I was very nervous about starting this book. I typically don’t enjoy slow books and prefer to jump right into the action, but The Night Circus absolutely blew me away.

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Night Circus is absolutely breathtaking. The beautiful writing matched with the stunning setting makes this book one of a kind.

“But dreams have ways of turning into nightmares.”

The Night Circus spans decades, following a large cast of characters, revolving around the circus itself, as well as two magicians Celia Bower and Marco Alisdair, who are bound to compete in a magical duel. Despite growing feelings, the two must continue the game as the lives of all involved are at risk.

The setting and the writing are probably the strongest aspects of this book. Erin Morgenstern paints beautiful imagery, combining dreams with reality. The circus was something unimaginable, each tent introduced continued to astound me. The descriptions made the impossible sights easy to visualize, and I was smelling caramel and popcorn while reading. There is no other book that has absorbed me so completely into the world and scenery.

“People see what they wish to see. And in most cases, what they are told that they see.” 

The plot of this book was fascinating. There are so many intricate details and storylines that merge so beautifully. However, it is slow. Definitely not an easy book to jump into and marathon. It doesn’t drag, per se, but it takes time to build up to the stunning conclusion. If you’re patient and willing to spend time with this book, then this really won’t be a problem. I usually want to DNF slow books, but I fell so much in love with this one that I didn’t mind at all.

The characters – while fantastic- weren’t the real focus of this book for me, that was mostly because of how fantastic the writing and setting was, but they were all well developed and interesting. There was never a point of view I wasn’t interested in or a story I didn’t want to learn more about. I absolutely loved Tsukiko, she was probably my favorite side character. As for the two main characters, Celia and Marco, I loved them individually and I also loved their relationship. The romance really does take a back seat to the intricate story and setting, but it is still so precious and amazing.

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.” 

Pros- Beautiful writing, unique setting, interesting characters
Cons- Slow. Definitely not for people looking to dive right into action and magic.
Overall- 5/5 stars.
The Night Circus is a beautiful, atmospheric novel with writing that will transport you into a dream.

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