Summer is coming to a close, and school is just hours away for me. I know every kid has experienced a love or dislike for summer reading. This summer, one of the suggested books on my reading list was a novel called The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. When I picked it up at my local bookstore, my immediate reaction was “ugh…I have to read THIS?” The paperback cover features a magician, a mistress, and a small keyhole which opens up to a hand holding up a circus. Just a few days before Labor Day, I started the task of reading this 500-page book, and what I laid eyes on was like nothing else.

The book starts off in the late 1870s with a description of a reckless crowd in London waiting for the opening of a so-called “extravagant” circus. The black-and-white colored circus is called none other than “Le Cirque Des Reves”, which translates to “The Circus of Dreams” in french. The circus opens at night and disappears at the crack of dawn. Inside the circus is a most extraordinary and well-known illusionist (a person who does tricks that deceive the human eye). It turns out that his tricks have no secret behind them, because they’re magic! He ends up training his little daughter Celia to become an illusionist like him. Later, her skills are put to the test when the circus becomes her arena, and she must compete against another magician (Marco) for their lives. Deep down, they’re destined to fall in love, but feelings must not keep them from fulfilling what their fathers commanded them to do since childhood.

I really love this book! Don’t ever judge a book by its cover. The Night Circus is a portal into a magical world full of trickery and pure fun! Sounds a lot like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, doesn’t it? There’s even talk about this book becoming a movie.

Want to know who wins the magic competition? You’re all just going to have to pick up the book and find out!

-Christina