I enjoyed this quick read. Some of the plot points were a bit obvious, but the story ran smoothly and kept me wanting to read more. The characters were relate-able and not too outlandish.

Amanda Hocking is a poster child for success in self-publishing. The legend goes that, unable to find a publisher for the books she wanted to read (and write), she set about putting them up as ebooks on her website, churning them out several a year, and achieved phenomenal success. Later, she signed with a traditional publisher. Clearly, thousands of readers adored her work enough to gobble up each new book in her many series. The question is whether these hastily-written and unedited works would appeal to a more discerning audience. I tried reading one of her self-published books and gave up midway. The prose was clunky, the relationship-centered plot predictable and rather monotonous (endless adolescent hormone-laden angst), and the flashes of originality insufficient to overcome all the other shortcomings. It did show me why she has an audience (like Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight). That audience just isn’t me.

Nevertheless, when I had a chance to read the most recent of her traditionally published books, I decided to give her another try. I supposed that the work would be professionally edited and hence of better quality. The verdict is yes, and no. The good news is that the production values (typesetting, page design, proofreading, that sort of thing) are good. The bad news is that all the flaws of her previous work remain. The prose ranges from serviceable to incredibly trite and clanky (two of my favorites were “a guttural mewling sound” and “books stacked to the brim on my nightstand”). The good news is that her setting and secondary characters are much better developed. The bad news is that the central teenage romance is just as tedious and obvious as ever. The surprising news is that she does seem to be developing as an author, despite herself. In the background of that humdrum story line lurks a truly fascinating tale.

Freeks is set in a traveling carnival, which could be dark and creepy but instead is a haven for people with supernatural talents, which is not only comforting but produces a host of interesting characters. One can produce fire, one is invulnerable to injury, and so forth. Teen Mara plunges into the predictable adolescent crush then the near-broke carnival takes a job in a mysterious town and she meets a devastatingly handsome boy. The schemes behind the job offer, the shadowy creatures that soon attack the carnival members, and other elements take back seat to Mara’s rather pedestrian obsession with Gabe. Far more fascinating is the story of Mara’s mother, Lyanka, a necromancer who works as a fortune-teller, divining the future by conversing with the spirits of the dead. Mara’s own grandmother had this talent, too, it drew her into the darkness and then slowly drove her mad. Mara’s mother knows this, and yet one desperate circumstance after another forces her down that terrible path. Now Mara’s powers are awakening, and her mother is desperate to protect her. What is she willing to do and to what lengths will she go to keep her daughter from the family curse – even at the cost of her own sanity? Only the increasing threat of the shadow creatures impels her to reveal the truth of Mara’s inheritance – both her psychic abilities and a chest of supernatural weapons, gathered and preserved through the generations. Yet all this deep emotional conflict comes at the end of the story, almost as an afterthought.

The fact is that Mara’s mother’s story is far, far more gripping than the tepid romance-with-a-few-fantasy-elements pablum that Hocking serves up. I hope that in the future Hocking will learn to trust her creative instincts and allow herself to grow beyond the amateurish novels of her early career. I hope, too, that her publisher has faith in that new vision, to the point of ruthless editing to prune away the clanking prose, predictable romance lines, and cardboard characters of Freeks to allow a more compelling story (with a much wider audience!) to emerge.

Amanda Hocking doesn’t disappoint! Freeks is a great novel full of mystery and the supernatural. From the individuals in the sideshow to the townspeople of the small town that’s causing all the ‘freeks’ to become extra sensitive. Everyone has a secret and someone’s secret is downright deadly.

You are first introduced to the main character Mara who travels with the sideshow because she and her mother are necromancers that can communicate with the dead. Low on money they travel to a small town named Caudry from being told it will give them a big payout. But a big payout or not, something isn’t right about the town and people within the sideshow begin to develop affects from being there. Roxie can’t make a flame, Seth isn’t so strong, Luka has a hard time healing, and Tim can’t levitate anymore. And after years of Mara’s mother trying to keep her from touching the spirit world due to the effects of their gift, Mara doesn’t have a choice anymore.

Something is after them. One of them is missing. And several of them get injured by this…thing. I will say that some of the victims attack was gruesome, but yet they still survived…when in actuality based on the description of entrails sprawled all over the place, they would have died. But It didn’t deter from the tension within the story.

A romance blossoms between Mara and a townie named Gabe. And even though Mara didn’t want Gabe to know she was a carnie at first he had an even bigger secret than that. Not for spoilers, so I’ll leave that secret kept…as well as a few others.

Each character is written realistically and each have their own personality. The plot is thick, full of mystery that leave you on the edge of your seat and romance to die for. Twists and turns and more details are revealed making the overall plot even more interesting!

Great read. Absolutely recommend for readers that love romance with a little bit supernatural twist.

Freeks is my first book by Amanda Hocking. I’ve been reading glowing reviews of her books for years so when I saw her new book, I decided to read it.

First of, this is a historical that reads like an urban paranormal. It takes place in a period of 10 days in 1987. I’m very partial to this decade since I was a teenager back then, so I can relate to the music, cassettes, movies and more. The setting is a small town in Louisiana where the Carnival has been invited to perform. The carnival has your typical rides (like the Ferris wheel), games and also a sideshow kind of shows, including a horror house and fortune reader. Now, most of the people on the sideshow side of things have powers or abilities and they have suffered a life of abuse, prejudice and suffering because of it, and thus, they stick together.

Mara is the daughter of a necromancer who can talk to spirits. She doesn’t seem to have powers and works doing whatever is needed around the camp and the sideshow. Mara is from Egyptian/Hindu decent, so good for diversity. She’s brave, loyal, realistic, and smart.

On the first day in town she meets Gabe and they hit it off right away. Gabe is rich, but down to earth boy that’s very sweet and doesn’t treat Mara like a freak. The romance was way too fast for me. I know that paranormal books lend well for the insta-romance, but I don’t feel like it worked well here. I don’t think Mara and Gabe had enough time to know each other, and hardly spend time together.

I liked that the parents of both Gabe and Mara were present in the story. I also enjoyed the remainder of the characters and the powers they had and learning a little bit about their backgrounds and how they ended up in the Sideshow.

The story is told from the first POV, Mara’s. The writing was very good, but I found the pace to be slow. I think the readers was kept in the dark for too long, with hints here and there of what was going on. Also, the ending was a bit to neat and fast for me, especially after all the build up.

Overall, Freeks is about the paranormal and unique, of accepting the differences, about friendship and family, about right and wrong and about love. It will not be my last read by Hocking

Before I had a chance to review this book, I won a paperback copy from Tor UK. I figured I should just wait for that before I start, so basing my review off of the finished published paperback.

I really wanted to love this book. I liked some of Amanda Hocking’s previous works, so had high hopes for this one. I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it. I think I might have enjoyed this one more if I’d been a little younger.

I liked the concept, and loved that it was very different to the many other carnival based books out there. However, in places it just felt drawn out. The ending itself was really abrupt and kind of felt like an after thought. It was too ‘Happily Ever After’ for my liking. It just wrapped up too perfectly.

3 out of 5 stars.

What a blast from the past to go back to my childhood years in the 80's. Loved the general theme of the carnival and time period. I just felt at times, the 80's theme was laid on a little too thick. I got the references right away, but not sure if a younger generation will appreciate them.
I really enjoyed reading about the dynamics a carnival has, and what a family endures. The beginning sucked me in, and kept my attention all the way until the end, Overall, was a fun little read; however, I probably wouldn't let me 12-year-old daughter read it just yet, as there were some suggestive things throughout.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Amanda Hocking
St. Martin's Press for the opportunity.

Mara has an interesting life that most of us can not even imagine. This book is set in the 1980s and Mara is part of a traveling carnival. The people she travels with are performers on the sideshow. Some people can move things with their mind or call fire or heal quickly or see the future. But not Mara, Mara is ordinary and just wants an ordinary life.

Mara’s mother is a necromancer who reads tarot cards as part of the sideshow. She wants a better life for Mara than a traveling caravan, but this is the only life she is able to give Mara.

As things get creepier and creepier in Caudry, the past that Mara doesn’t know may be more important than anyone could guess. I mean, screaming banshees aren’t normal nightmare, are they?

Mara, as a character, shows quite a bit of growth throughout the novel. She has always done her job as part of the sideshow staff and pretty much followed the rules she’s been given. She knows how the rest of the world regards the carnival workers – they’re freeks (and people can not even spell their insults correctly). Mara’s done what she has to do and pretty much left the townies alone… until Gabe. She can’t explain it, but she feels drawn to him.

Caudry is a bit of a creepy place and things aren’t always what they seem. With members of the sideshow disappearing and being attacked and threatened, the question is asked if Caudry is really the safest place to be. Well, the answer is no, but the sideshow doesn’t have the money to get anywhere else… they need this paycheck from Caudry.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. There are twists that you can spot easily and some you can’t. Not everything wraps up the way I expected.

If you enjoy circus-type novels with a paranormal flair, this might be the book for you.

I was underwhelmed by this story. While I liked the characters and the setting, the plot itself felt lacking and the ending was disappointing.

Carnies are always interesting people and the characters in Freeks are no exception. The main character,Bryn, is a young girl who travels with a group of performers but she feels she doesn't really fit in. She longs to find a place to settle down and live a normal life and she thinks she may have found it in the next town they visit. The carnival has accepted the job in this town because they need the money to keep going but something isn't right in this town - there is a presence. Bryn must help her family and friends fight the mysterious presence.
This was an interesting and unusual read. Very entertaining!

Continuing with my ongoing love affair with books about carnivals or circuses, I decided to check out Freeks by Amanda Hocking which features a group of traveling sideshow performers in the 80s as they travel across the country looking for work.

The story stars Mara, a teenager who has practically spent her whole life growing up on the road with Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival. While their show boasts many of the usual attractions, what most folks don’t realize is that many among Gideon’s crew actually possess supernatural powers. For example, they have a telekinetic on staff who helps out with a lot of their magician’s “tricks”. Their trapeze artist has abilities to manipulate the air around him so that he can never fall. Mara’s own mother is a fortune teller who gains insights about her clients’ lives by being able to commune with the dead. However, despite being surrounded by these powered individuals and being the daughter of one herself, Mara has no special abilities. She has sometimes wondered what it might be like to settle down and live like “normal” people, but the carnival is the only family she has ever known, and even though the going can get tough sometimes, Mara loves her life and can’t imagine it any other way.

That is, until Gideon takes up a contract to set up camp in a small southern town named Caudry, and sparks fly between Mara and Gabe, a handsome local boy she meets at a party. Mara likes Gabe—a lot—and he seems to like her too. But how would he feel once he finds out she is a carnie? On the other hand…does he even need to know? By this time in two weeks the sideshow will be on the road again and Mara would be on her way to their next destination; if the relationship is doomed to fail anyway, she sees no harm in withholding a few personal details, especially since Gabe seems to be keeping some secrets himself. Before long though, Mara has more pressing matters to worry about. One by one, members of Gideon’s crew go missing or come under attack, savaged by some mysterious creature. Caudry also seems to be giving off some strange, bad vibes. The carnival came here in the hopes of making some extra revenue, but if the incidents keep up at this rate, Mara fears they’ll run out of performers long before their contract is up.

What I didn’t realize before starting this book was how prominently it would be featuring the romantic side plot. While that by itself isn’t always a negative, it is somewhat frustrating when you get teased all these other fascinating elements in the story, such as the sideshow’s supernatural performers and all the peculiar goings-on happening around Caudry. I wanted more of the carnival life, more details on the backgrounds and personalities of the people working there, and more development into the mysteries of the town. But instead, most of what we got was Gabe, Gabe, and more Gabe. The story keeps shoving his and Mara’s relationship down our throats and I can’t help but think way too many pages were wasted in this area.

Plus, after all this buildup to the grand finale where supposedly huge revelations would be revealed, the results were decidedly underwhelming. When all is said and done, the mystery felt much smaller than it was meant to be, and reasons are clear as to why: there’s actually very little plot in this book. Like I said, most of it is padded by the romance, and I won’t deny that this is somewhat disappointing. Hocking has set up something really cool here, creating a world where people with supernatural abilities live among us, then shining a spotlight on a traveling sideshow run by many of these special individuals. However, instead of exploring this aspect, she has decided to go with the tired and well-trod route of “yet another YA romance” while adding nothing too new or different to the formula. Big time missed opportunity here, which is what gripes me the most.

In sum, Freeks had the potential to be more but ended up being rather average. Too much emphasis was placed on what was arguably a lackluster romance complete with stale dialogue and hints of insta-love, while regrettably the best and most interesting aspects of the story were underplayed. The book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, just another ordinary middle-of-the-road YA fantasy novel.

Mara is a necromancer, and she and her mother are part of a travelling circus. There was an otherworldly element to this that was, on occasion, stretched beyond the bounds of credibility. However, the characters were well-depicted and this was a story that had me riveted. I was second-guessing throughout-and was rather off in my thoughts, though not by much. Entertaining, but in a slightly voyeuristic sense that didn't sit well with me (though this was less obvious once Mara was more attuned to her heritage/skills and not feeling such an outsider).

This is my first look at this great author! Loving the world-building and truly hoping for more!

This book has 400 pages. Not the shortest and not the longest book ever.
I really feel like some parts of the book could have been described better and some parts could have been left out.

This book never really gets scary or makes your heart beat faster. It just goes on and on and on and when you should get fireworks the story just ends within 10 pages and there was no sign of fireworks.

I had the feeling that I knew how this story was going to end. I'm so disapointed that I was right. I feel the ending was too quick and too sudden. But I also didn't really expect a great ending from this book, because the story couldn't capture me all the 390 pages before the ending.

Magic abilities, a traveling performance troupe and a monstrous secret that could kill everyone sounds like the perfect recipe for a great story. That's exactly what Amanda Hocking's Freeks delivers!



Welcome to Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow, where necromancy, magical visions, and pyrokinesis are more than just part of the act…

Mara has always longed for a normal life in a normal town where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future. Instead, she roams from place to place, cleaning the tiger cage while her friends perform supernatural feats every night.

When the struggling sideshow is miraculously offered the money they need if they set up camp in Caudry, Louisiana, Mara meets local-boy Gabe…and a normal life has never been more appealing.

But before long, performers begin disappearing and bodes are found mauled by an invisible beast. Mara realizes that there’s a sinister presence lurking in the town with its sights set on getting rid of the sideshow freeks. In order to unravel the truth before the attacker kills everyone Mara holds dear, she has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she was capable of—one that could change her future forever.

Mara is a no-nonsense type of girl; someone who gets the job done and makes sure everything is running smoothly. Which, when it comes to their magical band of performers, doesn't always happen. Gideon Davorin's Traveling Sideshow is often the source of ridicule for their strange and often freakish acts, but they always manage to draw a crowd.

Caudry is a small town in Louisiana and when Gideon's troupe arrives, things seem to start bad and get worse. When members of the troupe start to get attacked by a mysterious creature, it takes everything within Mara and her family to not turn tail and run. Mara struggles with staying to settle down for a normal life with town hottie Gabe and sticking to her family and helping to uncover who--or what--is killing them.

A slow start that goes from 0 to 100 in 3.5 seconds when the first attack happens to one of Mara's childhood friends, Freeks will consume you and your entire afternoon. Once I got to the meaty bits of the plot, I didn't want to put the book down at all. Mara's internal struggle and desire for a normal life was enough to carry me through the first few chapters, because I cared about Mara.

Hocking does a fantastic job about painting these characters and showing you their best and worst parts all at once. I wanted Mara to find her gift and a place within the troupe other than roadie. I wanted her to fall in love and lead a normal life (though, I mainly wanted her to fall in love with Gabe's sister Selena, and not Gabe himself, but that's just me).

Freeks had a great voice; Mara's unique perspective and choice of snappy comebacks left me giggling and really enjoying the story even more. If you're already a fan of Amanda Hocking's work, this is a great addition to your library. If you love paranormal oddities and thrilling mysteries with a sprinkle of romance, Freeks ought to find its way onto your TBR list.



Freeks publishes January 3rd, 2017.

Amanda Hocking is doing a blog tour with us starting January 2, 2017! Check out the first chapter here and the fifth chapter here, the giveaway here, and her Q&A interview here!

Author's Website
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It's the 1980's and all Mara wants is a normal life. There's little chance of that, as she's part of Gideon Davorin's Traveling Sideshow. Along with carnival games and tigers, necromancy, magical visions and pyrokinesis are just part of daily life for Mara. Her mother speaks to spirits. Her good friend shoots fireballs out of her hands. Another can heal from seemingly anything. When a former member of the troupe invites them all to come to the small town of Caudry, Louisiana, they are skeptical and more than a bit desperate. The struggle sideshow needs the money, and they've been promised a great deal of it. Almost immediately after arriving, members of the sideshow begin to disappear or be attacked in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, Mara is falling in love with a local boy in town and starting to wonder if he could know more about the sinister presence stalking the sideshow.

Freeks is the type of book where just when you think you've figured out the storyline, it changes on you. This makes for a fast-paced story and very interesting reading. Mara is a tough young woman looking to strike out on her own, but also make sure her mother is well protected. Amanda Hocking does a great job of making Mara likeable, as well as drawing you into the personal drama of the members of the sideshow. When someone is hurt, you actually begin to worry about the characters.

Freeks is a dark book with a few moments of intense violence, so I would not recommend it to younger readers. Older teens and adults who love the supernatural and a good mystery, not to mention sideshows, will love this book.


Freeks by Amanda Hocking is available now from St. Martin's Press.

I have always been interested in Hocking's works (though I confess I haven't had a chance to read any of her works until now) and I was so glad to have the opportunity to review Freeks. The book was right up my alley as I have always enjoyed sideshows, macabre, carnival, and the supernatural.

Freeks has all of this and more. I loved all the characters and the story itself. Freeks tells the story of a traveling carnival that is invited to a town they don't quite feel right in. Soon enough they realize they are being hunted and some of their group are being attacked. They realize that those with gifts are being targeted but since they are in desperate need of money they stay in the town. They later discover the town is more than what it seems and the troupe is left to defend for themselves and their own.

Freeks had what you want for a fantasy Young Adult novel. It has the proper dose of supernatural and romance. While I really enjoyed the book I felt the ending was a little too neatly wrapped up and had the happily ever after bow stuck on top. Oh well. I enjoyed it regardless and would recommend it. Hopefully we will see more of the Freeks :)

This book was so spooky and I loved all the characters. Cant wait to read this on again.

This was a fun, fast paced, entertaining read. With a cast of likable characters who have a wide range of supernatural abilities, set in the 80's, and are apart of a traveling sideshow, I was intrigued. Hocking hooked me with the mystery, magic, supernatural secrets, a little bit romance, plenty of danger, and an unknown evil force that keeps attacking those who are apart of the traveling sideshow with supernatural abilities, that make up this story. The setting, and the ode to the 80's were a perfect fit for this story.

I enjoyed much of this book. There's a well paced plot line, the deadly supernatural-mystery surrounding what's happening around the camp, and solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of one of Mara's friends, and who's attacking the others. In the process of trying to figure out what's going on, we find out more about the secrets and find out what each of the members of the traveling sideshow can do. I liked the members of the sideshow. They were like a band of misfits who all find acceptance, love, and friendship in each other. Even without knowing all the little things about each character, they were all likable.

I was captivated with much of the story. Hocking does a great job at building up to what's really going on around Mara's camp. We see how her friends and family work together when danger strikes, we discover many of their secrets, and hidden supernatural abilities, and see how fearless they are in trying to fight against the deadly 'thing' that keeps attacking them in the dead of night. We learn more about Mara's ties to the dreams she's having, and why she's been feeling the way she does. Just as I think I have things figured out, Hocking throws in a loop surrounding the mysterious Gabe, and his family's ties to the area.

Speaking of Gabe, I'm not much of a insta-love reader, but I did like the chemistry between Gabe and Mara. There were times I loved what was developing between them, and other times I felt like there wasn't enough. Over all their relationship fit with the story, and all that was happening.

While I enjoyed most of the story, I was disappointed with how rushed and short the final fight scene was. Everything leading up to it had been well done, and really drove the storyline. However, this scene itself lacked what it should have had. I felt like too much was invested in the story, and that everything was leading up to this crucial, and important scene for it feel the way it did. It felt like a bit of a cop out, or maybe I was just hoping for more.

Over all, I enjoyed this book. I liked all that Hocking had created. Her story telling, her characters, the setting, Mara's diverse heritage, the paranormal elements, the danger, and even the romance. With the way the story ended, I'm hoping that there will be a sequel. If not, this is a good stand alone. On a side note, I really like this book's cover. It's a perfect fit for this story.