Fun fact about me: if you want me to read your book, put a circus tent on the cover. That's literally all you have to do. It's why I picked up Everything You Came to See by Elizabeth Schulte Martin. I love the atmosphere and the magic of the circus.

This particular book follows two different points of view, Henry, a teenager who runs away from his abusive family life to join the circus, and Caleb, an older man who is responsible for running the circus. The problem with the points of view is that there isn't anything to separate them. There is no warning, you just suddenly find yourself reading from another point of view. This book also jumps back and forth between time periods, thankfully, those are noted, mostly.

Things I about this books: I that the story is overall about family, but I think it could have been explained a lot better. I that it featured a circus.

What I didn't was the characters. Specifically the giantess Adrienne. She seemed to be all knowing at times, understanding exactly what everyone needs, but at other times, she just seemed really confused about everything. She was going through some medical problems as well, which almost caused me to put the book down. I tend to have anxiety when it comes to things that and I was on edge while reading about her. I also didn't that the story featured animal abuse. The scene toward the end of the book was awful and really just unnecessary, I feel . The story also just seemed to end pretty suddenly in a way that I was not expecting. It kind of just seemed tacked on, to be truthful.

This story could have been great, but it just fell flat for me, I feel it needs a lot of explaining and editing. That being said, the copy I read was advanced, since the book doesn't actually come out until January 2018, so they may have all those kinks worked out by the time the final book is on shelves.circus-carnival-books4 s Gaele4,079 82

Strangely enough, this year appears to be starting with a series of different and often weirdly compelling reads, and this fits that bill perfectly. Told in three perspectives: a young man that defines himself as a clown, the ‘artistic’ director of this small traveling circus and a now retired performer – a giantess. Henry, Caleb and Adrienne use the progression of the story to share their own paths and lives, finding some definition of family and friendship along the way.

Insets that serve as rough staging points for acts that Henry dreams up after using his seemingly endless catalog of references of physical movement – from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan and near everything in between – these scenes increase in complexity and imagination as the story continues. From moments from Henry as he grows from young boy to young performer – we see his journey to being a clown in the circus- his physical growth in abilities with a slow recognition of his own difficulties relating to the world around him.

Caleb views himself as an artist – he paints in the style of others – Beckmann is a particular favorite. Caleb tends to see life in picture frames: little pieces of things to deal with very rigidly defined boundaries he does not cross. He is the artistic director and manager of the circus – trying to keep the circus viable, paying for itself and organizing travel, booking sites and arranging permits. He’s married to Adrienne, a giantess due to a pituitary tumor, she was “circus’ and every one of the motley crew of performers knows her. She has her secrets though, and far from her own health worries, she’s one who is trying to build a family from the oddly connected people within the book.

This book was an interesting journey: the connections between the points of view were startling and often not clear early on as to why that moment is being shared. A smooth read it was not – jumping from issue to concern to new setting repeatedly, Moments also jumped from present to past: reliving and reviewing issues and traumas, current worries and always (in Henry’s case) a sense of remove from his own interaction and involvement with those around him. It’s a story that you have to be patient with: as much is tell with little show the emotions of the moment are slow-burning, taking a bit to settle and provide that punch one would expect from the moments described. Each of the characters is a searcher: searching for a perfect vignette, a family, security, beauty, and control: and they come together in this confluence of circumstance, good and bad, providing the setting in which all of these searches take place. Interesting as a debut offering, the story is more a study of lives interconnecting and effecting one another, and the speed with which these bonds are formed, realign and break.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
2018-challenges debut-author-reading-challenge edelweiss ...more2 s Gary GeorgeAuthor 12 books73

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. This book merits better sales and more than it is getting on Amazon. This book is an absolute jewel. I love the subtle way the two versions of the main character's family life are melded in the end. A fascinating study of the difference between perception and reality. Kudos to Elizabeth Schulte Martin.1 Grandma Misi27 1 follower

Hard to decipher

I kept waiting for this book to go somewhere... and on the trip I couldn't decipher much of anything that helped me understand. Spoiler: it just ends weird.1 Emily246 4

Not quite what I was expecting but a wonderful premise for a novel - set in the late 80s to early 90s, about one of the myriad of small, woefully forgotten circuses that were, by a shoestring, still in operation. It was a bit all over the place at times, and many of the storylines felt unnecessary or underdeveloped, but a good start nonetheless.fiction1 Lauren Trent222 2

I really wanted to enjoy this book, however it was not what I was looking for and didn't really grab me at all. The characters were boring, with the exception of Adrienne. I would have loved a story about her past and how she ended up with Caleb.1 Devon H511 2

This book takes multiple perspectives to tell a story: that of the main character, Henry, his boss, Caleb, and Caleb's wife Adrienne. The story unfolds predominantly through Henry's eyes, as told by him through his scripts for his acts, and in third person narration that gives readers insight into his thoughts and feelings.

Henry begins working at a circus as a clown, a practice we find he's studied for years. Henry's life is somewhat mysterious, both to readers and to his coworkers and even the show's manager. Unfortunately, the show has been on the brink of bankruptcy for years, and Caleb knows he has one last shot to make it or break it.

This book really has a lot going on, almost too much in my opinion. It's quite a downer, as much of the plot stems from sickness, trauma, and mental illness. However, Martin does a lovely job of tying each storyline together, building the tension over time. It was definitely enough to keep me interested and reading. I never developed a strong sense of attachment to any of the characters, although Martin has a wide assortment of characters, as one would if one were writing about a circus.

The piecemeal way in which the character's narratives were strung together and the story jumped from one scene to the next seemed to work for the story, as I felt that Martin was trying to emulate the abrupt and unexpected nature of life, especially in such an unpredictable industry.

I definitely found myself skimming often over lengthy paragraphs, filled with details that I didn't quite find interesting. The details didn't always seem necessary for the plot, and they didn't fill my brain with extraordinary images. I often sought the dialogue when I felt the pace was running a little slow, and I was able to keep a steady pace that way. I didn't get a lot of imagery of the scenery; Martin focused on giving readers a good understanding of the characters, both their appearance and their personality. I'm hoping some editing can be done to solve the descriptions, as the characters had a lot of potential.

I received a copy of this book via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. C.M. VitaliAuthor 1 book2

Family can be forged and found again but every family has its own version of a circus within.

What is the difference between laughing with a performer versus laughing at a performer? Do you root for the performer? Or do you wish for their pain? One reaction is nearly an act of empathy while the other is voyeuristic and a touch of the sadistic. Yet when someone volleys themselves on a trapeze or does a back flip, the audience cannot help but roam through the spectrum of emotions and desires. This is the world that the circus faces every day. Everything You Came to See resonates with this world and probes the deeper meanings of clowning and comedy.

At first, Feely and Feinstein comes across as an old-fashioned circus (aka: a freak show). But the novel quickly peels back the curtains and tents to reveal ordinary people with common endeavors. It is an empathetic story that unfolds: the performers struggle to eat at times, to take care of themselves, and to afford their healthcare bills. Meanwhile, the circus itself struggles to stay afloat and to stay relevant in the modern era.

The central story is Henry and his past—he’s a teen who has literally run away from home to join the circus. Henry has talent in the form of his unique physicality. But he also has altruistic ambitions to change the nature of laughter at the circus and to elevate the performance of his acts. He writes his own acts and devises one where he’s “an angel that’s trying to get back to heaven,” because, “I want to see if I can make people laugh because they want good things to happen for someone.”

Adrienne is another show-stopping character—a blonde giantess that battles with the brain tumor disease that causes her giantess stature. She’s one the world’s tallest women and, she attracts not only the love of her husband, the strange lust of a previous husband, and the affection of Henry as well—perhaps due to her strong maternal nature and the fact that her “breasts were huge, big as fat cats curled under her T-shirt.” I personally found myself picturing someone Anita Ekberg (from La Dolce Vita) in a slight fun-house mirror. Adrienne resonates with an inner strength and has a near heart of gold but with an edge. I just found myself, the majority of the men in the novel, loving her without reservation.

The language shines with literary gems throughout and there are spot-on emotional depths. Here’s a line about a trapeze artist for example: “When her body went up, it stayed up for an impossibly long time; while she tumbled, she was a swirling galaxy, a child’s sparkler cutting runes into the darkness.” Lovely. The story is about finding family and explores the nature of comedy and performance (the cruel side and loving side). It’s a deep examination of circus life, both the spectator’s sport of it and the quiet humanity that resides within each of us. There’s a lot of originality, especially in Adrienne’s’ story (I have never read a character quite her). This is a refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable read.
Leigh293 13

I received a finished copy of Everything You Came to See from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book is thoughtful, emotional and very honest. While the circus setting is certainly interesting (and the world building was fantastic), it's the characters that really shine. Henry, Adrienne and Caleb practically leap off the page. Martin has created some achingly human, deeply flawed characters - and they are beautiful. I don't mean physically (although Adrienne sounds stunning), more Martin has so succeeded in bringing these characters to life that you can't help but feel for them. Admire them.

The story veered a bit at times, with some sub-plots that could have been discarded, but overall it's solid. And it ends without resolution, which is a kick in the pants that makes you think about how it all may have turned out. I the not knowing, because I would to imagine the happy endings each of the characters were striving for. Wendy Del Toro658 10

A Dazzling debut! Fantastic story with exquisite writing and storytelling. The author conjures up beautiful images and characters with her stunning and magical use of language. A story with a lot of heart. Jane93

Circus. Dysfunctional family. Semi-functional parent- substitutes. Odd love connection. Clowns. Just seemed awfully long to get to a not-so exciting conclusion. Seriously wouldn’t hav3 finished if we weren’t on lock down. Michelle Good556

90's circus story. Teresa A. Corbitt123 1 follower

I had never read a book on the circus and I gained a new perspective. This is her first book and if I was her I would develop another book using the main 4 characters. Marty177

I really enjoyed this book. It's more about family than circus, and much lighter than some of the other suggested. It's a pretty easy read.2019 Mary Jo1,689 9 Read

DNF T.85

I love this book. It has everything--drama, love, intrigue, sex. Not to mention wonderful writing. I can't wait to read more from this author. Kristen M DeBoer25 Read

Autor del comentario:
=================================