Circus Mirandus

by Cassie Beasley

A New York Times bestseller!

"A beguiling first novel"—Gregory Maguire in the New York Times

"Takes readers to a marvelous place.”—The Wall Street Journal

Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real. And the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather.

The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for.

• ISBN10: 0147515548
• ISBN13: 9780147515544
• Publish Date: 16 August 2016 (first published 2 June 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Puffin
• Format: Paperback (US Digest)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780147515544

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Circus Mirandus is the first book in the Circus Mirandus series by Cassie Beasley. Originally published in 2016, this re-format and re-release coincides with the release of the second book in the series, The Bootlace Magician (1st Oct). Aimed at middle grade readers, it's a hefty 304 pages and is available in most formats.

Although this book is ostensibly written for the middle grades, it's a beautifully written human fantasy which worked perfectly well for my middle aged tastes. I really loved this one a lot. The everyman protagonist, Micah, is an intelligent, empathetic, kind boy, and a good friend. He has a very special relationship with his grandfather, with whom he lives. When Grandpa Ephraim becomes seriously ill, Aunt Gertrudis, descends on them to 'help out'. She isn't a bit like Grandpa Ephraim and doesn't seem to like much, including 10 year old boys named Micah.

This book is full of fantasy, whimsy, pathos, love, and longing. Along with the slightly angsty kids vs. adults plot twists are huge overarching timeless themes of what constitutes family, loyalty, love, and how people become who/what they are.

It's written in alternating backstory (Grandpa Ephraim's past history) and current (Micah's current life) timelines. They're clearly delineated and I had no problems keeping the timelines separate in my mind. The secondary characters are beautifully rendered and believably motivated. The dialogue flows naturally and well. I didn't find myself being yanked out of my suspension of disbelief one time during reading, which is saying something with a plot that turns around magical fish, a phoenix, and a never-ending invisible magical circus.

I read this in one sitting and turned around and re-read selected chapters again immediately after.

This would make a truly superlative bedtime read or classroom circle read. An amazing book; an author to watch for in future.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.