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momwithareadingproblem 's review for:
Freeks
by Amanda Hocking
I received an eARC of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
As my first read of 2017, Freeks by Amanda Hocking was an interesting choice. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it isn’t my typical read. To be honest, it was the cover that drew me in. Circus/carnival stories have always fascinated me so I was curious and hopeful for this one. Freeks follows a girl in a traveling sideshow but with a twist. The people actually possess the powers they claim: psychic, necromancer, fast healing, etc. I liked this addition!
Mara is a character that jumps off the pages. I could easily see her in real life. She’s inquisitive, a bit of a misfit, and makes no apologies for it. She hides behind the carnival, the sideshow of fellow freaks she travels with. She stays behind the scenes, claiming she has no powers, though in reality they just haven’t manifested yet. Mara longs for a steady life, one with a house and home phone number, but she can’t imagine leaving her makeshift family.
The story really begins when the carnival enters the town of Caudry, a small community in Louisiana they were invited to perform in. From the moment they cross the bridge into town, the paranormals in the camp feel a sense of dread. Their powers are off, and then one of their own goes missing. This adds a touch of mystery to the plot. I actually enjoyed this. I spent the majority of the book trying to guess what was happening. Let me be the first to tell you just to enjoy the read and not guess. You won’t get it right!
With any good story comes a little romance as well. This one in the form of a young man with a kindred spirit to Mara. She feels a gut instinct that she should be frightened of him, but she can’t seem to stay away from Gabe. Gabe is mysterious, kind hearted, and infatuated with her. He returns to the carnival almost daily just to see her, knowing she leaves at the end of the week. Personally I liked him, but I worried through the entire book that he might have a hand in the events that were happening.
Overall, I enjoyed Freeks! Set in the 1980s (though I believe that it could have been set in any time period), the story jumped off the pages. I felt that I was there in the carnival, seeing the mysterious sights and watching the events unfold. Mara wasn’t my favorite character though. I felt her a bit selfish and too focused on Gabe rather than her friend that was missing and the thing that was attacking them. Despite this, I still enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story. While there are elements of paranormal, they are not the main focus. If you enjoy urban fantasy though, I still recommend the book!
As my first read of 2017, Freeks by Amanda Hocking was an interesting choice. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it isn’t my typical read. To be honest, it was the cover that drew me in. Circus/carnival stories have always fascinated me so I was curious and hopeful for this one. Freeks follows a girl in a traveling sideshow but with a twist. The people actually possess the powers they claim: psychic, necromancer, fast healing, etc. I liked this addition!
Mara is a character that jumps off the pages. I could easily see her in real life. She’s inquisitive, a bit of a misfit, and makes no apologies for it. She hides behind the carnival, the sideshow of fellow freaks she travels with. She stays behind the scenes, claiming she has no powers, though in reality they just haven’t manifested yet. Mara longs for a steady life, one with a house and home phone number, but she can’t imagine leaving her makeshift family.
The story really begins when the carnival enters the town of Caudry, a small community in Louisiana they were invited to perform in. From the moment they cross the bridge into town, the paranormals in the camp feel a sense of dread. Their powers are off, and then one of their own goes missing. This adds a touch of mystery to the plot. I actually enjoyed this. I spent the majority of the book trying to guess what was happening. Let me be the first to tell you just to enjoy the read and not guess. You won’t get it right!
With any good story comes a little romance as well. This one in the form of a young man with a kindred spirit to Mara. She feels a gut instinct that she should be frightened of him, but she can’t seem to stay away from Gabe. Gabe is mysterious, kind hearted, and infatuated with her. He returns to the carnival almost daily just to see her, knowing she leaves at the end of the week. Personally I liked him, but I worried through the entire book that he might have a hand in the events that were happening.
Overall, I enjoyed Freeks! Set in the 1980s (though I believe that it could have been set in any time period), the story jumped off the pages. I felt that I was there in the carnival, seeing the mysterious sights and watching the events unfold. Mara wasn’t my favorite character though. I felt her a bit selfish and too focused on Gabe rather than her friend that was missing and the thing that was attacking them. Despite this, I still enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story. While there are elements of paranormal, they are not the main focus. If you enjoy urban fantasy though, I still recommend the book!