I don’t read much historical fiction, but I’m always willing to give it a try. I’m so glad I picked this one up! In Circus of Wonders, we are transported to Victorian England and the world of a traveling circus. Nell is like any other girl in her small village - except for the birthmarks that cover her body.

I love circus stories, so I was immediately drawn into this. Nell is a great main character to follow and she was one I felt connected to. When she leaves her home it’s not by her choice. Sold to Jasper Jupiter, who dreams of having the greatest show in the world, Nell considers escaping and risking life on her own. Once she meets the other members of the show she realizes she might not be alone after all. Nell is able to adapt to life on the road and it was easy to root for her as she grows into her own independence.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

A great historical, Victorian adventure drama about that society’s obsession with “freaks and oddities “. I admit I am fascinated

I really enjoyed reading this book! I bet you would enjoy reading it as! Pick up yourself a copy and give it a read and see if you don’t enjoy it! Thank you Elizabeth for writing us such a great book!

I'm sorry, I read this book a while ago and forgot to review. The story and the characters of this book were very interesting. I'm sure everybody at one point or another has wondered about circus life. It's an interesting mix of fascinating and mysterious.

Elizabeth Macneal's skillful inclusion of the good and bad pieces of the late 1860 and early 1870 world of circus exhibters and their ability to hold the fascination of so many people. Nell's inclusion in this world is not of her choosing, but she has never felt as if she belongs any where before. In a world full of exotic displays, her many birth marks earn her a home as the leopard girl. CIRCUS OF WONDERS displays a life where the misfits are the royalty and must live their lives under the same scrutiny as today's royalty. While I wouldn't read this genre on a steady basis, I found this book fit perfectly into my schedule. I've altrady made a list of friends who will apprecite the story as much as I did.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Elizabeth Macneal did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! This was such a fun concept, and I would highly recommend it!

Elizabeth Macneal, the internationally bestselling author of THE DOLL FACTORY, returns with CIRCUS OF WONDERS, an atmospheric and spellbinding novel of identity, perception and truth.

In 1860s England, the “deformitomania” craze has swept the continent, and circuses boasting acts like Stella the Songbird, bearded like a bear; Minnie, the famed behemoth; Brunette, the Welsh giantess; and even the world’s smallest museum of curious objects tour the countryside, delighting guests with their show-stopping performances, occasionally picking up new acts along the way. None of this is known to 19-year-old Nell, who lives with her father and brother in a small coastal farming village.

Born covered in constellations of birthmarks, Nell is the bane of her father’s existence and the joke of the town. Only her brother seems to see her clearly, and even he is a little too forceful in his claims that he loves her even though she is spotted…not because she is, or even just because she is her, spots and all. When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders comes to town, Nell is shocked to see people like her not only accepted by the townsfolk, but celebrated for their differences and gazed upon with love and adoration. Her drunkard father, seeing a chance to free himself from her, sells her to Jasper for 20 pounds, but this is only the beginning of Nell’s story.

Although Nell initially bristles at her gilded prison --- a carriage that Jasper has decorated in peacock feathers, expensive leather-bound books and various curiosities --- she soon begins to see salvation in Jasper, someone who can turn her, a hated leopard girl, into a star. As she meets and learns more about the other performers, she sees not freaks or monsters, but ordinary people who have taken their physical deformities and, combined with the act of performance, turned them into something extraordinary.

With Jasper set on turning her into his star attraction, the Queen of the Moon and Stars, Nell learns to unlock her own personality and take pride in her differences. Very quickly, she realizes that her father’s cruel sale of her might be the best thing to ever happen to her. The freedom is intoxicating, but so too is the chance to discover her own voice and use it to make friends and even find love.

The object of Nell’s interest is none other than Jasper’s brother, Toby, the circus’s photographer who creates dazzling cartes de visite of each of the performers to be shared with guests and would-be guests. He is a large man, but not so large as to be celebrated as the world’s fattest anything, and he is quietly competent, perfectly happy to live in his ringmaster brother’s shadow. Nell alone seems to spot something magical within Toby, but even she cannot see the dark shadows of his past.

In alternating chapters, Macneal walks readers through countless performances, bumpy cross-country carriage rides, and all the whimsy and magic of a night at the circus, as seen through the eyes of growingly independent Nell; gentle, bumbling Toby; and manic, fame-obsessed Jasper. As tensions rise between Jasper --- desperate to become the next Barnum --- and his star, who is steadily outshining him, Macneal digs deeper into the relationship between them, which comes with its own competitiveness and dangerous repercussions. With each of these fully realized, hopelessly relatable characters wanting to secure their place in the world, their ambitions, alliances and betrayals cross and circumvent one another for a plot that is every bit as enticing as the greatest show on earth.

Returning once again to Victorian England, Macneal has created a totally immersive novel in which the time and place feel so real that you can hear the roar of the lion and smell the roasting chestnuts as you make your way to your (fictional) seat. It is difficult not to make comparisons to Sara Gruen’s WATER FOR ELEPHANTS when you first pick up the book, but Macneal has really made the circus tent her own here. She goes beyond the macabre idea of deformitomania to explore what it would really feel like to be ogled at and displayed like a trained monkey. She also unpacks the fine line between experiencing the greatest amount of power and control you have ever had and recognizing that it comes at the cost of your pride and humanity.

Nell is tenderly written, and the choices she faces, as well as her responses to them, are unforgettable. Her slow realization that she may have traded one prison for another, albeit gilded, is among some of the most heartbreaking arcs I have ever read. Through Nell, and then through Toby’s steady growth away from his controlling brother, Macneal dives deep into the notions of identity, ownership and exploitation. I cannot say much about Jasper’s storyline for fear of ruining the plot, but here too the author excels, crafting a thoroughly wicked and arrogant villain whose rise and fall are shocking, horrifying and so very satisfying.

Perfect for readers of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, SIN EATER and THE 7 ½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE, CIRCUS OF WONDERS is a soaring, moving story with a heroine you won’t soon forget.

I have mixed feelings about this book, it was extremely well written and a beautiful story about the complexities of being human. I enjoyed Nell quite a bit and even though Jasper is psycho his POV chapters were very interesting and his descent into madness is very well done! Toby however, rubbed me the wrong way, we were told over and over again he was this gentle giant and meant to feel sympathy for him which I did to a certain point but the way he thought about Nell creeped me out and I did not want her to be around him. I kept waiting for him to stand up and take action and do something but was left pretty disappointed

I have always adored the circus and greedily gravitate towards any mention of them in a book. This book is beautifully written with the atmosphere and wonder of the circus shining through. The characters were well written and the depth of their turmoil was well done.

As with The Doll Factory, Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal is dark and a very slow read. The parallels between the two books continue with closely bonded siblings, birth anomalies, collectors of oddities, and the dark Victorian gothic setup. This book is very much character driven. However, other than Nell, is there growth in the characters? Is there enough to keep a reader engaged and invested in their story. Unfortunately, this reader does not find that.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/12/circus-of-wonders.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

Really nice story with great characters and a lot of unexpected twists! I enjoyed the fast paced story and would recommend to folks who enjoy historical fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free e-book in exchange for my honest review.

This is an unusual but fascinating look at a circus in 1886 where Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders captivates the towns through which they pass. Nell is deemed the Leopard Girl as she has dark splotches all over her body and of course is shy as she is afraid people look down on her. But her father sells her to the circus as they are poor and he figures she will at least have a chance at a life there. And she does...she becomes The Queen of Moon and Stars as she's fashioned with an enormous set of wings as she careens across the sky with the help of a huge contraption that mesmerizes the audience. But all of these "freaks" of nature are being exploited by Jasper and Nell only finds solace with his brother, Toby. Macneal explores themes of exploitation, vanity, and pride as the novel reaches a fever pitch that turns macabre. I was left gasping and happy I will never visit a circus!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I have picked up this book so many times and while I think many will like it, I just do not believe its for me.

The Goodreads cover for "Circus of Wonders" gave me a different expectation for this book than the originally vibrant cover I saw when I first received this e-book. I'm terrible, and was given an arc e-copy of this book over a year ago and never reviewed it.

The original vibrant cover of "Circus of Wonders" that I received made me feel like this would be a feel-good, circus story. Think "The Greatest Showman" type story. This is NOT a feel-good book. This is depressing, basically from start to finish. Some characters get a HEA, but more of a HFN (happy for now)... and that's not everyone. If you're looking for a happy ending, this book is not it.

I skimmed a lot of the descriptions of the circus as the story progressed. I was never able to really get into the story or understand why the main character, Nell, was as popular as she was.

If I hadn't received this book for review, I doubt I would have finished it. Reading other reviews of this book though, there are a lot of people that love the dark atmosphere and the flawed characters. Guess it just wasn't for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up because there wasn't anything that made this book stand out.

I usually love circus themed books, and although this one had its moments, overall it was a little too dark themed for me. It definitely focused on the circuses of old where the main focus was on people with what the world considered unnatural oddities. Instead of with views of interest, marvel, or admiration, the world and the circus leaders who profited from them, took advantage of these performers. The book definitely delved into the dark side of circuses and the people, even the Queen, who fancied the oddest of odd and who could not only look away, but relished In the extreme. A Brother is chosen over love and a life of fame over a quaint quiet life. The ending could be seen as ambivalent and lacking by readers. Many moments are harsh, sad, and without reprieve — valleys without peaks. Talented writer, just didn’t prefer the storyline. Thank you

Simply magnificent. So absorbing - I totally fell down the rabbit hole and sunk right into this story. Beautiful, wonderful, and heart-wrenching. Bravo! 👏 👏 👏

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

361 Pages
Publisher: Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Release Date: February 1, 2022

Fiction, Historical Fiction, England, 1860s, Circus, Side Show Attractions

Nell is a girl living in a coastal town with her father and her brother Charlie. Nell is different. She has birthmark spots all over her body. Because of this, she is treated as an outcast although her brother tries to shield her. When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders comes to down her father does a despicable thing and sells her to the circus for 20 pounds.

Jasper Jupiter created himself as a showman. He and his brother Toby have been traveling around with the circus picking up acts as they go. Both brothers have secrets, and they dwell on an incident in the past that changed their relationship.

Once Nell joins the circus as a flying creature, she begins to become famous. This both pleases and then angers Jasper. He never thought she would eclipse his fame and sees he must change things.

The story has a good pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view from various perspectives. As the story progresses, we find out the past deeds behind the brothers’ relationship and we see love bloom between characters. Although I do not enjoy circuses (afraid of clowns), I enjoyed this story. It is more about how people considered different are treated by the world. If you enjoy historical fiction, side show attractions, or even human interest stories, you may like this book.

Magical. Beautiful. Sad. Thats how I would describe this novel. I was blown away by Nell's story as the 'leopard girl' and transformed into Queen of Moon and Stars.

I found the story of Jasper Jupiter and his circus to be eye opening of the situation of the 1860s and how people were treated as 'circus acts'.

I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Truly unique plot to this tragi-drama. The characters were well-drawn, and immediately the reader is drawn to Nell, the birthmark disfigured flower girl. Will Toby be her savior through it all or will he remain loyal to his brother? Flashbacks hint at the power Jasper holds over Toby. Will the circus become Nell's unexpected escape? Elizabeth Macneal does an extradorinary job of portraying 1800's Victorian England as the somber background for the circus and it's characters.

I am offering this review in exchange for the opportunity to read and honestly critique the book Circus of Wonders. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher Atria.

Truthfully, it has been so long that I can't really remember the details of this stroy.

What I can tell you is that I love any stories with a Circus theme. But damn do they get predictable and seem too similar to one another.

And I'm certain that is why I left a three star rating on Goodreads.