Paula G. (Paulathegreat) reviewed on 10/8/2017 + 148 more book reviews

When I first heard of this book (at a Random House book promotion at the local library where I got an advanced reader's copy free. Thanks RH, sorry I have very little nice to say) I thought it was probably a cheap take off of Water for Elephants. There was that, of course, the vulnerable and somewhat clueless protaganist, the justified preference of animal company over human, the violent and evil owners, the parental loss and the depression era circus train.

The book was even worse than I expected. The plot was self-consciously cruel with unnecessary violence both physical and mental, as if the author thought we were reading for melodrama rather than storyâa first novel sort of error. On top of this the plot twists are easily spotted and simplistic, in spite of the fact they are contrived and not real life probable. I am bored with the stock stereotype of Vicious Christian from the left. In this book it was particularly nauseating probably because there was no character development beyond that.

Thanks for the free book Random House, but sadly it was worth even less than I paid.

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