Show Stopper

by Hayley Barker

 


A dazzling, high-octane read filled with death-defying
acrobatics, circus crowds with an appetite for disaster, and two
forbidden teenage lovers trying to escape the shackles of their
very different lives.
Set in a near-future England where the poorest people in the land
must watch their children be taken by a travelling circus - to
perform at the mercy of hungry lions, sabotaged high wires and
a demonic ringmaster.


The ruling class visit the circus as an escape from their structured,
high-achieving lives - pure entertainment with a bloodthirsty
edge.


Ben, the teenage son of a draconian government minister, visits
the circus for the first time and falls instantly in love
with Hoshiko, a young performer.


They come from harshly different worlds - but must join together
to escape the circus and put an end to its brutal sport.





All the pace, action and danger of The Hunger Games


all the star-crossed romance of Noughts and Crosses


this book packs some powerful political punches which never compromise
the moving, brave and dramatic story.

The mesmerising, heart-in-mouth action set pieces in the circus
are breathtakingly tense

• ISBN13: 9781407179674
• Publish Date: 1 June 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 27 September 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Scholastic
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the narrative and can't continue.

The concept sounded wonderful but a society racially segregated by those pure of blood and those who are immigrants from diverse backgrounds makes me incredibly uneasy. The latter are referred to as being a blight on society, kept as disposable servants with the intention to eradicate them from society.

After an act of gallantry, I'm assuming Benedict, the male protagonist who is pure of blood will be the white saviour. I have no doubt the racial undertones will be addressed towards the latter of the storyline but it may be too little too late for redemption.