Trapeze is a great YA novel that I breezed through on vacation. Corey is a teenage trapeze artist whose life gets thrown into disarray when the circus literally burns to the ground. She has to move in with the mother she has no relationship with and begin life as a normal high school student. It includes elements of romance, family issues and bullying, and I think Ansell expertly handled some tough topics. Trapeze is a great book for high school students to read as I'm sure many can relate to Corey and Luke, the male protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Corey has been with Cirque Mistique since she was two years old. It's all she's ever known, and she's fine with that. She has a family in the rest of the circus crew as well as her Aunt Shelby. She's part of the trapeze team and loves every second of the gruelling training that Silver puts her through. When they roll into Sherwood, it's just another stop on a map filled with pins, however, this stop will change the entire circus' future and none of them know it. After an accident on opening night, Corey is soon thrust into the real world where she is sent to live with the mother she hasn't seen in fifteen years, who she's knows nothing about and hasn't even spoken to. Now she finds herself having to navigate a life that seemed to be part of another world, a world she's never lived in. She must make her way through high school, making friends, first love and the awkwardness of her home life. Feeling more scared of this than having her body suspended above a crowd by a piece of rope and wood, can she do it?

A young adult contemporary story about growth, learning and making tough decisions, Trapeze was a really enjoyable read. I've discovered that I really enjoy reading these kinds of books where as I never would have even looked twice at them even 18 months ago. The first thing that drew me in was that cover, can we please just take a moment to bask in how beautiful it is?! I know, I know, the book is called Trapeze and the girl on the cover is clearly doing aerial silks, but that's beside the point. There are aerial silk artists in the circus so it's not entirely out of left field, it just doesn't exactly fit with the title. But still. It's so freaking pretty!

When I first started the story, I couldn't help but be incredibly annoyed by Corey, our main character. It's a ritual for her at each new town to wander off and have a meal in the first restaurant that she comes across, this meal generally dictates how opening night will fare. If the meal is good, the night is good, if the meal is poor, well, so is opening night. She finds herself in a diner called Joe's, having a conversation with a local boy, Luke Everette. When he asks about her, she has no problem gushing at how she's an exotic trapeze artist with the travelling circus and basically talking herself up to no end. I understand being proud of your achievements and being proud of what you do, but this was bordering on arrogant boasting. So I didn't like her for about the first quarter of the book. She's a very caring character, and this is illustrated as the story progresses, so if you find yourself being irritated by her at first, I implore you to persist because she does get better. It takes the accident for us to get a look behind the mask she so carefully wears, we get to see the insecurities, the worry, and the anxiety that she has when she thrust into something that she's never had to deal with before, namely, life.

I know a few people said in other reviews that I read that they thought the circus and trapeze would be a big central part of the story, it's because of these review that I went into the book knowing that for the most of it, that wasn't the case, so I think I enjoyed it a lot more having known that. Yes the circus and trapeze is a big part of Corey's life, but it's not really at the forefront of the story, this story is about a girl just trying to get through a situation that left her feeling lost.

The supporting characters were great too, I loved Luke's character and how much depth there was to him, I also enjoyed Kim and George and even Claire to a degree. All the characters were written really well, distinctively different from one another.

I love how Ansell put a lot of focus on the strained relationship between Corey and her mother. I enjoyed that it wasn't all rainbows and butterflies from the minute they met again after fifteen years, because we all know that's not entirely believable. The relationship that Ansell created here was written beautifully and executed really well.

This book isn't as light as it may seem, it does deal with some pretty heavy issues in the form of [abuse, and miscarriage (hide spoiler)]. But it deals with these issues so well. I had worked out early on what was going on with something, but that's neither here nor there really, it was still a great addition to the story and really added another dimension to it.

The story itself was good, it was well thought out and executed and even had a dash of mystery thrown in which I thought was absolutely great. One of the biggest things I loved about this story was [ that everything didn't end up fairy tale perfect (hide spoiler)] decisions were made and things happened and it really worked for the story, if it had have gone the other way, I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much when I put it down finished.

All in all, a wonderfully written debut by a promising author. I can't wait to pick up the next book!!

I really liked Trapeze. This novel focuses on themes such as faith, passion, family and love. Highly recommend and an impressive story that tells a story of not giving up, and to believe in yourself no matter the circumstances. It made me think differently about circuses and how they worked together, creating a beautiful show at the end of it.

Leigh Ansell is the author of Trapeze, Human Error, and a number of other titles on Wattpad. Since she began posting her works online at the age of fifteen, she has accumulated over 130,000 followers and her stories have been read over thirty million times. Leigh is the winner of two Watty Awards and the Wattpad Prize for Best Love Story.
Trapeze tells the story of Corey Ryder a trapeze artist. it’s the only life she’s ever known—but when a tragic accident puts a halt to the travelling circus she calls home, she’s forced to a standstill. Now, she’s a normal high school student living an anything but normal life, staying with the mother she’s never known, and trying to fit into small-town Sherwood, California.

When her friendship with the local golden boy, Luke Everett, grows into something more, Corey finds herself defending old misconceptions, navigating new love, and balancing the high-wire act of being true to who you really are.

This book has elements of being a modern twist on The Greatest Showman. The characters are well developed and the author seems to have done research into Trapeze artists, as it feels like they really know their stuff which adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.

One of the things we loved about this book was the ending (no we aren't going to spoil it for you.) it felt right for the characters given their ages and was done in a way which each reader could interpret it in their own way.

If you like emotionally compelling stories about growing up and trying to find your feet and discover who you are then we highly recommend you read Trapeze.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Trapeze! I was able to begin Trapeze and I am enjoying it so far! Unfortunately, my real life job hit the busy season just as several publishers granted me ARCs at the same time and I simply don't know if I will have time to read through them all before they are archived. Be assured, if I requested the title it was from genuine interest and I either have a copy already preordered or will be grabbing the audiobook upon release and will still write a review. I am sorry that I was not able to read this by the publication date.

Between 2 and 3 stars on this one.

Corey has lived most of her life in a traveling circus, training as a trapeze artist. Mystique has been her life and she loves being on the road and flying high as a circus performer. When tragedy strikes and she has to leave the circus behind to become a normal high school student, everything changes. Throw in some instant friends and a love interest, it is a fairly typical YA novel.

This was just an ok book for me. It was fun to imagine what it would be like to live the life of an artist on the road. The instant friends and boy interest were a little far-fetched for me, and the relationships throughout didn't feel fully authentic. The book was a bit choppy for me. There is some hard language, which I felt was unnecessary. There is domestic violence, and while not super graphic, it is still in the book. The ending felt a little like a present wrapped up with fancy paper and string, but left a lot to be desired inside.

Ultimately wouldn't recommend this book. There was potential, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for my review.

Corey Ryder had been living with her aunt and uncle since she was a toddler. She had been living what many would deem an unconventional life on the road with a traveling circus where she became a 17 year old trapeze prodigy. Her life takes a sharp turn when the Mystique Circus pulls up in Sherwood, California and is met with a tragic fire.

What you will find

1. Possible triggers with mentions of substance abuse, domestic violence, parental violence, bullying, and arson
2. A fish out of water story about a girl who gets dropped into an unknown situation and told to swim until she learns.

What you will not find

1. A circus focus. It does not play a huge role in the bulk of the story. The circus is like the bread of a sandwich. It is at the beginning and shows up at the end. There are bits a pieces of it mentioned during the middle but it is mostly mentioned in passing until the late second half of the story.

What I thought was odd in no particular order

1. Corey's mother, who she hasn't seen or spoken to in 15 years, so happens to live in Sherwood.
2. After the circus burns down Corey's aunt decides it is best for her to be dropped off at her mother's house with no formal introduction
3. Mother and Daughter NEVER make an attempt to communicate and form a bond but all of a sudden at the end of the book they are talking normally and planning dinner dates
4. Kim and George are her supposed best friends who never hang out outside of lunch at school...
5. The cover is not a trapeze
6. Corey is signed up for high school without any placement exams to see where she would fit academically
7. The school does NOTHING to step in... outside of 1 nonsense counseling meeting.... to help her academically... she is failing all her classes outside of gym where she excels
8. Her Math teacher write on her test "see me" after class and she never does and he never addresses it...

What I liked

1. How the relationship between Corey and Luke developed at the end
2. The mentions of the circus performances... I wanted more of the circus
3. The lesson on group-think... Corey was made fun for being part of the circus based on rumors and assumptions made from the towns people that Mystique was involved in vandalism in a different town.

Thank you Netgalley, Wattpad Books, and Leigh Ansell for a copy of Trapeze in exchange for my honest review.

Young trapeze hopeful, Corey, grew up in the circus. She trained every day to become the star in her traveling circus family, but when a mysterious fire breaks out during her debut, Corey’s life switches faster than her rise to the top. Now, she must live a normal teenage life in Northern California doing normal things with her estranged (and not normal) mother.

This is a realistic, coming-of-age story. The plot and characters all orbit around the theme of learning who you are and being proud of it. Corey made for a well-adjusted, mature, and insightful narrator. Her observations hold true to what teenagers deal with daily. Her relationships with Luke, friends Claire and Kim, and her mother are well done and not cliched. The author does well to avoid the pitfalls of young adult literature and creates a wonderful community around a likeable narrator.

There were a few inconsistencies in the plot (although minor) that may cause readers to question what is going on. Corey’s passion for trapeze artistry seemed strong at the beginning of the novel, but quickly waned once she lost it. I would have liked to see her struggle more with coming to terms with that loss as part of her identity search.

I would rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars. Trapeze releases on September 10, 2019.

I really liked the beginning and my attention was caught immediately but it slowly dwindled. I lost that feeling of connection to the main character. I would probably suggest this book to people but I doubt it would be the first book I suggested.

I loved this book. It tells the story of an ex-trapeze artist and her life as a "normal" 17-year-old girls. I love the way the book is written and cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone I know.

Trapeze covers everything from loss to new relationships, fresh starts to first love, and abuse to happy endings. So many key factors were hit along the way that made me want to keep reading until I reached the end. I expected there to be more circus and less high school, but overall I enjoyed this quick read!

I was really excited to read this book since I enjoyed the story on Wattpad. Well, reading it now, I did find it a little stupid though.

I loved the beginning of this book. The author's starting line was hooking and engaging and had a great punch. The first few chapters flew off really well, as we get to see the characters and learn about them. I also enjoyed the whole setting of the circus and how disaster struck so soon.

The story was basically very predictable though. I enjoyed seeing the chemistry between our love interests and how friendships were formed, I really enjoyed that. But at the same time, I wish there was more of the circus and the lights and glamour. I found the story basically the MC complaining about not being in the circus, worrying about people finding out about her truth and also wanting to be in love. Haha. It just didn't jell well.

Well, towards the middle, I lost interest in the story. It got boring and monotonous, the author trying to forcefully add twists to the story. I felt like a few scenes could've been well removed and the story would've been still great.

Apart from this though, I enjoyed this book. The ending was predictable but beautiful. It was lovely and a sweet contemporary romance if you're looking for light summer reads.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the e-arc of this book. All opinions expressed are fully mine.

i don't know what i was expecting but wow.

trapeze focuses on corey, a trapeze artist who's suddenly forced to live like a normal teenager with her estranged mother after a tragic accident and struggles to navigate the woes of high school.

i wasn't expecting luke to be hiding THAT, my heart was breaking for him. i'm glad corey did what she did to help him, it's what he needed.

i'm so used to reading stories where the MC and another character end up together but in this case? it was more realistic, despite my fleeting disappointment.

this book was good. i definitely recommend it.

Trapeze is an interesting book. The writing is incredibly strong, and the concept is intriguing. The book does drag a bit in the middle. Additionally, the book only focuses a bit on Corey’s time at the circus vs. her time at a high school. It does have some themes of violence that may be triggering.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my my own.

2.5 stars

I love the idea of a circus setting. Circus life intrigues me! However, majority of this book does not take place in a circus or on a trapeze. It starts off that way, but it quickly becomes a novel about a teen girl in high school.Unfortunately because of the 'negative stigma' surrounding circus performers, Corey was quick to hide everything that made her different..so what made Corey quirky and different was quickly lost.

Although this book was easy to read, I felt like some things were unexplained and others were not believable. I also wished that there was more emphasis on the time Corey and her mother spent together reestablishing their relationship.

I felt like this was a promising book that ended up being just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and Smith Publicity for providing an advance copy of this book.

I can't say I liked this book but I did find some things within that I enjoyed.
The first of all was the story itself because we don't get many stories about people, mainly children, and teenagers that live with a circus and all the discrimination they have to face along with the love for their art.
I wasn't too crazy about Corey but I did like that she wasn't all Miss Perfect: she holds tiny grudges, she is aware of her own failings and she loves what she does with such a passion that she becomes a bit arrogant over the things that she can do that others can't. I loved that we got a girl that took pride in her hard-earned muscles.
But what I liked the most was that this book wasn't about romance, it was about a girl that has to stop doing what she loves for a while. Yes, there is a boy in there but he is not the goal, her career and passion are.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpadd Books for this ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wattpad, for the complimentary advance copy of this book.

Circus girl Corey becomes real world girl after tragedy strikes and the show must stop. During her time in the real world as a 17 year old, Corey goes to a regular school for the first time, makes friends, faces adversity and find love.

While this was a cute story wrapped up in a nice, neat bow, I can’t help but be a little intrigued at what a little deeper dive could have done for this character. She seemed to take all her life changes rather easily. It would have been great to know more about her relationship with her mother and the loss she suffered when the world as she knew it ended.

Likable characters, light read, happy ending.

This review is based on an ARC of Trapeze which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Wattpad Books).


Maybe some Wattpad novels should stay on Wattpad…

This isn’t the worst book I’ve ever read. I’ve read books not published via Wattpad, books from notable publishers, that are way worse. I did make it through the entirety of this one (barely), so that speaks for its being at least somewhat bearable. However the story comes across extremely amateurish. (Of course, it’s easy for me to talk such big talk when I’m just a nobody critiquing somebody’s creative work. I get that. And I apologize if I sound harsh.) My problem(s) wasn’t even with the prose, voice, characters, or simplicity of the story. My problem with Trapeze is that so much of it just didn’t make sense. Below I have provided a compiled list of queries, concerns, and general annoyances of this fiction. (Note: List is not exhaustive.)

—The girl on the cover is doing silks, not trapeze. Big oof.
—“dull brown hair” (emphasis on the “dull”), because what other hair colors could a Wattpad heroine have?
—“not a normal girl”, because what Wattpad heroine with “dull brown hair” is normal?
—For some reason, there’s inexplicable drama between the different aerialists at the circus??? Even though you've worked together for goodness knows how long and should at least have a professional tolerance towards each other??
—I really really really don’t get why she was even put in high school, honestly. If there was a system at the circus (sort of) figured out for minors to learn to drive and get their licenses, and a version of homeschooling going on, why didn’t Corey just take her GED? Why hadn’t she tried already? You can’t just… not go to school in America. There are laws against that.
—And also why, when she was put in public high school, was she put in Precalculus? I had fairly decent math grades and I never even had to do any Precalc, so what gives?
—The tutoring? Yeah, called that.
—Also, the teacher wrote “See me” on her paper and she never did that. Oopsie?
—She claims to be “best friends” with Kim and George even though they never go out, or text, or call, or really do anything besides have lunch together, which is mostly on Kim, which I also can’t trust as genuine friendship after all Kim said about being Student Body President and what that requires of her in terms of socializing with the Student Body.
—Corey never seemed genuinely upset about her passion and livelihood being ripped out from under her without warning. Even though she said how upset she was, she never showed it in any way.
—Why was Dave—and the rest of the circus for that matter—so keen on her staying in school and being normal? Surely he realizes that trapeze is her passion and she is great at it. Outside of the circus, there aren’t too many opportunities to make a career of the trapeze. So why do they all want to shun her away from her calling for a chance at a “normal” life?
—What’s wrong with being a “circus freak”? I would be living for that title.
—One of Corey’s “friend’s” parents paid for the reopening of the circus? And this was saved until the climax because…? Yeah, that’s realistic.
—I don’t think that the author knows the difference between foreshadowing and bashing the reader over the head repeatedly with glaring neon signs. For future reference, this makes readers feel like they’re being called dumb and it’s not a nice feeling or one you really should aim to evoke.

So, in the end, I didn't give up entirely on this story, which keeps it at two stars. A generous two stars, mind you. Don't get me wrong, tons of people will enjoy this and love it and revel in the cutesy contemporary love story meeting the underappreciated topic of the circus. I am not one of these people.

First off, the cover art is beautiful-- for that alone, this book is worth picking up. As far as YA goes, Trapeze is good. It's nothing spectacular, but it's well written, with developed characters and a clear line of action. As a reader of almost exclusively female-centered stories, I nearly always connect with the female characters. However, here, I found myself connecting most with Luke. Where there are gaps in the psychological motivation and logic of Corey, Luke's trajectory and character seems to be consistent. The biggest hurdle for me was the apparent abhorrence the community felt towards the circus, and Corey's wanting to keep her involvement in it a secret. It felt very contrived and unrealistic, and while I tried to overlook it, it's inextricably woven into the plot. To me, it seems like Corey's trapeze skills and life in the circus would've actually made her popular, so it didn't work as a mechanism here. It felt like maybe the author was trying to use it as a veil, to talk about refugees or ostracized groups of marginalized people (i.e. illegal immigrants), but I think she would've had to be more like a circus oddity to draw that comparison-- something that would make her different in a way that could be perceived as negative on the outside, but beautiful on the inside. Trapeze is just too glamorous. I did like that the author made a bold decision with the ending, rather than wrapping things up in a cliche "happily ever after".

This book was a light and easy read. The book is well written and the first portion of the book grabbed my attention but unfortunately the last part of the book seemed to drop off. There was great character development and I cared about the main character, which left me wanting more for her story. This is a great book for an easy, quick read.