42. Cirque Du Freak Book 1: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

CIRQUE DU FREAK BOOK 1: A LIVING NIGHTMARE by Darren Shan (Little, Brown and Company, 2001)

GENRE: Horror

HONORS: YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

REVIEW:

When Darren and Steve sneak out to an illegal freak show, they witness a multitude of terrifying and exciting acts, including one featuring a man named Mr. Crepsley and his deadly spider Madame Octa.  Recognizing Mr. Crepsley from one of his horror books, Steve tells Darren to go back to his house and he confronts the man, telling him that he knows what he is—a vampire!  Hiding in the balcony, Darren watches in horror as Steve begs the man to turn him into a vampire, too.  Safe back at home, Darren is unable to stop thinking about Madame Octa, so he goes back to the theater and steals her.  However, when Steve receives a lethal bite from Madame Octa, he is instantly paralyzed.  Knowing that there is only one person that has the antidote, Darren goes to Mr. Crepsley and makes the horrific decision to be the vampire’s assistant in order to save his best friend’s life.

OPINION:

This book is full of horrific occurrences and supernatural characters that will appeal to many tweens.  The vivid descriptions of the freak show acts will make readers feel like they are there, watching the Wolf Man attack an audience member or Rhamus Twobellies eat two carts full of food.  Confined to Darren’s point-of-view, readers are not privy to what is going on outside of his consciousness, increasing the terror of the novel.  Also, the author adds another layer of horror by stating that this is a true story—his story.  In recounting the tale, there are a few points where Darren alludes to something horrible happening, believing that if he had only left the theater then or not gone back for the spider, everything would have been fine.  The author’s use of foreshadowing keeps readers glued to the book, needing to know what is going to happen to him.  I really enjoyed this book because of its fast-moving plot and the wonderful cliffhanger that will lure readers to pick up the next in the series.

IDEAS:

This book would be a welcome addition to any library display with horror books, especially around Halloween.  Libraries could also hold a Cirque du Freak night for tweens to hear creepy stories and play some Cirque du Freak themed games.