A Living Nightmare (Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1)
Common Sense Note
The author claims in the introduction that this is a true story, which some young readers may find confusing. Some children, especially boys, who don't like to read may find this to their taste.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
The first in a series, this is pulp trash horror, appealing to the R. L. Stine audience. Like Stine's books, it's just a thrill ride -- no characterizations, a plot that shouldn't be examined too closely for sense, no literary value at all. Unlike Stine, the author can actually complete a sentence, and the gore content is much lower, so it's less objectionable in general. Children of a certain inclination find it addictive.
The argument that's usually made for this kind of thing is that it gets nonreaders interested in reading. If they eventually graduate into works of better quality, which is not at all a given, then the argument makes a certain amount of sense, though it can be hard for adults to see their children excitedly inhaling this kind of trash. But if you have a child addicted to Stine, this is a step up, and maybe the beginning of finding their way to literature. For children who already like to read, it's the literary equivalent of junk food -- fun once in a while, but not good as a steady diet.
From the Book:
People screamed and those nearest him leaped from their seats and ran. One woman wasn't quick enough, and the wolf-man leaped on her and dragged her to the ground. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, but nobody tried to help her. He rolled her over onto her back and bared his teeth. She stuck a hand up to push him away, but he got his teeth on it and bit it off.
Plot Summary:
Darren's best friend, Steve, finds a flier for an illegal freak show, which they sneak out one night to attend. Among acts such as a wolf-man (who bites off the hand of a woman in the audience) and a snake-boy, they see Mr. Crepsley and his trained poisonous spider, Madame Octa. Steve recognizes Mr. Crepsley from a book on vampires and, to Darren's horror, confronts him after the show and asks to be made a vampire.
Mr. Crepsley rejects Steve, saying, "You are evil! ... I can taste the menace in your blood. You are savage." But Darren, who loves spiders, returns another night and steals Madame Octa. When Steve is bitten by her, only Mr. Crepsley has an antidote to her poison. But there's a price, one that will change Darren's life.
Related Books:
Graduate from R. L. Stine: High-Quality Horror for Middle Graders
A Fit of Shivers by Joan Aiken
The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
All on a Winter's Day by Lisa Taylor
The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral by Robert Westall
Mindquakes: Stories to Shatter Your Brain by Neal Shusterman
A Nightmare?s Dozen: Stories from the Dark by Michael , ed. Stearns
Clockwork, or All Wound Up by Philip Pullman
Never Trust a Dead Man by Vivian Vande Velde
The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
The Beasties by William Sleator
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ViolenceA hand is bitten off. It's a horror novel, so it's supposed to be scary--spiders, vampires, freaks, etc. But it's not well-written enough to be really terrifying. |
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LanguageA bit of mild swearing. |
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Social BehaviorThe hero lies, steals, and blackmails. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSmoking, underage drinking. |
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