From Goodreads: Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS…

When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes. Anywhere’s got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster’s mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan’s gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses’ minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she’d better get over herself and get on with it fast; there’s a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t succeed.

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I was pleased to find that this is a really great debut novel by Jane George, complete with love, betrayal, action, and a very interesting, original storyline!  George has created a world in which the reader quickly becomes immersed, a world in which the tastes and smells of the circus become palpable as Evan is whisked away on an adventure after running away from foster home number eight.  I highly enjoyed this novel and found myself glued to the pages from the very beginning.  The magic and paranormal activity within the novel was extremely fascinating, and George’s characterization left me feeling as if I truly knew the characters, having experienced their troubles and triumphs alongside of them.  While Evan does make mistakes that caused me to cringe in anger, her heart is always in the right place, and watching her come-of-age as the novel unfolded really made me love her as a character, connecting with her on a deeper level, which isn’t always possible in books.  This is a wonderful novel that I recommend for YA and above—it’s truly amazing!  Four and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.