Girl on a Wire (Cirque American)

This is the first book in the Cirque American series and I just wasn't a fan of this one. I didn't realize that this was by Gweda Bond when I got it, just read the title and synopsis and thought it sounded cool. I have read another Gwenda Bond novel (Blackwood) and didn't enjoy that book either. I will endeavor to stay away from her books in the future.I did listen to this on audiobook which probably made this worse The narrator sounded very stiff and didn't do a good job of keeping track of character voices. For example she'd say something in Jule's voice but then it would be Remy who said it.Everything about this book was just poorly done. The two main characters were okay but didn't have much depth. None of the side characters were developed at all. The dialogue felt forced. The ending was completely predictable and anti-climatic, it was seriously disappointing to me.I was hoping for a story in a circus setting but I got more of a mystery about cursed objects causing issues at the circus. It was just kind of awkward and didn't have any the magic I was hoping for.Overall I almost stopped listening to this multiple times because it was just so mediocre and awkward to get through. Not recommended. This is the second book by Bond that I have been disappointed in, she just isn’t for me.

4 StarsOriginal Review:As a circus lover, I really enjoyed this book. The description of the circus acts was beautiful, the main character was relatable for young girls, the characters were believable and three-dimensional, even the background characters seemed realistic and had their own arcs and lives happening in the background, the interaction between characters was natural, the rise and fall of action kept me hooked, and the mystery wasn't forced (e.g. characters weren't just vague for no apparent reason). It seems to be a young adult book, so it's easy to read, but it's not so young that it's unenjoyable for adults. I definitely recommend it if you don't mind the YA feel. It's got circus, love, and magic---a pretty good combination in my book.Updated Review:I knew I wanted this book as soon as I saw it because CIRCUS! I absolutely love circus. And one of the best things about this book, as opposed to other circus books, was that the author really delved into the descriptions of the acts and made the practices and performances an integral part of the story rather than just using the circus as a backdrop.Not only that, the descriptions of the wire walking and trapeze—not even of what skills the performers did but rather of how they carried themselves and what was going through their minds—were so beautifully written and somehow felt both real and surreal all at once, which was just kind of perfect.I also appreciated the descriptions of Jules’s costumes because they sounded gorgeous and because getting into costume is just as much a part of performing as the rest. And I couldn’t help but smile at the part about her getting ready in the “nondescript women’s restroom” because anyone who’s ever been a performer of any kind—circus, gymnastics, drama, dance, etc.—can relate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that, and I love that it was mentioned because it’s always struck me as an interesting part of the experience, that contrast of getting all decked out in makeup and glitter and hairspray… in such a plain, forgettable, random public restroom, but I digress.As for the characters, Jules was a great protagonist, especially for a YA book, because she was relatable and a great role model. She worked hard to achieve her dreams and was mature, intelligent, and confident. But she was only 16, so she wasn’t perfect, she sometimes got distracted by boys, she didn’t always have the answers, and she sometimes acted on impulse. But in the end she always learned from her mistakes. And then there was Remy, who managed to charm me the same way he did Jule’s with his good looks, witty banter, hard work, and sincerity. Even the side characters were well-developed with their own lives and story arcs. Plus the relationship between Jules and Remy was a supportive, healthy one.The plot was also interesting, with bits of magic trickled throughout. I was so glad the mystery was never forced like it is in some books (I can’t stand it when characters are vague for no reason).So overall, this was a wonderful book with beautiful writing about circus, love, and magic, and really, I can’t think of a more perfect combination!Review Also Found @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)

Julieta is a tightrope walker who belongs to a family of circus performers - The Amazing Maronis. Her family for decades has been locked in a feud with another family of performers, The Flying Garcias. Nobody knows the exact source of the hatred which goes back three generations - but it still burns fiercely. However, the two families are about to come together in a new circus, the Cirque American, being put together by a billionaire entrepreneur who happens to be a huge fan of the art of circus.As the Maronis arrive to join to troupe, they are met with outright hostility not only from Garcias but others who have heard bad things about them. But Julieta, who is around 17, is inextricably drawn to Remi, a daring trapeze artist around the same age who belongs to the Garcias. The allusion to Romeo and Juliet is fairly obvious.Complicating matters, Julieta's grandmother, once a performer herself, has a gift for magic -- not of illusion but "real magic." She is able to imbue objects with mysterious powers for good or evil and also to sense if objects have the power to harm. And it soon becomes apparent that someone -- we know not who -- has gotten a hold of some of those objects and is using them to harm and possibly even kill members of the Maroni family.This rather engaging novel, narrated by Julieta, is both a coming of age love story and a mystery. What is the source of the feud, what is the nature of Nan's magic and who is trying to kill various Maronis using dark means? Remi and Julieta team up to find the answers while also developing their own rather innocent teen romance.Julieta specializes in feats of daring, including walking on wire strung between skyscrapers with only a parasol to help her balance and without a safety net below. It sounds crazy to me (and incredible that city authorities would allow a young girl to risk her life like that in public) but the author makes us see and feel these feats through Julieta's eyes.In short, this is a pretty diverting and engaging novel set against an unusual background. The author delivers a convincing depiction of what circus life is like and gets into the head of an ernest and brave young woman trying to figure out what it means to belong to a family and what it means to dare to love - which is perhaps her most courageous act of all.

I enjoyed this novel. It was different. Set in the circus the author gave a good insight into the background of this way of life and wove an interesting plot with a good ending. Worth a read

Great book. I really enjoyed it.

Lovely story :)