The plot is an odd one… It’s slow, weird and interesting but not a lot is going on. The story is quite uniquely told the POV character’s chapters are them telling the story of what happens to animals, for Mim she tells the story to George, her parrot and Alex tells his story to the pigs he looks after. There are also chapters told in the third person, almost like a narrator starts telling the story, it’s odd I have never read anything set up this way before. The third person chapters give a completely new and interesting view of the story.
The setting and atmosphere of the story are probably my favourite parts of the novel, it’s set in Georgian England in a travelling sideshow. It was really interesting to read about the performances they put on and the world in general. (Can’t comment on whether it’s historically correct, however.)
The ending was faster than the rest of the book, it picked up well and it had a sweet ending. It’s really hard to explain what happens without completely giving it away, it’s probably best going in blind.
Characters:
Mim: She is a young woman known as the girl-exotic as she is mixed race – this was not something I was expecting but it did really increase my interest in the story – she is half slave, half highborn but sold and grew up with the travelling show. I liked Mim, I was really interested in her character development and her story, particularly her time with Alex and later Dr Fox and seeing her turn into the titular ‘Electrical Venus’.
Alex: He’s a young boy sold to the sideshow because he only has one arm due to an accident. He had grown up with Mim in the sideshow, he’s really sweet and cares about Mim, I really liked their friendship.
Overall: It’s not quite as good as the synopsis lead me to believe, I was expecting more but I did enjoy it. I recommend it for people who like historical fiction with circus kinda vibes and romance.
The setting and atmosphere of the story are probably my favourite parts of the novel, it’s set in Georgian England in a travelling sideshow. It was really interesting to read about the performances they put on and the world in general. (Can’t comment on whether it’s historically correct, however.)
The ending was faster than the rest of the book, it picked up well and it had a sweet ending. It’s really hard to explain what happens without completely giving it away, it’s probably best going in blind.
Characters:
Mim: She is a young woman known as the girl-exotic as she is mixed race – this was not something I was expecting but it did really increase my interest in the story – she is half slave, half highborn but sold and grew up with the travelling show. I liked Mim, I was really interested in her character development and her story, particularly her time with Alex and later Dr Fox and seeing her turn into the titular ‘Electrical Venus’.
Alex: He’s a young boy sold to the sideshow because he only has one arm due to an accident. He had grown up with Mim in the sideshow, he’s really sweet and cares about Mim, I really liked their friendship.
Overall: It’s not quite as good as the synopsis lead me to believe, I was expecting more but I did enjoy it. I recommend it for people who like historical fiction with circus kinda vibes and romance.