Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

"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, the circus of dreams, 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 both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance."

The Night Circus is a truly phenomenal book. I know you're probably thinking "Oh whatever, you say that about every book..." But I promise you that is not the case! Especially not here! I mean it when I say that this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The description and imagery in this story is unlike anything else I've encountered in a book, I found myself almost able to actually smell the caramel and popcorn that permeate the unique grounds of the Cirque Des Rêves. Every smell was just under my nose, every taste on the tip of my tongue, every sound just around the corner; leaving me looking up in disappointment every time I glanced outside of the pages to realize that it wasn't actually there. The dream-like quality of the circus left me in a daze that only a wonderfully crafted book can. This book was so well written, that I found myself half believing that is was one of the illustrious steps created in Marco and Celia's game, it was so well done. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. The plot and stoy line were absolutely fantastic, and enormously intriguing. But the setting, a magical circus that travels around the world in the Victorian era, were what really pulled everything together. The characters were wonderfully created, and I really can't think of one think I would have liked to change about this book. When I turned the last page, as always with a good book, I found myself yearning for more, wanting the magic to last a little longer. It may very well be my favorite book of all time! 5 our of 5 noodles!