The Night Circus Review

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Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Doubleday

Rating: 5/5 stars

Trigger: Child abuse, mentions suicide, addiction, and death

Storyline: The story jumps around through time and follows characters that interact and are important to the circus in some way, shape, or form. The story begins with one of the best opening lines I have ever read, and the beautiful lyrical writing takes you into the story. 

These two older characters who have been competing with each other for a long time each pick someone to teach so that the students can be put against each other in a game. The game is one in which the main characters aren't really aware of the rules, or how to win. (since I don't want to really include spoilers I won't mention how the game is won.) Once in the game though you cannot leave until it is over. 

I love how the whole story pieces itself together the further you get along. Then, in the end, everything comes together to create this masterpiece.

Characters:

In this book for some of the chapters, the reader is also a character, exploring the Circus. I loved the main characters of Marco and Celia. Then the side characters are also great Bailey, Poppet, Widget, Isabel, and many others. 

The chapters follow different characters in different time periods. For example each time there was a chapter in the 1900s taking place in Concord I would assume it was a Bailey chapter. His chapters were some of my favourites in the book. His were some of my favourites due to his relationship with the twin's Poppet and Widget. 

Poppet and Widget are very intriguing characters in general. Poppet has the ability to see the future, and Widget has the ability to see the past on someone. 

Isabel is the fortune teller at the circus. She joined the circus because she loved Marco, and would follow him anywhere. However, Marco wasn't interested in her in that way. 

Marco is the student chosen by the man who is often just referred to as the Man in the grey suit. (His name is Mr. A. H.) You never get to know what Marco's real name is since when he was a child Mr. A. H. told him that names didn't matter before Marco could reveal what his name was. Macro typically put on an illusion for his appearance, however, when he would talk to Celia he would make sure she saw who he really was. 

Celia is the daughter of Prospero the Enchanter. And due to the promise, she shows he chooses her to compete in the game. She is taught in a much different way than Marco. She becomes the illusionist for the Circus, and she meets Marco for the first time at her audition. She is described as being very beautiful in the book. 

All the characters mentioned in the book are important to the story in some way.  

Quotes:

• "The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there when yesterday it was not."
• "Life takes us to unexpected places sometimes. The future is never set in stone, remember that."
• "Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars."
• "Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon ... is not the dragon the hero of his own story?"
• "I wished for her."

Would I recommend: 

I definitely recommend this book. The book is YA to New Adult. If you like historical fiction books with a touch of fantasy you will probably like this. Also if you liked the movie the Illusionist you would probably like this book as well. However, this book definitely isn't for everyone. I know many people say it is very polarizing because either people say they really loved it or they absolutely hate it. I, in particular, loved this book though so that is why I am going to recommend it to anyone who loves the things I mentioned before, as well as anyone who loves books that have Circuses in them. 

Thank you so much for reading. Have you read The Night Circus? What did you think? comment down below. I hope you all are having a great day.