Review: All Fall Down (Circus Hearts #2)

Good morning everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I will be reviewing the second book in the Circus Hearts series called All Fall Down, by Ellie Marney.
If you haven't read my post on the first book, it may be beneficial to check that out first so you have the relevant background information.

The synopsis is as follows:

A ringmasters daughter and a bearded lady's son join forces to stop a saboteur. Nineteen year old Fleur Klatsch is loyal to her trapeze team and her ringmaster father, dedicated to the circus, and tough on everyone around her. After a series of accidents at Klatsch's Karnival, Fleur is left holding the ball: she's running the carnival, trying to stop a saboteur, and taking care of her dad. She doesn't need anyone's help, least of all Eugenia Deloren's son, Marco, who's been trying to break out of show life since the moment he was born into it. All Marco needs to do is get Klatsch's back on it's feet so he can leave. But after one fateful kiss with Fleur, will he really want to? And will Fleur and Marco figure out who's trying to kill the show before someone kills them...

Each of the Circus Hearts books follow two different characters but are set in the same place. I think this is a great concept, as like many series, we miss discovering more about the secondary characters. By having it written like this, we get to know more about a wider array of the characters, so it's not just focused on the same ones. Unlike the first installment, in this one we follow 'mean girl' Fleur as she comes to terms with the fall out of the events of the first book and deals with the challenges life throws at her. I will admit, I wasn't too keen when I first read the synopsis and saw it was written about Fleur. Fleur was my least favourite character in the first book, portrayed as being a 'spoilt brat' and getting everything that she wanted. But, this book did show a different side of her that I was not aware of. She is shown as being a kind and caring individual, who will do everything she can for those closest to her and in the circus family. After events that occur which heavily impact her and the circus family, she finds herself not only running the circus but looking after her father at all hours of the night. I loved seeing her relationship with her father develop throughout the book, as in the first book, it just seemed that Fleur was the apple of her father's eye and she wouldn't really do anything for him.

Another character I enjoyed reading about was Marco. Marco was newly introduced but the reader was made aware that he did have prior history in the circus. When he first emerges in the book, we are made aware that there are unresolved issues between himself and his mother. We are not told what exactly they are (until later on in the book) but it is clear that they had an impact which has subsequently strained their relationship. Marco is such an interesting character to read about. I especially enjoyed reading about him due to his previous ties to the circus (so he already knows the others) and his developing relationship with Fleur. He attempts to do everything in his power to assist the circus when the times get tough and wants to ensure that Fleur has all the help she can get. It is evident that there is chemistry between the two of them, but, will it last? Will it become strained? There are so many contributing factors pushing against them so you'll need to read to discover the truth yourself!

This book has more of a focus on character development than plot development. I am someone who prefers plot development and continuous mystery/action throughout. I did not enjoy this installment as much as the first book, I think this may have been due to me loving the Sorsha and Colm story line a little too much, but I still did really enjoy being immersed into the circus action again. It was a great chance to get to know more about each of the characters introduced the book one and then learn more about Fleur and Marco. I also enjoyed the suspense of the action with the individual sabotaging the circus. There were a number of people who could have been the culprit, and it was fascinating imagining each of the possible scenarios with those people involved.  My absolute favourite part of the book was seeing the solidarity of the circus family. While they were plagued by so many troubles over the period of the book, they came together to support each other wholeheartedly to combat the issues at hand. The imagery of the circus that Marney creates is beautiful too. You can imagine yourself in the circus and what is going on around you.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved hearing the different perspectives from Fleur and Marco, and seeing how they dealt with the challenges that they were faced with. The Circus Hearts series is easy and fun to read. The mystery, the action, the wide array of characters all make for a thrilling read. I also really like how they are short books, but they are still able to pack so much content into them. The character development from this book is astounding and would take many other authors hundreds of more pages to do the same thing.
I can't wait to pick up Circus Hearts 3 soon when it is released and learn about more of the wonderful characters from Klatsch's Circus!

I rated this book: 3.5 Stars ⭐

Book Review: Circus Hearts #1

Today I will be reviewing a wonderful little book for you called All The Little Bones (Circus Hearts 1), written by Ellie Marney. Before I delve much further into my review, I would firstly like to state that all opinions are my own and are honest. 

All The Little Bones is identified as a dark, young adult romance with a criminal twist. The summary of the book is as follows:

A teenage trapeze artist and an apprentice strongman on the run from a terrible crime... Seventeen year old Sorsha Neary's life is changed in one night when she defends herself behind the vans of her family circus troupe. Now Sorsha and apprentice strongman Colm Mackay are travelling south, to evade the fallout and escape the long arm of the law. All they have in their favour is talent, an old promise, and the slim acquaintance with the crew members and performers of their new home, Klatsch's Carnival. But the question for Sorsha and Colm isn't if the police will catch up with them, but when...

This is the second book I have read by the author, the first being White Night (which I have briefly reviewed before, review is on the homepage of my blog). When I first saw that Marney was releasing another book, I knew that I had to get my hands on it as I thoroughly enjoyed her other book. 

When I heard circuses and dark, mystical romance, I knew All The Little Bones was going to interest me. 

All The Little Bones is relatively short in comparison to other young adult novels, sitting at 264 pages. Despite this, it does not lack in anything at all. When you first begin the novel, you are immersed into a setting which gave me lots of beachy vibes. While the setting is not disclosed, I came to the conclusion that it is possibly set in Australia due to the descriptions we are given of place. These descriptions are vivid and give you the ability to imagine you are there with the characters. This continues when the two protagonists arrive at their destination circus and are introduced to the rest of the troupe. 

I would like to note that I adore books that are set in circuses. The circus is often always associated as a place for fun and entertainment, not only does this book look at those aspects, but also delves into some of the negatives as well. The crammed cabins, the tough routines that the circus performers have to learn in short periods of time and the tiredness that overcomes them after all of the experiences that they endure. 

The characters made this book for me. Sorsha and Colm were a match made in heaven. I loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the book and how they dealt with the troubles that they faced in between. Despite the challenges that she faced, Sorsha always made an effort to help Colm as much as she could and vice versa. I thoroughly enjoyed the strengths in their relationship and how Marney had the ability to develop it so quickly, without making it meaningless. I sympathized so much with Sorsha when she was attempting to get Colm a job too. She was willing to do anything she could to make sure that he was looked after because of all he had done to assist her. 

I also liked how the secondary characters were integrated into the text. Often secondary or minor characters are not given much of a chance to develop, but it was great to see the other circus performers play a critical role throughout the plot. Each of them had their own complex personalities and while they did not have as much time to develop as the main characters, they were still easy to distinguish. 

What drew me into the book, most of all, was the aura of mystery. While we were aware that there was a traumatic event which forced Sorsha and Colm to leave the north, it is not until we have read most of the book that we find out what occurred. The snippets of dialogue throughout the text provides the reader with a possible insight into what occurred and I found these touches added further depth to the plot. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed All The Little Bones. While I wish it was a little longer in length (don't we wish all books were), I am excited to read the next installment soon! It is a novel which is like nothing I have ever read before, the circus, the romance and the mystery filled plot ticks all the right boxes. 

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

All The Little Bones (Circus Hearts 1) is currently available for purchase as an e-book on the Amazon Store and will be released as a paperback in December

Happy reading!