now, this story follows smidge, a teenage runaway, as we follow her friendship with violet, a fellow runaway, and their new residence at a local circus. we learn about why smidge is on the run, her past, as well as the secrets of the circus they’ve joined.

this book had such incredibly unique prose i fell in love. the way this book was written kept drawing me back in to smidge. speaking of smidge, she’s the real draw to this book. i’ll say it right off the bat - if you can’t bond to smidge, this book isn’t for you. this book hinges on your interest into smidge, as there is kind of not really a plot? so if you can’t love books where the draw is the main character, this isn’t for you. but smidge was so well written, i fell in love with her. she’s so witty, and by <10% into this book i fell in love with her. violet was characterised strongly as well, but like i said, smidge is the focus, and jennifer love pulls smidge’s characterisation off so flawlessly.

the world building is also established incredibly early on and immersed me well. obviously compared to fantasy books not as much was needed seeing as this is a contemporary novel, but establishing smidge’s life on the run prior to violet and THEIR world was done so fast i was hooked by the second chapter. 

the structure of the book was also a standout, as its nonlinear structure kept the story going with flashbacks, even when it was slow at points. 

finally, i adored the rep in this book. like hello???? nonbinary and trans characters????? sapphic character?????? SIGN ME UP!!!!! 

now i’ll admit i did have some small issues with this book, but honestly they’re just an issue of personal preference, not the actual novel’s fault. like i said earlier, this book kind of doesn’t have a plot. it does loosely, but the book more so follows smidge and her character development as well as her inner thoughts. if you’re someone who needs a strong plot, this book isn’t for you. as much as i loved smidge, i do need something grounding me, and although the circus kind of fulfils that role, it doesn’t feel like it. it’s hard to explain unless you’ve read this how the plot actually works — this book is unlike anything i’ve ever read. 

speaking of the circus, it felt like missed potential and almost kind of pointless? the whole cult aspect was barely touched, making me feel like it’s role in the story wasn’t edited or written well. it very much felt like something smidge was passing through (which is the case) but then everything going with the circus felt like a waste of time as a reader. and that point can kind of apply to the ending as well (iykyk).

in the end, this was a great story about abuse, exploitation, and guilt. if you love stories where the characters are the main focus, and love stories with nonlinear structures, this book will meet all your needs 🫶