Review: Water for Elephants

Wow, I just finished this book, and it was simply amazing! It goes back and forth between past and present with the main character Jacob. The story begins with a murder at a circus, and it seems clear who the murderer is. The story weaves delicate relationships along with horrific cruelty to both people and animals. Reading this book takes you into a Depression-era circus and all of the mayhem that goes with it. Jacob bunks with and befriends a "freak" and his dog, and he falls in love with the beautiful wife of a maniac. The story is beautifully written, and I could not help but feel all Jacob was feeling as he re-lived his story. It had a fair amount of mystery, and the ending was quite surprising. It was one of those books that I didn't want to end because I loved it, but I also desperately needed to know what happened!

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