This book had an interesting bit of quirkiness to it. I would expect nothing less from a book that takes place at a carnival with carnies. I loved the history behind the curse and found the different facets of it to be unique and intriguing. It seemed like the book was built around the curse with it being the main focus of the story. It was as if it was it's own character of the story.
I would have liked to have had more character development within the book. I felt badly for Emma and Sidney but I feel like the author could have gotten me more invested in the characters and the curse that was forced upon them if she had focused more on the emotions and reasons why the curse is so horrible. She did this somewhat but I wanted to know more about the emotional turmoil. I wanted Emma's emotions to leap out and take hold of me as I read. I was able to feel the hardship that the curse was for her to some extent but felt outside of it.
I also would have liked more story development. I felt that some of the things that took place in the story were things I have seen before which felt like cop outs. There are "bad guys" in the book that I didn't feel needed to be included in the story because the curse was enough of an issue to focus on. I also would have liked for things to have been more difficult for the main characters. Everything fell into place far too easily for my taste. I wanted them to struggle more so that there was more desperation to break the curse. The ease made the curse seem like no big deal.

Review posted on https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

"I think about how all I ever wanted was somewhere to call my home, unaware that home could be a person and not a place."


Emma is not thrilled to be living with her father again in a deadbeat town while her mother is off for work, but at least the circus is in town for a few days. When she goes with her friend Juliet to the show, she realizes how left out and out of place she really is when Juliet goes off to talk to her friends. But Emma is not alone, she is approached by the quiet fortune telling boy from the box who wants to spend time with her. After some questionable choices, Emma finds herself alone with the boy when he kisses her- her first kiss, a kiss she can never get back.




I have been obsessed with the idea of carnivals and circuses since I read Carnival last year, and it was then made even worse after seeing the movie The Greatest Showman last month, so when I first hear about this book I knew I had to read it- it was not an if but a when. The concept of being swept up in the excitement and flair that makes up a circus, the ability to suspend your beliefs for a moment to just enjoy the performance is such a cool idea. But there is also a darker side to the circus as well, and that is where Jaime created her story. I found By A Charm and a Curse to be a dark, interesting, twisty read, full of the mystery and magic that I hoped for as well as brand new, super unique plot line that I have never encountered before- and at the heart of it all was romance. As a side note, marionette dolls are creepy, but maybe that is just me...

By A Charm and a Curse was my first read from Jaime and I can't wait to see what else she wants to imagine. I enjoyed her writing style, it was effortless to read the story, the words flowed so smoothly that I blew through the pages in just a few sittings. I enjoyed the characters and the world, and the fact that this was a standalone fantasy made my heart so happy (I really don't have the patience to wait for sequels!) I highly recommend her book for fans of the carnival/circus theme, dark twists and an endearing love that can last through epic challenges.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book​.

Despite the really interesting premise, this just wasn't for me. Unfortunately, I didn't click with the writing or the characters.

The story begins from the point of view of Emmaline. Just arrived in town from her father, in Claremore, Oklahoma. Le Grand's Carnival Fantastic is in town and Emmaline and her friend Jules are about to enter and see the beautiful circus waiting for her. Everything is colorful, there are wigs, bright clothes and make-up and really amazing shows. Emmaline is divided by Jules and that's where a mess will happen. Emmaline will know a young boy who will love her, take her to a ferris wheel and kiss her. Emmaline's first kiss is not what she expects: she feels cold and the body stiffens irremediably. .a little later, Emmaline will discover that she is the victim of the curse of the circus herself and that she will be the new "Girl in the Box", she can not leave her and will have to give up her family, her father, her brother and her mother.
What will happen to Emmaline? Will Benjamin help the young Emma on her way inside the circus? What will happen to our characters? How will they get rid of the curse and charm of Le Grand's Carnival Fantastic?
The plot is well written even if the final part I would have saved myself to keep a little 'more of suspense for the story itself. However, I find it well done for the purposes of reading and curiosity of the volume in question.
The title is the fulcrum of the whole book. and I think it is well built for the purposes of history, in fact for this reason I was immediately tempted to read this book. You do not like?
In terms of setting we move from Claremore to various places where the circus moves, that is Texas. The era in which this story is set seems modern enough even if it is not precisely specified a period in which it takes place.
The characters that we will meet in the reading are many but the two most important are the protagonists themselves of this story. Between the two, the best built is definitely Benjamin but we will also find Emmaline .
Emmaline is a stubborn, impulsive and not at all nice girl. At least this is presented at the beginning then change during the reading, I must admit, becoming pleasant compared to how it was before. she's a girl who loves the circus so much that she finds herself inside as a girl in the box.
Benjamin is a young circus who will find himself immediately fascinated by the young and new girl in the box. He can not help contradicting his mother, so much so as to make the exact opposite of what he was ordered to do. From the beginning I thought it was a really nice and good character.
The central pivot is precisely the charm and curse that surround this circus for years. Nothing seems to be able to break it and anyone who works for the circus can not grow old or get hurt. Emmaline will find herself involved in this situation and will have to convince us ?!
The style used was not fluid enough, far from it. Initially I did not bear much Emmaline, it is not an easy to digest type of way of narrating has helped in the course of reading.
There are several things that have not gone down during the reading and I will explain to you step by step.
Emmaline is not a problem about the curse? Is it possible that everything is so normal for you? Do not try to escape and support those who keep you in a place that is not your home. the curse hit her is true but when the police come looking for you you even force yourself to stay "because there is something strange in this curse". But what? What do you say Emmaline? The author here has decided not to identify with the female protagonist.
The beginning is essentially very slow and repetitive. Ok the explanations but nothing happens in the first 30%; the most interesting thing was the arrival of the police to look for Emmaline, but even then everything did not last long, all too easy.
The solution of the story is far too obvious. I can not, I want to make spoilers about it but I found it all very simplistic. Is it possible that everything is so simple? What is reduced all this? That there is not a bit more emphasis, plot and history? possible that this plot and this beautiful cover have deluded me so much?
I was really positive about this book when I was released on Netgalley. Unfortunately it did not convince me as it should and I'm sorry because I had huge expectations about it.
The context of the circus created by Questell was all very nice pity the banality on which revolves around. Unfortunately, and I'm really sorry, the book disappointed me with quite high expectations about it. The fact is still subjective but I do not know if I would advise you to read it. maybe just as light reading and nothing else.
My vote for this book is: 2 and a half.

Emmaline gets tricked into a curse by a kiss. This just adds insult to injury because she is forced to stay with her father for a year while her mom is doing research. She feels like an outcast even though she’s with family and friends. So a night of fun at the local carnival turns into anything but fun……

Benjamin, I can see why he gravitated towards Emmaline. His mother, Audrey was so overbearing at times. I don’t know how he dealt with her all these years.

The cover caught my attention and I’m happy to report the story was just as good as the cover. I’m very picky when it comes to paranormal reads and YA as well. So, I’m happy this book was a winner. I loved the whole curse aspect, how to break the curse and the ramifications if the curse was broken.

This was my first time reading anything by this author and I enjoyed the story. The writing was solid, the pacing was good and the story held my attention. This was a very refreshing read and I enjoyed the whole premise. I hope we get a novella to see how the characters are doing. I will be sure to check out more books by this author especially for this genre. It had the right blend of fantasy, paranormal and romance.

By a Charm and a Curse was an entertaining and unique book! This was a quick read that definitely can be done in one sitting!

The beginning of By a Charm and a Curse was a bit chaotic and too fast paced for me. I actually had a hard time keeping up with everything that was happening and truly understanding what was going on. I liked that the author kept me on my toes, but I just wish the pace would have been toned down a little bit in the beginning. However, after the first couple chapters, the book found a great pace and stayed consistent throughout the story.

The setting of this book was interesting a truly magical. The glamour and the allure of the circus was beautifully showcased in this story. I loved getting a behind the scenes look of this circus and the curse that was holding everything together. The setting alone made this book addicting!

One of the things the author pulled off really well was making a memorable cast of characters! There were so many side characters that made such an impact on the story and stood out! The side characters all had unique personalities, which added so much depth to this story. The main male character, Ben, was an adorable cinnamon roll. He was a character that I constantly wanted to hug BECAUSE HE WAS SO STINKING CUTE. The main female character, Emma, was a passionate and kind girl. I do think she made some dumb decisions throughout the story, but I enjoyed her overall! The romance between Ben and Emma was cute and full of swoony moments! I did think the romance developed a little too quickly for my tastes, but I thought they made a good couple.

Overall, By a Charm and a Curse was a magical and exciting book! I would recommend this to readers who are intrigued by the idea of reading about a cursed circus!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

I liked this one. This book captured my attention from the beginning and I read it pretty quickly. I never expected the curse to be broken the way it was even though once I found out I realized like duh that makes sense. I liked Emmaline. I kind of hated how the others in the carnival treated her. I mean shes making this big sacrifice and they are mad she doesn't want to stay in the box. I like Ben too. He was such a sweetheart. I think the romance moved a little quick in this one but it still seemed realistic to me. They were really a cute couple. I kind of hated Sidney in the beginning but towards the end he grew on me. I still don't understand his motivations in the end but a broken heart can make a broken man. Overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

One of the most appealing aspects of Jaime Questell’s By a Charm and a Curse is its carnival setting, but I could not help but want more from this backdrop. Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic is supposed to be a place where Emma gets a chance to forget all her problems for one night. No thinking about her mother, who is a world a way on a research project, or the fact that since she moved back with her dad, the easy friendship she had with her childhood best friend Juliet, can sometimes feel forced. When Emma is tricked and forced to bear a curse that links her to the carnival and its troupe, her problems go from bad to worse. The curse alters her entirely. An unshakable coldness settles into her bones, making all previous human sensations a distance memory. In exchange for Emma’s involuntary sacrifice, those who work for the carnival are protected with a charm that prevents injury or illness. But Emma is desperate to reclaim her freedom, but in so doing, she may have to ensnare someone else.

The curse and charm aspect of the novel created an interesting predicament for the protagonist. Not being able to leave the carnival and unable to feel like she can function normally, Emma is trapped in a strange place with no one to turn to. Her only out is to find someone else to take on the curse, but that would require her to condemn an innocent person. This novel had the potential to be darker than it was and it is the possibility of a darker character arc for the protagonist that had me wanting more. Emma is a really naive character in the beginning of the novel and accepts her role as the “Girl in the Box” a little too quickly. I really wanted to explore how this loss of agency over her own life alters her as a person, but the author never delves this deep.

The novel features a dual perspective; the second of which belongs to Benjamin. As a roustabout, Benjamin is not a performer himself, but someone who works behind the scenes. He often feels like an outsider himself. His mother is a really strong influence in his life, though not always in a good way. She’s determined to protect him, but her need to shield him from life’s woes is stifling. Ben longs to leave the carnival, to stay in one place for once and make himself a home. As a character, Ben felt more developed than Emma and a lot of this had to do with his relationship to the carnival folk. We never get to see Emma with her family and only briefly see her interacting with her best friend. With Ben, we get to know him through his interactions with his mother especially. There’s a power struggle between the two that ends up revealing a really interesting backstory for his mother. As much as Ben feels like the carnival isn’t his home, there are many members of the troupe that he has a close relationship with. I enjoyed a lot of scenes with sisters Whiskey and Gin especially.

By a Charm and a Curse lacks the kind of magic I was hoping for in a carnival setting, left something to be desired when it came to darker elements, but showed promise when it came to its characters.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

By a Charm & a Curse by Jaime Questell
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for.

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.

What I Liked:

Someone needs to help me out here. Before I began reading this book, I went on Goodreads to pull link information to set up my review post, and I saw a slew of two- and three-star reviews, as well as DNF reviews. I respect the reviewers and their opinions, but a lot of the things they were complaining about were... wrong? Several reviewers were mad about "love" being thrown around too quickly; that's hilarious because that word is "thrown around" at the 3/4 mark of the book - nearly two months into the story. Anyway, I'm confused as to why reviews are so negative because I did not have the same experience. The first 5% or so was a little tough to get through, but I was hooked once Emmaline's entrapment began. This debut novel deserves a little more credit because it really was not a bad story at all.

The story begins with Emmaline and her friend Juliet attending the carnival in Claremore, Oklahoma. Emmaline has just moved there with her brothers, to live with their dad, since their mom is doing research in Guatemala. The carnival is magical and enticing, and it's not long before Emmaline gets swept up into the atmosphere. She agrees to hang out with a boy in a jack-in-the-box tent, during his break, and everything falls apart. Suddenly she is now in possession of the carnival's curse, which forces her to stay there and take the boy's place. She is cursed with no sense of touch, and she can only get rid of the curse by transferring it to someone else, just as the boy did to her. Emmaline is forced to travel with the carnival and leave her family behind. It's not just the curse she holds, but the carnival's charm as well. But what if she could break the curse? Will she risk it and doom the carnival - including the carpenter boy she has fallen for?

The first 5% or so was a little slow, and my interest kept fluctuating. It wasn't until Sidney transferring the curse to Emmaline that I really started to get interested in the story. Emmaline is trapped and completely helpless, and no matter how badly she wants to go home, she can't. The rest of the story shows her adjustment (or lack thereof), and how the charm starts to deteriorate for some strange reason... you'll have to read the book to find out why and how.

In the beginning of the story, Emmaline is tentative and a little shy, with low self-esteem and little confidence in herself. It was easy for Sidney to selfishly pass the curse to her, because she was so taken by someone paying attention to her. She is helpless and lost when she realizes her situation, and angry too, but mostly lost. But as the story goes on, she starts to become more resolved to find a solution to her problems - like breaking the curse once and for all. It was nice to see Emmaline grow and strengthen herself, despite her situation. I felt so bad for her, being trapped as she was, but I also liked how selfless she was in never trying to pass the curse to someone else.

This book is told in dual first-person POV, the other person being Benjamin, as narrator. Benjamin is a young carpenter and painter - not a performer in the carnival, but one that does odd jobs and maintenance to keep things flowing. He is kind and clever, and also very stubborn and determined. He wants to reach out to Emmaline from the start, to help her, and he befriends her despite his mother warning him away from Emmaline. Benjamin is a sweet boy with a good heart.

The romance is suuuper slow-burn and really cute. Benjamin and Emmaline don't interact very much when she is first trapped, but Benjamin starts to approach her and is kind to her. He knows she needs a friend and he wants to help her fit in and feel less lonely. The romance goes at a slow pace, but the two develop strong feelings for each other. I personally didn't see insta-love here, ESPECIALLY since they don't really realize the depths of their feelings until about three-fourths of the way into the story - which was about two months since the beginning of the story. A lot of time passes, clearly. Their friendship becomes stronger and deeper, and though they dare not do anything about their feelings, the feelings are there. They don't kiss until the very end of the story. To me there was no insta-love or insta-lust - just a very sweet friendship-turned-romance. Also - no love triangle. It's all Benjamin and Emmaline.

The story focuses on Emmaline's adjustment to becoming the Girl in the Box (who is the most important person to the carnival - she holds the curse, and therefore, the charm). But then things take a sinister turn, with more accidents occurring, and several deaths following. The theory is that the charm is weakening - but how? And why now? I won't spoil anything, but everything goes right down to the end of the book.

The ending, in my opinion, was very good! There was a bit of sadness to it, in terms of some secondary characters, but things worked out in a way. I will say that there is a HEA for the primary characters, but you'll have to read the book to know exactly what kind of HEA it is. I liked it!

What I Did Not Like:

I don't think I have any specific complaints, besides the very beginning being slow! I could see some people DNFing the book after a few %, because of the slowness of the story in the beginning. But it's really not that bad. Just keep going!

Would I Recommend It:

If you like fiction centered around intriguing carnivals (who doesn't!), I definitely recommend this book! It's not as complex as The Night Circus, but I got some Caraval vibes, though it is VERY different from both The Night Circus and Caraval.

Rating:

4 stars. I am glad I decided to read this book, despite whatever the Goodreads reviews were saying! Sometimes I look at the reviews and think to myself, y'all didn't pay enough attention. But that happens. I'm glad this story worked for me. By a Charm & a Curse is a sweeping, captivating standalone tale that had me hooked and turning pages until the very end. I am definitely looking forward to more books by Jaime Questell!

By A Charm And A Curse wasn’t a bad read for me. But it wasn’t a great read either. It was just okay. There were some crazy things that happened, and kind of scary too, but overall, it was kind of predictable. Every character who seemed good was good. And every character who seemed bad was bad. And there were no grey areas. Some of the characters were really interesting to read about, but I wish we could have gotten even more.

The ending felt a little rushed, and a little expected, but overall, the book wasn’t a bad read.

Would I recommend the book? If the premise speaks to you, then go ahead and read it, but it wasn’t the best and it wasn’t the worst. It was just...eh.

"I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review"

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.
Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for.
Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss.

I didn't really know what to expect when I requested this book and wasn't sure if I would like it, but I am so glad I decided to request it now because I loved it. This book had me gripped from start to finish. I ended up finishing it in one sitting as I could not put the book down.
I loved the characters and the story line and I loved how it all came together. I also enjoyed the side character in this book and would of loved to hear about them more.
This was such a intense read as most of the story line seemed quite dark but it still had funny moments in the book which I think was a nice break in between all the doom and gloom.
I ended up giving this book 4.5 stars and would recommend this book to anyone who loves circus/caravel books. This is a book I plan to read again and again.

February is off to a great start as my first read, By a Charm and a Curse, was a perfectly charming, quick read that brought to life a vibrant carnival setting amidst the dusty roads and desolate fates of the south. I'm always a little wary of circus/carnival reads because it's so easy for them to blend together (especially for someone like me, a gal who's never actually been to a circus), however the approach Jaime Questell takes in By a Charm and a Curse feels surprisingly fresh will still holding true to the eerie yet romantic carnival tropes that readers are familiar with.

As per the synopsis, our protagonist attends a carnival that shows up one evening in her desolate hometown and not only becomes immersed in the culture, she becomes a part of the carnival itself, swindled into unknowingly allowing a curse to be transferred to her that makes her the "Girl in the Box," a fortune teller gimmick who's tiny box holds together the very foundation of the curse -and the charm- that keeps the carnival running. The curse turns her into a living mannequin of sorts- she's Emma without all of the wearing down of time that makes humans unique, such as the wrinkles in your skin, the aches and pains of existence, the variety in the color tone in your eyes. It was a really unique take that I hadn't seen done before.

I obviously can't speak too much about the plot because ~spoilers~, however I can focus on the setting which was REALLY well done. Often times in standalone novels, especially short ones, it's hard to build up a believable world, especially one that resides in the realm of contemporary AND fantasy (since it's set in the modern world but the magic exists within the realm of the carnival). I loved getting to see through Ben's eyes the behind the scenes aspects of the carnival, such as what he's repaired and how the mechanics of setting up the carnival in each new town works, but also seeing the fresh, enchanted perspective of Emma as an outsider who is more focused on the glitz and dark glamour of the carnival such as the impressive acts and indulgent foods. There's also a lot of fleshed out secondary characters and I felt like I was given enough time to care about them, especially Whiskey, Gin, the fortune teller twins, and Ben's mom (and her unexpected plot twist and how it tied into the history of the carnival).

While the book never lost my interest, there were a few things that could have been improved upon, such as the motive building for the antagonists (who were just too conveniently evil and I feel like I was given a flimsy context for it) and the dual POVs sometimes were so similar in tone that I forgot who was narrating. However, for a debut these are relatively minor pain points and the overarching tale, aesthetic, and writing style of the novel definitely worked!

Overall: By a Charm and a Curse breathes life into a genre that can sometimes get worn down, and does so in a charming, enchanting way that is perfect for the YA genre. I really felt like I was immersed in the carnival's world, and not just the "showboating" elements, but the behind the scenes aspects too (I never really gave much thought to what the employees lives were like outside of their performing hours!). It was a quick & fun debut and I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

*Review will be posted on girlinthepages.com on my assigned blog tour date of 2/7/2017.

I totally love magical circus settings so this just scored all the points for me right there! Plus this centres around a kiss and a curse and magic. Oh yes please and thank you.

The setting was definitely the highlight! I love how we really got to see the circus and the acts in action too and it had a big variety of things going on. It's set in a modern world, so to visitors it's just a death-defying circus with lots of glamour and fantastic impossible acts. But: behind-the-scenes we know a curse is keeping everyone protected, at the cost of one person suffering for it. But I basically loved the lights and popcorn and sneaking out to look at the stars and epic flips and ferris wheels. So beauty. Much aesthetic.

It's also narrated by Benjamin and Emma. I loved this because Ben gives us an "insider view" while Emma is the "newbie trapped in this whirlwind of magic and curses". Also Ben is a total Hufflepuff and builds and paints and jUST FEELS THINGS. And Emma isn't very dynamic, but neither is a waffle and we still enjoy those. I mostly just wish she'd fought a bit more at her "capture" but she was a little too chill about it. (Could be something to do with the curse on her.)

The secondary characters were so great. I loved them so so much and they were all so different and really stood off the page! Sidney was an ass, but somehow endearing. And the psychic twins, Pia and Duncan were hilariously wonderful (I do think Duncan was an extremely stereotyped gay rep and I'm disappointed that he was the ONLY queer in this whole circus). Whisky and Gin were hilarious and loving and yelling sisters. It was a circus full of really nice people?! Mostly. But I love how they hated having to kidnap someone for the curse but they still did it. Trot out the morally grey.

I only have a few quibbles. They include:
• the villainous tumbler brothers...who were villainous for no good reason except to be bullies in the background making waves. I just...it was so flat and bland compared to the rest of the intoxicatingly gorgeous book!?
• The fact that the romance was...so...fast. Not instalove! But they still went from 3 to 900 really fast, my man, my man, how tho you are so young.

Basically this is an excellent book of magical circuses, intoxicating backstory darkness, and stakes that fly quite high. There are human puppets and dangerous accidents and deep sadness and broken cars. I'm SUCH a fan of the detail of the circus and the complicated backstory twists. It also gave me a lot of feelings at the end with a terrible twist I really wish could've been reversed! Definitely the kind of magical adventure full of glitter and glamour and darkness that I can't get enough of.

I received this book as an ebook ARC from NetGalley. I was not sure what to expect, however, I did enjoy this book. The premise of a curse being attached to a carnival is not something I have read before. The only thing I would have wanted to have more of is the history of the carnival. There is an explanation in the book of how the curse happened, but I would have liked to hear more about the effects of the curse throughout time. I read another review that said the main characters fell in love too quickly, however it took them a few months to fall in love (people can fall in love quicker in real life).

This is a great quick read with a unique storyline.

his was such a fast pace read. I really liked the characters alot and the duel POV for both emma and ben. I thought that for stand alone the world building was solid and easy to follow. I thought the story had such a big extended cast and sometimes confused names and jobs but I overly loved the setting and the various characters we met. It was a super fast pace read the kept me invested and I did not want to put the book down. I just wanted more from the characters and for me to feel more invested in them. But it was a super fun read! If you like books lithe mortal instrument series, you may like this one as well!

I tried repeatedly to get into this book, I managed to read through to chapter five before I gave up. For now, I mark this as a DNF. Perhaps I will come back to this book later this year and try it again. Until then, I unfortunately give it 2 stars until such time as I do manage to get through it.

I just watched The Greatest Showman in theatres and was so amazed that I was desperate for more circus/carnival action. By A Charm and a Curse is everything I was hoping Caraval would be and was disappointed in (sorry, Stephanie Garber!!)

The world building is great. I love the way the charm and the curse are intertwined, and there's just enough magic present in the form of Emma's transformations because of the curse to make things extra filled with oohs and aahs - just like the real circus!! Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic is this circus/carnival hybrid, with carnival rides and games, deep fried candy bars and cotton candy, and then tents with shows of acrobats and girls in sequined costumes doing tricks on the back of running horses that run periodically. It's like no circus I've ever been to, but reminds me a lot of the MN Renaissance Festival, especially with the concept of paying admission to get in, and then going to shows that start every hour or two on the hour and tipping, as well as buying food or paying to play games. I love me a good circus (especially the aerialists, they're my favorite part!) so I was excited to read this book (though a little gun shy after the very not-carnivalness that was Caraval).

By A Charm and a Curse is told in the first person present tense, with chapters switching off between Emma (a townie attending the carnival who was tricked into taking on the curse that keeps the carnival going and now is stuck with it) and Benjamin (a carpenter at the carnival who works behind the scenes with his mom, who is the master carpenter). I really liked that you get to see inside the heads of both of the leads, rather than just getting the entire story from a single point of view, as is usually the case in first person present tense novels. It's also nice to read a YA novel that's NOT the first in a trilogy or series, so I'm not asked to commit myself to more than just this book, at this time. Emma and Benjamin are both interesting characters, and there are a lot of interesting supporting characters as well. Usually when I finish a book I've got no idea what the names of the other characters were, but I could even describe what they look like, what their personalities are like, and what they do with the circus for Duncan and Pia, Gin and Whiskey, Marcel, Sidney, Lars… I loved all of these characters, and they (and this book!) made me want to run away and join the circus.

There’s been a recent influx of books centering around carnivals and the circus, and while I haven’t read all of them, I’ve read a good many in the last year alone. With such a theme, authors need to be incredibly creative and wholly unique in order to set their story apart from the many others hitting the shelves, and I can definitely say that Jaime Questell did just that with By a Charm and a Curse. Sure, charms and curses aren’t anything new, but a curse that turns people into a creepy marionette that can still walk, talk, and function? Definitely unique. And incredibly creepy.

The story starts out with Emmaline and her friend Juliet visiting the carnival and things take an interesting turn when Emma decides to get a fortune card from the Boy in the Box. This seemingly small decision seals her fate and somehow, someway she becomes the Girl in the Box, setting the boy free. Essentially trapped in the carnival, Emma is having a hard time accepting that she’ll never see her family again, she’ll never see Jules again, and she won’t even be able to call them and explain what happened. The carnival is now Emma’s prison, unless she can figure a way out. Which certainly won’t be easy as the charm and the curse are intertwined - destroy one, destroy the other. Destroying the curse means she’ll be free. Destroying the charm means possible death and illness for the carnies who’ve been protected by it for decades.

By a Charm and a Curse was such a delight and certainly one that had me tricked. Early on in the novel, it looked like the story was going to take an insta-love, saccharine-sweet, vomit-inducing turn when Emma is making lovey eyes at someone, and imagine my gleeful laughter when that situation quickly turned dark and twisted. I’m such a huge fan of the dark and twisted story, and that’s definitely the part I enjoyed the most. In the end though, it seems like some aspects were unfinished and wrapped up entirely too neatly for my liking, with more questions than there were answers.

All in all, By a Charm and a Curse was enjoyable and filled with dimensional characters and an interesting carnival theme, but the ending was just too neat for me and certainly didn’t have a feeling of resolution. But it did have dark and twisted, and a sweet and realistic romance, and I’d still recommend it for that alone.

I absolutely adored this novel! The premise was spectacular and the characters had me swooning. BY A CHARM AND A CURSE will definitely be one of my favorite 2018 reads.

I enjoyed navigating the world the author created. Watching the characters blossom in the wake of a curse was fascinating, and I enjoyed seeing the little family of the carnival.

Overall, I thought the storyline, world-building, pacing and characters were strong. The author also had a strong, distinctive voice with the characters in dual POV!

Full review will be posted shortly and linked.

I really liked this book! Though I do really enjoy them, I haven’t read many carnival books and this one was a really fresh, new take on the whole thing.
First of all, this was super magical and kind of darkish and super fun! This does take place in modern-day, but it has a historical magic-y feel to it!
Okay, so this is silly and I’m probably fixating on it too much but I absolutely hated how this book treated Oklahoma! Y’all. The Midwest is a wonderful, beautiful place and so is Oklahoma!
It has super pretty, bright red dirt, gorgeous windmills and fields and it’s a very beautiful place!
The people are also super nice. But like this book kept calling if drab and flat and ugly and y’all when did flat become an insult?
Hills and mountains are gorgeous and whatever but also flat land can be so pretty like you can see so much omg. I’m sorry if I’m ranting too much but Oklahoma is beautiful don’t @ me.
I’m sorry I’m so petty but honestly Oklahoma is a great place.
The romance in this is A+. There’s instant attraction but the actual romance is very slow burn, and they develop a romantic/friendship connection before a physical connection(mc can’t kiss) and I feel like that really helped the romance. When they finally kissed it was really wonderful, despite the circumstances!
Honestly I really love Benjamin, y’all. He’s such a sweetheart! All the characters were really great, tbh. There was a lot of fun backstory to each one and it was cool to see all of that unfold.
On the side of how fast this reads, I read it in like 2 sittings, 80% in the first sitting and 29% in the second! It’s super fast-paced,
There’s so much fun mystery to the custody, and it’s definitely not what I thought. I expected the whole story to be about Emma trying to escape the curse but it was much more mysterious and cool than that so I’m happy!
Overall this was a mysterious and fast-paced read, with swoony romance and a dark curse. I would definitely recommend it if it sounds like something you’d like! ❤️