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Girl in the Shadows
(Cirque American #2)
by
Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly cov ...more
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly cov ...more
Paperback, 380 pages
Published
July 5th 2016
by Skyscape
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Maya
Not a direct sequel as it centers around a new character. However Jules, Remy and the rest show up in the book.
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Start your review of Girl in the Shadows (Cirque American #2)

magicians + charming, mysterious love interest + real magic + awesome mc = perfection
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I SEE YOU, MIXED REVIEWS.
But I honestly don't get it, because I totally adored this book. It was fun, fast-paced, the romance was absolute perfection, and all the tricks and magic made it so original.
oh, not to mention the feminist aspects weaved throughout the story that I really, really loved. + how the relationship between moira and dez grew gradually, and was so healthy. + the father-daughter re ...more
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I SEE YOU, MIXED REVIEWS.
But I honestly don't get it, because I totally adored this book. It was fun, fast-paced, the romance was absolute perfection, and all the tricks and magic made it so original.
oh, not to mention the feminist aspects weaved throughout the story that I really, really loved. + how the relationship between moira and dez grew gradually, and was so healthy. + the father-daughter re ...more

I received this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
It's a 1.5. I'm sorry, but this is really full of tropes and I want to read something enjoyable. Now that I have time to read I don't want to use it to torture myself with books that have more tropes than pages.
I'll try to keep it short:
- the characters are flat. There's not much space for characterisation of whatsoever and I think that overall there was no growth for the main character nor the secondary ones. There was a l ...more
It's a 1.5. I'm sorry, but this is really full of tropes and I want to read something enjoyable. Now that I have time to read I don't want to use it to torture myself with books that have more tropes than pages.
I'll try to keep it short:
- the characters are flat. There's not much space for characterisation of whatsoever and I think that overall there was no growth for the main character nor the secondary ones. There was a l ...more

Aug 15, 2017
Colleen Houck
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
setting,
espionage-intrigue,
risk-taking,
magic,
secrets,
super-powers,
suspense,
chbc-author,
circus,
spy
I loved this girl power take on the world of magic. My favorite scene was the disappearing Ferris wheel. So fun to be immersed in the life of magicians and to hear favorite tricks explained as well as as learn about some new ones. The coffin scene made me claustrophobic. I was holding my breath like the audience!

Join the discussion over at Tales of the Ravenous Reader!
The magic business will never fully embrace a woman. It isn't what the audience wants. You can never be a magician, Moira.
Not hard to imagine why Moira feels like she is in her father's shadow...It's also not hard to imagine why she would run away in order to prove herself. So when Moira arrives at the great Cirque American, she's not going to take no for an answer, even if she fumbles her audition thanks to some unexpected magic.
Girl in ...more
The magic business will never fully embrace a woman. It isn't what the audience wants. You can never be a magician, Moira.
Not hard to imagine why Moira feels like she is in her father's shadow...It's also not hard to imagine why she would run away in order to prove herself. So when Moira arrives at the great Cirque American, she's not going to take no for an answer, even if she fumbles her audition thanks to some unexpected magic.
Girl in ...more

Fast-paced and enjoyable reading. Unfortunately it didn't have the same focus on the atmosphere of the circus as the previous book. A fun book nonetheless.
...more

Girl in the Shadows is full of intriguing magic, fun circus acts, and a bit of mystery surrounding our main characters!
"Magic was well-crafted lies woven into stories no one believed were true, even though they delighted to see the convincing falsehood with their own eyes."
We meet our main character, Moira, as she is getting ready to impress her magician father in order to get a job with him.. But he is not having it. Right off the bat we learn that Moira's father doesn't want her to be a ma ...more
"Magic was well-crafted lies woven into stories no one believed were true, even though they delighted to see the convincing falsehood with their own eyes."
We meet our main character, Moira, as she is getting ready to impress her magician father in order to get a job with him.. But he is not having it. Right off the bat we learn that Moira's father doesn't want her to be a ma ...more

May 03, 2016
Laura (midorireads)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-arcs
When I'd first requested this book, I had no idea it was the second in a series. But I did find out that this was a sequel in the sense that it was the same world and even included many of the characters from the first. With this knowledge, I decided to go ahead and start this book.
Let me start off by saying that I loved the MC Moira. The fact that she was determined to make a name for herself, and was so in love her craft that she made plans (unbeknownst to her father, who had forbidden her fro ...more
Let me start off by saying that I loved the MC Moira. The fact that she was determined to make a name for herself, and was so in love her craft that she made plans (unbeknownst to her father, who had forbidden her fro ...more

*I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
DNF
Rating 2.5
I guess the best thing I can equate this book to is a friend of convenience. The friendship is nice but overall pretty superficial. Like they're someone you can go to get coffee or brunch with, and maybe hang out with from time to time but they're not someone you'd ever really call if you needed something. And in all honesty they are not close enough of a friend that you'd really miss them when they're gone.
Ov ...more
DNF
Rating 2.5
I guess the best thing I can equate this book to is a friend of convenience. The friendship is nice but overall pretty superficial. Like they're someone you can go to get coffee or brunch with, and maybe hang out with from time to time but they're not someone you'd ever really call if you needed something. And in all honesty they are not close enough of a friend that you'd really miss them when they're gone.
Ov ...more

I received this book through NetGalley and Skyscape and Two Lions in exchange for an honest review.
I. Ok, so I'm really disappointed. Like... really disappointed. I'll give you the tldr; right here: the characters are flat, the only explicitly stated recurring character of color is used to jumpstart the white MC's magic career, it's casually homophobic on more than one occasion, and the romance is so rushed that it's unbelievable.
Alright first things first: I was a big fan of Bond after reading ...more
I. Ok, so I'm really disappointed. Like... really disappointed. I'll give you the tldr; right here: the characters are flat, the only explicitly stated recurring character of color is used to jumpstart the white MC's magic career, it's casually homophobic on more than one occasion, and the romance is so rushed that it's unbelievable.
Alright first things first: I was a big fan of Bond after reading ...more

This was a real disappointment. I didn't expect to really enjoy the first book in this "series," Girl on a Wire, for a variety of reasons, but it turned out to be suprisingly good. I was incredibly excited to listen to this book, the next book in the Circe American universe. This book is not a sequel as it follows a different young woman, but there is overlap between this book and Girl on a Wire. The characters from Girl on a Wire are present in Girl in the Shadows, but for the most part, they a
...more

3.5 Stars
Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
First things first, this is the second book in a series, but it’s about different characters. I don’t think you need to read the first book in order to understand it, but you may be slightly confused about who certain characters are or what they’re talking about in reference to certain events or objects from the first book.
Now for my actual thoughts on the book… I really liked Girl on a Wir ...more
Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
First things first, this is the second book in a series, but it’s about different characters. I don’t think you need to read the first book in order to understand it, but you may be slightly confused about who certain characters are or what they’re talking about in reference to certain events or objects from the first book.
Now for my actual thoughts on the book… I really liked Girl on a Wir ...more

I already read two books by Gwenda Bond, her two Lois Lane novel that are really great, so I was really excited when I saw that one when scrolling through netgalley. I loved how the cover has the look of a nice shiny circus poster. Now I like it even more as I understand the details after reading the story and that’s my favourite kind of cover. I haven’t read the first book in the series, Girl on a Wire, but Girl in the Shadows is a companion novel so even if I’m sure it’s better to have read th
...more

Girl in the Shadows is the second book in the Cirque American and both builds on what we knew about the Cirque and the characters we met in Girl on a Wire and takes it in a new direction with a new plot and new main characters.
When we meet Moira she's ready to prove herself but it doesn't go as she wanted, and she ends up defying her father in a rather spectacular way and joins the Cirque!
I liked Moira a lot because she's brave and extremely motivated, she loves what she does but she is not ruth ...more
When we meet Moira she's ready to prove herself but it doesn't go as she wanted, and she ends up defying her father in a rather spectacular way and joins the Cirque!
I liked Moira a lot because she's brave and extremely motivated, she loves what she does but she is not ruth ...more

Dec 20, 2017
Alaina
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary,
fantasy,
kindle-unlimited,
historical-fiction,
mystery,
2017,
romance,
young-adult,
fiction,
paranormal
Yes, I'm writing the reviews out of order for this series but I don't think it really matters since the books have completely different characters in it. Just go with it.
Girl in the Shadows was pretty good but I guess I was just expecting more since the first book, Girl on a Wire was really good in my eyes. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the fact that I was just sort of expecting more from this book in a way.
What I really liked about Girl in the Shadows was that it had a f ...more
Girl in the Shadows was pretty good but I guess I was just expecting more since the first book, Girl on a Wire was really good in my eyes. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the fact that I was just sort of expecting more from this book in a way.
What I really liked about Girl in the Shadows was that it had a f ...more

Jun 26, 2016
CeeMarie
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
net-galley-arcs-reviewed
I liked this better than OK but not by much. This is more 2.5 stars for me. I liked the stage magic settings, the characters of Moira and Dez, and the ending, but I didn't really care about much else.
I received a review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I received a review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic....more
When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father’s handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to j

Copy provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Agh I hate when the concept is great but the execution falls just short of making it so, and I think Girl in the Shadows is one example of that. Magic and the circus? Yaaas sign me up! But I felt like it never really came off the pages. The circus world is there when convenient, but not really explored, Moira and Dez as characters are flat and their romance didn’t make sense to me, and the only interesting characters didn’ ...more
Agh I hate when the concept is great but the execution falls just short of making it so, and I think Girl in the Shadows is one example of that. Magic and the circus? Yaaas sign me up! But I felt like it never really came off the pages. The circus world is there when convenient, but not really explored, Moira and Dez as characters are flat and their romance didn’t make sense to me, and the only interesting characters didn’ ...more

Jun 30, 2016
Dani (Dani Reviews Things & Love in a time of Feminism)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
kindle-copy,
lgbtqia,
lol,
silly-teenagers,
young-adult,
blog-tour,
swoon,
read-2016,
2016-release
This is the second book in a series. Read my review of the first book, Girl on a Wire, here.
In Girl on a Wire, we were introduced to the Cirque American and Jules Maroni, a wire walker. In Girl in the Shadows, we return to the Cirque American with Moira Mitchell, daughter of a world-renowned Vegas magician and aspiring magician herself. ...more
In a sentence
Girl in the Shadows continues a year after Girl on a Wire with the same level of mystery and rich history that was so enjoyable in the first book.
In Girl on a Wire, we were introduced to the Cirque American and Jules Maroni, a wire walker. In Girl in the Shadows, we return to the Cirque American with Moira Mitchell, daughter of a world-renowned Vegas magician and aspiring magician herself. ...more

Featured on Intellectual Recreation.
Before I get started with my thoughts, why don't we just take a moment to appreciate the splendor of this cover! I love everything about it. I love the font and the colors and how it is all arranged, but I also love the little details of the mask, the playing cards, the knives, and the hearts, all of which are significant to the story. Bravo cover designers! Bravo!
Girl in the Shadows is a companion novel to Girl on a Wire, the first book in Gwenda Bond's Ci ...more

"The coffin might sound morbid, but I wasn't planning to die in it. I was planning to live. Forget college or a normal future. I wanted to be a magician: The Miraculous Moira."
See reviews first on my blog
Moira has always wanted to be a magician just like her father, but he refuses to let her do it, or even be a part of his act. So instead she does what any young woman would do, sneak around and learn tricks on her own until she is sure they are good enough to show and prove to him that she can b ...more
See reviews first on my blog
Moira has always wanted to be a magician just like her father, but he refuses to let her do it, or even be a part of his act. So instead she does what any young woman would do, sneak around and learn tricks on her own until she is sure they are good enough to show and prove to him that she can b ...more

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I had a moment of extreme cover love, which ultimately led me to requesting this book. Isn't the cover gorgeous?
Unfortunately, the cover is my favorite part about this book.
Girl in the Shadows is the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book, but I can say that it doesn't refer back to it in any major way, and the ending is clean.
Moira is the daughter of a renowned Vegas strip magician, dying to make a ca ...more
I had a moment of extreme cover love, which ultimately led me to requesting this book. Isn't the cover gorgeous?
Unfortunately, the cover is my favorite part about this book.
Girl in the Shadows is the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book, but I can say that it doesn't refer back to it in any major way, and the ending is clean.
Moira is the daughter of a renowned Vegas strip magician, dying to make a ca ...more

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, which does not influence my review.*
Gwenda Bond’s Girl in the Shadows, the sequel to her novel Girl on a Wire, tells the story of a girl who longs to be a magician like her father, but is destined for an even bigger stage. I haven’t read the first book in this series, so I was a little nervous going into this one, but this novel focuses largely on a different character and doesn’t necessarily require you to read the first. Moira wants more than ...more
Gwenda Bond’s Girl in the Shadows, the sequel to her novel Girl on a Wire, tells the story of a girl who longs to be a magician like her father, but is destined for an even bigger stage. I haven’t read the first book in this series, so I was a little nervous going into this one, but this novel focuses largely on a different character and doesn’t necessarily require you to read the first. Moira wants more than ...more

2 Stars.
Girl in the Shadows delivered on cool magic acts, but fell down when it came to character development and the romance. In general, this book felt flat for me - I could see where the author wanted to go, but it just didn't come off. Okay, into the nitty gritty of the review.
Characters: Ah, the MC, Moira - on one level I understood her frustrations, and on another level I felt she went about it all the wrong way. Why did she just walk into that house? How stupid are you? Of course somethin ...more
Girl in the Shadows delivered on cool magic acts, but fell down when it came to character development and the romance. In general, this book felt flat for me - I could see where the author wanted to go, but it just didn't come off. Okay, into the nitty gritty of the review.
Characters: Ah, the MC, Moira - on one level I understood her frustrations, and on another level I felt she went about it all the wrong way. Why did she just walk into that house? How stupid are you? Of course somethin ...more

Jul 01, 2016
Kari Rhiannon (Moon Magister Reviews)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
I received an ARC copy from 'Skyscape and Two Lions’ in return for an honest review. There seems to be a little confusion in the reviewing community as to whether it should count as book two and therefore should be read after 'Girl on a Wire’ or whether it can be read as a standalone. My personal opinion is that it should be read after 'Girl on a Wire’ because you get so much more out of this book if you’re familiar with the characters of the previous book.
I enjoyed this book…it was a little cha ...more
I enjoyed this book…it was a little cha ...more

3.75 stars.
I really wanted to give this four stars, and by the middle of the book I thought I would, but while the middle 50% of the book was solid, the first and last 25% of the book didn't enchant me as much. It took me a long time to get through the first quarter, but I think part of that was my fault. I had read other reviews where people were saying it wasn't that good and that the characters were flat and the trope of insta-love is used, and I think that made me less interested in the book ...more
I really wanted to give this four stars, and by the middle of the book I thought I would, but while the middle 50% of the book was solid, the first and last 25% of the book didn't enchant me as much. It took me a long time to get through the first quarter, but I think part of that was my fault. I had read other reviews where people were saying it wasn't that good and that the characters were flat and the trope of insta-love is used, and I think that made me less interested in the book ...more

Girl in the Shadows is mediocre. I honestly thought that this was going to be a favorite for me; I absolutely love stage magic. I had a big fat crush on Lance Burton when he performed in Las Vegas and I got to go onstage. I had my own little magic set. I watched all those Fox Family (back when it was still Fox Family) specials where it was just nonstop magic.
So going in, I believed this would be fantastic. It's not. Moira was the kind of strong-willed that irritates the hell out of me in a main ...more
So going in, I believed this would be fantastic. It's not. Moira was the kind of strong-willed that irritates the hell out of me in a main ...more
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Gwenda Bond is the author of many novels, primarily for young adults. Among others, they include the Lois Lane trilogy, which brings the iconic comic book character front and center in her own YA novels, and the Cirque American trilogy, about daredevil heroines who discover magic and mystery lurking under the big top. She and her husband author Christopher Rowe also co-write a middle grade series,
...more
Other books in the series
Cirque American
(2 books)
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