Freeks

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. This review is spoiler free.

Come one, come all, to Gideon's Traveling Sideshow, a roving carnival traveling to their latest destination where the payout proves to be grand. As long as they make it to the vernal equinox. However, this isn't your typical side show filled with cons and shenanigans. No, many of the members of the troupe have real supernatural powers– pyrokinesis, telekinsesis, speaking with the dead, are among the few gifts the novel mentions. No matter where Mara turns, everyone seems to have a special ability. Except for her. Even her fortune telling mother has secrets. Because of this, Mara dreams of having a normal life, free from the only show she's known. Their latest town may be more trouble than anyone bargained for.

Amanda Hocking has written a fun novel. Freeks is set in the late 80's and is filled with romance, mystery, and supernatural. I'm a big fan of Hocking's The Hallows and the Trylle series. As a tarot reader, I was insanely curious to read this book; I love books that include tarot in their plots. This book didn't disappoint. The sections are divided by hand-drawn tarot cards (psst, please make a deck.. i love the drawings and want a copy). The readings Mara's mother does in the book are spot on with modern meanings. She treats the Death card the same way I treat it in my own personal readings.

The story is cute and enjoyable. At it's heart it's a coming-of-age story for Mara, who wants love and a normal life. In this new town she meets a boy whom she thinks she can have a short relationship with before the Sideshow moves out. She learns to deal with relationships as a young adult and she talks through the difficulties of being a freak and wanting to be normal. The plot is steady. However, the main gist of the book doesn't happen till well after half-way through. Which meant, I wanted a longer book, to learn more about Mara's past and where she came from.

Bottom Line: This is an easy read. I stayed up all night long to finish it. There are many twists and turns, which is the mark of a good book for me. The world is fantastic and I found myself wishing I could hang with Mara, her mother, and others. Freeks reads as a stand alone book, but I'm hoping Hocking continues the adventures of Mara.