. The Greatest Showman has definitely sugar-coated a period of history where people who were physically different were exploited, but Circus of Wonders shows this in a different light. At the very least, the performers are given a voice and in the end choose their own path. It’s sad knowing that lots of people didn’t have this option in reality.

Circus of Wonders is a historical fiction book which is well researched and really embraces the historical aspect of the genre. I was really happy to read another ‘Author’s Note’ that detailed the research that Elizabeth Macneal put into her writing, and also told some of the true stories of the people who inspired characters.

I would recommend Circus of Wonders to historical fiction readers who care a lot about the history aspect, and anyone who, like me, can’t get enough of circus books. You won’t be disappointed.

I just so happened to have The Burial Plot on my ‘To Be Read’ list, which is the newest of Elizabeth Macneal’s books. I’ve now added The Doll Factory too. And I will be going out of my way to get hold of these to read. Thank you mum for introducing me to Circus of Wonders, I have been enchanted.