The Daring Young Man

by Jane George

[Angie]

Picking up not long after the ending of The Mumbo Jumbo Circus, The Daring Young Man starts with a new recruit: Dante, a sixteen year old, homeless, illegal immigrant. Dante is working at a side-of-the-road fruit stand when the magic words are muttered and he’s called a freak by a little girl, earning him an appointment with the Ringmaster. Dante grew up in a circus family, but after a horrific accident, he lost his parents as well as the use of his right hand. He’s heard of the magic of Mumbo Jumbo, and hopes it can fix his hand allowing him to fly on the trapeze again. However, the Ju-Ju has other plans for him and the trapeze is not his donvrai (true gift).

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy The Daring Young Man very much. I did not find Dante likeable or sympathetic at all. He’s very whiny and his self-pity got on my nerves early on. While I can’t image going through what he did, I felt like he was stuck in the past for much of the book. All he wants to do is “fly again” despite his injury, and this obsession blinds him to other things that he can do in the circus that he even enjoys! Even after he discovers his donvrai, and finds joy in it, he still mopes around about wanting to get on the trapeze, which is just never going to happen for him.

I also didn’t like the romance. Dante is instantly in love with Belinda, whom we met in the first book. In The Daring Young Man, she’s stowed away and Dante finds her and helps her out of her small hiding place. He believes that his rescue has bonded them and he should be her boyfriend. However, Belinda repeatedly offers sex only if he’ll do what she says: like locate the Ringmaster’s Ju-Ju. Dante thinks this is love. I think it’s disgusting. Also Dante gets rescued by a girl named Markie who falls in love with him since she’s rescued him. Dante can’t stand her and finds her ugly and creepy. Apparently being someone’s rescuer makes you fall in love with them, even if they really want nothing to do with you. Weirdest love-triangle ever! Evan and Wally also have a totally useless lover’s quarrel.

The plot was also super predictable. Once again, there’s a traitor at Mumbo Jumbo, and again they’re super obvious. I was just waiting for someone else to realize it, and then confirm it. This person wasn’t sneaky at all. In the end, The Daring Young Man just didn’t work for me. It was missing the fun and excitement of the first book, and I didn’t really like or care about the characters this time. I think it’s time for me to stick circuses in the same category as angels: Not For Me.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.