As promised, here is my latest book review. I recently finished reading The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus and here are my thoughts on it.
The Summary
The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus is another novel by Jaime Jo Wright. Like her other novels that I’ve reviewed, we tackle a mystery in two different times. Our first character, Pippa, lives in the era where women have just earned the right to vote. Her father owns Bonaventure Circus and she knows that she is really the child of one of the circus people. She had been left on the Ripley’s doorstep as a baby. Now, eager to find out the truth as to why she was abandoned, she is in contact with a mysterious person she has named the Watchman.
Our second character, Chandler, lives in modern times. She’s a single mother trying to raise a son, and battling with her health. At the same time, she’s trying to convince her uncle, the man she works for, that restoring the old circus depot of Bonaventure Circus is better than tearing it down and turning it into a housing development. Weird things start happening at the depot, and the locals say it’s because of the ghosts that live there, especially one in particular. The victim of the serial killer known as the Watchman!
The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus Positives
I’m going to be honest, there was not much. Based on the summary I just shared, you would think this would be right up my alley. A story about a serial killer! Nope. But that’s for later. What I liked the most about this novel was the reveals and all the twists and turns that came with them. I’ll give Jaime credit where credit is due. She can take a story, make you think you have it all figured out, and then surprise you with her reveal. Are there predictable aspects? Yes. But the main premise, the main mysteries revolving around our characters always catches me by surprise. And I was very happy with the reveals in this novel. So, the last few chapters of the book I highly enjoyed.
What I Disliked
The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus as a whole novel just fell flat for me. I didn’t care for the characters in this book. One of our “heroes” I disliked because he had taken advantage of a situation and lied to one of our main gals. I’m not sure if that was purposeful, or if I missed something or the author and editor missed something – thus the lie. But I wasn’t a fan of it considering this guy ended up with the gal in the end. Also, for a story about a serial killer, in the days of the serial killer, there was not a lot going on. It was like it was an afterthought. And the thing that annoyed me the most I can’t share because it will spoil the ending. I don’t do spoilers in these reviews. At least, not on purpose. So, most of this book was a drag to get through.
Rating of The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus
I gave The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus a 3 star rating. For most of the book I was thinking 2 star at the most. However, because of the reveals at the end, and the surprise twists that I never saw coming, I bumped it up to a 3 star. However, because my interests right now are not in the stories that Jaime is writing, I think I’ll be taking a break from her novels for a while. I do have on from the library that I have not read yet, but it’s due tomorrow, and I’m not going to renew it. For those who are wondering why I didn’t read it after finishing The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus, I’m reading something else. It’s also due tomorrow and I’ll be lucky if I can finish it in time. And I’m enjoying that one immensely so if I don’t finish it I will renew it if I can. As long as no one is waiting for it. Then, it’s back to Orphan X, because I made an interesting discovery. I’ll tell you about it later.
What are You Reading?
I would love to get some book suggestions from you all. What are you reading? Do you think you would enjoy books like The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus? What genre do you enjoy reading? Do you prefer physical books, kindle, or audio books? I would love to hear from you. And I’ll need book suggestions if I’m going to stand a chance at finishing my goal of reading 50 books this year. Also, with the new night shift being almost fully ready to do nights on her own, that means I’ll have some free time soon. Honestly, I can’t wait. And I have some ideas for blogs that I can do then as well. So, stay tuned for that. Otherwise, enjoy your summer and do as many wonderful things as you can. Get outside. I’m looking forward to going hiking this summer, and swimming, and just enjoying the sun. After all, anything can happen if we try.
