49. Cirque du Freak - A Living Nightmare

Book 49: Cirque du Freak - A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan (A)

This is book one of the Darren Shan Saga/Cirque du Freak novels! I have always wanted to read the novels, but after hearing such negative comments about the movie adaptation, I put off reading them. However, the novel was quite exciting. There was many twists, and I had no idea how the ending was going to go!

Good or bad movie?

Darren is a high school boy, and when his friends find a flyer for a freak show, the boys try to get tickets. Steve, the adventurous, slightly crazy friend, manages to only get two. Thanks to a pure luck, Darren is picked to go along with Steve. They check out the freak show full of haunting descriptions of the snake boy, werewolf, and contortionists. The main attraction is Mr. Crepsley and his gigantic poisonous tarantula Madam Octa. During that portion of the show, Steve begins to act bizarre and ignores the rest of the show. Afterwards, he tells Darren to run home and he'll see him soon. Instead, Darren stays behind to watch Steve approach and confront Mr. Crepsley for who he really is - a vampire!! Steve demands he be changed into a vampire or he'll grow up to be a vampire hunter to kill Mr. Crepsley in the future.
Now, I was unaware that I'd be reading yet another vampire novel. I knew the second book was called The Vampire's Assistant, but I honestly thought the series of books would be close-up looks at different freaks within the show. Apparently, it's an ongoing story of Darren's adventures with Mr. Crepsley. The Cirque du Freak itself makes only a small appearance in A Living Nightmare. Darren and Madam Octa are the main features in this wild tale.
Shan, a British author inspired by old horror films, does an amazing job of keeping the book young adult level but still chilling. The descriptions of the freaks are fantastically horrifying, and the story is consistently wonderful to read. I have immediately begun reading the second novel, which is starting slow but should be picking up quite soon as Darren meets back up with the Cirque du Freak.
The vampire lore in this novel is unlike any I've ever seen. No, the vampires don't sparkle. Neither are they immortal!! They can be killed by more than a wooden stake or fire and can dine on human food as well as human or animal blood. Compared to the many vampire cults I've been fans of (CBS's Moonlight, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, Anne Rice novels), these are the strangest vampires I've ever read!!! They even have their own gods, like the Egyptians!
If you're having Twilight withdrawal or The Vampire Diaries isn't what you had hoped for, I suggest the Cirque du Freak novels!! They'll boggle your mind and keep you reading for hours!