LAUREN MUSCAT reads Jim Reiher’s The Sunburnt Circus…
Jim Reiher
The Sunburnt Circus
Mosaic Press, Melbourne, 2012
ISBN 978-1743241301
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“Reiher’s writing style is easy to follow but draws the reader in; the voice changing authentically for each character but maintaining a typical Aussie style.” |
Splintering off into multiple genres, Jim Reiher’s The Sunburnt Circus has something for all. Whether you’re in for a fantasy, an Australian story or Christian fiction, this novel is an all-round crowd pleaser.
Following the story of an Australian travelling circus, Reiher paints a picture of life underneath the Big Top. Delving into the personal lives of the clowns, acrobats and lion-tamers alike, the inner workings of the circus are revealed, but it is through the character of 12-year-old Simon, son of the ringmaster and an aspiring magician, that readers truly find the main story.
As a sequence of disasters strike the circus, Simon finds an unknown power within himself as he deals with the aftermath. Colourful, dynamic and with a great sense of heart, The Sunburnt Circus took me back to childhood dreams of running away with the circus. Yet at the same time, Reiher adds a few unpredictable twists and turns.
It would be easy at the outset to typecast the novel as a young adult fiction, but as the story progresses and darker themes emerges, the appeal for adults grows. Dealing with ideas such as animal rights, love and family, as well as life and death, God and angels, The Sunburnt Circus certainly shakes off any black and white assumptions.
Written from the perspective of multiple different characters within the circus, there is a depth that is given to the book that lets the reader see the group with new eyes with each passing chapter. Reiher’s writing style is easy to follow but draws the reader in; the voice changing authentically for each character but maintaining a typical Aussie style.
However, there were times where I felt a little confused as to where the novel was going. Was it going to be a book about animal rights? Or romance? Was it a drama? I still feel hard pressed to name a particular genre, but there is no doubt that the versatility kept things interesting. But with a finishing twist to rival them all, The Sunburnt Circus will hold you until the very end.
To buy this book, head here The Sunburnt Circus
