That Time I Joined the Circus

February 18, 2013
Howard’s well-paced debut is a contemporary twist on the old-fashioned notion of running away from home to join a circus—17-year-old Lexi would much rather still be living with her musician-father, Gavin, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, hanging out with best friends Eli and Bailey, downloading songs, and making music mixes. In this case, it’s Lexi’s long-absent mother who has apparently joined the circus. When Gavin dies unexpectedly, leaving his daughter penniless, her only option is to track down her mother in Florida. Failing to find her, Lexi gratefully accepts work with the Circus Europa. Howard effectively builds suspense by alternating chapters between Lexi’s gradual adaption to an itinerant life with the circus and the earlier days in New York leading to Gavin’s death; the author creates persuasive portraits of both cultures and includes the requisite romantic possibilities. Lexi’s credible voice, tumultuous emotions, and passion for music are authentically adolescent, while her growing resilience adds a tough yet appealing streak to her character and keeps her future in doubt to the very last pages. Ages 12–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary + Media.

March 1, 2013
After high school senior Lexi's dad dies, she's forced to head for Florida, where her long-absent mother might be working for a circus. Another compelling reason for leaving New York City--besides being evicted from her apartment and kicked out of her private school because she now lacks a parent to sign her in--is that the night of her father's accident, she slept with her best friend Eli, even though he was dating her other best friend, Bailey. Since Eli didn't come to her desperately needed rescue after her life started to crumble, she's pretty certain he's chosen to stay with Bailey. In Florida, she's quickly hired by the circus and finds devoted friends among the cast and crew. This makes it easier to ignore the mess her life is now in: no school, her still-missing mother and unresolved issues with Eli. Moving smoothly between chapters set in Florida and flashbacks to the days before her father's death, debut author Howard effectively depicts an attractive heroine with a notably sarcastic but nonetheless charming attitude. If things fall apart a bit too fast in the beginning and are resolved a little too facilely at the end, Lexi's narration is entertaining enough to forgive those minor shortcomings. Since Lexi says her "life has a soundtrack," each chapter begins with pertinent and pithy lyrics with band attributions. For any reader who ever has felt like running away to join the circus. (Fiction. 12-18)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Lexi's dad just died, leaving her alone and penniless in New York City. His lawyer tells her where to find her mother: if Lexi hurries, she can still catch up with the circus her mom was traveling with. Unfortunately, when Lexi arrives in Florida, the circus is still there-but her mother is not. With no other leads and nowhere else to go, Lexi joins the circus crew and starts building a new family and a new life. She's getting over her past-but then her past appears right in front of her. This is a fairly predictable story of a girl dealing with grief and loss on several fronts, and escaping it all in an unlikely place. That's not to imply it is completely formulaic; it's engaging, with likable characters and a bit of humor. Lexi's all-encompassing musical knowledge is a constant part of her story while never becoming her story. Some elements drag a little bit and several of the teen characters sound closer to early 20s than 17, but these are minor concerns for a debut novel.-Brandy Danner, Perkins School for the Blind, MA

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