Smoke and Mirrors by K.D. Halbrook
Release: September 4th 2018
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Source: Amazon
Smoke and Mirrors Synopsis:
Smoke has come to the Cirque Magnifique. And Sasha Brown is sure it is her fault.
Sasha has always loved the Cirque, a place filled with sequined costumes, dazzling spotlights, and magnificent tents. But when she starts fifth grade with the Islanders—the ordinary folk from the other side of the Island—for the first time, she’s not so sure she wants to be a Cirque kid. She starts to question her home and her Cirque family. Is the magic real? Are the stories even true? As the bullying by the Island kids gets worse, swirling blue-gray Smoke appears.
One night in the big tent, Sasha’s dad performs, twisting his body through the air as the lights dance. Sasha is supposed to be helping, but instead she sits beneath the bleachers, seething. She has wished for the Smoke to come and make it all disappear: the Cirque, her family, the Island with its mean Island kids. And the Smoke does come. As Sasha watches her dad, he flips and raises his arms out for the bar that is supposed to meet him, his bright grin confident and sure. But there is only air…and Smoke.
Both of Sasha’s parents disappear that night, and it’s all Sasha’s fault. What can she do but try and find them?
Review:
Watch my video review of Smoke and Mirrors by K.D. Halbrook!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-vUVdBzvWg[/embedyt]
I enjoyed reading this book a lot, because it is very different from other stories out there right now. I feel like this is one of those books that a person of any age group can enjoy. The book highlights as as we get older, we succumb to peer pressure and reality and forget the magic and innocence of our childhood. The author beautifully depicts how our cheerfulness and creativity can deteriorate when we step out of our comfort zone and get bullied by others.
The story gives a beautiful message about finding your strength, to be hopeful and courageous and determined. I also loved how the author has blended the magic of the circus life and our average daily life into the life of the protagonist. My favorite aspect though is how the author has written the story in such a fairy tale like manner. The story gets is so interesting in the second half when Sasha and her brother go on a wonderful large than life adventure quest. I loved how Halbrook transitions the characters from one quest to another, and we get something meaningful out of it.
Probably the only downside to it is the character of Sasha in some places. At times, she comes off as a very weak character who has to lean on her brother to get confidence. She is also very moody and annoying in the middle, and I couldn’t really connect with the character. However, apart from that, I loved reading this book, and would recommend it to those who like to read about magic, circus life, fairy tales or adventure quests.
Overall, I liked “Smoke and Mirrors” a lot and would give it a rating of 4/5 stars.
