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Have you
ever had
an
inkling
that a
particular
book
would be
really
good,
but put
off
reading
it for a
while?
When you
finally
got
around
to
reading
it, did
you kick
yourself
for
waiting?
I
recently
had that
experience,
but
thankfully
read
those
books
I’d been
putting
off.
For a
long
time, I
noticed
the
Cirque
du Freak
series
by Irish
writer
Darren
Shan
(real
name
Darren
O’Shaughnessy)
coming
and
going at
the
library.
I also
noticed
it was
popular
with
middle
school
age
boys. So
popular,
in fact,
that I
witnessed
more
than one
of them
drop his
fa�ade
of cool
in favor
of
genuine
glee
when the
next
installment
of the
series
came in
on hold
for him.
That
really
caught
my
attention.
It’s
well
known
that
many
boys
don’t
spend a
lot of
time
reading.
Comics
and
graphic
novels
are
popular,
but it
really
takes
something
special
to draw
in the
boys
that
might be
a little
bit
reluctant
to pick
up a
book. I
knew I
ought to
give the
series a
try, but
just
kept
putting
it off –
horror
isn’t
usually
my genre
of
choice.
However,
last
summer I
brought
the
first
book
home and
handed
it to my
son with
a “here,
you
might
like
this…”
He then
proceeded
to read
half of
the
series
of
twelve
books in
the week
before
school
started!
Needless
to say,
I dove
in too
at his
insistence
– that
way we
could
discuss
the
books
together
as we
made our
way
through
the
series.
I read
many
books
written
for
young
children
and
teens,
not only
because
it is
useful
in my
job at
the
library,
but
because
I
genuinely
like
them.
However,
I
usually
don’t
read an
entire
series
of books
by an
author.
Harry
Potter
is of
course
an
exception;
because
once you
get
started
on those
you must
read
each new
book.
And we
also
read all
three
books of
Phillip
Pullman’s
Golden
Compass
Trilogy
together
– much
to our
chagrin,
as we
found
the last
book to
be
longwinded
and
disappointing.
The
Cirque
du Freak
books
are
neither
longwinded
nor
disappointing.
Darren
Shan has
created
a world
in his
books
that
draws
you in
from the
very
beginning,
and
keeps
you
enthralled
until
the last
word of
the last
book.
What is
it, you
ask,
that Mr.
Shan
could
possibly
write
about
that
might be
so good?
Vampires.
He takes
a fresh
view of
the
vampire
myth,
and the
result
is the
captivating
Cirque
du Freak
series.
The tale
begins
when
young
Darren
Shan and
his
friend
Steve
sneak
out late
one
night to
visit a
mysterious
traveling
circus,
the
Cirque
du
Freak.
What
they see
astounds
Darren,
especially
a man,
Larten
Crepsley,
who
performs
with a
large
spider
called
Madam
Octa.
Even
more
astonishing
is the
fact
that
Steve
recognizes
the
performer
to be an
old
vampire
he had
read
about.
He tries
to hide
this
from
Darren,
but
Darren
spies on
Steve as
he
confronts
the old
vampire
and begs
him to
help him
become a
vampire
himself.
Mr.
Crepsley
declines,
and
Darren
runs
home in
fright
at what
he has
witnessed.
However,
in the
next few
days, he
becomes
obsessed
with
owning
Madam
Octa,
and
returns
to the
circus
to steal
her.
This
sets
into
motion a
chain of
events
that
changes
the
course
of
Darren’s
life
forever,
with the
only
possible
solution
being
that
Darren
become
Mr.
Crepsley’s
apprentice
– and a
half-vampire.
From
beginning
to end,
these
books
are full
of
unusual
characters,
from the
various
members
of the
Cirque
du Freak
to
Desmond
Tiny,
the
mysterious
and very
sinister
man that
appears
from
time to
time to
remind
everyone
that he
ultimately
controls
the fate
of the
world –
yet is
giving
them a
chance
to have
a small
bit of
control
over the
outcome.
Darren
befriends
Harkat
Mulds,
one of
the
strange
hooded
creatures
known as
the
Little
People
that
accompany
the
circus,
and the
loyalty
they
share
with one
another
is a
strong
theme
throughout
the
books.
Darren
soon
learns
the way
of the
vampires,
which is
very
different
from
what the
myths
portray.
They do
not kill
when
they
feed,
and
though
they are
fierce
fighters,
they
avoid
disrupting
humans
as much
as
possible.
There is
another
race of
vampires
– the
Vampaneze,
who do
harm
humans
when
they
feed. As
the tale
unfolds,
Darren
finds
that an
epic
battle
between
the two
races is
coming,
called
the War
of
Scars.
He also
discovers
that he
plays a
surprisingly
important
part in
the
outcome
of the
war, and
reluctantly
takes on
the role
of hero
he seems
destined
for.
That is
as brief
a
summary
I can
give
without
giving
anything
away –
and this
is one
series
of books
that
deserve
not to
be
spoiled
for
future
readers.
The
twists
and
turns of
plot
literally
kept me
glued to
the
books,
eager to
find out
what
would
happen
next. An
author
who can
successfully
maintain
that
sense
through
twelve
volumes,
in my
mind, is
truly a
master
at his
craft. I
would
think it
would be
difficult
to end a
long
series
such as
this
satisfactorily,
but Mr.
Shan
pulled
that off
as well.
I truly
felt
completion
to the
tale,
and
though I
was a
bit
choked
up, I
was also
left
feeling
hopeful.
I would
recommend
this
series
to
anyone
with an
interest
in the
myth of
vampires,
or as a
gift for
a
reluctant
teen
reader.
One
visit to
Mr.
Shan’s
blog on
his
MySpace
account
(how
better
to reach
your
young
readers?)
shows
that he
receives
a steady
stream
of
letters
from
appreciative
teens
and
parents
for the
work
he’s
done.
Even
better,
he
accepts
the
compliments
humbly
and
continues
to
encourage
and
inspire
others.
http://www.subter.com/is/?p=119
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