Spoilers ahead!

When I was 10 years old, I read CIRQUE DU FREAK: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan for the first time. It lit up my brain like a Christmas tree. While I was sick and bedridden the past few months, I reread the entire series. Today, I’m reviewing the first book. To be clear, this is a middle-grade horror book. It is targeted at 12-13-year-olds. I was a bit young for the intended demographic when I first got my hands on a copy, but I absolutely devoured the series as a kid. Let’s see if it holds up now that I’m 32.

Just so you know, spiders play a huge part in the plot of the first book and are consistent companions in the series overall. The first chapter opens with a graphic description of Darren dreaming about a spider laying eggs in his stomach. It’s pretty gross and isn’t even as gross as the book gets. So heads up, arachnophobes.

Much like this article, the book starts with a warning. The author, Darren, claims that the following events are not fiction in the slightest. He says he changed the names and locations, but that he is publishing his diaries to tell the world the truth of the war happening under the nose of humanity. That intrigued me as a kid because I desperately wanted evidence of the supernatural world. I still do, if I’m being honest. Unfortunately, I did not receive empirical evidence of monsters in the real world from this children’s horror book.

I’ll let you know the moment I do.

Darren Shan is a 12-year-old boy who loves spiders and monsters. He’s got a great family, with solid parents who understand their kids and support them (outside of not allowing Darren to keep any more pet spiders in the house after a tragic incident involving a very expensive tarantula and a vacuum). He loves his little sister, and she loves and trusts him. It’s a beautiful home. Nothing foreboding there.

Darren has a group of three very close friends, but his best friend is a boy named Steve Leopard. His last name is really Leonard, but he’s called that due to his tendency towards rage and vengeance at a moment’s notice. Nothing foreboding there. Okay, I’ll stop that.

One day, one of the boys brings in a flyer he stole from his dodgy older brother and shows his friends. It’s an advertisement for a traveling circus, Cirque du Freak. The flier boasts about acts such as: the wolfman, the snake boy, Larten Crepsley and his beautiful assistant Madam Octa, and more! 

I don’t know about you, but I’m sold, and so are the boys. They manage to scrounge together $23 whole dollars each. Practically a fortune! Unfortunately, destiny ensures only two tickets make it back to the group. After the dust settles, Steve and Darren end up the victors.

Darren stays the night at Steve’s, and we learn that Steve is not happy with how things are going in his home. His dad left when he was very young, and he doesn’t get along with his mom. Darren remarks that he specifically doesn’t like how Steve speaks to his mother, and not the other way around. Steve’s mom seems to genuinely be trying to establish a relationship with her son, but he’s refusing. She respects his boundaries and does her best to support him in his hobbies and endeavors, but Steve finds it stifling. At this point, it’s clear that Steve is Darren’s foil, and that theme continues throughout the series.

A man, very aptly named Mr. Tall, takes the boys’ tickets and grants them entry to the show. Darren buys a few souvenirs, and they take their seats. Mr. Tall introduces the show in a fantastic monologue that really stuck with me as a kid. The lines still hit hard. Darren Shan, the author, has more than earned his critical acclaim in youth publishing.

While Darren seems to be most entranced with Crepsley’s lovely assistant, the wolf man’s performance is what stuck with me. Is it because werewolves have been my special interest since childhood? Maybe, but the scene is gruesome, and it totally blew my mind at 10 years old.

I’m starting to realize this guy shaped my love of horror into what it is today. Wow. Thanks, Darren Shan. I’ll have to make sure to add him in the acknowledgements of my next book.

REAL SPOILERS START HERE!

I highly recommend reading the book yourself, but if you don’t mind knowing the overall plot, read on.

The act that changes everything for 12-year-old Darren is performed in the middle of the show. Larten Crepsley astrides onto the stage and lets Madam Octa out of her cage. What’s that? Oh, you thought Madam Octa was a human? Of course she’s not! She’s a spider, about the size of a vampire’s gaping mouth. (If you read the book, that reference will make sense.)

Darren immediately becomes obsessed. After the show, he decides to steal the spider from Crepsley. Days later, he’s successful. Darren learns how to use the flute to communicate with Madam Octa and get her to do an amateurish version of the routine she performed the other night. The thing about this particular spider is that she’s incredibly venomous. A single bite is potent enough to kill a grown man in seconds.

So, of course, Darren had to have her, and of course, he invited his bestie Steve over to check out his new pet. Unfortunately, Darren doesn’t have the control that he thinks he has, and a sudden interruption from his little sister leads to Steve being bitten by Madam Octa. Steve is rushed to the hospital, and the prognosis is grim. Darren, wracked with guilt and fear, searches out Mister Crepsley.

Fortunately, Larten stuck around to observe Darren after he stole the man’s spider and hadn’t decided to leave immediately after getting his spider back, so Darren doesn’t have to look for long. After some arguing and bargaining, Darren agrees to become the vampire’s assistant, a half-vampire child who can walk in the sun and do Larten’s bidding. The catch? Darren has to fake his death and leave his family and friends behind. Forever.

To save his best friend, Darren agrees. He leaves with the vampire to travel with the Cirque du Freak. The way that shakes out had me teary-eyed more than once. I know I’ve already praised the author’s ability, but I’m going to do it again here. Darren’s death and funeral devastated me. His family’s reactions, specifically. They loved him so much in life, and they all expressed it so clearly in his death. The author successfully broke my heart. I remember crying for a long time when I read it as a kid. I definitely shed a few tears this time around.

For any parents wondering if this is age-appropriate, I believe it is. It’s spooky, it’s hair-raising, but it’s safe horror. Darren Shan, the author, said he wanted to write ‘Stephen King for kids’, and he absolutely succeeded.

Let’s talk ratings.

The Scares

Seriously scary. Adults might not end up looking sideways at the jacket hanging on the back of their doors at night while reading this, but middle schoolers definitely will.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Writing

Stellar. It’s exactly what middle schoolers seeking a thrill will enjoy. It’s not a complicated read, it’s fast paced, and every new piece of information builds up the tension. Adults will enjoy this too, especially if you’re looking for a new take on the vampire myth. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall Rating

The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I have to leave room to acknowledge my rose-tinted glasses. This book series was the first book series I asked my grandma to help me buy on release, so it means a lot to me. I think that means to balance my bias, I have to knock off one star. Read this series. It’s a good time. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Don’t ask me about the movie. >:(