Think there was maybe just a bit too much going on with the plot here - ended up with all the elements not being executed as strongly as they could have been.

The concept for The Circus sounded so interesting and although I pictured things differently, this book ultimately follows Willow, who runs away and into trouble. She is used to getting exactly what she wants from her wealthy father and I really didn't like her character. She was so selfish and so I couldn't enjoy the story as much as I hoped to.

This story follows a teenage girl who runs away from home to join the circus. Willow comes from a wealthy home and she is unhappy that her dad is marrying a new woman so she decides to run away and become a circus performer like her mum. She quickly realises that life on the street is hard work but whilst on the street, she does befriend a girl called Suz.

I didn't really like Willow as a character as she is very spoilt and didn't really seem to have a good reason for running away. Also, Willow discovers that things that she believed weren't necessarily true.

I feel like the title of this book is a bit misleading as only a very small portion of this story takes part in the circus the main focus of the story is Willow running away rather than her time at the circus.

Overall this was an ok read but it didn't amaze me. I was hoping for more of the story to be set at the circus. Also, a found Willow to be quite annoying as she honestly didn't really have a good reason for running away

Silviya turns around and her eyes are tender and heavy. She is stripped bare of make-up, her face shiny with cream.

'Come closer, little bird', she says.

'I am going to tell you a story.'

Behind her the mirror shimmers with a thousand costumes, a thousand dreams.

This took me a while to get into, but I very much enjoyed it, especially after we actually reach the circus, which is fairly late on in the story.In this sense, the title is probably slightly misleading as so little of the story actually takes place in a circus, but the parts that do really are magical.

Unfortunately, our main character, Willow, goes through a lot of the nasty real-world on her way to becoming a circus performer. This part of the book painted a bleak, though probably realistic, view of being a girl hitch-hiking and sleeping on the streets. At times though, I did begin to wonder why she met so few nice people. In fact, almost everyone seemed to be out to rip her off, harass her, etc.

As some other reviewers have mentioned, one note that struck slightly false throughout the book is that Willow repeatedly tries to run away, yet the main cause of this, the ‘evil’ stepmother, turns out to not be so bad after all…so much so that a single letter from her is enough to change the protagonist’s point of view completely. Willow herself is a flawed, realistic character but it can be hard to sympathise with her when she has a lot of opportunities and, in comparison with others she meets on the streets, has had a relatively easy life.

I enjoyed the use of layout, particularly during scenes in the circus, which were almost poetic and provided a stark contrast with the grittiness of real-life.

I have hardly swung away from her when she shouts, 'Hands Off!' and I let go like a flying angel, like a bird spreading its wings, like a child running downhill.

Kit laughs and takes pictures on his phone but I m hardly aware of it because

oh my God, I'm flying

I'm flying

I'm flying

and the world is just one huge

rush

before

'There you go, that's perfect. Now the bar. Legs out. Legs up a little bit. And drop!'

And I fall, into the safety net, legs out and bouncing hugely, and

Ican'tspeakIcan'tspeak

for laughing.

What I liked: The scenes in the circus and the language used to describe them, the contrast between real-life and the fantasy

Even better if: There were more scenes in the circus - I was hoping for more based on the title of the book. Willow's problems with her stepmother, her father and their resolution had been explored more fully.

How you could use it in your classroom: It would be an interesting read for secondary school pupils, though not suitable for primary school pupils. I think it could be used to spark a debate about the tug-of-war between wanting to be independent and finding your individuality and the role of parents as protectors and, sometimes, obstacles to this. The scenes of life on the streets and hitchhiking provide a counterpoint to the magic of the circus. This, along with Willow's search for a place where she fits in this mad world, would also provide ample opportunities for discussion.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Rock the Boat Publishing for my free review copy)

I was very intrigued by the premise. It sounded like a good family drama with a splash of skullduggery. Alas, I didn't love it as much as I was hoping.
I think the main reason for that was that I wasn't drawn to the characters. I didn't find Willow to be a very sympathetic protagonist. Not that a protagonist necessarily has to be, but for the purposes of this book, and Willow's journey, I wanted to be more connected with her. Also, sorry, but I found Suz quite irritating!
The writing was fine, nothing overwhelmingly good or bad, it was very sparse and simple.
Overall, though I did finish the book, unfortunately it hasn't left a lasting impression on me.

Not quite what I expected but this was still an enjoyable read.

Before I started this book I didn’t read any other reviews or do any research… I often don’t. I like to be surprised and don’t want anyone elses opinions clouding my judgement. So when I started The Circus I imagined it to be a whimsical, magical tale set decades ago, possibly in Eastern Europe or Russia… kind of Night Circusey.
I was very very wrong, as the description describes (the description is very informative, prehaps too much, so I wont go over what it says again), it is a coming of age contemporary about a 16-year-old runaway.

This book gave me ALL the feels and took me on an unexpected emotional rollercoaster.

Willow was a tricky and multi-sided character. The whole book is told from Willows perspective and so From very early on in the book you have to learn to translate what Willow is saying, as to what is the truth or what is her interpretation of things.

*I have so much to say about Willow I am frantically typing and trying to organise my thoughts as quickly as possible!*

Willow has a very young mind and I found her to be very fragile and naive. But I found myself feeling for her massively, I wouldn’t say that I liked her but I did care and desperately powered through the book to see what was going to happen. It is clear from the outset that there she does have a mental condition, this later turns out to be depression and anxiety, however I believe there is something more their, her view of the world is a little too off.

Her dad is a jackass. And as a mother I found certain parts of this very hard to read. Essentially she is a little girl who just wants some attention from her dad, who has emotionally neglected and essentially forgotten about her for the whole of her life. With no mother Willow desperately wants a family, and her dads new bride, who she calls The Handbag, is getting in the way of her and her dads wonderful future. But is the Handbag that bad? is she what she seems?

Willow and Suz have such a hard and bitter-sweet friendship, the most touching moments being towards the end of the book when they have a complete total role reversal. I found Willow’s whole journey from beginning to end so heartbreaking and yet heart warming.

The writing was so easy and the story, although jumpy and erratic at times took me 2 evenings to read , I finished the book last night and still have no idea how I feel about it, so I am giving it 3 starts for now, but that will probably change, and the review added to as I gather my thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley, Oneworld Publications and Olivia Levez

Willow is a girl who's used to getting what she wants. A rich father, wealthy background and boarding school. Yet she suffers with anxiety and is desperate to find her absent mother.
On the day of her father's wedding Willow runs away. This time (having made this quite a regular thing) Willow gets to Hastings. She encounters some strange people, and ends up learning to perform in a circus.
Naturally things aren't quite what we think and Willow comes to realise she was looking for something else.
This was an odd read. I didn't particularly like Willow. Her self-obsessed nature was irritating, and I really can't imagine some of these events happening. There were a few touching moments, but not enough to really sustain my interest.

DNF,
I did not like this one, maybe it is me? But I found the MC very childish and stupid.. could not get into the story because of her...

I'll be honest right away. I could barely get through this book.

The beginning of the book was interesting; WIllow, the main character, creates an air of mystery around her life, and the scene where she cuts buttons off of a wedding dress belonging to 'The Handbag' is intriguing. That's what originally drew me in.

[quote]

Ultimately, though, I couldn't get into this story. It felt to me like a little girl running from her wealthy father because he's remarrying. The character came across as immature, even as her character developed. Of course, she is young -- she is immature. But the writing itself felt a little underdeveloped. It rang some Cinderealla-esque bells, and that was interesting for a little while, but Willow's journey just didn't get there for me.

I'm going to give this book 2.5 stars, simply because I could barely get through it. I feel like it was missing something. Whether that something was more editing and development, or something else, I don't know. But I actually read two other books before I even finished this one, and I don't think I would have finished it if I didn't have to write this review.

That being said, I'm sure there are people who this book would resonate with, and who may enjoy it much more than I did. I believe this book appeals to the younger side of YA, which is one of the reasons the divide between adult and YA is so strange to me. Much of American YA is skewed toward 17- to 25-year-olds rather than young teenagers, which is weird because YA used to skew much younger with books like Charlotte's Web, The Phantom Tollbooth, Little House on the Prarie, and any Judy Blume novel ever.

The Circus felt like one those older YA books, meant for younger audiences. Even so, it was a little underdeveloped and hard to get through, so my rating still stands.

Willow is a poor little rich girl. She has built up a fantasy about her Mother, who left them whilst Willow was small, and regularly runs away to find her dream. The problem is, apart from wanting her Father to notice her, Willow doesn't know exactly what that dream is. Willow needs help and none of the adults around her offer her what she needs. Topically, with mental health of young people being to the fore, this book will assure others that they are not alone.
Willow is far from perfect. Neither is her friend Suz. But both girls are vulnerable and have many redeeming features. Although I began to think Willow's friend Beanie from school was fake, alongside so many other characters in Willow's life, when we meet her, she seems to be the one who helps Willow move on.
This book has flashbacks and wild fantasies, so the reader soon learns to ask 'Is this really happening?' It's unpredictable, but that is the life Willow is now leading, and the reader suffers alongside of her.
A book for young people to reflect their turbulent lives.

Willow has run away from home many times before, but this time she definitely does not want to be found. Willow runs away on the day of her fathers wedding to a younger woman (whom Willow hates).
Willow has her gap year savings to help her survive, however this is stolen by a homeless girl, Suz.
Now Willow has no money, and when she has nowhere else to go, she ends up 'living' with Suz - and works towards her dream of joining the circus.

Overall I found this book quite tedious to read. Willow was not a likeable character. She came across as spoilt and whiney - and though her strained relationship with her father was undewrstandable, I just couldn't connect with her reasons for running away.
There was almost no character growth throughout the story, and right at the end, Willow had an abrupt change of heart. The side characters were two-dimensional, and the speed at which Willow learnt her circus tricks was not believable.

This was an interesting idea but not what I was expecting. The story has little to do with a circus and more to do with a girl who has a strange view of the world. Willow was a decent protagonist and I enjoyed how different she was from most protagonist I read about - she talks about the benefits of being physically thick and about her heritage and her anxiety. I really liked the fact that there was an open use of medication to deal with mental illness.
Unfortunately, I found Willow's character to be strangely unsympathetic at times, which meant it was really difficult to read about her. Neglect is obviously a very important topic and can happen to children from every kind of background - but the small details of just cruel things that she does makes little sense to me.
I also found an issue with how the author writes homeless people. They're all white and dreadlocked and that's not the case, especially in the UK.
However, the author's voice is very good. Her writing is brilliant to read and she has the voice of her character well controlled and understood.

The Circus might be a book that I return to at a later date, knowing now what to expect and then I might actually get to the end of it.

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

Running away is as easy as breathing for Willow. She has ran away from her rich dad several times during her 16 years of life. This time, though, she plans her escape (from what!?) and lists out rules that she needs to follow to make sure she doesn't get caught again. She experiences life out of her luxurious home, begs, steals, auditions for the circus, gets betrayed and learns so much about herself during this escapade.

I may have a love/hate relationship towards this book because i didn't like Willow that much. The book tells that she is from a very rich background, with her own ponies and boarding school and house keeper etc. Yet, she is unhappy and tries to run away at every chance. The reason why she is so much obsessed with running away is - her dad doesn't love her, she wants to find her mother who is presumed to have worked in a Circus, and she hates that her dad is re-marrying the Handbag (All through the book, this character is referred to as Handbag, no reasons provided, although actual name is given). She sabotages the wedding dress - so much hatred - and runs off with her gap year money in search of a mother whose memory is only associated with her throwing off baby Willow in the air. Right!

Looked like Willow hated everyone - except Suze who she initially hates and then takes care of later in the book - even her house keeper. Why there is so much angst, I couldn't comprehend. Rich, spoilt and naive. Willow recalls how her dad is never the one to find her and which is why she keeps running away - to be found. I liked the Circus part of the book, where she tries to learn new things and live her dream although short lived.
Some people would have liked the Suze-Willow part, but truthfully that just made me sad and think this is how much you suffer or experience when you run away from home. The world is not a happy place for runaways.. People betray you, cheat you, take advantage of you and leave you with broken heart and lessons for a lifetime. So yes, I recommend this to those that seek attention from parents, to those that are feeling unwanted, left out and want to leave everything behind in search of a place where they would belong.

My rating is 4/5 stars :)

Reading through the blurb, you’d think that the story is set a few decades back (at least I did), so it came as a surprise to find out it’s in modern time and it makes the book more interesting. The blurb also pretty much summarize half of the book already which is a bit disappointing since you can already guess what’s about to happen. Still, The Circus is a really good read.

I may not like Willow that much as the main character but The Circus is actually a solid read. The story may not involve a lot of circus, but for some reason, it still works for me. I was left with a heavy feeling after reading it. The story doesn’t only revolve around Willow, but also her friendship with Suz. She may not be an ideal friend for some, but she’s become Willow’s anchor.

The Circus is a story about an unusual friendship, struggling to survive (and hide), and desperate need to be loved. It is also about one’s hopes and dreams and doing things to somewhat achieve it. It’s not your usual YA story, but I find it engaging and hard to put down. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was quite happy on how things turned out.

3/5
It's not the best book I've ever read, but it was interesting. Circus is about a teenage girl on the run from her life. Willow has never known her mom, only a story about her being in the circus. She hates her soon to be stepmother, so much so that it triggers her to act out on the day of their wedding and runs away to join the circus to be like her mom. Running away wasn't as easy as Willow thought it would be, however. She encounters everything from scam artists, and creepy dudes looking to prey on her. Despite all that, she does manage to make a friend, Suz. I hated Suz's character I thought she was annoying

I'm very much into books about the Circus. I was disappointed to find out that this particular book is very little about the Circus. I felt like Willow was very immature for her age, and I didn't sympathize with her in the least.
This book delves into dark topics, such as Anxiety/Depression/Panic Attacks, rape, and drug use. It's a good look at what it's like to live on the streets. If anything I'd rather the book have been about Suz instead. She was a much stronger character in my opinion and I think that learning her backstory would make for a great companion novel to this book. It took me a long time to finish this book and I was so glad when I did finish it. I didn't hate it. I really didn't. I just didn't like very much either.