Freeks (yes it is spelled wrong on purpose, it explains in the story) by Amanda Hocking is a fun read about a young women who travels with a carnival. This particular carnival is loaded with people who have special abilities, such as the acrobats who can levitate and a necromancer fortune teller. Mara is one of only a handful of non-supernatural people and her mother is the necromancer. They set up shop in a small town Caudry, Louisiana and that’s where it gets interesting. Strange things begin to happen, the carnival people are disappearing and getting hurt by an unknown entity. In addition to this worrisome development, there is a boy, because of course there is. He is from a local family and Mara really likes him but doesn’t want to tell him she travels with the carnival. So she is trying to hid one part of her life half the time and then defend them the other half. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did.

I enjoyed the plot of Freeks and liked that it was a different type of supernatural read. It was set in 1987 so I loved the shout outs to 80’s music and culture strewn throughout. Amanda Hocking is not an author I have read a lot from. I have read her Trylle series and while I read the whole series, nothing really stood out to me. She has grown tremendously as a writer and it clearly shows. She was able to mix many disparate elements and have them all work well and play off of each other. The pacing was very fast as the book encompasses just 10 days. The world built was very real as were the emotions. I liked the majority of the characters but would have liked a little bit more bulk to the supporting cast. I didn’t feel as if I knew them as well as I had wished.

When all was said and read, I really enjoyed Freeks and finished it in just under two hours so it is a quick read. While a few bits could have used more fleshing out and the instalove was super present, the detailed supernatural elements and the unique setting made me not mind those small issues. Now I need to go read some more of Hocking‘s books, as I feel I have been missing out.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/01/03/freeks-by-amanda-hocking/
Freeks is quite a crazy little number that I enjoyed reading. Set in a travelling sideshow run by Gideon Davorin the crew are a strange bunch that bring together the archetypal images of the bearded lady and the strong man but add a fantasy element with necromancy, pyrokinesis and other strange and wonderful phenomenon. Put basically, the world that exists here is a strange confection of paranormal and darkly creepy mixed up with regular human.

The thing is for me personally, travelling sideshows hold something magical, romantic maybe, and mysterious. They also conjure up images of things that are maybe a little bit scary and it all adds to the allure somehow.

So this particular sideshow moves to Caudry, Louisiana. They're in trouble. They have no money and they need a gig and Caudry is the only offer on the table. An offer that looks almost suspiciously tempting except that maybe Caudry need something to help generate interest as much as Gideon's show need money. Perhaps the deal is mutually beneficial to both sides - until, that is, something seems to start stalking people from the sideshow and killing them in very grisly circumstances.

Okay, Freeks has this lovely urban fantasy feel - without the urban. The Sideshow are camped out in a field, they set out their stalls everyday and the setting is written in a great way that really puts you in the middle of the situation and makes it easy to imagine.

In terms of characters, the main one obviously is Mara. I liked Mara, I liked that she gave a bit of insight into her particular life. The constant moving, the lack of attachment to other characters, the longing for more personal space. These things came across really well. I didn't particularly feel that Mara always acted in the most sensible or safest way and I also felt just a tad more disappointed that she didn't have a little more about her She seemed to be carried along on the crest of a wave somehow, a participant rather than a player.

Gabe is the love interest. He's one of those characters that seem casually privileged. He's always well dressed and has this indifferent sex appeal that he's unaware of. He also hides secrets and maybe needs to be kept at arms length.

I felt that the instantaneous love between the two was a tad much. I mean, we are literally talking a few days here and the two of them don't exhibit such a lot of chemistry. Maybe they would have over a longer time frame but this just felt a bit rushed, I thought they both got on okay but I wasn't quite feeling the love.

In terms of the rest of the characters, I wish that we could have spent more time with them as it felt a little like all the others were just 'fodder' for whatever was stalking them. Rose's mother, Gideon and Roxie had parts that were slightly more integral but still not given enough page time.

The setting. I enjoyed the show-ground. A lot of attention was paid to the mobile homes and we frequently spent time looking at the work that needed to be undertaken around the place. What was lacking a little was a sense of impending doom. Everyone knew that something bad was going to happen, in fact one of the members of the show had already gone missing and yet nobody took it as seriously as I would have expected. They were nestled up to a swamp with tales of terror abounding and a member of their crew gone astray and yet there was a notable lack of fear.

The plot was interesting, not totally gripping, but intriguing nonetheless. Why was the the sideshow staying and in fact what was keeping them there. It was an interesting premise. Personally, I think it could have been kept a bit more simple. It could have revolved more around the supernatural and horrific elements and maybe relied upon more of a gothic feel, in a way it feels slightly like a missed opportunity, like a good way to bring yet another 'love' story to the YA arena.

In spite of that I enjoyed the story. The pacing was reasonable, the characters likeable, the story entertaining and the setting intriguing. Put bluntly, it was a fun read with elements of horror. It didn't quite live up to the horror or gothic expectations that I had but even so was still a good read.

I received a copy via the publisher courtesy of Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I would first like to thank St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to join this blog tour! This is the very first blog tour which I am participating it, and I am very grateful to have been allowed to join the tour for this particular book!

I found Freeks to be very enjoyable for a number of reasons. The first (and most important to me) is Mara’s independent and overall strong nature. This book was narrated in first person style (a style which I am not usually fond of due to some of the whiny character-narrators which I have encountered in books using this style). Mara, however, is none of those things. She is very self-sufficient, knows how to make decisions for herself, and is confident in herself most of the time. Mara also, while falling for someone, does not spend paragraphs or pages talked about how love-sick and attached she is. Nor does she constantly analyse her love interest’s every action and every word.

There is also a dark side to Mara’s strength as a character too, I have found, in that she reacts unrealistically to certain situations (particularly the dangerous ones). While she will run in fear in certain instances, she will not blink an eye at some very gruesome scenes, or step directly into danger’s path. Maybe the issue I have found with this aspect of her character is a lack of thorough descriptions, or Mara’s mental processes. But in either case, this is a very minor flaw.

Returning to the subject of Mara’s love interest, I found the romantic scenes to be fairly accurate for characters their age, and also to be a bit more descriptive than what I am used to encountering in YA (save for one scene). This scene, which I will not identify for the sake of avoiding spoilers, left me somewhat unsatisfied and blinking in confusion.

What did not leave me confused, however, was the array of characters in this book. Not once did I mix one character up with another, or had to flip back through the book to figure out who a particular character is. They were all described in sufficient detail (although I will never say “no” to more detail), and they were also very distinct. I could picture them all clearly, and when they interacted, I never had to wonder who said what, or who was standing where, or doing what.

Another aspect of this book which I really enjoyed was the pervasive use Tarot, not only by Mara and her mother, a fortune teller, but the names of Tarot cards were also used for some of the chapter titles, while images of Tarot cards were also used to separate the book into the 10 days during which the plot takes place. It was all very well done, adding some nice aesthetics to the book’s layout for those looking at the surface, and a little more depth to the story for those who know and are willing to look deeper/closer.

The setting could have used some more description (though this may be because I am in love with the Louisiana landscape, and can never get enough of hearing about it), but was sufficiently well-depicted for me to understand the physical attributes of the location. As for the time-frame, I particularly liked that this book was set in 1987, a time period which I had not encountered in YA until this book. Being a fan of that period, I really enjoyed the references to the fashion and music of the time, and would not have said “no” to there being more of both.

Overall, this book was very entertaining, and the overall plot was very gripping. I finished reading this book in just a little over 24 hours, despite being very busy (although there was a road trip in there somewhere, which allowed for a few hours of reading). I would recommend this book to those who enjoy super powers, a hint of horror, some romance, and a dash of the bizarre.

**4.5 Stars**

Freeks by Amanda Hocking is a standalone YA novel filled with suspense, danger, and the allure of the supernatural. Against the backdrop of a mysterious small-town and a traveling carnival, Ms. Hocking invites readers to a strange and intriguing world where everyone is more than meets the eye.

The story follows Mara Beznik and her friends and family of Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival. Without any known supernatural powers like her mother or the other performers in Gideon's sideshow, Mara has spent her life traveling from town to town amongst the extraordinary. Longing for normalcy, Mara is excited for a taste when she meets a local, Gabe Alvarado. However, what seems like a regular stop in a new town for the carnival soon turns into anything but, especially when something not at all normal starts attacking the sideshow performers in the middle of the night. Caudry is hiding something dark and sinister, and Mara only has a week to figure out what and how to stop it.

As I was reading Freeks, in my mind, I kept envisioning a mix of the tv shows Carnivale and Grimm, especially the latter once Mara finds out more about the power she didn't know she had and her family's legacy. I really enjoyed the paranormal mystery surrounding Caudry and the carnival, as well as, the building of suspense as the characters faced their unknown threat.

Ms. Hocking does a wonderful job in her world-building and giving life to her characters. I liked Mara as a heroine. She was strong and relatable. I also loved the romance between her and Gabe. Furthermore, with an ensemble of more than ten characters, Ms. Hocking does a great job of giving each their own personality and providing backstories for some without the story losing its pacing or feeling overloaded with information. My only qualm about the story was how fast the ending occurred.

Overall, Freeks by Amanda Hocking is a great YA paranormal novel that had me riveted from beginning to end. I happily recommend and look forward to reading more by Ms. Hocking.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.)

In a place where mysterious powers and oddities claim the norm, the dark shadows and creepy moments unfold into an intriguing adventure which captivates until the last page.

The traveling side-show is Mara's whole life, and although she sometimes dreams of a little more 'normality', her heart and soul belong to the freaks around her. When money forces the show to a small town, a strange, dark aura hangs over their heads. Strange beast attacks and missing performers are only the beginning of the sinister darkness the side-show must face.

The cover and blurb draw attention and mark the atmosphere of the story. There's mystery, oddities, a lovely sprinkle of the unknown and a lingering darkness which hangs as a continual, light fog. Then, in complete contrast, there's the real world, and that adds a nice twist of familiarity and light. Mara is a teenage girl, and pretty normal in almost every way. She's hard working, caring, and protective while still being a little cautious and mistrusting. She loves her odd family, but still would like to fit in sometimes with regular teenagers-something which is hard for her to do.

A steady pace holds from the beginning of the book to the end, marked not only with tense moments, mystery and danger, but also with a large variety of characters, which add extra spice at the right moments. Each personality has its own quirks, keeping the plot on its toes.

There's a romance, which is a bit sudden and takes flight quick. The background surrounding this also adds a few layers, which are not only unexpected but almost weigh down with too many variables. The last chapters are chucked full of different angles, which follow logical order but stuff the plot box pretty full.

The end wraps up everything nicely, leaving no loose strands, although it was a bit sudden as if something still should have come.

Summed up, this is an enjoyable read with tons of delicious paranormal aspects and eerie dark shadows.

This book was partly an interpretation of the social stigma against people that are different. Society is cruel to those we don't understand, and while Ms. Hocking chooses to portray those differences in terms of supernatural powers like telekinesis, pyrokinesis, etc., it could be easily applied to how foreigners, the handicapped, and other "different" groups are treated in our homogeneous societies. So while the story itself, of Mara discovering the truth behind the attacks and the weird atmosphere of Caudry, was 3 stars, the overall message of the need for acceptance deserved an additional star. This message is especially important in the world we live in right now, with hate and ignorance overpowering common sense, and while I don't believe that this book fully addresses this issue, the theme is one of understanding our differences, and I appreciate the positive message it shares.

The main conflict in this book was between the Freeks from the travelling circus and the strange "forces" that are attacking them. Throughout the book, Mara and the other Freeks from the circus are trying to figure out what/who was attacking them, and why exactly their powers were so weak in Caudry. The mystery and tension starts building from page one, with Mara's mom's headache, until when the demon is finally discovered. A lot of the mystery rests with Gabe's family, whose mother was the my main suspect since Mara's first encounter with her.

Gabe was a conundrum, and sadly there wasn't too much character development with him until the very end. Mara, however, we get to know very well, and while she, unlike many MC, didn't seem like she was actively trying to solve the mystery, she is eventually the one that puts the pieces together, with the help of her mother and Gideon. I feel that the suspense was dragged out a bit too much and because of this, during the actual climax, I didn't really feel that excited nor relieved at finally figuring out who was behind everything, as my suspicions were proven to be true.

One thing I wished was explained in more detail, however, was the deal between the werewolves and the Kirpka, but the fact that such a deal existed made sense in the context of the story and all the loose ends were tied up quite neatly at the end.

SPOILER. The deaths of both Blossom and Selena were both shocking and sad, and I couldn't help but hate Della Jane; her character was too straightforward and we didn't really get to see her as a person but rather just the villain.

There were a lot of really cool quirks, such as how they travel in trailer homes- I've never heard of Winnebago until I read this book- and the tarot card reading, which is always super creepy yet interesting. Also, the story itself is really unique and I haven't read a single book with a premise quite like this one- a traveling circus/refuge for supernaturals? It's pretty interesting, and filled with cool characters, such as Roxie, with pyrokinetic powers, and Luka, with super healing.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy a good mystery and are interested in the paranormal.

Never judge a book by its cover and that's how I felt about this book.
Ut starts off good- the prologue was something catchy and spooky. But as it moved on it became just a bunch of description to me. I was so looking forward to it. Though the concept was good and new I didn't felt the book like i had expected.
The descriptions were amazing but didn't had a grip.
The disclosure of Gabe's secret was as simple as it can be. Mara didn't even started by it even she predicted it. And the thing with Blossom, she was just a guest appearance though I think she would've been given more importance.

I won't say I didn't like this book. Sure, it was something beyond my scope but still had it's charm. 😊

Well, honestly, I only finished it because I was reading an ARC and needed to review it. The 3 is because there were some interesting bits of mythology and other lore and even some fun with the carny atmosphere. However, this was just not a well-written book. It was silly when it should have been serious and tried to be moving with romance and sex far too soon. I didn't believe the feelings that developed immediately between the lead characters nor did I believe that others could not immediately see "what" Gabe was, as I figured it out in the second chapter.

Even the final line was trite and embarrassingly goopy. I did not like this book.

Addictive and entertaining, this story set around the eighties, presents the lives of the people in a traveling Show that are invited to perform in a new town. They desperately need the revenue that will generate from this job, but there is a catch, they need to perform for ten days or they will not get paid.
What starts as a solution to their current financial problem, becomes a potentially dangerous situation when members with supernatural abilities start to disappear and get injured by an unknown entity.
There is a pinch of romance, and a dash of suspense as we try to determine what the killer is.

*I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and this has in no way affected my review.*

Review:

I was approached to participate in this blog tour because I got an ARC of another of Amanda’s books through NetGalley a while back. I was kinda freaking out because a major publisher had emailed me and asked me to participate in a blog tour so I signed up for this tour for that and also because I thought why not broaden my horizons of the books I read?



The beginning of this one was really rough because it starts with a sort of road trip montage. Mara is part of a traveling circus of gifted performers along with her mother and her mom’s boyfriend. The book starts out with an ominous prologue with a monster chasing someone, setting up the overall problem in the book. This overall problem though isn’t even dealt with ‘til after the 10% mark and a bunch of travelling circus day-to-day actions. Up to the 10% mark, it’s road trip and party with strangers time. The party was where I actually started to get into the book and not glance and skip around the book.



However, once you get to about the 10% mark, it’s back to circus stuff and that really didn’t interest me and I just couldn’t connect or get a real good sense of the characters in these parts.

That’s what I think problem #1 was for me. Problem #2 was the genre. Supernatural type books are a hit-or-miss genre for me. Sometimes they are super amazing and I love them (Clockwork Angel series, etc.) or they are like this one and just don’t reel me in. After 10%, there’s a lot of talk about those who work in the circus, what they do, and their lives. I just never really got into any of the characters so these parts were extremely rough for me. Problem #3 was the pacing. For me it just felt really slow and the scenes with actions just didn’t seem all that great.



But don’t let that deter you. This is a different book that feels like Scream Queens season 2 meets a traveling circus, I know some people love supernatural books and I think if you are really into that genre, this might be for you.


Happy Reading!

First Impressions

As I mentioned above, I will read anything Amanda Hocking writes. So I was overjoyed when I got to read a review copy of Freeks for the tour. I was a little worried I wouldn't like it, as carnival books aren't my thing, as well as the fact that it takes place in 1987. I'm not a huge fan of historical books, but the time setting didn't really add or subtract from the story. I devoured the book in one day and wasn't ready for it to be over when I finished.

Characters

I really liked Mara. She was an interesting head to be in. Mara knew all about the world of the occult, so the book wasn't some new awakening for her. I always enjoy books where the characters already know about the mystery/world of the supernatural. Mara was 18, so a little on the older side for YA, which showed at times. You could definitely tell that she wasn't a teen anymore, but she does still live with her mother in the circus, so it's not as big a deal that she's older.

I loved her romance with Gabe! I will read romance anywhere, anytime. That's often what makes or breaks a story for me. Gabe was mysterious and charming, and Mara and I both loved him for it. I liked how Mara both let herself like him, but also listened to her instincts that there was something dangerous about him.

I loved all the characters that were part of the sideshow. By introducing them to the reader one at a time, over the course of the first third of the book, it was easier to keep all the characters straight. There were the more typical oddities, the bearded lady and three-legged man, as well as some of the more special ones, with everything from healing to pyro-kenesis.

World-Building

This was quite a world that Hocking constructed. While there were no overt signs that it took place in 1987, there was always something. Characters would mention tapes and cassette players. And there was a distinct lack of cell phones. At the same time, Hocking developed the small town of Caudry, Louisiana. The town had a very distinct feel, with it's swamps, backroads, and the occasional mansion. I loved the little details Hocking added in as well, which you will see when you read the book!

I really wanted to rate this higher, I've read work by Amanda Hocking before and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love carnival's, the mystery behind them and their performers and I was totally prepared to be entranced by this mystical world. There is an intriguing mixture of characters and powers, and I absolutely adored almost all of them. The biggest detriment to the story for me was the insta-love focus that Mara suddenly developed with Gabe sort of over shadowed the carnival folks that were really more interesting. I would love to see another story in this universe, though maybe with less focus on any 'romance' angle (though I would be on-board for more Luka/Tim) and more focus on the carnival inhabitants themselves.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 Jan 03.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. This review is spoiler free.

Come one, come all, to Gideon's Traveling Sideshow, a roving carnival traveling to their latest destination where the payout proves to be grand. As long as they make it to the vernal equinox. However, this isn't your typical side show filled with cons and shenanigans. No, many of the members of the troupe have real supernatural powers-- pyrokinesis, telekinsesis, speaking with the dead, are among the few gifts the novel mentions. No matter where Mara turns, everyone seems to have a special ability. Except for her. Even her fortune telling mother has secrets. Because of this, Mara dreams of having a normal life, free from the only show she's known. Their latest town may be more trouble than anyone bargained for.

Amanda Hocking has written a fun novel. Freeks is set in the late 80's and is filled with romance, mystery, and supernatural. I'm a big fan of Hocking's The Hallows and the Trylle series. As a tarot reader, I was insanely curious to read this book; I love books that include tarot in their plots. This book didn't disappoint. The sections are divided by hand-drawn tarot cards (psst, please make a deck.. i love the drawings and want a copy). The readings Mara's mother does in the book are spot on with modern meanings. She treats the Death card the same way I treat it in my own personal readings.

The story is cute and enjoyable. At it's heart it's a coming-of-age story for Mara, who wants love and a normal life. In this new town she meets a boy whom she thinks she can have a short relationship with before the Sideshow moves out. She learns to deal with relationships as a young adult and she talks through the difficulties of being a freak and wanting to be normal. The plot is steady. However, the main gist of the book doesn't happen till well after half-way through. Which meant, I wanted a longer book, to learn more about Mara's past and where she came from.

Bottom Line: This is an easy read. I stayed up all night long to finish it. There are many twists and turns, which is the mark of a good book for me. The world is fantastic and I found myself wishing I could hang with Mara, her mother, and others. Freeks reads as a stand alone book, but I'm hoping Hocking continues the adventures of Mara.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this novel and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

I quite enjoyed this one, but I will disclaim that I have loved all of Hocking's previous novels and am probably not as objective as someone else would be. But this was similar and different from what she has previously written and I really enjoyed every second of it. I did have some minor issues but I would love more books set in this same world -- maybe in the present day -- to explore more of the supernatural elements of it.

It had a Hemlock Grove (the TV show not the terrible book) vibe to me and I really loved it. I was so immersed in the world and the setting , I just couldn't quite get there with the time period. It felt like there were too many winks and nudges to the things that would be there in the 80s to remind the reader over and over that it was in the 80s rather than it feeling natural. I think part of this was the idea that it is a novel and you have to acknowledge it, but I would have liked it to feel a bit more natural than what we got.

I loved the characters, especially Mara. She was so strong in how she felt about herself but still so vulnerable in how she acted around Gabe and the other townies. I think there was a good sense of self and still the insecurity that made her feel really realistic. I would have liked a bit more exploration of how she felt being a minority and not knowing her father or part of her heritage and being in the travelling show as a visible minority -- I thought the idea of her not feeling super comfortable around the townspeople and not sharing her life story with Gabe was really well done, but I felt like a piece of that was missing since her ethnicity was never really explored (at least not as much as I thought it could have been). But her relationship with Gabe felt real and natural and I ship them so hard and I also love that Hocking allows her female characters to be comfortable in their sexuality and have sex in the book because girls do that.

I thought the side characters were good and well fleshed out, but none of them really stuck out to me. I felt like they were their own personalities and characters but there wasn't the same spark to them as there was to Mara. I did however love that they had their pasts and reasons for being with the travelling show and I think I would have liked multiple POVs to explore more of their own stories and see more of their show. But I definitely could see a companion novel from Luka's POV! So !!! Please and thank you in advance.

If you're a fan of Stranger Things, Hemlock Grove, or anything that has that mysterious supernatural twinge to it where you think you know everything but you are still surprised at the end, this is the book for you. Both the US and the UK covers are beautiful, so you should buy them both (like me) and read this novel! I think it took me a total of 1.5 hours to read it because once you start, you don't want to stop. I am disappointed that this isn't a series but think this was a perfect standalone novel by Hocking.

Freeks is one of those books that will leave you wondering what the heck just happened and leave you wanting more. The intensity, suspense and built up of this masterpiece leads to a stunning conclusion that I was not expecting.

Mara has grown up in Gideon's sideshow traveling circus her whole life. Her mom can speak to the dead but she's not showing any signs of being different so she does odd end jobs here and there. With the promise of a lot of money they end up in Caudry. A place that isn't what it seems.

That's where Mara meets Gabe, a boy who's just as mysterious as the city itself. They have this amazing chemistry from the first time they meet and even though Mara knows there's something about him that she should stay away from she just can't.

I love the interaction that I read between the two. Their love for each other was new and it was a relief to me that Amanda didn't include any sex as that wasn't the focus of the story. This is a YA novel and for people to down vote it because of that is crazy.

There's also so much more to the story than just Gabe and Mara but the side characters too. I loved Lyanka, Seth, Roxy, Gideon, Luka, Hutch, and even the Siberian tigers Safēda and Mahilā. Then we have the whole issue of who or what is trying to kill them.

Any fan of Amanda Hocking's books will throughly enjoy Freeks. It's different from her Trylle Trilogy and The Kanin Chronicles but it's a good different! I'm a huge fan of hers and I've read all her books and I wasn't disappointed!

Thank you Justine from St. Martin's Press for my arc!

I wanted to love this book. The cover is gorgeous and the premise is amazing. I was so excited about the traveling carnival, but the writing was only surface deep, and I couldn’t connect with the story.

Things I liked:
Mara is a great character
So much diversity
Gabe

What I didn’t like:
The writing felt super flat and not fleshed out at all
Because of that, the diversity felt only surface-deep, like the characters had been assigned race with a paintbrush
Insta-love
The ending felt rushed

I'm familiar with Amanda Hocking and what books she has under her name. However, this is the first novel I have gotten to read from her. I was excited when I received the email to be a part of the blog tour for its release. What could be more exciting in a novel than people with supernatural powers, a strong female lead, and a sexy male to go along with it?

I will say that this novel was very interesting. The title is true to its name, even though it is spelled wrong intentionally. The characters are performers in a carnival. You might call them "carnies". Someone has super strength, someone heals instantly, and someone is able to produce flames. You can't forget about the woman, Mara's mother, that can read tarot cards with skill.

Mara is a very strong female lead and I pictured her a bit older than her teenage years. A book always needs a strong female character, otherwise you are dealing with a dumb bimbo that runs toward the conflict when she should be running away for her life. We've all seen the scary movies. Mara is the one character that has the brains to come out on top and actually use said brains.

A couple of things bothered me, though. I'll just list them:

1. Gabe and Mara's relationship happens way too fast. There is immediate sexual tension the moment they meet and it doesn't take long for them to kiss and get all hot and heavy. I know fiction isn't meant to be 100% realistic. As a fellow writer, I've heard too many times that "it's unrealistic". But, a relationship happening within the first two chapters like that isn't really realistic. However, I will give props to Amanda for building a connection. It's not based on sex or kissing. Gabe and Mara have a deep connection that is more than the reader would think.
2. The injuries that some of these carnies get should really have killed them. The details about insides spilling out and trying to keep guts in shouldn't lead them to a speedy recovery in a few days time. I know one of them heals fast, but some don't have that power. It was just strange.
3. The chapters were kind of short and it caused things to really go fast. I know it's set in one week, pretty much. I felt more could have been said to where it stretched to a reasonable length. Everything was just happening like SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!.

At the end of the second to last chapter, I feel like it could definitely set up for a sequel. That chapter really seemed like an ominous cliffhanger, like there is more to cause destruction or something. Goodreads didn't really give off that there would be a sequel, like have a "#1" next to the title. Amanda Hocking is known for creating series. I think she should expand this story and make another in the future. Especially when it comes to demons and powers and finding out this big secret about Gabe, a lot more can be told.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. It kept me hooked, regardless of some petty faults. It was interesting and kept me guessing as to who the "bad guy" was or who was behind everything. Plus, I'm still a sucker for a hot romance, no matter how fast it may go.

It seems like every time I turn around, there's a new book/series that uses the circus as it's main storyline. The creatures and beings involved vary widely, but the premise is similar - various supernatural creatures and beings are all members of the circus due to the mobile nature of it. With that being said, any book that uses a traveling show needs to be something special in order to make it stand out amongst the many others using this theme, and unfortunately for me, Freeks didn't deliver on that front.

While there were many enjoyable elements to be had, Freeks started off on a bad note for me. I'm not a fan of insta-love - relationships where they meet and, Boom! We like one another! It's meant to be!, and that's exactly what happens in pretty much the opening chapters. Had the relationship had time to develop and make a more natural progression, I'm sure my enjoyment overall would have increased.

With that being said, there is still a lot to enjoy in Freeks. Not only does Hocking use supernatural beings and critters in her version of the circus, she also used the more familiar folks one associates with traveling shows - fortune tellers, bearded women, and much more. Having the familiar blend with the fantastical was really quite a lot of fun, and I'm sure many readers will like that aspect.

Bottom line - Freeks was a rocky one for me. There were things I enjoyed, but they were overshadowed by the things I didn't. In the end, it was a good story that will work for many, and I've no doubt that it will become a favorite for some. 2.5 stars.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I would like this book just because I am an Amanda Hocking fan and have read a couple of her other series.

I was pretty intrigued about a story around a Sideshow and oddities and a little nervous on where she would go. Who hasn’t fantasized about life on the road in a traveling show one time or another?

I have to say that the mystery around the sideshow characters disappearances and attacks kept me on my toes. I had no idea who was after them the whole time. I knew they were asked to come for their abilities and someone was targeting them but I liked now knowing who and trying to guess who was behind it.
I heard this was a stand alone and I wish it wasn’t because I’d like to see other stories about their traveling adventures. Especially, now that Mara and Gabe are traveling together. (Sorry if this is a spoiler) Speaking of Mara and Gabe and their relationship, I want to say that it felt rushed but then I look at the fact that she was only going to be in that town for a week. So that doesn’t bother me as much as a different book would have. I liked them together and I liked the instant bond between the two. I just felt that something was missing between them. Or maybe I didn’t get to know them as well as I would have liked.

I liked the book as a whole and couldn’t put it down. I had some unanswered questions that I wish were cleared up. I would like to see more from them and see where the Sideshow takes them in the future.