One of Us
A Novel
by Dan Chaon
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Sep 23 2025 | Archive Date Oct 24 2025
Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co.
Description
"A captivating new novel... As One of Us gleefully samples multiple registers — comic, tragic, satiric, elegiac, poetic — its mesh of archaic and contemporary styles becomes something quite arresting, a joy to read."
—Hamilton Cain, The New York Times
A playfully macabre and utterly thrilling tale about orphaned twins on the run from their murderous uncle who find refuge in a bizarre traveling carnival, from master of literary horror Dan Chaon
It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee.
Salvation arrives in the form of Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders and father to its many members. He adopts Bolt and Eleanor, who travel by train across the vast, sometimes brutal American frontier with their new family, watching as the exhibitions spark amazement wherever they go. There’s Minnie, the three-legged lady, and Dr. Chui, who stands over seven feet tall; Thistle Britches, the clown with no nose, and Rosalie, who can foretell the death of anyone she meets.
After a lifetime of having only each other, Eleanor and Bolt are finally part of something bigger. But as Bolt falls in deeper with their new clan, he finds Eleanor pulling further away from him. And when Uncle Charlie picks up their trail, the twins find themselves facing a peril as strange as it is terrifying, one which will forever alter the trajectory of their lives. An ode to the misfits and the marginalized, One of Us is a riotous and singularly creepy celebration of the strange and the spectacular and of family in its many forms.
Advance Praise
“Only in Dan Chaon's hands does a rollicking tale of a traveling sideshow carnival, serial killer, and psychic orphaned twins become a complex, soaring elegy for an America that never was and never will be. One of Us is a brilliant novel and a beating heart in the darkness.”
—Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts
“I’ve run off to join the circus, Ma! It’s Dan Chaon’s. And I don’t ever want to leave."
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250175236 |
| PRICE | $28.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 288 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 82 members
Featured Reviews
Renee N, Reviewer
My first book by this author (apparently I have been living under a pile of books).
Twins who have lost their mother are ‘adopted’ by Mr. Jengling, the owner of a traveling circus, the Emporium of Wonders. The year, 1915, and things are much much different than what we are used to today. The story mainly revolves around Bolt and Eleanor, the twins. That is until the true nature of the Emporium, and those who work there is slowly revealed.
I am not going to go into the plot (it is best to discover this one for yourselves), but I found myself having a tough time putting this book down. The fate of the twins is what initially drew me in. Then learning about the other members of the circus, along with the introduction of a supernatural element, kept me flipping pages. Choosing your family, trust, and making a life that works for you we are all explored. Oh, and a bad man, an unbelievably bad man who has nefarious plans for the twins!
Just to touch on the ending. I cannot say that I liked it, but I understood where the author was coming from. Sort of. This was a treadmill read for me and I was almost late for work until I finished. Worth it! 4.5 stars.
Ashli R, Reviewer
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Weird. Wonderful. Wildly unsettling.
One of Us is an unforgettable blend of gothic horror, found family, and dark carnival magic that somehow feels both timeless and totally fresh. Dan Chaon masterfully weaves a twisted tale of grief, survival, and sibling bonds that run deeper than blood—or even thought.
Bolt and Eleanor are the kind of characters who stick with you: flawed, fierce, and completely entangled in each other’s fate. The Emporium of Wonders is a darkly dazzling refuge, packed with unforgettable characters and eerie beauty—think The Night Circus meets Something Wicked This Way Comes, but grittier, sadder, and sharper.
If you love your stories strange, beautifully written, and just a little bit haunted, this book is your ticket to something truly original.
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