Book Review: Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Length: 384 Pages
Genres: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Trigger warnings for Ableism, Racist Exploitation, Body Horror, Near Sexual Assault, Death, Gore, and Animal Death

*Whew* where to start with this book? I was personally reached out to to do a review of this book, and I really thought it sounded like something I would like -- I adore anything Neo-Victorian, and I've always found circuses fascinating and horrifying. Unfortunately, this one was just so-so for me.

Nell was born with birthmarks, some big and some little, all over her body. In the village, she is ridiculed and shunned, as if her deformity could brush off, her only friend being her brother, Charlie, who defends her as best he can. When Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders comes to town, her father, drunk and poor and in his own way, frightened of his daughter, will make a decision that will have ramifications for years to come.

Jasper Jupiter is the consummate showman, with top hat and red cape and a perfectly waxed mustache. He is also a hero of the Crimea, and unlike many of the men who fought, misses the barbarity of war. His greatest dream is to perform for the Queen, and with the help of his "Queen of the Moon and Stars", Nell, it quickly becomes tangible. But what happens when all she wants is to meet Nell, and he's brushed aside, bested by his own creation?

Toby is Jasper's brother, his shadow. He has always followed his brother, even to Crimea, where he was tasked with photographing happier moments to send to a newspaper and convince the world that the war was something good. He is haunted by what he's done, not only the fabrications he concocted, with help from Jasper and Jasper's friend, Dash, but by something he did, something that ended in death. Toby can't remember if it was an accident, or purposeful, and feels he is destined to suffer for it. His life is changed, though, when he sees Nell, diving off a cliff into the ocean. When she joins the circus, they can't help but be drawn to each other.

My biggest issues with Circus of Wonders was the prose, which is mostly made up of sentence fragments that are more distracting than evocative, and while the writing did have strong points (I'm particularly fond of Macneal's similes), it all felt jarring and took me out of the flow of reading. It felt like I was reading, instead of being lost in the words and descriptions and transported to this book's world. I was also let down by the ending, which was anticlimactic at best, and left me feeling like there was little point to the book's journey. It also has a fascinating look into the nefarious world of circuses, and brings in real-life "freaks", like Chang and Eng Bunker and General Tom Thumb, and even mentions the incredibly sad and horrifying life of Sarah Baartman, the "Hottentot Venus", a woman who was a victim of horrifying colonial exploitation. Circus of Wonders was a bit of a slog for me, but that doesn't mean it will be for you, especially if you were a fan of Del Toro's Nightmare Alley, and are looking for similar dark circus stories!