For anyone who's ever felt different, apart from one's peers, even a bit
"alien" to everyone else, this is the book for you, no matter your age.
In fact, even as an adult, I still suffer from such distant feelings.
As such, I felt an immediate connection to the protagonist, Beatrix
"Trix" Ling, the most real, dimensional, interesting character I've yet
seen in juvenile fiction. She's adventurous, headstrong, doubtful of
herself yet willing to go out on a limb anyway in order to do what's
right and best. What's truly wonderful is she's the least irritating,
whiny, mealy-mouthed M.C.; while she has her moments of poor behavior
(and don't we all), she's the freshest breath of fresh air I've
encountered. Trix is so real, so refreshing, so well-rounded, warm and
lovable, I'm absolutely impatient to see more of her.Trix has always believed she was special. After all, her parents told her so and ever since they died in a tragic space shuttle accident, knowing that they thought she was special has kept Trix going. Especially now. Trix is a charity case at a snobby boarding school, where her smart mouth and headstrong actions tend to get her into trouble. A lot. This last go-round, with the snooty Della, has cost Trix her coveted position on the school's gymnastic team and a trip to the state finals. Beaten, but not yet broken, Trix soon encounters the sinister Nyl, a strange mechanical man who's broken into Trix's room in order to steal the one thing left to her by her parents, a meteorite, a strange chunk of space rock she's promised to keep safe. Thus begins an adventure of a lifetime when Trix chases after Nyl and ends up in the middle of a circus. But this is no ordinary circus and when the charismatic young ringmaster invites her to join, Trix discovers her place in the universe is not so small as she believed. As she unlocks the secrets of her past, she encounters space leeches, new friends, ancient alien artifacts, potential conspiracies, and an exploding chocolate dessert.
Think of this book as kind of a Hogwarts in space. Indeed, if Circus Galacticus doesn't get the acclaim and notice that J.K Rowling's series received, then the good people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt aren't doing their jobs properly. Breezy, exhilarating, fast-paced, well-imagined and excellently written, Circus Galacticus is a sure-fire winner.
Read October 3-6, 2011
Originally reviewed for the Amazon Vine Program October 12, 2011
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