St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Freeks. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Something strange is going on in Caudry, but the members of the Gideon Davorin's Traveling Sideshow have no choice but to stay until their payday at the end of the week. Most of the travelers have special powers that they use in their acts, but these abilities seem to be short circuiting ever since crossing the town lines. One of the troop, Mara Beznik, has a chance encounter with siblings Selena and Gabe, feeling a spark of attraction the second she saw the young man. When dangerous things start to happen around the carnival, will Mara and the rest of the traveling sideshow be safe?

I liked the premise of this book, although there have been a few books lately with carnivals or circuses as the backdrop. The addition of horror, as well as the supernatural, does help to set Freeks apart. Mara is my favorite character, as her strength and determination make her interesting. The biggest problem that I had with this book was the extreme hostility, by the police and by Selena's boyfriend and friend. It seemed like the author was using this as a tool of misdirection, but it was really just an annoying part to read. Freeks was a quick read with many suspenseful moments, but it did not come together completely for me. Readers who like YA thrillers with a touch of the supernatural might enjoy Freeks.

Mara is the daughter of the fortune teller of Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow, a carnival full of misfits whose talents veer over into the supernatural. As such she has always longed for a normal life in a normal town where she can listen to Madonna instead of cleaning out the tiger cage.

They’re all struggling financially so when the small town of Caudry, Louisiana offers them a big pay-packet for a weeks work they jump at it. When they get there Mara meets local-boy Gabe, and loses one of her best friends. But are the two connected?

Soon after another performer is mauled by an unknown beast. The carnival realises that there is something very scary lurking in the town and they begin to suspect they have been lured there. They can’t just leave so they have to get to the bottom of things which means Mara has to take control of a power she didn’t know she was capable of—one that could change her future forever.

Regular readers will know that I’m not that into shlock horror but I can be persuaded by a good one and this one has certainly done that. First of all it’s a perfect YA book – an ordinary girl that just wants to fit in but can’t because of parents, a fit boy promising love but with a hint of danger thrown in, the extraordinary future beckoning and the potential to fall and lose it all.

Secondly the horror in it is done very well, the pacing is great – even in the more relaxed moments I was still a little tense and had to keep going to see what would happen, the horror is gruesome but not titillatingly so but most importantly the author offers several nods to the cliche’s of the genre without actually jumping into them. This was brilliant, it showed how much she respects her readers.

The final thing which pushed me to fall for this book was the fact it was set in the 80’s and the music and culture of that decade are woven throughout. Brilliant not only because the 80’s really was the era of shlock horror but also because I’m an 80’s girl! So i definitely recommend this for Young Adults in their 40’s 😉

Overall it’s a fun, pacy read with likeable characters. Definitely potential for a sequel or series to come out of it too.

4 Bites

NB I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. The BookEaters always write honest reviews.

Really enjoyed this book. Have really enjoyed all of Amanda's books.

This one took me by surprise. Wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns that the book took but certainly added to the story! Likeable characters, well thought out plot and rich descriptive location.

Grab this book, a blanket and hunker down for a good read!

Freeks brings us into the world of the traveling carnival sideshow. This is what first caught my interest about the book. I have a soft spot for books about circuses and carnivals, and the gorgeous cover also helped.

The carnival is run by Gideon, and it has fallen on hard times. In a last resort attempt to save his show, Gideon takes his traveling convoy to the town of Caudry, Louisiana. However something “feels” odd about this town. Soon many of them start to disappear, or reappear...but not quite as they were.

Mara, our main character/heroine has always been with the sideshow, yet she has no special ability, “powers” or abnormality. Her mother, however, is a psychic, and Mara travels with them doing odd jobs and errands. Mara doesn't mind seem to mind the life she's been living, traveling from town to town, but it's clear that she does long to set up roots of her own.

I feel a little sad for Mara, because it doesn't seem like she has many friends. It also seems as if she wishes she could be part of a regular family. Yet she does not complain or whine about this, which I give her lots of credit for not doing.

The romance with Mara and Gabe is what really drove me nuts. I felt it was rushed, and too “INSTALOVE” for my taste. She barely meets him, and she is already deep throat tongue kissing him all the time? I just don't buy it, but maybe she is just that horny and lonely. Still, I don't see how this could be a good way to showcase the heroine of the novel to young readers.

I wanted her to have a little more common sense, and self-worth. The romance could have been great if it had not seemed so forced. It needed time to develop to be more believable. I like their personalities with each other but it was all too fast for me to put my seal of approval on it. Also, Gabe's secret was pretty obvious to me from the very beginning.

Freeks has quite a few supporting characters, and I feel the author did a fantastic job keeping them all individual, and not feeling overwhelming to the reader. I enjoyed the parts of the book that gave details about carnival life and the intrigues of the sideshow acts. If there had been more of the carnival bits in the book and more details about each of the sideshow characters I would have been very happy. When it came to the ending, it felt rushed to me and I wish there had been more time taken to bring the story to a close.

Overall Freeks was a quick and fun read. There were things I really liked, and some things I really did not, but it all balanced out. I would recommend this book to YA readers who enjoy mysteries, and books with paranormal activity.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin Press for providing me with an e-ARC copy of Freeks in return exchange for an honest review.

When I first heard about this book I thought it was one of the coolest concepts ever. It's a more recent historical fiction; it has a "freak show" carnival; and it has paranormal characters--what more could I want for a unique YA read? While it definitely delivered what it promised, I just didn't connect with the characters and felt the plot was overall a little lackluster for my taste.

I did really enjoy the setting of this book and felt it was done very well. Laced throughout the book are references to the late 80s which brought an authentic feel to the setting without it being overwhelming or campy. The carnival and sideshow get to be explored through the main character in a way that really lets the reader envision the attractions without being information dumpy. It was fun to be able to see what goes on behind the scenes and to get to see performers off-stage.

There were certainly a lot of characters though! It was difficult to keep everyone straight when first reading, especially as the characters were often connected with other characters in the sideshow in dating relationships. I did like the main character of Mara and found her to be unique compared to a lot of other YA protagonists. She thinks differently and acts differently and it was nice to have an author connect a character's personality so thoroughly to how she was brought up. I also really enjoyed Mara's mother and Gideon, the owner of the sideshow.

There were some things that just felt off to me about the book however. I felt a lot of the plot line didn't really go together nor did some characters reactions really make sense. Parts of the plot were left hanging only to be quickly tied up in the end, almost like an afterthought. Some dramatic, should-have-been-turning-points events were barely dwelled upon while we were given yet another detailed description about Mara and Gabe kissing for the fiftieth time. Some of my other issues I could chalk up to having received an ARC but these are things that are problems with the plot and not due to uncorrected errors.

Overall, I certainly don't regret reading the book and would be open to reading something else from the author; but this book just needed some more time ironing out the plot line.

*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Freeks by Amanda Hocking was good but it could have been better. Mara’s family is part of a traveling sideshow. Her mother is the fortune teller in the show. Mara has grown up her whole life being a part of this traveling sideshow, plus she is all too familiar with the name freek. Each person in the sideshow has a special power that makes them different. Mara’s mother has made Mara suppress her powers.

When the sideshow stops in a little town called Caudry, everyone starts having odd vibes and feelings about the town. When Mara takes a walk around the town; she runs into a few of the local teenagers. This is when she meets Gabe. Mara is nervous about telling Gabe she is one of the freeks from the traveling sideshow. While Mara gallivants around town with Gabe, back at the sideshow weird things seem to be happening. Mara is determined to figure out what is going on.

Hocking is such a wonderful writer that I had a lot of high hopes for Freeks. I am guessing that I shouldn’t have because it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. The characters weren’t that great. I was a bit disappointed in them. Mara and Gabe’s relationship is terrible. I am guessing this was supposed to be love at first sight but it wasn’t convincing. Plus why do we need more insta-love? Mara is a wishy washy character and I just couldn’t relate to her at all. The characters could have used a lot more work.

Ultimately, Freeks was a good book but not great. Not the best way to kick off the new ear. I still like Hocking’s work, so don’t let Freeks turn you off from her other books.

First of all, what a beautiful cover!!!

Mara has been a part of the circus for ages with her mom who's dating the owner. The whole circus becomes her family and she's learned to accept them for their differences. But she's never stayed long enough in one place to forge bonds and make a life for herself. In desperate need of money, the circus books a whole week in a town. But when members of the circus start to vanish and others get attacked everyone wants to get out of the town. The problem is they only get paid on their last day and they don't have enough money to even get out of the town. But they all feel that something is incredibly wrong with the place. While Mara starts to fall for Gabe, more and more attacks happen and it's not long before she figures out that Gabe is hiding secrets of his own...




This book was weird. And i guess that was the point because it was pretty awesome!




Mara was pretty likable but she was quite bitter about being on the move all the time. Some part of her felt sad that she never stayed in a place long enough to make her own bonds even though the circus was like her family. I wouldn't say that she was ashamed of being a part of the circus knowingly because she loved her friends but it was more like she was afraid of being judged as only being part of a circus filled with people that didn't do normal things. As for Mara she doesn't have an active gift so she kind of helps out by selling tickets and setting the circus up.

I'm not sure how i feel about the romance. I wasn't really impressed by it and i didn't hate it either. Things move pretty fast between Mara and Gabe since they're already making out after their first meeting but it's not exactly insta-love. But it was kinda sweet with Mara feeling insecure about opening up her heart and letting Gabe see that she was part of a freak circus. She was afraid of being judged so it was refreshing for Gabe not to follow the trend.

Pacing wise it was really enjoyable. The mystery drags on throughout the book but i feel like the last 10% was rushed...the explanations came in a hurry and i would have liked it better if there was more of a buildup throughout the book to finally realise in the end what was happening to the circus. It felt a little rushed and thrown together especially the part about Gabe, it just came out of nowhere. That being said i wasn't expecting the ending at all so it did come as a shock!

But i LOVED the circus world building and each of the characters! It was a really interesting read!
And it's a standalone!!

It's going to be another pro and con review guys sorry.

Pros. The concept. I love that Amanda explored the idea of a traveling circus and I loved the whole idea of this book. I found the world easy to understand and the characters enjoyable enough.

Cons. It has instalove, which I hate. Why do we need this? I really think the romance in this book actually took away from the story.

Setting. This book is set in the 80's, now that alone doesn't bother me (I remember the 80's) but the author constantly reminds you of this fact. It's not so much hints as being beaten over the head with it, so it gets old really fast.

I love Amanda Hocking and her books. And when I read the blurb to this book, I was immediately hooked. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I was expecting.

The overall story of this book was great. That's what kept me glued to the pages. I love the idea of the sideshow and all the characters involved. They were very interesting and I wish we could have gotten to know more about them. But I get that this book revolved around Mara and her family in the carnival.

While I enjoyed the characters and their abilities, I had a hard time connecting to any of them. And it's not that because this is a YA book, but I just don't think any of them were as well developed as her other books. And the whole insta-love thing between Gabe and Mara just seemed to far fetched for me. I understand they have unique gifts and that's the underlying part of how they connect so quickly, but without feeling any connection to them, everything just felt off and hard to believe.

Overall, the book is a good read. There wasn't a point that I wanted to walk away. As I said, the overall story kept me glued and had me wanting to know what was going on. Just don't expect to get too attached to any characters or anything along those lines.

If you're intrigued by the supernatural or paranormal read this book. Werewolves, necromancers, and more are in this book. Mara felt it the moment the carnival drove into the town of Caudry, something dark and evil was in this town. Find out more in the pages of this book.

Entertaining, although not as dark as I’d expected. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book.

Freeks is an entertaining YA story with a diverse cast of likeable characters. In fact, they were all so likeable, I wondered whether the few “baddies” could have done with being a bit darker to balance things up and add to the drama.

I enjoyed the 1980s setting: not only were the period details delightful, but it also made many aspects of the plot more believable (no smart phones to pass round info instantly, for example).

If you’re coming to this book looking for be frightened, I think you’ll be disappointed. I don’t know why, but I was expecting Freeks to be scarier. There are a few creepy and tense moments, but genuine scares are absent. However, while I don’t think this book would scare a younger reader, it’s still solidly YA because of the romance elements and there is one (commendably safe) sex scene.

I also found the pacing to be a little off. The beginning was good, with lots happening quickly, and the middle sustained this pace, but then the resolution felt rushed. So much was packed into the last few chapters they passed in something of a blur, dampening any menace or tension.

I’d recommend this to fans of Twilight, with the added bonus that the romance in Freeks is entirely appropriate and Mara is in no way as drippy as Bella. Also, there’s no love triangle here: another plus. Gabe and Mara’s relationship might be too “insta-love”ish (that’s a word now) for some, but if you’re prepared to suspend your disbelief for humans with various supernatural powers being stalked by a shadowy monster, I think you can also give two teenagers with raging hormones a break.

Overall: Freeks has a promising set-up, great setting and likeable characters, but is lacking in the genuine menace I’d have liked to balance the romantic elements of the plot.

This is a book that grabs the reader from the first chapter and hooks you so quickly, that you don't realize you've read 4 chapters, until suddenly you realize the book might just end- oh no!!! think of this book as the 'smart' book about monsters- those we know and don't, inside and out. Mara is observant, smart and fearless. She trends where others might not, and that just might have exposed her to an evil that lurks in the small Louisiana town, that now knows how special she is. Is she safe? Her family? The carneys? This is a book that will leave teens, and adults alike, enrapted and eagerly awaiting to see if there will be a followup (PLEASE say "YES!" Amanda!). This is a book you'll be sharing,so run and get it together!

This was a nice little buffer from all the YA/Fantasy books I've read in the last year. I'm a sucker for anything paranormal so the title and cover alone had me wanting to get my hands on this.

The reason I knocked some stars off was mainly for predicability, insta love, and the pacing. This book is very much YA so the plot was pretty easy to figure out and the ending seemed very rushed. I smelled that ending coming from a mile away.

Otherwise I loved just about everything else. Mara was an awesome MC. The setting was dope, who doesn't love the 80's? The supporting characters were all unique and added a lot more depth to the story. And I absolutely LOVED that this book reminded me of Goosebumps. I lived for those books as a kid.

All in all, I would definitely recommended this to YA/paranormal lovers and will definitely be looking into picking up other books from this author too.

Mara is used to the extraordinary since she's spent her youth as part of Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival where supernatural gifts like super strength, levity and telekinesis are common. She long for the facets of an ordinary life--a place to call home and maybe even a steady boyfriend.

Times have been tough but things are looking up as the group heads to the small town of Caudry for a well paying gig. She meets a gorgeous guy, Gabe, and they enjoy spending time together until horrible things start happening around the Carnival.

A friend goes missing...

More are viciously attacked...

Even the tigers are unsettled and terrified. Mara and the others realize a dark presence lurks and is targeting their group.

She eventually learns that she is on a deadline to learn a power she didn't even know she had in order to change the future and help her family and new love.

I'm a general fan of Hocking's work and have always been please to see her develop as a writer from her first self published works (My Blood Approves, Hollowland) to the publications of the Trylle, Watersong, Kanin series. What I liked what the play on the theme, setting and time period. The cover art is fantastic and eye-catching. Standalones are hard to find nowadays so that in itself will appeal to the right teen reader.

Another highlight is that there are times when the book is downright creeeeepy! There is always that fear of the unknown monster coming to attack in the night. I'll admit to having a few squirmy moments.

I still enjoyed this standalone but the narrative felt too rushed. Mara is an interesting character as is her progression toward discovering she has some powers of her own. However, the big reveal to hunt down the monster was introduced and resolved too quickly.

And wait [SPOILER]...there's werewolves too?!? This really could have had more development for a continuation of the story or potential for a sequel or two.

Another problem I had with the characters and plot was the seeming nonchalance Mara and her group pay toward Blossom's disappearance. For most of the story they forget about her and then BAM!...oh, wait story thread resolved. If I was Mara's friend, I'd be wary that something horrible would happen and no one would care to remember or seek help.



Final rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I LOVE magical-realism and circus books - so it's no wonder that I was eager to pick up Amanda Hocking's Freeks before its release to see if it combined the two as anticipated.

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 bodies 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.

I mean, come on, doesn't that just SOUND amazing? I'm a huge fan of books like Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and Stephanie Garber's upcoming Caraval, and Freeks is billed immediately as being a very similar kind of story, but with a more thrilling mystery twist. I was more than a little eager to dive in.

I'm happy to report that on many levels, Freeks comes through - the traveling circus *I mean* sideshow aspects were awesome... I loved learning about Mara and her companions, and all of their special abilities. It was interesting to see the direction Hocking takes the sideshow - instead of being revered for their "magical" abilities (as the performers in The Night Circus are), Mara's companions are ridiculed and considered "freeks" for what they can do. I've never really understood why anyone would want to go to a sideshow just to ridicule people who are different, so I was intrigued to get more of that point of view here.

This book also has a very dark atmosphere. While I'm usually a fan of lighter reads, I have to say that the atmosphere really adds to Freeks - it keeps you guessing the entire time about what really is going on in this crazy little town. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and how little I had figured out by the time the truth was revealed at the end.

Honestly, the biggest downside for me was the insta-love romance between Mara and Gabe. I'm not even a huge insta-love hater (there are some cases where I will accept it in a story), but in this case I was not buying it AT ALL. I found myself wanting to skim through all of their many, many, MANY kissing scenes to get to the meat of the story. For some I don't think this will be a problem, but the romance here really detracted from all of the much-cooler elements at play in this book.

If you are looking for something a little edgy and a little "out there" for your next read, Freeks is a great choice!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Freeks was my very first Amanda Hocking book. I’m new to the fantasy genre, so I haven’t read very many books outside of my little contemporary bubble the last few years. Recently, however, I’ve really come out of my shell and have been reading many books that I normally never would have even considered… and I’m really enjoying them!

Mara’s life has always been one with the circus. For as long as she can remember, she’s been traveling with her mother and close family friends, all performers in Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sidehow. From town to town, they drive in their Winnebago, staying for short week-long periods of time at each place. Mara has always longed for a “normal” life, but she’s never been so lucky. When money is tight, it means her and her mother must pick up and move on to another job. This time they end up in a small, slightly-strange town of Caudry, Louisiana. After Mara stumbles into a teenage house party her first night there and meets the rich and handsome Gabe, Mara starts thinking that maybe this trip won’t be so bad. That is until she starts having feelings for him and realizes that eventually, in a matter of just a few days, she will be picking up and relocating once again. She never stays in one location long enough to form any real relationship or even a friendship. Her entire life is based about the performers and helpers that travel along with the sideshow. But when very strange things start happening in Caudry that end up turning extremely scary and hurtful, the group must decide if they can stick with it long enough to be paid for their work in Caudry, or if they must up and leave asap to escape danger.

This read was a lot of fun to me!! I really enjoyed getting to know these performers and their unique talents throughout the story. I also liked Mara and felt bad for her, never getting to live a “normal” life, like she so desired. Gabe was a fun character as well, and I loved the interactions he and Mara had. At times they felt a bit insta-lovey, but never overly so.

Freeks was a unique and entertaining read. Nothing really stood out as being exceptional, but it kept my attention nonetheless. I felt at times it did run a bit slow, and the anticipation for answers lasted until the very end, which wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking. I suppose I would have liked answers a bit earlier-on in the story, rather than waiting until the last few chapters to explain everything in a short span of words. Overall, a great escape from the daily grind. I’m glad I took the time to read this story and dive into the world of these circus performers, even for just a short while.

This book is a gross example of ableism. It's a voyeuristic approach to disabled people, who do not need your magical powers or cures to make us more accommodating for your world. I would be embarrassed to give is to any teen. This is not what we--as parents, guardians, educators, and librarians--should be promoting. Shame on you.

I will be purchasing this for my library for my many Amanda Hocking fans. Overall a good story and the author's ability to describe and setting and set up a scene is really well done. At some points, I felt it was too much and slowed the plot. Especially the reference to the eighties music. It became more of a plot device to remind us we were in the eighties than a part of the story. There seemed a lack of concern and wondering where one of the troupe goes missing at the beginning of the story, especially after more and more attacks happen and as result, I kept pulling myself out of the story wondering why the MC, in particular, wasn't more concerned with her friend's whereabouts. Having said all this, by the end of the story I was invested in the characters, surprised by the twists, intrigued by the revealed backstory and thinking a sequel would be a good thing! If libraries already have the authors other books I would say get this one, too. If not, I would recommend starting with purchasing an earlier series such as The Kanin Chronicles. Also, it should be noted there is some because of some s
exual content.

The whole circus/sideshow aspect was really fun. The romance was your typical YA romance, and I didn't expect much more than that going in. It was creepy, fun, and interesting. I always enjoy Hocking's stories. You just have to go into them knowing that the writing style is typical to YA. But the storylines are always usually pretty unique, as was this one. I really like the idea of this being a standalone, but I definitely wouldn't mind to travel more with the circus and these characters if it becomes a series.

This is a fun and quick read. I loved that this was set in the 80's, and who doesn't love a circus story?? The story was fast-paced and exciting and I really enjoyed Mara's story. I do understand that this was a YA story, but at times I felt the writing felt a little juvenile, maybe more suited to a MG book. However, the content was decided not MG and was definitely more geared to 16+.