Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare (Shan, Darren; Little, Brown and Company, 2001; 257 pages; ISBN 0-316-60510-7)

Darren Shan is a nice boy from a nice family.  He likes to hang out with his friends, play soccer, and oh yes, he has a fascination with spiders.  That fascination lures him to do something dangerous while visiting a freak show (in itself, a dangerous feat), and before long, Darren finds himself making a deal with a vampire to shuffle off his mortal coil and assist the creepy Mr. Crepsley as a half-vampire for the rest of his days.

Shan presents this story—the first in a series of 12 installments—as a first person account told from the perspective of a protagonist who shares his name with the author.  Are these true tales?  Shan hopes you will wonder, and surely many young readers will enjoy asking themselves if this premise could ever possibly play out.  These books predate the wildly popular Twilight series, but many young readers will discover and enjoy them in the current wave of vampire popularity.  Shan’s writing is fast-paced and entertaining.  The language is accessible for the middle and upper ranges of this age group.  As a nice bonus, he sneaks in opportunities to build vocabulary frequently (“Sir, what’s malformed mean?”).  He presents dialogue between tween-aged characters in a way that is realistic, not simplistic. 

Shan—the author—knows how to lure in a reader and keep him intrigued.  Darren—the character—is likable and layered—a good son and good friend who is truly conflicted when he must decide how to rectify a horrible situation for which he feels responsible.

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