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Showtime

(Marvelle Circus #1)

Chloe Kayne (Goodreads Author)

3.58 · Rating details · 262 ratings · 166 reviews

The grandeur of the traveling circus is at its peak in the early 1920s when sixteen-year-old Laila Vilonia is searching for an escape from her bleak future. Behind the gates of the legendary Marvelle Circus, she is thrust into a mysterious world she never knew existed—a paradise populated with outcasts. It’s in this glamorous new home that Laila sparks a controversial roma ...more

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Kindle Edition, 346 pages

Published September 21st 2012

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Lists with This Book

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket

YA & Middle Grade Circus/Carnivals/Amusement Parks

127 books — 109 voters

Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George

YA Fiction set in the 1920s

62 books — 98 voters

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· 262 ratings · 166 reviews

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Aug 27, 2012 Laura rated it did not like it · review of another edition

WARNING: This is long, and there may be spoilers! Approach with caution.

Oh boy, WHERE do I start? If this had been a case of a friend giving me their manuscript, I'd have been able to get my red editor pencil and go nuts; frankly, this would have been riddled with red marks, I could point out flaws and errors on virtually every page. As the author has already chosen to publish, I don't have that option and can't focus on every specific instance of editorial critique, so I'll do my best.

The probl ...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Alysa H. rated it did not like it

Shelves: other-r2r-or-giveaways

I won a copy of this book in Elle Casey's 2013 January Anniversary Indie Book Giveaway.

I thought the description sounded amazing, but this book wasn't really for me. I can't speak to questions of realism or historical accuracy about circus life in 1918, so I'll just say it's clear that the author has a great passion for her subject matter!

I can speak to other things: For one, the over-long, repetitive descriptions set a certain dream-like tone, but I'm not sure whether the dreaminess was intent ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Step rated it did not like it

NOPE. I cannot even with this unedited, unresearched, unrealistic, unreadable piece of nonsense. I knew what this was ten percent in, but I finished it out of spite. But UGH to these undistinguishable characters, this vacuous excuse for a main character, this Mary Sue story disguised by a vaguely intriguing synopsis. But there is so much wrong here. The strange preoccupation with school exams despite being in a traveling circus in the early 1900s? Running water in a train? Unrealistic interactio ...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Nancy Brady rated it did not like it

Shelves: e-book, ya

The good, the bad, and the ugly with a tip of the hat to the movie by the same name.

First off, two disclaimers: The author offered me a free copy for a honest review; however, I actually purchased a copy. I didn't receive a free copy, but this is my honest review.
The second disclaimer is that I am not prejudiced against self-published authors. Many very famous authors (Mark Twain, Carl Sandburg, Virginia Woolf, Beatrix Potter to name but a few) and books (The Celestine Prophecy by Redfield, U The good, the bad, and the ugly with a tip of the hat to the movie by the same name.

First off, two disclaimers: The author offered me a free copy for a honest review; however, I actually purchased a copy. I didn't receive a free copy, but this is my honest review.
The second disclaimer is that I am not prejudiced against self-published authors. Many very famous authors (Mark Twain, Carl Sandburg, Virginia Woolf, Beatrix Potter to name but a few) and books (The Celestine Prophecy by Redfield, Ulysses by Joyce to name a few) have been self-published and are considered excellent reads. In fact, I know a few self-published authors and am impressed by their works.

Okay, having added my disclaimers, here goes.
The good: It is a unique story especially considering the author's desire to explain the circus life of aerialists and her ability to do so. It would have been a better book had she not assumed that everyone knows these apparatuses and how they work. Most people don't. Had she described the Spanish web and the lyra, it would have been a better book, and I think with her expertise in this, she could have accomplished it. In other words, the story has potential, but not as it is written.

The bad: The editing was horrendous as words were used incorrectly, as well as in some cases the words were excessively repetitive (examples of the use of queue and eatery...there are other words for these). Other words that had homonyms were used incorrectly (passed/past, taut/taught as examples) and repeatedly at that. In this day and age of Kindle, Nooks, and other e-readers, trust that the reader will notice what seems like incorrect word choice discrepancies and will look them up in their e-reader dictionary to check it out because he/she want to understand (example of deluded versus alluded--they are not the same). Those reading with physical books might not look up every word that seems incorrect and will skip over a few of these, but eventually they will stop reading. There were convoluted sentences everywhere, and many of them became silly if a person really looked at them.

The ugly: Here's my conclusion: this book was edited (and if by an outsider editor, the author paid a pretty price for this and didn't get her money's worth, but if personally edited, then some other person who is good at proofing and editing should be asked to help in any future writing endeavor since a second or third set of eyes would be helpful), and further, that a person with a thesaurus used synonyms for words without looking at the nuances between the individual words. This created not only issues within the story, but it also made the novel silly. Younger readers might not get it, but those who have some vocabulary experience will. The convoluted sentences made for many misplaced modifiers. It would be better to make simpler constructed sentences than trying to put too much information into one in order to sound more erudite because it doesn't work well.

In the future I hope (with book two) that the author decides to share her work with people that she trusts (perhaps a writers' group) prior to submitting it for publication. If not in a writers' group, read the novel aloud to people who will give constructive feedback. This will help hone your skills. As a person I know says, "A self-edited book is an unedited book." If paying for editing, then the novel still needs to be looked at by the author to make sure that what is being presented post-editing is what she really means to say. Just because they changed the wording doesn't mean it has to stay that way. ...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Aryn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, historical, young-adult, won-in-giveaway, fiction, romance

Overall, 3.5 Stars

What I did like about this book:

0. It came to me free from Goodreads Giveaways!

1. The characters all had interesting and diverse back stories. Laila, herself, was the progeny of a prostitute, though her parents did fall in love. Her father attempted to commit suicide when she was 8 years old, and failed, leaving himself mentally crippled in an asylum. Her mother raised her in a brothel, where she continued to work as a prostitute to pay her husband's way in the asylum.

2. The r ...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Heather rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I read this book for an Author Requested Review.

I hate when I have to tell a woman she has mustard on her face or lipstick on her teeth. But- I do it anyway to save her from further embarrassment. Well, ahem, Chloe, you have just a little...right there....up higher...here, let me help you...

I enjoyed four aspects of this book: the beginning, the end, the idea, and the cover. The ENTIRE time I was reading, I felt so frustrated by the repetitious syntax that I could hardly concentrate on the stor ...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Renetta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: found-on-first-reads, arc-from-giveaways, want-next-book, own-book

When you were younger, did you always dream of running away with the Circus? Me too! ...until I read Showtime.

Let's start with the story line...

Laila Vilonia is the protagonist in Showtime. Right away she finds herself in a bad situation that she's in no way responsible for. She ends up getting "rescued" by some roustabouts from the Marvelle Circus. Lying about her dysfunctional past, desperate to leave it behind, she is taken in and looks forward to a chance at a new life. Things start out well When you were younger, did you always dream of running away with the Circus? Me too! ...until I read Showtime.

Let's start with the story line...

Laila Vilonia is the protagonist in Showtime. Right away she finds herself in a bad situation that she's in no way responsible for. She ends up getting "rescued" by some roustabouts from the Marvelle Circus. Lying about her dysfunctional past, desperate to leave it behind, she is taken in and looks forward to a chance at a new life. Things start out well enough but a circus doesn't contain the most trustworthy people. She does make some strong bonds with some of the other circus inhabitants as well as a few enemies. Some of these enemies are more obvious than others. Danger is definitely waiting to pounce on Laila. There is a love interest, the disappearing man, Dex. She trusts him completely not heeding the warnings from her friends.

This story is written in third person. The details are so well written that I really felt like I was behind the scenes with Laila and her friends. I could smell the circus around me and feel the air on my skin. The author did a wonderful job at pulling me into the story. I found it took me longer than normal to read this because I would wander off in my mind picturing the events going on around me.

My emotional investment to these characters was stronger than normal. I didn't even realize how much until the last couple chapters when I was crying uncontrollably. Crying from fear, anger, frustration, relief, sadness. Ugh. I don't usually cry. Finding herself in the most dangerous situation one could find themselves, I felt like I was there, there with Dex, there with Seth and there was nothing I could do to help either!

Here's an example of what I loved about this book. Rather than a boring sentence like, Jodelle ran to the menagerie to find James, we get...

Jodelle latched the gate of the menagerie closed behind her as Laila marched up toward the tiger enclosure. Radbyrne strode up, brushing along the fencing as he passed, leaving clumps of orange fur on the wire. Laila stuck her hand out and pet him as she walked by, coarse fur gliding beneath her palm.

I enjoyed her humor also...

"Well you're not going, are you?"
"I am. And if you wish to file a complaint, I'm accepting slips in the bin." Laila motioned toward the silver trash bin stationed across the dining room.

I could easily add another dozen quotes but I'll stop there.

I look forward to reading future books about Laila, her friends, her enemies and the Marvelle Circus!

...more

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Oct 07, 2012 D rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A dark and eerily beautiful love story. Love for a new life. Love for belonging. Love for new family. And love that will make you run away with the circus.
Lose yourself in a world of wonder and deceit as you get to know Laila Vilonia and her crew of misfits in the Marvelle Circus. It's 1918 and Laila suddenly finds herself thrust into a world that demands hard work, strength, tenacity and that you always check over your shoulder.
I absolutely love how author Chloe Kayne portrayed life in a travel ...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Joni Thomas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I credit this book to getting me out of my reading funk. Until this book came along I was reading Mary Higgins Clark and nothing else simply because it kept my mind busy, not because I was actually into the story. And then came a period of not reading at all. Until I came home to a package on my porch and unwrapped it to find a copy of this lovely novel.
The detail is extraordinary. The circus and the characters come to life in this novel. I was captivated by the romance between Laila and her "D ...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Marissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow. That was....amazing. It was wonderful and vivid and it made me want to go to the circus so bad. Can I have the next one right now? Please?

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Aug 30, 2012 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: indie-love, indie-2013

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. Really. To the point that I stayed up way past my bedtime in order to finish it.
This takes place during the 20s (although it never actually mentions the year even once in the book and I would have been really confused if I hadn't read in the blurb that it was in the 20s), in the height of the circus' popularity. While I haven't been to a circus since I was a little girl, I was able to fall right into the genre and surroundings of the I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book. Really. To the point that I stayed up way past my bedtime in order to finish it.
This takes place during the 20s (although it never actually mentions the year even once in the book and I would have been really confused if I hadn't read in the blurb that it was in the 20s), in the height of the circus' popularity. While I haven't been to a circus since I was a little girl, I was able to fall right into the genre and surroundings of the book.
The characters. Well, first off we have Laila, who is not exactly your typical feel-good MC, and that's a good thing. She's easy to root for, even when she's giving up. Dex is the character I felt most intrigued by. Chloe Kayne kept teasing the reader with little tidbits, brief appearances here and there, and by halfway through the book I was nearly tearing out my hair to get a good dose of him.
I'm sure there will be people who compare this book with Water for Elephants, for the setting and era, although it wasn't until halfway through the book that I really tried to make a connection. The writing style is completely different, as are the characters, so I never felt that this was anything other than unique. Although, I did find myself remembering the show Carnivale, which was a huge favourite of mine back in the day.
The pacing of the book is what really made it for me. There are parts of it that aren't thrilling, obviously, because that would detract from the parts that are. However, even the slower sections of the book were well laced with foreshadowing, pulling the reader forward. There are a number of pesky editing issues, but I found that they were well worth ignoring.
I'm sure every wannabe author has heard the words: Write what you know. In my case, it would never be anything even remotely interesting. But Chloe Kayne is, herself, an aerialist. I would love to get inside her head to see the complex routines she imagines for her characters. As a layman, I had an impossible time visualizing the twists and flips. Part of me wants to be her, glamourous as she is. The other part of me knows that if I ever twisted myself into a pretzel-ish shape, there is very little chance I would ever be able to get out of it.

Copy of book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Jasmine Villanova rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Beneath the Moon and Stars review

This was such an amazing read. This had one of the most unique story lines I've ever read. The setting was fascinating. The characters were so amazing. This has everything a great book needs. Once I really got into it, I never wanted to put it down. I kept thinking to myself this would be an amazing movie. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes.

I really liked Laila. I like how she never gave up. She wasn't happy with her life so she made a new lif ...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Dawn Vanniman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

As you know, I am extremely picky about self-published books. I honestly had to go searching on this one after I read it - I was sure it was from some amazing small press that I hadn't heard of, but nothing shows up. The editing was fantastic. Ms. Kayne is going places, she's a fantastic writer!

Set in 1918, tis is the story of Laila, a girl who runs away with the circus.

Laila's dad is pretty much out of the picture and her mo ...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Nicole rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I really wanted to be able to give this book more stars. The story line is decent, interesting characters with shadowy backstories that remain to be revealed in future installments, and Ms. Kayne has absolutely got some talent. However, as is the danger with the majority of self-published work, it falls short in the technical aspects.

The most glaring issue was the author's apparent difficulty with homonyms: passed/past, taut/taught, peaked/peeked. These are the main homonyms I found jarringly mi ...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Nanette Bradford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Showtime by Chloe Kayne Reviewed by Nanette Bradford YATR Review Panel Date read: 2 November 2012

The more of this book you read the more you want to know about Laila, the 16 year old, who left her old life behind to join the Circus. Well, she really didn't have much of a choice though. Her life at home is anything but great. Her father couldn't deal with life anymore and decided to take the cowards way out. He actually thought by shooting himself, in front of his wife and kid mind you, he would ...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Hypia Sanches rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone reading this: please, ignore any mistakes (grammar/spelling) you see here.

I love young adult novels. It's more like an addiction, actually, and this was no different.

Laila's story kept me interested from the very first pages. Family-related issues, her interaction with others at the circus, all the stuff that happens to her in this book; all of this was the kind of things I like to read about.

Dex, Laila's love interest, ...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Amanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I started out thinking this was a paranormal romance for some reason. But it kept popping up on a "must read" list. The author, Chloe Kayne, was gracious to give me a copy in exchange for my review.

When I started the book, I was hooked from the get go. It felt as if I were transported to the time period when circuses were the stars. I cant wait to get my hands on book 2. The storylines are so beautifully interwoven that you cant find a place to put the book down even for a moment. The jealousy V ...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Sandi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: too-much-prose

Showtime is about a girl, Laila, who joins the infamous Marvelle Circus after an unfortunate event outside the gates that leads to a misunderstanding. While the book had strong potential, its accomplishment (or lack thereof) falls victim to novice-writer mistakes.

The Writing

What I liked: vivid imagery

What I didn’t like: too much of it

I appreciate that the author has a fondness for how things are described. I believe the author genuinely likes writing and its aesthetics, which fills the book ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Kristin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was asked to give my honest oppinion on this book by the author. I figured the best way to give a honest review/oppinion was to write it as I read the book. So here are my thoughts as I read - Showtime by Chloe Kayne.

WARNING: Review contains major spoilers so dont read this review if you havent read the book yet because it does give away some of the plot.

*Chapters 1& 2: When I first started reading I thought the author was trying to hard. The way the starting scene was described in my oppinion ...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Leah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, ebooks, circus, read-in-2013

I was absolutely delighted when the author offered me a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review of her work. I must say that on the whole I was impressed. I loved how much the reading stretched even MY vocabulary and I'm in a doctoral program, read constantly, and did pretty darn good on the GRE! I had to look words up more than once a chapter sometimes and I was thrilled that someone writing in the YA genre is opening the intellect of her audience, even if it was unintentional on her p I was absolutely delighted when the author offered me a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review of her work. I must say that on the whole I was impressed. I loved how much the reading stretched even MY vocabulary and I'm in a doctoral program, read constantly, and did pretty darn good on the GRE! I had to look words up more than once a chapter sometimes and I was thrilled that someone writing in the YA genre is opening the intellect of her audience, even if it was unintentional on her part.

With that said, I felt a somewhat strange attachment to Laila, the main character. While I don't feel that I related to her directly, I did spend a great deal of time worried about her. That probably has something to do with my life being nothing like getting to run off and join the circus. Our early exposure to her life is not a pleasant one and she has an unfortunate past when we meet her. I was rooting for her so hard when Marvelle accepted her to the circus because I wanted her to get out. Making friends came next and I was glad to see that there was a diversity among her companions in both personality and gender. My favorite friendships are BrOTPs that are a boy and a girl. Too often in books it seems like two adolescents can't just be friends because they are the opposite sex. The dynamic of the friendships worked well too, going through the ups and downs of a real friendship. Also, THANK YOU to the author for not losing the friendships in the face of the relationship storyline. No one likes that girl in real life, so I would have hated it in a lead character.As for the relationship, it evolves with one of the sideshow acts 'The Disappearing Man' who in real life is a boy named Dex. (For some reason when I read the author's description I continually pictured him as Ben Whishaw playing Q in Skyfall. Not bad at all Laila!) I wanted to like Dex, and I did, but I never really felt like we got to know him that well. There's still more books for that though. And I never could figure out the point of his surprise related character coming into the book so late, but okay I guess. In the beginning I felt that the author was overly descriptive to a fault, like she was trying to put so much symbolism and set into it that it was irritating. I found that by the middle of the book it got a lot better and by the end descriptions of the Polarity performances I was quite happy. I enjoyed the story overall, and while the ending is brutal to read in many ways it did set up a lot of potential story for the continuing series.

Now, on to what I didn't like. I had one really big problem that kept bugging me when reading this book. I could not wrap my head around the timeline at all. Historically, it made no sense. The book description bills it as the 1920s. This fell to pieces in my head when there is ample reference to drinking throughout the book. Prohibition was in place from 1920 to 1933. Laila tells the circus owner that she is 16 at the beginning of the book. A magazine article in the story lists her birth year as 1902, which comes out to be 1918 when the story begins. Even if we understand that at least a year passes between Laila's leaving New York and her return as the star of the show, she is still at most 18. While drinking ages varied between states before 1984, the legal age in New York pre-1919 was 21. It just made no sense. Why did they need to be of age to enter the side show and yet Laila and her friends are regularly exposed to alcohol with complete freedom? I know it's picky but I have a hard time believing a book if I can't believe its timeline in alt history. Also, while I adore the old Big Top idea of the circus (one of the reasons I wanted to read this book) I often felt like the author got turned around between what were supposed to be tents having interior settings that came across like permanent structures. Once again, a personal thing for me. I'm very setting oriented sometimes. And while I am so thankful to the author for the free ebook, I will say that there were a few grammar mistakes as well as some duplicate pages in my edition.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I would recommend it to those who are fans of 'The Night Circus' only a bit more toned down. It reads quickly and was great to fill in time between classes. ...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Carla D. rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook, in-english, read-in-2013, sent-for-review

I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis I was very curious about this book and I really wanted to read it, since I had never read anything related to the circus and its lifestyle. So when the author contacted me asking if I wanted a free copy in exchange for an honest review, I couldn't say anything else besides YES!

First of all, the story takes place in the early 1920’s but I never felt it in the way it was written, though ther I received a digital arc directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis I was very curious about this book and I really wanted to read it, since I had never read anything related to the circus and its lifestyle. So when the author contacted me asking if I wanted a free copy in exchange for an honest review, I couldn't say anything else besides YES!

First of all, the story takes place in the early 1920’s but I never felt it in the way it was written, though there were some small references which reminded me of this throughout the story. For me, the story was happening now, in the present. There was nothing in the book, besides these small references like I said before, relating the supposed period to the way it was written and I find this a tremendous failure. Some time references are not enough to make me feel that the story takes place in another period. I need to see it without stuff like “In 1918 blah blah blah".

Another situation that bothered me was when Laila is accused of having poisoned Vivian, and this whole scene seemed to be poorly developed. First, it came out of nowhere and it didn't make any sense. Miss Robinson starts by accusing Laila of attempting to murder Vivian and five minutes later she is inviting her to take Vivian’s place at the show. What?! This is absurd. And this is not the only one. I didn't get how Laila becomes Jodelle's best friend if in the beginning Jodelle hated her (with no reason, if I may say). It’s weird because it happens too fast and you don’t make friends that easy, am I right? Someone you hate doesn't become your friend just because, right?

I won’t just say bad things, there are some good stuff in this book also. I actually liked the way the author developed the relationship between Laila and Dex. They don’t just fall in love and that’s it. No. Unlike what happens with Jodelle, the relationship between Laila and Dex grows throughout the story; they built something little by little.

Another thing that surprised me in a good way was the descriptions. It was breathtaking; I could see the glamorous Marvelle Circus so clearly in my head; and I didn't need to put too much effort in imagining Laila's performance because it was there, crystal clear.

In the last few chapters the author really caught my attention. I couldn't stop reading. I'm not eager to read the rest but I’m certainly curious about Dex's story and some other stuff that I’ll be looking forward in book two, and I honestly hope it will be better. ...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Brenda rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-author

I just want to say I am extremely happy that I got this book for such a steal. Sure, I have to post an honest opinion about the book in exchange for the book, but I would have done that anyway!

I loved it. I never would have guessed this about myself, but it turns out I quite like circus books. This is definitely a book I'll be recommending to others. I finished it in just over a day while flying back from vacation.

Basic synopsis: 16 year old Laila has learned to do what she has to in order to g I just want to say I am extremely happy that I got this book for such a steal. Sure, I have to post an honest opinion about the book in exchange for the book, but I would have done that anyway!

I loved it. I never would have guessed this about myself, but it turns out I quite like circus books. This is definitely a book I'll be recommending to others. I finished it in just over a day while flying back from vacation.

Basic synopsis: 16 year old Laila has learned to do what she has to in order to get by. She leads a hard life, involved with dealing (fake) drugs to dangerous people as well as living in a brothel. When an opportunity arises for her to join the circus and escape her predicament, she does. But not without wondering whether it was the correct choice. She eventually rises to stardom and learns that things are still hard, no matter where you are.

The story starts immediately. The author does an excellent job of giving valuable information without making it seems so introductory. All the characters were distinct and seemed real, which I used to underestimate in novels until I read on where the characters were dismally flat. Anyway, I loved the descriptions of the circus and the circus acts. I normally tend to skim through the descriptions in a book, but for this I was so focused on it that I would spend an inordinate amount of time on just one paragraph.

I think Jodelle and Vivian were my favorites. Jodelle is the fiery best friend that doesn't guard against showing her true feelings. And Vivian is one hell of a villain. It was so much fun to hate her and her scathing remarks!

Probably the only downside for me was that it was relatively predictable, but I'm not sure if that's because I've read too many books or not. Even so, I was still caught by surprise with some things (Dex and Seth's past, which I'm sure we'll find out more in the next book).

My only real reason for giving the book 4 stars out of 5 is because it needs to have an awesome follow-up in the second book. I know it's probably not fair to lower the rating of this one before the other one has even come out, but there you go.

Read it. It's great. ...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Shara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Shara by: Chloe Kayne

Shelves: reviewed, first-reads, kindle-read

Rating: 3.5

You can also read my review here: http://thebookendreviews.blogspot.com...

Lifes a Circus.

I had the honor of being sent a free e-copy of Showtime by author, Chloe Kayne in return for providing an honest review. I wanted to do Kayne a solid and give Showtime 5 out of 5 stars...however, that wouldn't be "honest" of me and that is what she asked for. I thought about it for a few days and I've make my decision to give Showtime 3.5 stars.

Showtime takes place in the world renowned Marvelle ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Laura Zimmerman rated it liked it · review of another edition

I received this book at no cost, thanks to the author. She sent me a free copy in exchange for an honest review so here goes...

I have to say that I had trouble maintaining interest in this story. The first few paragraphs were difficult to get through because they were SO descriptive--I felt the amount of description of the surroundings took away from what events were happening. However, after that the writing seemed less forced, as if the author settled into her rhythm.

It's possible that my inab I received this book at no cost, thanks to the author. She sent me a free copy in exchange for an honest review so here goes...

I have to say that I had trouble maintaining interest in this story. The first few paragraphs were difficult to get through because they were SO descriptive--I felt the amount of description of the surroundings took away from what events were happening. However, after that the writing seemed less forced, as if the author settled into her rhythm.

It's possible that my inability to remain interested is due to my age (mid-40's). The book was written as a YA selection so I realize that I may just be too far outside the age group the book was intended for. I found myself thinking that the story, the settings, the events, and the characters were not quite developed yet, as if they were still maturing into what they could have been. There are certainly some intriguing parts (such as the train car--I always imagined circus trains to be comfortable and functional, not the luxuriously appointed car that was described early in the book, which made me wonder what the circus owner was up to), but overall the story didn't do much for me.

Having said that, I can see how a younger person would be intrigued and interested in "Showtime". I think there's a piece of each one of us that has dreamed of joining the circus and wondered what that life would be like. I also believe that we all know, or knew, someone whose life was a bit on the rough side; someone who really wanted to get away and start a new life, and the author taps into those parts of us.

I wish I had read the book about 25 years ago--I think I would have read it with a very different eye than I did at this point in my life. As it was, my attention wasn't held by the story and rather than being interested enough to finish the book, I read about half and then moved on to another book.

I commend the author for her efforts. I see some real potential in "Showtime" and I hope she continues to hone her writing skills and do more writing in the future. ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Krystal rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: super-cute, tough-guys, nook-books

I was asked to review this with complete honesty...

So to start out, I have a thing for circuses and clowns and what not. I think the fear of clowns and the circus is dumb. I love them. Everything about them is amazing to me. With that said, it took me forever to be able to picture this circus and the freakin train.

The train sounded like it had big, awesome box cars. Two levels to them and what not... and yet... it's still on a train... Basically, I imagined a big ass train with big ass cars stuc ...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Alexa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, review

I liked this book.

I was really intrigued by the summary when I first read it. The first couple of chapters lived up to my expectations. Troubled kids, crazy parents, running way from home.

I found that once Laila was part of the circus not much happened. There were many characters being introduced and I found it difficult to keep track of them all. After she began living there not much would really happen for a while. They would go for walks and eat dinner and be in their cart but other than co ...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Keri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-giveaways, favorites

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

When I wasn't in school or studying for exams, I was literally devouring this book. The action, mystery, and drama starts on page one and doesn't cease until the very end.

Showtime is the story of Laila, a teenage girl who joins the circus in order to escape her terrible home life. While in the circus she makes plenty of new friends, becomes a star, and also falls in love with the mysterious "Disappearing Man."

The author's writing style is ...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Charity rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

SPOILER ALERT:

Laila Vilonia is an outcast in the world and the book opens with her and her friend, Hannah, getting into a fight with some local kids. In the process, the security for Marvelle Circus breaks up the fight and hauls Laila to the head carriage. Laila is given the opportunity to join the circus because she implies that her parents are both dead. Laila moves into a carriage with 3 roommates and her life begins to get interesting and better than she had ever dreamed. Laila comes from a ...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Kelsy M rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I LOVED this book, its so different from anything ive read before and I like that.

This book follows Laila who in the beginning is trying to get tickets to the Marvelle circus with a friend but things go terribly wrong and she ends up getting taken to the boss of the circus and ends up staying and becoming part of the circus. This is perfect for her because she can escape her mother who is reluctant to see that her father isn’t the same man anymore since he survived a suicide attempt and got loc ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Czarina rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-in-a-series, time-warp, babbling

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been to an actual circus before but Showtime is exactly how I think it would be like. The details were so vivid, especially the aerial stunts, that I wanted to jump inside the book & see the show personally.

The book started with a dug deal gone bad, & after Laila was left by her so called friend, she got into trouble & Marvelle offered her a job, thus her circus career was born. Laila has a small group ...more

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