Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Date of Publication: February 5, 2013
Mogsy's Rating: 5 of 5 stars - "An extraordinary and surprising coming-of-age novel with a unique story of self-discovery and self-acceptance at its heart"
Okay, can I first just say how misleading the description of
Pantomime is and how blatantly it underrates the value and extent of its
content? Honestly, it does not do this book justice! One look at it
gives the unsuspecting reader the impression of a Young Adult paranormal
romance, featuring a story of star-crossed love between a daughter from
a noble family and a low-born circus scalawag, perhaps. But no, no, no,
that's just all wrong!
That's the problem with publisher descriptions, I
suppose. I understand about wanting to save some surprises for the
book. I get that, I do. But it's another thing when it makes a book
sound so average and conventional, when in reality it's anything but!
Hiding behind the official synopsis here is a story that's a lot more significant and
extraordinary. Yes, I was surprised and I loved this book for being so
much more than its description. But on the other hand, had I know
earlier what Pantomime is really about, then maybe I wouldn't have
shrugged it off as "just another YA romance" and waited so long to get
to it!
Having said that, I am now at a dilemma. How do I talk about how
much I enjoyed this one without giving the story away? After all, I did
just criticize the description for misrepresenting the book, and yet
here I am being vague. At the same time, I was really surprised when
revelation about the characters hit me, and spoiler or not, I wouldn't dream of taking
that away from anyone else thinking of picking up this book. I loved the
story more for it, and it's definitely something you have to read
for yourself. Or bah, who knows, maybe the "secret" is actually common knowledge by now. Suffice it to say, I'm sure there are many other reviews
out there that have divulged it if you're still curious and
want to know, but you probably won't be getting the details from me.
What
I will say though, is how impressed I am with the character development
and how this coming-of-age story deals with matters of sexuality and
identity. These are issues portrayed with sensitivity and
attention, as well as the associated emotions that come along with the
characters' struggles to understand what they want versus what society expects of them. There's action and drama and romance in
Pantomime, but at its heart is a very unique journey of self-discovery and
self-acceptance, and ultimately it's this aspect that sets this book apart and
makes it so special.
I'm also a sucker for
circuses, especially in fantasy stories. What an amazing setting and
community Laura Lam has created here, complete with atmosphere and all
the cultural dynamics. What's incredible is how she so perfectly
captures the magical nature of a circus, without actually including much
of what we'd think of as traditional magic. And yet there are
plenty of other fantastical elements, and I find myself intrigued by the rich
history of Ellada as well as the mysteries of Vestige. Still, nothing
quite beats the vivid descriptions of the circus along with the
performers and their acts.
As Angry Robot's YA
imprint, Strange Chemistry has come a long way since its launch. I find some of their older titles to be pretty decent, though a few of their more recent books have been just incredible. I've always
attributed that to the publisher gradually coming to find its groove
over the last year. Little did I expect though, that I would find such a
gem in Pantomime amongst some of their earliest publications. It is simply wonderful.
5 of 5 stars
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - While I can't recall an actual fairground in these books, Kvothe spent his childhood with his family, a troupe of traveling players that traveled from town to town performing songs and theater acts at fairs and large gatherings. He describes his early days as happy, like growing up in the center of an endless fair.
