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.

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.

***4 ‘My Constant’ Stars***

I don’t read a lot of fantasy based books, not because I don’t like the genre, I do, it’s simply that I tend to lean more towards romance than anything else, but then I happened upon this book. The cover and title were the draw and then I read the blurb and I was hooked. I wanted to know what it meant to be the Girl in the Box, how she got stuck in it and what the deal with the curse and the charm were and I ended up really enjoying the journey this book took me on and wished there were more words to read when I reached the end.

The funny thing with this book is that while Emma, and Ben, are the focus and I did like them, I found that I was more fascinated with how the eclectic cast of characters that surrounded them dealt with the curse/charm and how they felt about it. It was an intriguing view into human nature and self preservation where there was no black or white, only grey, and it was interesting to see how it affected each person throughout the story.

As for the curse and charm. I honestly felt as if they were another character in the story because they affected the actions, thoughts and feelings of all the characters. Its origin, as well as what it would take to engineer it’s demise, were so simple and basic that I felt like slapping myself upside the head for not figuring it out, but I really did enjoy the journey the author took me on to figure it all out and in the end I find that even I am waffling over how I feel about it, but cannot say that I am unhappy with the ultimate outcome.

While the writing was engaging, the beginning did start off a bit slow for me, but I wasn’t put off by it in anyway, and by the time I reached the halfway point I had a difficult time putting it down (Thank you phone app). I loved the way the author brought the carnival atmosphere to life with her words, it made me feel as if I was right in the midst of it all. There is a bit of romance in the story, but it’s very, very slow burn and very appropriate when it comes to the YA genre. Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more by this author in the future.

By A Charm and a Curse is a standalone young adult fantasy by debut author Jaime Questell. I love a book in a carnival setting, and one featuring magic even more, so I knew By a Charm and a Curse would be right up my alley. And it was. I really enjoyed this book. The name of the book says it all. There is a charm and there is a curse and they are tied closely together. I really loved the plot of this book. I might have even enjoyed the story more than the characters, but I did also enjoy the whole cast of carnies.

By A Charm and a Curse follows our main character Em, or Emmaline as she visits a traveling carnival with her friend. By A Charm and a Curse is told from multiple perspectives, and as we shift through some of the characters point of view we get to know a couple of the carnival performers and we learn about the charm. I’m going to tell you about the charm but I am going to be vague about the curse because it’s more fun for me that way. (no, I’m kidding…it’s better for you to discover it as you are reading. It was a really crazy moment when I saw what the curse did and I don’t want to take that away from the readers.) The carnival is protected by a charm that allows the performers and works to not age and to not get hurt. It kind of enhances there abilities. But the only way they get this awesome protection is because of the curse centered around the carnival’s fortune teller. I loved the way both the charm and the curse were explored and explained. It was really cool.

Em was a really cool character because whether she liked it or not, she was forced to go on a journey. And it took her through all kinds of different emotions. I really enjoyed getting inside of her head as she explored what was happening and how that would affect all kinds of areas in her life. But Em was only one of a really big cast of characters. Author Jaime Questell did a whole lot of character side stories in just 300 pages. It was pretty impressive. It’s one of the things I love most about a carnival setting- all of the difference personalities, so I was really happy that we didn’t only focus on Em. We also got to know Ben, and Lars, and Audrey, Lesie, Duncan and gin, just to name a few. Everyone actually played a great role in the story. Ben and Em were my favorite because I loved seeing their growing connection, but everyone was fun to read about.

The carnival’s charm and a curse had some twists and turns in it as well, which was a nice surprise for me. I thought once we figured out what the charm and the curse were their magic would feel a little static, but that wasn’t the case. It changed along with Em, which made By A Charm and a Curse a really interesting read. There were a few parts of the book that left me a litter underwhelmed, but overall this was a very good read. Fans of magical carnival books will really enjoy this fun and interesting story. I know I enjoyed By A Charm and a Curse.

By a Charm and a Curse is as colorful as you would expect a circus to be. It shines brightly and is a magical wonder. But what steals the show is the cast of characters. They are endearing and compassionate and while we don't spend too much time with many of them, they leave a little mark on your heart. I especially enjoyed Emmaline's dynamic.

By the end of this book, you'll be staying up late and flipping pages like I was, because it all sort of builds into this speeding train you can't look away from.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars! This was way better than I thought it would be. I expected the boring carnival/circus books I've attempted to read in years prior. I expected the cliche, simple, break the curse love story of so many YA Fantasy books. Yes, the book is set in a carnival, but it is not boring! And while there is a break the curse, love story, it is so much more than that. For awhile that's what is seemed like I was getting. But then. BUT THEN! The twists! The action!

By a Charm and a Curse is a very entertaining, readable story. While the story centers around Emmaline and Benjamin, there are many other interesting characters that make up the story- psychics, knife throwers, acrobats, and horse jumpers. They are all so amazing! If anything, I wish I could have known more about those people.

Overall, a highly entertaining YA Fantasy that will stay with my for quite some time.

A magical tale set within a travelling carnival, this was a very enjoyable read. Emmaline King has moved back to her home town after several years, and is having a little trouble settling back with her old friends, they have grown up and grown apart due to the long separation. When a travelling carnival comes to town it seems like the perfect way to spend some quality time with her old friend but when they get separated Emma finds herself charmed by one of the carnival members and goes on a ferris wheel ride that will change her life.
Cursed by a kiss, she becomes the new Girl in The Box, forced to hand out fortunes until she can find someone else to pass the curse on to, and without hope of other means of escape as leaving the carnival will not only result in the curse becoming worse, it will also break the charm which feeds on the curse to protect the other carnival folk. But something is different, and now it seems like the charm is weakening, is Emma to blame or can she find a way to break the curse with the help of Benjamin, a carpenter with the carnival who dreams of an escape of his own.
WIth a magical setting and a fairytale curse, this is a wonderful book, one I would recommend for any fans of the young adult paranormal romance genre. Descriptions of the carnival life are vivid and evocative, as I reader I could almost imagine my self there, and there were many characters I would have loved to learn more about. While there are obviously magical elements to the story, it does not play as major a role as in some other books such as The Night Circus or Caraval, which this book could be compared to.

Have you been taught by now that things aren't always as they seem? That should be the motto of the Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic, a carnival that looks like any other to the casual observer but of which carries many secrets and mysteries. One of which is that this carnival has existed for centuries, dependent on a charm that keeps its members safe from aging and injury; owed all to a curse that keeps one of the members trapped in a box.

Emmaline King think she's just attending a simple carnival with a friend, until she's tricked into becoming the next victim of the curse - trapped in the box until she can pass it along. With Emma's arrival though, something starts to change at the carnival and it leaves all wondering if the charm is losing it's strength?

Or could the curse be broken once and for all?

This was a cute and entertaining read. It was chock full of magic and mystery and definitely work picking up if you enjoy this genre. I must warn you however, that if you are looking for the next Night Circus this may no be it. It just seemed to me that By a Charm and a Curse was trying just a little too hard. The descriptors were just a little heavy handed and it took away from some of its - for lack of a better word - charm. Overall, however, it was an easily consumable read!

DNF 40%

Unfortunately, the story and the writing style weren't my cup of tea. It was too rushed, confusing and barely developed, and I didn't care about the characters at all.

Nope. Sorry. No!
The story is about Emmaline (Emma, Em) who catches a curse and has to get it out to get her life back.
Emma's life is SO DEPRESSING... her mom left her with her dad because she went to another county and now Emma has 'no home' she feels that she doesn't fit anywhere. So, there she is in this carnival with her friend, trying to be social. In the first place I don't understand what is she doing there, I got the sense that she didn't want to be there but anyways her friend wanted her to date a boy that is in her friend circle but Emma is not comfortable with that idea. Instead of leaving she finds another guy and after he made her ONE QUESTION she feels this guy gets her, that she wants to hold his hand and then they kiss... Just like that, to a stranger! A teenager kissing a stranger just because he 'cares' about her...
That is all the investment I putted into this book. There is not going to be a carnival setting at all, so if you go to this book expecting any 'Caraval' vibes you won't find it... You are not going to find Fantasy or Magic, expect for the curse transfer.
The premise was interesting but with a terrible execution.