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The Circus in Me by S.M Bjarnson

Genre- YA

Publisher- Self-Published/Createspace

Rating- ✮✮✮☆☆

I received a copy of this book in exchanged for a honest review. In no way did the author or publishing company influence my review. For info on my book reviews and rating scale, click here

This is the second book I’ve reviewed for S.M Bjarnson. Click here for my review of her novel, Tangled Tears.

Tracey Aliza is a girl raised in an Amish community. After the death of her brother, she leaves the only life she knows behind for a new and oh-so different one, under the new name Trae Lae.

The Circus in Me is more of a novella than a novel. At 172 pages, I read it quickly. Bjarnson has a unique way of writing, it’s almost like the whole book is free-flowing poem. I find that the authors writing style has much improved from her first book.

I’m a character person, and I just didn’t feel that connected to Trae Lae. It might be the writing style, but I never felt like I got to know what she was thinking and her reasoning, only told. I’m not sure if that makes sense? Some people don’t really care about characters, but it’s probably the most important part of any story for me. None of the other characters really affected me either, but I think that’s just because of me. Although I do rather like the poem-style, it does leave little room for development for characters. (I know, I’m talking about characters too much.) Trae Lae’s relationships were very quick and sudden, but the writing style is the cause of that.  I did like that she was a very different character to what we are used to. She was used to a different life, and you could see that.

The numbing pain of losing someone was done wonderfully in the beginning and throughout the book. I have lost people I love, and that strange pain one gets from someone’s death is realistically portrayed in the novella.

I’m not Amish (obviously) or Mormon, and I don’t know anyone who is, so I am not sure if how they are portrayed in the novel is correct or not.

The Circus in Me is a quick read, and is for anyone who ever feels like they have a past to escape.

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