Book Review: The Messenger's Handbook by Pamela DuMond

The Messenger's Handbook by Pamela DuMond
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this book was decent- teenage outsider Madeline's mother disappeared when she was young. At 16, another mystery rocks her life when she time travels to the late 1600's. There she learns she is a "Messenger", one who can inhabit various places and times to alter history or save lives. As Madeline struggles to adapt to life during the dawn of America, she learns about traveling, love, and her lost mother. With the help of Angeni, a magical mentor, and Samuel, her Native American soul mate, she becomes strong and courageous enough to return home to present-day Chicago. Just when she finds she can let go of the love she found 300+ years in the past, she encounters both Samuel and Malachi, the man who hunts her across the ages.

It was just ok for a few reasons. I found the narrative and dialogue to be a bit choppy in places, which was fine when the protagonist was time traveling and ended up in a new time and location, but otherwise distracting. Also (and this may have just been the Kindle edition I was reading), there seemed to be a few grammar and punctuation errors, such as substituting then for than.

Overall, this young adult fantasy story was quick and absorbing, if you can get past the technical stuff.

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Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may be one of my favorite books. Ever. Magic everywhere, forbidden romance, a little suspense, all against the backdrop of a mysterious circus. (sans creepy clowns!)

The novel is presented in three formats- the telling of the story in third-person narrative, from the perspective of "you", a circus attendee, and through brief quotes from a minor character and classic authors like Wilde and Shakespeare. This technique cleverly provides perspective and forward momentum throughout the book.

The story occurs between 1873 and 1903, although the author does not offer it linearly. The jumping-around is not distracting, however. Instead, it serves to reinforce the theme that "time is a funny thing". Other themes throughout the book include the nature of competition, the perception of reality, and understanding the role of both free will and predetermination in the shaping of one's future.

The writing is beautifully done, there are characters both to love and despise, and the circus world that is presented to us gives enough detail to clearly envision it, but the reader is encouraged, through the nature of the circus itself, to overlay her own dreams and fantasies over the experience.

This is definitely one I will be purchasing for my home library. And I am hopeful that Morgenstern will bring us more novels soon!

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