YA book from 2003-2007 with a runaway and a circus

[Meredith]

This is going to be super vague, but if anyone can help me out I'd be super grateful. I'm a bookseller, so I've already tried hitting up the bookseller and children's bookseller FB pages for my company, AND I asked book friends on Twitter and, so far, nada. I'm getting desperate!

Basically, all I can remember is this: I bought this book between 2003-2007 from an indie bookstore. It featured a teen girl MC who ran away and ended up at a circus/carnival. It was dark and twisted. There might have been something about tattoos...? I honestly can't remember anything else. I don't think it was a big publisher and it wasn't any of the popular, well-known titles from back then - Not Darren Shan or Lauren DeStefano or any of those. I don't think it specifically said anything about the circus in its title, but I can't remember.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[Kris]

Meredith, can you tell us more about the girl - why she ran away, her family/friends, skills/interests, how and where she finds the circus/carnival (e.g., etc.?

What makes the book dark?

Any fantasy elements?

What is the story's time period and location - country, region, big city/small town?

[Andria]

maybe The Likes of Me?

[Meredith]

Andria wrote: "maybe The Likes of Me?"

No, sadly. Thanks for trying!

[Rainbowheart]

Might want to check this list....

YA & Middle Grade Circus/Carnivals/Amusement Parks

[Meredith]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Might want to check this list....

YA & Middle Grade Circus/Carnivals/Amusement Parks"

Thanks! I'll take a look!

[Meredith]

Kris wrote: "Meredith, can you tell us more about the girl - why she ran away, her family/friends, skills/interests, how and where she finds the circus/carnival (e.g., etc.?

What makes the book dark?

Any fant..."

Sadly, I can't remember any of that. Although, I randomly remembered something about tattoos and googled "Tattoo Girl" on here and found this:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

And I... I think this might be it..? 100% makes sense I had trouble finding it because it's clearly not teen, but it was shelved as teen when I bought it 11 years ago. I won't know for sure until I read it if it's the right book, but... Fingers crossed!

[Kate]

Meredith ~~
Please let us know when you find out for sure. We'll either keep looking, or we'll mark it as Solved and shelve the book.
Thanks!

[Meredith]

Kate wrote: "Meredith ~~
Please let us know when you find out for sure. We'll either keep looking, or we'll mark it as Solved and shelve the book.
Thanks!"

Will do, thanks!

[Kris]

Here's the Google Books preview of Tattoo Girl by Brooke Stevens:

https://books.google.com/books?id=4U8... (There are different cover images.)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Meredith, still looking or was this found?