Reviews

Ned's Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher

libwithattitude's review against another edition

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5.0

Ned thinks his life is exceedingly boring and mundane thanks to his very overprotective father but on his 13th birthday everything changes - in the most magical way. He finds himself part of the troupe of the most gorgeous, intriguing circus , charged with finding a girl whom together with himself, will save the magical and mortal world. I loved this book! Ned's amazing engineer powers are just wonderful and I'm looking forward to meeting many of the other characters in later books - especially Ringmaster Benissimo and Ned's best friend, the huge but cultured ape, George. A fun read that should keep Harry Potter lovers spellbound.

ymadeleine's review

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adventurous

3.25

kelsont's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Justin Fisher’s The Circus of Marvels is an imaginative and intriguing story that casts readers into a world filled with mystery and wonder. The richly detailed setting and unique premise make it an engaging read, drawing you into its fantastical universe. 

While the book excels in creating an atmosphere of marvel and excitement, I found the character development to be somewhat lacking. With so much happening at once, it was sometimes challenging to keep track of who was who. As a result, a few of the characters felt lost in the shuffle, leaving me wanting more from them. 

Overall, The Circus of Marvels is an imaginative and engaging read, though it may have benefited from a stronger focus on character development and clarity of pacing. It’s a good choice for readers who enjoy a whirlwind of fantastical events, but those looking for deeply fleshed-out characters might find it less satisfying.

sophieweirather2007's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The less we believe, the less we see.
- Benissimo -

ztomczyk's review against another edition

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4.0

Just a fun read about running away to the circus and murder clowns.

estanceveyrac's review against another edition

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I'm too old. It's not compelling.

ck_kids's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

4.0

wickedccat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I don't normally like circus fantasy but this one was cute. I loved that it started of as if Beds life was normal and boring with this whole other secret world going on that he didn't know about! It was so action packed and full of magic with magic system that was fun to learn about. I cried as character deaths because I got to know and became attached to these characters. It's the only one in this particular genre I've actually liked. Yes it's for a younger audience but I don't care! It was fun to read and I will be reading the next one.

scrollsofdragons's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed it and I loved George. It was just a nice, cute middle grade paranormal story.

squishies's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

I found Ned a bit unlikeable because of his snotty attitude, but the story was pretty interesting.

I guess some people really want to watch the world burn.