Valentine’s
Day.
And my 21st
birthday.
Whoop-de-doo.
Just another
college day full of classes and more homework than is humanly possible.
…until Jason,
my best-friend-since-kindergarten, shows up to take me out for the day.
Like old times:
the two of us on a wacky adventure, playing hooky from real life. With his
lopsided grin and tickets to a circus full of misfits and monsters, he
introduces me to a whole new world—one full of magic and mystery—and turns my
reality upside down.
Except nothing
goes as planned, and we end up running through the city to find a missing siren
before someone brews a love potion with her blood.
Sirens and love
potions, witches and elves, and Valentine kisses. Nothing will be the same for
me again.
EXCERPT:
Above the
entrance, a sign reads Michael Magnificent and the Magician Magellan’s Magical
Menagerie of Malicious and Monstrous Misfits. The word Misfits was smaller than the other words most likely because the
painter almost ran out of room. Someone got a little carried away with the
alliteration.
Carrying loads
of boxes and pushing wheelbarrows, people bustle from tent to tent, and nobody
pays any attention to us.
I blink as I
stare at the sight before me and then glance at Jason.
He gives me a
smile. “Welcome to a whole new world.”
“A circus?” I
make a high-pitched noise, that is not
a squeal. Because I do not squeal.
“Calm down.”
Jason rubs his ears. “Not just any circus, Miss Acrobat.”
I’m normally
not the squealing type, but I love
the circus. As a kid, I dreamed of being an acrobat and pestered my parents
until they finally got me into gymnastics. They stopped complaining about the
cost when I got a full athletic scholarship.
“We’re a little
early, but I thought you’d like to wander around and explore with me. The
animal tents are . . . well, you’ll like it.”
“Jason, you’re
the best friend a girl could ask for.” I give him a big bear hug.
“I know.”
“And geez,
humble too.”
“I know.” He
grins.
Inside the
closest tent, stalls filled with white horses line the center aisle. Tack hangs
along one wall in the entry way, and stacks of hay and barrels of oats fill the
other side.
White horses
with long horns protruding from their foreheads.
“How did they
glue the horns on?” I lean in close to inspect.
“They’re real.”
I raise an
eyebrow, and he grins.
“Seriously?”
“Would I lie to
you?”
“There was that
time you told me the mud pies would give me flying powers if I ate them.”
“Not
my fault. I really thought they would.”
4/5
This was a really fun and extremely quick read. I loved it. The banter between Emma and Jason was incredible and there were many laugh out loud moments. As per previous birthdays, Jason takes Emma on an adventure that she'll never forget. He brings her in to a world that she never knew existed. I loved all the different creatures that were featured. I was really curious about Jason too. I'm pretty sure I know what his deal is but I'm looking forward to finding out more in the next book.
From the very first page I couldn't get enough. It was very well written and captures the readers imagination. But the reasons I reduced a star were 1) I felt like it was waaay to short. It was only 100 pages. I would have loved for this to be a full length book. Because of the length I felt that things happened a bit too quickly. Which leads me to reason 2) When Emma is first introduced to all these creatures. I think she handled everything way too well. She never really questioned anything. She just took it all in her stride. I would have liked a bit more of a reaction out of her.
Overall this was a quick, fun and exciting read that I would highly recommend.
~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
Leaving the house to go to school, I had schoolbooks
spilling out of one hand, the other holding my place in a Nancy Drew novel, and
bunny slippers still on my feet. My mom was a wee bit upset.
I haven't changed much. Still always have a book (or two) in
my hand or creating stories in my head, and although I don't have any bunny
slippers, I love writing in my jammies and snuggly slipper socks.
When I grow up (maybe a hundred years from now), I'd like to
be a superhero, but for now, saving the day, one page at a time, suits me just
fine.
With my husband TJ (my own cuddly werewolf), I home-school
our three girls, who keep us busy with art, science projects, books to read,
dance classes, and walks about the park.
LINKS TO PURCHASE OR FIND THE BOOK
Barnes and
Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-hooky-rita-j-webb/1114148410
LINKS TO FIND RITA WEBB ONLINE
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ritawebb
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ritajwebb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RitaJWebb
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