OK, this is the circus book I wish Gruen had written. I found it to be clever and inventive. I really cared about the characters and was getting just as frustrated as Celia and Marco waiting to see what would happen next. And no matter what DID happen, it was never quite what you expect. It really was the best of what a book should be. It transported me to a different time and place and realm (and even taught me a little something along the way, how cool is THAT?!?). I am definitely a fan of Morgenstern and eagerly await her next project.