The Circus Rose

April 1, 2020
A queer reimagining of "Snow-White and Rose-Red." Dark-skinned Ivory and pale-skinned Rosie (each named for her hair color) are 17-year-old twin daughters of the Circus Rose's ringmistress. When the circus returns to their birthplace, Port's End, Rosie's and Ivory's growth unfolds against a volatile backdrop that echoes contemporary politics: Recent regime and policy shifts result in aggressive behavior by the Brethren, whose church formerly occupied a position of political power. After tragedy strikes the circus, Ivory must shoulder ringmistress duties even as she attempts to discover who--or what--is behind the devastation. The present-tense, first-person narrative alternates between Rosie's dreamy verse and Ivory's looping prose as the sisters navigate new romances, professional challenges, and oppressive religious fanaticism on tour. Rosie is attracted to women but prefers the mysterious Bear above all while Ivory's understanding of her own sexuality expands when she meets Tam, a black-haired, olive-skinned Fey magician who is "neither male nor female, like all Fey." Tam's pronouns, fe/fer/fers, are seamlessly integrated into the text. The twins have different fathers: Ivory's is brown skinned while Rosie's father is pale. The well-constructed fantasy world evokes elements of northern Europe and the United States during the Industrial Revolution, placing fluid Fey society and magic in an uneasy truce with established human monarchies and technologies. This creative exploration of chosen family, self-knowledge, love, and the tension between opposites is both timely and timeless. Dazzling. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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May 11, 2020
In chapters that alternate between prose and poetry, Cornwell (The Forest Queen) retells “Snow White and Rose Red,” placing the classic fairy tale against a lushly imagined circus backdrop. Rosie and Ivory, 17-year-old twins named for their hair color and born of different fathers, have spent their lives touring with the Circus Rose, which their bearded-lady mother founded. When the girls and circus return to their birthplace, Port’s End, they discover that a new strain of religious extremism is infecting the city and gaining power over the populace. After a blaze destroys the circus, Ivory, who prefers the shadows to the stage, must take a leadership role and work to recover her vanished family. A range of relationships appears throughout: the girls’ parents form a polyamorous interracial triad, Ivory becomes involved with a nonbinary Fey character, and Rosie, who is queer, enters a romance with an enigmatic bear. Though the plot meanders, the story tackles crucial themes—including the importance of found family and the dangers of religious fundamentalism—while navigating complex familial relationships and delivering a rich atmosphere. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

May 15, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Twins Rosie and Ivory have always been the heart of their mother's circus. Despite their differences-one is a performer, the other an engineer-the sisters' connection runs deep. After a long tour of the faraway Fey lands, the circus returns home to a changing world. Religious fervor is rising and it is not long before preachers and zealots are railing outside the circus grounds. Something is wrong in the city and Ivory must root it out before it consumes her sister and their circus. Told in chapters that alternate both narrator and style-prose for Ivory and verse for Rosie-this queer fantasy is a very loose retelling of "Snow-White and Rose-Red." With a mix of traditional fantasy and steampunk-style technology, the world is interesting and elaborate, with issues of social justice and evolving society that feel genuine and timely. Regardless, the book suffers from too many good ideas without the room to develop. Rosie's chapters are lovely poetry; often moving, but may leave readers wanting in the shadow of Ivory's lengthier and clearer narration. The book's shining moments lie in the rich cast of supporting characters, like the charming agender Fey magician; the girls' bearded, polyamorous, ringmaster mother; and a dancing bear hiding her own mysteries. VERDICT A secondary purchase for most collections, give to readers craving bolder queerness in their fantasy.-Amy Diegelman, Chicago P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2020
Grades 7-10 Though twins, Rosie and Ivory have different fathers, and they couldn't be more different themselves. They've grown up together under the tents of their bearded lady and ringmistress mother's traveling circus, and while Rosie is a natural performer who becomes easily overwhelmed outside of the spotlight, Ivory is an engineer who is at home behind the scenes. As Rosie fixates on Bear, a bear who became devoted to her after joining the circus several years ago, Ivory falls deeply for genderqueer Tam, who is the show's Fey magician. But though the circus has always been their haven, the outside world is not so kind; a group of religious zealots have begun targeting the circus with devastating results, and Ivory, spurred by guilt, will have to take action. Cornwell (The Forest Queen, 2018) vividly reimagines the Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale through the distinct voices of two sisters. A graceful exploration of the families we're born with and the ones we make.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)