This book came into my life through two book clubs:

A bookstie in one group denounced it one night after she DNF’d, and the premise she gave fascinated me but didn’t quite grip me.

A couple experiments with drugs and chemicals to deform their children and run a circus.

Later, in my unhinged book club, I recommended it as a book option based on the little I knew. It sounded crazy enough that it might be the kind of “unhinged” that we’re going for.

And, I was absolutely right. It has actually established itself as a standard in our readings since then. But, this is definitely not for those with strict sensibilities.

What you need to know.

Plot & Premise

There are two main plots to this story, and both address the same premise: what defines who we are, and what does it take for us to define ourselves?

In the current plot line, a mother who has watched her daughter grow up from afar steps in to protect her from a life-altering opportunity, all while recounting her past in letters she hopes her daughter will one day find. 

The past plot line that has essentially kept her away from her daughter is about her childhood with her opportunity-seeking father, drug-addled mother, and purposely-deformed siblings in a traveling circus. As they grow up, their circus antics eventually end in death and destruction after introducing extreme manipulation and experimentation that ruined almost every life it touched.

I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy. Each of these innocents on the street is engulfed by a terror of their own ordinariness. They would do anything to be unique.

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My thoughts on the story.

Objectively…

I understand why this book is considered “classic”. Despite using an extreme premise to show us identity and acceptance, it does accomplish exactly what it sets out to do. It horrifies us with the desperation and extremes that people come to accept and normalize in order to try to understand themselves and find a sense of belonging in the world.

This is most obvious with the fringe cult, willing to deform themselves at the will of what they see as peak self-confidence. We also see it among the competing siblings as they hate and love each other because of their own insecurities and what they deem is necessary to assert worth to the family. But, we also see bits of it with the philanthropist who invests in the female deformation to ensure their independence. Again, another extreme that captures a desperation to empower women to rely on their own skills vs the social-imposed standards of our culture.

What greater gift could you offer your children than an inherent ability to earn a living just by being themselves?

Essentially, though the book feels like it’s going overboard with unnecessary and unlikely conflicts, schemes, and antics, I can’t deny that:

• The characters are well-developed with arcs we can relatively justify.
• The plot is intricate, yet linear enough, that we are engaged and invested in finding out what will happen next.
• The writing is detailed, yet simple enough, that anyone can read this and be equally horrified at what it’s suggesting.

So, objectively? This book is a five star read.

Personally…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept getting worse and worse as we got further and further in, with unexpected twists and turns that felt like they shouldn’t have made sense, though they absolutely did. It drew strong emotions time and time again, and even caused me to give pause as I listened to it to absorb what it was I had just heard.

I hate all the characters as much as I pity them for situations they’re trying to make the best of considering their backgrounds. And the psychological implications of it all had me too excited.

It is, I suppose, the common grief of children at having to protect their parents from reality. It is bitter for the young to see what awful innocence adults grow into, that terrible vulnerability that must be sheltered from the rodent mire of childhood.

Granted, the ending was lackluster, as well as the demise of the circus. I was really hoping for more of a bang considering how tense the rest of the book had been. But, that may be the point—that the extremes of the world never quite leave the legacy they hoped to. Or, maybe, she just got in over her head when it came to wrapping up the loose ends after coercing us through such a crazy story?

Either way, I gave this four stars.

I struggled to find a character for whom I could cheer on and empathize. I did find the constant conflicts and extremes to be excessive. Effective, yes, but just too much at times.

Ultimately, I would re-read this book and recommend it (to the right person).

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Is this book for me?

I would recommend this if you like:

• Darker sides of humanity
• Complex themes and motifs
• Outrageous conflicts
• Overt commentary on serious subjects

If you’re interested in buying a copy, you can order a new one and support my small bookshop (Fulfillity Books & More) by purchasing it here.

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Do you typically read literary fiction or unhinged books? What is a book that has included a little too much crazy for your taste?

Let us know in the comments below!

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