Book Review - Freaks Like Us

Freaks Like Us
Author: Jackie Trippier Holt
Series: Dirty Monsters #1
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy | Adult
Release Date: 11th October 2012
Publishers: Book Snuffler
No. Pages: 132
Source: Purchased
Rating: 
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"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and children of all ages! Welcome to Burfoot's Circus, the travelling home of freaks, misfits, drop-outs and the socially inept  - sometimes all of the above  - come together for your entertainment pleasure tonight, out of a love of performing in some cases, and simply fear of discovery in others. We have little people, fae, werewolves and mutations, hybrids and humans in The Ring together! We have demons and dogs and those who prefer to keep silent about the stories of how and why they came to join the circus. Yet, most important of all, we have acts! We have The Saw Man, The Cat Boy, The Violet Illusion, Fearless Henry, Lady Fortunata, Benedict The Storyteller, The Bearded Lady, Snake and too, too many more to mention."

"Catch the show now, while you can. We can't stay long in any town and who knows where we'll be next? And honestly, folks, our circus isn't what it was and certainly isn't what it should be. See it now and you'll be able to say, 'Burfoot's? I knew it before it was famous'". Because nothing can remain a secret forever..

Before I started this book, I had not idea what I was expecting, let alone what I was going to get. The synopsis itself, although not hugely descriptive of the plot, was intriguing enough to grip me. I first entered a giveaway, which I sadly didn't win, but I was certain that I wanted to own, read and love this book, so I bought it.

To start with, the cover is just jaw-droppingly beautiful. The simple use of orangey/yellow and red to represent the circus tent, and the outline of a young lady reminded me of how I draw women, and how difficult I find it to draw two identical eyes, so this cover just drew me in instantly, and there was no ignoring it.

The first and only reason I would have deducted any stars, was that it took a little too long to get into the story for me. I felt that, for a book with no real description of the plot before actually starting it, that the speed in which it was written was a bit of a let down. When it really started though, it was brilliant. For this reason, I have avoided taking a star off my rating, after much deliberation and a few days to think it over. One thing I would love to commend Holt for, is how she made the characters so human, yet so different at the same time. There were times when I would feel so invested and emotional for the characters, I would actually believe that they were fully human, and not a form of hybrid or different creature entirely. Not only this, but Jackie included some very important, real life issues that really took me by surprise, or should I say, I was surprised to come across.

This book was so beautifully written, that there is not a single doubt in my mind that I'll be reading the next installment of the Dirty Monsters series. You've got yourself another positive review Jackie.