Freeks is an enjoyable book with interesting characters. I love Amanda Hocking books and was pleased to get this one free via Netgalley for an honest review. My only complaint is I quickly figured out the plot and who the "bad guy" was as well as the secret that the lead's male friend had. However, I read a LOT of books and I think that makes it easier for me to figure out plots. I enjoyed the book though and I do recommend it. I am interested to see if the series continues and if so what comes next. I love the characters-there was plenty of variety and they were interesting.

I about lost my mind when I saw that Amanda Hocking was coming out with a new book. I mean, look at that cover! It's absolutely gorgeous and I was completely blown away. And then I found out that it was about a traveling carnival/freak show, and seriously, how can you resist? So I was especially excited we were chosen to host a tour stop.

Most of you may know that the author is a bit of a self-publishing anomaly, paving the way for the success of others. She came onto the scene with her Trylle series. And then she moved on to the Watersong series, which was one of my favorites. She has such a knack for imposing this magical realism on the reader that is absolutely endearing and terrifying at the same time.

And she didn't disappoint with Freeks either. There were a lot of things that worked for me in this standalone novel. It begins with Mara, who is traveling with her mother and fellow supernatural-performing friends. Except that Mara doesn't possess any of these otherworldly gifts and so, she's relegated to cleaning tiger poop and performing other mundane and lowly tasks. And the band of performers were described so perfectly, I could almost picture them. The picture below is probably very close to what's described, if you could just add an extra leg to one of the males pictured.*

***

Because yes, there's a bearded lady too. Without having to add any more uniqueness to the story, it's also set in the 1980's over the course of 10 days, as they pass through Caudry, LA - a gig that will probably bring them the much-required money they need to continue traveling.

As soon as the sideshow arrives in town, Mara wanders off and meets Gabe, a rich local. But things aren't as they seem and as soon as one of the members of the circus goes missing, that's when the weirdness really escalates. Because people are disappearing, getting hurt, and getting killed, all the while the relationship between Mara and Gabe intensifies and there are "secrets" that each won't tell the other.

The story is told in a very fluid style, which makes it easy to read, and is typical of the author's writing style. And I liked that this story is so different when you combine the elements of Louisiana (my hometown), the traveling circus, the supernatural elements, and the mystery. In other words, I'm very attracted to stories that don't fall neatly into one genre. But where I did think the story faltered was the relationship between Mara and Gabe. It felt a bit rushed. Even when they meet, I had no time to even care or get butterflies over the whole thing because it was instantaneous, both physically and mentally. I also thought that there could have been more character development because I wanted to know more about these people, which is both a good and bad thing.

But overall, it's an enjoyable read. And because my opinion falls right down the middle, I encourage people to pick this one up. Who knows, you may find this to be your favorite book of 2017!

* Cast of Tod Browning's Freaks, filmed in 1931, produced and released by MGM in 1932. Photo credit unknown.

This one surprised me, but in a good way. I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this.

The characters came to life, the story flowed really well, and I just love Gabe. I will say that Gabe's "big secret" was really obvious and the ending was pretty cheesy. But overall I really liked this book and I'm eager to read more by this author.

4.5 stars. Thanks NetGalley for a free copy!

I enjoyed this book in the same way that I enjoy french fries from McDonald’s. It was a lovely and easy read that held my attention all the way until the end and even more so once the action started picking up. I enjoyed the romance even if it was 100% instant-love and somewhat cheesy. Sometimes I appreciate a little junk food, even for my brain, and this was absolutely perfect to snuggle up with on a cold day. Mara is a wonderful and strong female character. I loved getting to know her though she was also frustratingly slow on ‘getting things’. I figured out quite a few of the twists that came in the story well before they happened but didn’t mind. Most of all, I loved the premise and how the story took place in a carnival setting.

Surprisingly, I liked this book enough that I’m really wanting a continuation. The ending does a fairly decent job of wrapping up all the loose ends. It left me with a complete story and not too many questions, perhaps even a little too neatly done? I loved getting to know the various characters enough, however, that I’d love to see more from this group of ‘Freeks’.

Overall, I was able to really enjoy this book. If you were a fan of Twilight, this book is perfect for you. However, it might miss the mark if you don’t appreciate that kind of writing. It’s fun and enjoyable for me, but I can see a lot of ways that others wouldn’t appreciate it simply due to preference. I still highly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of young adult fantasy or paranormal romance.

Freeks is a young adult paranormal by Amanda Hocking. I have read a few books in the past by Amanda and I have really enjoyed them so when I saw a book about a traveling circus and weird occurrences they face in one of the towns they stop in, I was super excited. While I don't think I enjoyed this book as much as I did some of Amanda's other works, I did enjoy the story in Freeks. It is a book, that even though it clocks in at 400 pages, I easily read in just a few hours. It is a very easy and quick read. While Freeks was a good read, and one that I did enjoy, it didn't make me fall head over heels in love.

Freeks follows Mara who is the daughter of a prominent psychic (yes, I know she is really a necromancer, but the circus features her as a fortune teller.) Mara has grown up in the troupe of people that make up the traveling circus and everyone around her has some kind of supernatural power. Everyone except Mara. I liked that the entirety of Freeks takes place in one town, over the course of one week. That short time frame helped lend itself to the brisk pace of the story. There is also a romance in Freeks that ties in nicely to the town and the mystery, but personally I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story more than the romance aspect. It wasn't that I didn't like the love interest, Gabe. I did. Gabe is perfectly nice and I think a good match for Mara. But the romance just didn't grab me like the mystery did. I was much more interested in finding out what was attacking the performers, and what was messing with their powers.

Bottom line: Freeks is fun, quick read. Fans of paranormal romances that like to be able to read their books in one shot will enjoy Freeks. It almost reminded me of an episode of Goosebumps or of The Midnight Society (which was better than Goosebumps in my personal opinion). The mystery was pretty cool, and was my favorite part of the storyline. Overall, Freeks is a solid read. One that I enjoyed, but I do think some of Amanda's other books were more captivating.

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 is definitely a fresh book for me to start the year. For the last several months, I’ve only been into contemporary romances and thrillers and I’m really glad I have this paranormal novel to kick off my year.

Freeks is set in the 80’s and there’s a little Stranger Things / AHS Freak Show vibe to it which really helped establish the setting. I love the overall vibe of the novel. The supernatural abilities of the characters were also interesting. The story started a little slow and it picks up towards the middle. This was where I started to get hooked.

The plot wasn’t really that unique but it was unpredictable which was cool. The characters fell a little flat and there wasn’t really a development. Still, it was pretty awesome to see a diverse cast within the group.

Mara’s character was easy to relate to, but then again the characters weren’t that complex. Mara feels a little out of place in the group since she doesn’t really have a power. Not one known to her, at the beginning. Her mom, on the other hand, is a necromancer. She can talk to the dead and use tarot cards for it. It’s been a long while since I read a book with tarot cards and it’s really awesome to see it again. I also loved the tarot card illustrations in the book.

Another thing I had issue with was the romance. Yes, it was sweet, but it really felt too rushed. There’s chemistry between Mara and Gabe and they weren’t really playing around or chasing each other by being hard to get. They’re pretty straightforward with their feelings but I think it’s just so fast paced. The events in the book happened only for a week and a couple of days. So yeah, you get the idea.

Overall, the book was very enjoyable to read amidst some issues I had. I definitely a cool book to start the year with! I’m a little sad that this is a standalone because I would have loved to look forward for more!

One of the benefits of writing book reviews is the way it encourages you to venture outside your general reading interests. Opportunities abound for reading – and enjoying – something in a genre that you’d never have otherwise considered.

YA fiction is one such genre for me. Books aimed at teen readers are such a significant part of the current literary landscape that any reviewer would be remiss in not at least dipping a toe into those waters and venturing at least a few pages beyond the “Hunger Games” and “Twilight” blockbusters.

Popular fiction tends to be popular for a reason, after all.

Amanda Hocking is already at the helm of a bestselling fantasy series (“The Kanin Chronicles”), but her latest is a standalone, a paranormal romance titled “Freeks” (St. Martin’s Griffin, $18.99).

It’s the story of a teenaged girl named Mara. Mara has spent her entire life living and working as part of a traveling sideshow. But these are no ordinary carnies; see, far from being the standard humbug and flimflam one expects from such an outfit, many of these “freaks” have actual, honest-to-goodness paranormal abilities. There’s a strongman who’s legitimately super-strong and a guy whose body heals itself almost instantly. One of the burlesque dancers can generate fire and the guy who runs the show can read minds. Even Mara’s mom is a fortuneteller who actually commune with the dead.

But Mara’s just plain Mara, so she helps where she can – setting up, taking tickets, shoveling tiger poop, whatever is needed.

But things get even stranger than normal when the sideshow lands in a small Louisiana town for an extended gig. There’s something sinister in the air that is difficult to discern, a force that appears to be affecting the abilities of the special members of the sideshow. The townspeople are either overly suspicious of their presence or suspiciously enthusiastic to have them there. Despite all that, their desperate need for money keeps them there.

And to top it all off, there’s a boy named Gabe and, despite her best efforts, Mara might be getting attached.

Even as she and Gabe grow closer, things get stranger and stranger at the sideshow. There are mysterious disappearances and harassment from the locals. There are even inexplicable attacks by unknown assailants. And through it all, Mara has to confront not only her growing feelings, but the truth of her heritage, if there’s to be any hope of making it through.

Oftentimes, there’s a note of condescension humming beneath the surface of YA fiction. It’s not overt or even necessarily intentional, but it is there and it can be heard. Not so much with “Freeks.” Don’t get me wrong, this is a fairly simple narrative. It’s not awash in deep themes or big ideas. But Hocking never comes off as talking down to her audience. Instead, she seems content to just tell a story. It’s a broad, sweet, occasionally cheesy romance with some fantastic elements stirred in for flavor.

It might not be great literature, but it’s a good story. And it never claims to be otherwise.

Sure, some of the plot movements are a bit on-the-nose. And the late-1980s setting feels a bit tacked on, with little more than the odd fashion observation or pop music reference to indicate the when. But the where and the who are strong enough to make up for that admittedly minor shortcoming.

Teen-centric romances are big business in the literary realm. “Freeks” reads better than most; while the relationship dynamics might be a bit unsophisticated, they have the ring of genuine extremity that can permeate young love. The fantasy elements are present, but not overbearing. There’s enough mystery to keep the pages turning.

YA fiction might look easy, but writing something sincere and entertaining is tougher than you think. And while “Freeks” has its flaws, it’s likely to find some resonance with its target teen readership.

Freeks is another fabulous addition to Amanda Hocking's greatest hits! It's captivating and intriguing and all that you would expect from her: characters that are unique and colorful personalities and a story bursting with action and emotion.

The year is 1987 and Gideon Davorin's Traveling Sideshow has just arrived in Caudry, Louisiana. There's a chill in the air as something dark stalks the performers. Mara, who has longed to settle down in one place and live a normal life, explores the town on the first night and meets Gabe, the epitome of teenage normalcy. Or so Mara thinks. He becomes integral to the story in a surprising manner as Mara and the other sideshow residents fight to protect each other from a mysterious dark force. The pacing of this novel is very steady, so the mystery isn't drawn out so long that you'll want to pull your hair out, but it reaches it's peak at the right moment. There's just the right balance of getting to know the characters and their backgrounds and seeing them interact throughout the course of solving whatever mystery looms before them.

I wasn't expecting the novel to be set in the late 80's but it was an easy adjustment. Amanda writes with such clarity and detail that makes any setting believable and real to your mind. She has always been excellent at world building, a fact that can be attested to by her successful Trylle Trilogy, and she continues the trend in Freeks. By the end of the novel I was searching for any indication that there would be a series to follow, but I can understand if Freeks is left as a standalone. The final outcome remains and, as usual, readers will be left craving more Hocking!

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Ok, I LOVE AMANDA HOCKING. So now that I have that out of the way I can review this properly. I loved the setting, the characters and the idea behind this book. I enjoyed it...a lot. However, I did find it as pulled together as I would have hoped. The parts that were supposed to be intense just seemed mild and that took away from the story for me. Overall it was a good read but not anything amazing like I had hoped.

Mara isnt like her mother who possesses the Necromancer ability to join along with her mother at Traveling Side Show so she works the side jobs for them. Struggling to keep the sideshow open the owner takes up an offered large sum of money to stay in Caudry for week. Mara longs for a normal life which makes it harder for her to deal with when she meets a local boy Gabe knowing it'll end soon. Gabe doesn't know Mara is apart of the traveling show and he makes her feel normal for a change. When some of the acts start disappearing or found mangled the struggling sideshows need to find out whats going on before there is no one left.

A couple years back I had met the author which is why I was drawn to this book. When the second book of the Trylle Trilogy came out and I went to NYC to get my books signed. I know I have a picture of me and her buried in my computer of that day but she seemed like a pretty cool person and I really loved her books. The second thing that drawn me to this book was the beautiful cover because it's really well done and even without reading the synopsis I would've swiped it off the shelves to purchase because of how it looked. After reading the synopsis I was sold to wanting to get my hands on this book because it sounded like something I would really love to read. I got this as a ARC on my kindle so when I head to the books store I'll be sure to buy myself a copy because this book belongs on my bookshelves. :-)

Anyways It's been awhile since I've read a paranormal book and this book reminded me why I like the genre. I loved the characters and how some points of the book managed to surprise me. I loved that there was hits of clues when it came to a certain character and I couldn't help but think to myself I know what that character is I was just waiting for it to be revealed and loved that my guess was correct. As for Mara I wished what was revealed about her wasn't done towards the end because it seemed rushed when it came to the time where everything seems to go nuts but it was still enjoyable. You don't understand how hard it is for me to be vague as possible and still want to be able to talk to others about this book because it really was a great book and I really enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a great paranormal read with a set of interesting characters then look no further because you'll want to get your hands on this book! Highly Recommend.

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher (via NetGalley) all opinions are my own.

This was such an interesting book. Kept me guessing from page one. I loved the details of the circus life and the idea that there are people out there just born with this supernatural ability. There is a bit of romance in this book, but I feel like it adds to the drama of the story. Hocking does a wonderful job keeping the characters true to themselves despite what is going on around them.

Anyway, wonderful book. Mystery with the supernatural tied right in. Great read, but just not by yourself at night.

FREEKS was good fun! I truly enjoyed reading about this traveling show. Mara is part of a traveling sideshow. Her mother is a fortuneteller but Mara is more like a roadie surrounded by people with unique looks or abilities. Traveling from town to town, Mara wishes she just could live a normal life. She knows not to get too attached to anyone in the towns they visit. Their latest stop is in Caudry, Louisiana. everyone is getting a bad vibe from the town, but they need the money. Mara’s true feelings about her fellow carnies comes out full force when some of them start disappearing. Mara finds she isn’t just a powerless extra for the show.

The fun stuff: We got a fun glimpse into life for the traveling sideshow. Right away in this story we are on the road. This story is set in the 80s. Mara is 19 years old. Although she was more new adult age, she is more young adult in her maturity. Mara is a genuinely likeable person. She is everything I would imagine a 19 year old in her situation would be. Mara is a good friend to her “family” in the sideshow.

Her love interest Gabe was also a great character. They meet and have a genuine “like” for each other right away. I imagine the newness of each other is what drew them together. They also seemed to be living the dream way the other one wished for. Mara and Gabe get along so well, I really liked them together. Things between them happened really fast. I am more a fan of slow burn type romances, but this relationship worked for me.

There is a genuine mystery happening in this town. I won’t talk too much about it because it was what really kept me turning pages. Instead, I want to tell you that the descriptive writing in this story will put you right there. I could easily imagine the whole scenes and the characters.

The bad news: There was a lack of emotion in some of the characters. There wasn’t enough outrage in a certain scene. There also wasn’t too much of the show itself. No acrobats? I wanted the author to describe them! The mystery in the story ended pretty abruptly. I seriously wish this were a series, the fact that it is not is so disappointing. There was much more that could have been explored in this world.

All in all, this was a fun read in an awesome setting. I really enjoyed this read. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy and paranormal reads.

I reviewed this book on my youtube channel!

I received an eARC of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

As my first read of 2017, Freeks by Amanda Hocking was an interesting choice. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it isn’t my typical read. To be honest, it was the cover that drew me in. Circus/carnival stories have always fascinated me so I was curious and hopeful for this one. Freeks follows a girl in a traveling sideshow but with a twist. The people actually possess the powers they claim: psychic, necromancer, fast healing, etc. I liked this addition!

Mara is a character that jumps off the pages. I could easily see her in real life. She’s inquisitive, a bit of a misfit, and makes no apologies for it. She hides behind the carnival, the sideshow of fellow freaks she travels with. She stays behind the scenes, claiming she has no powers, though in reality they just haven’t manifested yet. Mara longs for a steady life, one with a house and home phone number, but she can’t imagine leaving her makeshift family.

The story really begins when the carnival enters the town of Caudry, a small community in Louisiana they were invited to perform in. From the moment they cross the bridge into town, the paranormals in the camp feel a sense of dread. Their powers are off, and then one of their own goes missing. This adds a touch of mystery to the plot. I actually enjoyed this. I spent the majority of the book trying to guess what was happening. Let me be the first to tell you just to enjoy the read and not guess. You won’t get it right!

With any good story comes a little romance as well. This one in the form of a young man with a kindred spirit to Mara. She feels a gut instinct that she should be frightened of him, but she can’t seem to stay away from Gabe. Gabe is mysterious, kind hearted, and infatuated with her. He returns to the carnival almost daily just to see her, knowing she leaves at the end of the week. Personally I liked him, but I worried through the entire book that he might have a hand in the events that were happening.

Overall, I enjoyed Freeks! Set in the 1980s (though I believe that it could have been set in any time period), the story jumped off the pages. I felt that I was there in the carnival, seeing the mysterious sights and watching the events unfold. Mara wasn’t my favorite character though. I felt her a bit selfish and too focused on Gabe rather than her friend that was missing and the thing that was attacking them. Despite this, I still enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story. While there are elements of paranormal, they are not the main focus. If you enjoy urban fantasy though, I still recommend the book!

I've read a lot of Amanda Hocking's books, and this wasn't my favourite one. That said, this had an interesting storyline and likeable characters and was definitely a better read than I thought it would be.

I found this book to be a little unoriginal though, hence the 3 stars. It was well written and overall enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martin's press for sending me this.

By definion, a “freek” is a person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature; monster. Freeks are outcasts, the bane of society. There are some though, that find beauty in the unusual. Perfection is overrated.

Mara and the sideshow act that she travels with are considered outcasts, looked down upon because of their differences. Yet people flock to the show wherever it travels, just to ogle the “freeks” they find so abhorrent.

Mara meets Gabe, a local boy, but hides her identity from him and they eventually fall for each other. There is a pull between them that they just can’t figure out but relish having.

As the people from the sideshow start disappearing, questions arise about the travelers and the town that they have come to entertain. I enjoyed the mystery element of Freeks. While it is labeled YA Fantasy/Paranormal, it is definitely a mystery, as well.

Amanda Hocking’s storytelling was amazing, as per usual. She has a way of weaving a wonderland of characters that immerse the reader in the story.

The ending had me holding my breath as I learned the fate of the sideshow and the secrets of the characters. I wholly recommend this book to readers who are little for something a little different and who revel in the strange and unusual.

I don't think I've read any of Amanda Hocking's other books, but the cover for Freeks was beautiful and the blurb intrigued me enough that I decided to join this blog tour.

Freeks starts when Mara, her mother and the rest of the circus that they belong to arrive in the tiny town of Caudry. There, Mara experiences an instant attraction to Gabe, one of the local boys there, an attraction that he returns. But the budding romance is interrupted by the fact that someone is stalking and killing (or at least severely injuring) the circus workers with otherworldly abilities.

I believe that anyone who has read a few of my reviews will know my feelings toward instalove. This is something that Mara and Gabe have in droves, so I won't really comment on that. I'll just say that it wasn't "stop the book" annoying, but I really could have done with a more natural romance.

The mystery part of the book was fairly interesting. It was pretty obvious that whatever was hunting them wasn't human, but I had no clue what it was. I did appreciate that the solution seemed somewhat obvious in retrospect, and the plot twist wasn't unbelievable at all.

Oh, and I didn't notice this, but I saw that the author mis-used a Hindi term or something like that. But it seemed to be more of a googling error than outright malice, and I did receive an ARC, so hopefully that has been fixed before publication.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the book (even with the instaromance), and I think that if I had the time, I might pick up one of her earlier books.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review.