The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

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The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 


WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!

My thoughts are all jumbled when it comes to this novel: I can't pick out a favorite character, or a favorite scene, or a favorite sub-plot. Morgenstern weaves the stories surrounding the circus and the people involved -- creators, entertainers, and patrons alike -- with aplomb.

I didn't pay enough attention to the dates in the chapters at first, so I had to re-read a bit of each.

I borrowed this from the library (I squealed when I was notified that it was ready for pick-up!) and I will definitely be purchasing it for my own collection.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!