Title: Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

Author: Darren Shan

Series: Saga of Darren Shan #1

Genre: Horror Urban Fantasy (Middle Grade)

Pages: 266 Pages (Paperback)

Original Publication Date: January 4, 2000

Overall Rating:
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Summary from Goodreads

In the tradition of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, Cirque Du Freak is the frightening saga of a young boy whose visit to a mysterious freak show leads him on a journey into a dark world of vampires. Filled with grotesque creatures, murderous vampires, and a petrifying ending, Cirque Du Freak will chill, thrill, and leave readers begging for more.

My Thoughts

There are  a few minor spoilers throughout this review, but I don’t think it will ruin the book if you haven’t read it.

Corey and I saw Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant a few weeks ago.  I really enjoyed the movie so I thought I’d give the books a try.  The movie’s actually based on the first two books in the series so having just finished the first book, I’m about halfway through the movie.

A Living Nightmare is about a boy, Darren Shan, who goes to see the Cirque Du Freak with his best friend, Steve Leonard.  Darren has always been mesmerized by spiders (at which point I had a hard time forcing myself to keep reading the story) and sees the beautiful and talented Madam Octa, a unique and very poisonous tarantula, perform at the show with Larten Crespley, who’s actually a vampire.

Darren becomes so obsessed with Madam Octa that he steals her from Mr. Crepsley.  While Madam Octa is in Darren’s care, she bites Steve and sends him into a coma.  In order to save his friend, Darren makes a deal with Mr. Crepsley to become his assistant, a half-vampire.

I have to admit that the book seemed a little slow at first, but I think that’s because I was waiting for certain things to happen having just watched the movie a few weeks ago.  There were a few parts that were hard for me to read but that’s only because of the author’s vivid detail about the spiders Darren is so mesmerized with; it just gave me the creepy crawlies.  I did enjoy the story and I look forward to the second book because I think it’ll be faster paced now that most of the background to the story’s out of the way.