A book that is short but explores an interesting part of history that is electric. I really enjoyed seeing the story evolve and I did like the characters. This is the second book of Julie Mayhew that I have read and I can't wait to read some more in the future.

Lost my kindle a few years back and upon redownloading onto a new one, lots of files were corrupted and this was one so I'm unable to access anymore despite attempts.

This was such an interesting concept, and having enjoyed Mayhew's works before I knew it would be well-written, which it was!

Mim has a wonderfully self aware & humorous way of expressing herself. Alex shows how sweet & endearing of a human being he is through his POV. Smile-worthy are the convos and who they have them with in their respective POVs. Also smile-worthy are the thoughts of new, unexpected feelings, between people who have grown up together, now on the cusp of adulthood

Such an interesting premise, but unfortunately the book felt too fast-paced and predictable for me. Perhaps it is geared towards younger readers in the YA genre, but it was just missing something.

In a side show in eighteenth century England, teenager Mim is stuggling to find her act. Then Dr Fox arrives and chooses Mim to play the ‘Electrical Venus, which involves giving electric shocking kisses for a penny. This confuses Mim when the spark between her and a fellow acts start to fly, is it the Electrickery or is it real?!

A lovely historical story of first love, which gives a very diverse view of different cultures trying to make a living in a very white England and what prejudices they go though. A lovely little read

Julie Mayhew's unique style comes into play once again in this gorgeous tale of circus magic and mayhem. Knowing that this has been adapted from a radio play was fascinating, and I would have loved to have heard the original recording after finishing the book.

Although in a historic setting, this book was in no way difficult to read. I felt completely transported back to the circus with this vibrant cast of characters intriguing me on every page. Mayhew sets the scene perfectly, not shying away from the harsh realities of prejudice that POC and disabled characters experienced in the 1800s. This was balanced by joy and laughter, in the end, but added another layer to the story.

The romance was particularly sweet, how it unfolded over a long period of time and how there were obvious commonalities between the pair that made them so well suited. I'd recommend to anyone that's looking for something a little different, a bit quirky, with a great sense of place.

I didnt finish this book :( i feel so guilty about it but I just could not get into the story. I liked the idea of this book and Mim is a great character but something just didnt grab me. I love the cover and the premise is brilliant. I think i will have to attempt this title again when I have more deternination to finish it. I feel that this book has more to gove so I will return to it but for now I can only give three stars.

This was a DNF from me after reading 67%. I couldn't get into the flow of the book. I liked the characters and I was gripped at the start but I always felt like an observer of the story, not taking part in it. Also two DNF's in a row... I might be in a reading slump :( I have read other Julie Mayhew books and loved them! Beautiful cover.

A circus girl is lured into taking on a new role by a mysterious stranger, but will he break her heart? I found the style tricky to get used to, but the story was charming and I loved the ending. More in the video: http://www.betterthandreams.com/2018/07/june-2018/

In general, I liked this book. I liked the characters and the way they spoke. I felt that the way that it was written as them talking to various animals was very interesting and made it feel quite different from a lot of the books I've read recently.

My main hang up was the amount of racism in the book. Obviously it's a topic that should be discussed, but when reading historical books such I this, I do wonder if it shouldn't be discussed more sensitively. There's showing racism as an every day occurrence and there's writing it as though it doesn't matter when words and insults are thrown at these characters. With just a few tweaks to show the damage and upset that it's causing the characters, I feel like it wouldn't have seemed like the racism was just being dismissed as normal.

Other than that, I really have no complaints. I liked the story and it was the gripping, suspenseful kind of writing that I've come to expect from Julie Mayhew. A good book in general.

I'm a bit late to getting around to reading The Electrical Venus and honestly, I don't know why I didn't pick it up sooner. At 270ish pages, the book itself is tiny, yet it's full of so much story! I absolutely fell in love with the cover, it's eyecatching and colourful, yet not overwhelming. I loved all the little objects that i would later find out are references to the story.

Mim is a great character, a little slow at times which is contradictory to her thirst for knowledge. Alex is an absolute sweetheart, i wish he had told her from the get go how he felt. Not a fan of Sebastien though!

I loved the way this book was written. Switching point of views between Alex and Mim (and the odd poster) you get to see a few different sides of the story.

This review is super short, but I really cannot say much more without risking spoilers.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

This felt like a bit of an underwhelming novel as i went into it expecting a lot from it but i found it didn't deliver what i perceived to be there. The premise was really interesting and i loved how there was a race exploration in Georgian London. The writing was good but i don't think it was able to save the book. I felt it was just okay as a story and the way that Mayhew explored was interesting but there were definitely things lacking that would make it overall a more appealing book.

This is a really quick, enjoyable read, and I loved the setting!! I thought it was really original, and I’ve never read anything like it before. I loved the circus, and how Mathew presented it - I thought that was really well done. All in all, an enjoyable, original read.

A pre-Victorian freak show. Alex, the one-armed pugilist boy and sassy Mim, the mulatto girl-exotic on the edge of falling in love. Confiding their secret thoughts and desires to a performing pig and a not-so-performing parrot. Can they invent a new showstopper together so that the girl is not sold into prostitution?
The fayre hawker cannot believe his luck when his show is chosen by the inventor and philosopher Dr. Fox to showcase a new sensational act that will stun their audience - quite literally. And Mim is suddenly catapulted from obscurity into the limelight by being styled “The Electrical Venus”.
Beautifully evocative of the murky half-world of circuses and freakshows.
I reallyreally liked this book, one of those rare ones where you know you will miss the characters once you’ve finished the book.

I really enjoyed this book!

A wonderful set of characters and a great plot. I felt the main character was a well-rounded, headstrong female lead. The story is also pretty original, since I've never actually come across anything like it before. The only problem I have was that at times it felt a little dragged out? Also, I wish we had more backstory for the characters. Especially Abel and Joe! The layout of this book was also a win for me, with the chapter images and everything. The writing style, with its changing perspective, also made it fun to read :)

thank you to the publisher for giving me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

(and yes, I'm extremely late. sue me.)

Mim works in a side show fair as the sort-of exotic attraction with a parrot that speaks four languages. Alex is the shy one armed boxer of the fair, who grew up with Mim, and struggles with his growing feelings for his friend. Told from both points of view, we get to see romance blossom despite facing adversity and life on the road as the mysterious Mr Fox arrives with his ‘electrickery’ which will thrust Mim into the spotlight.

This is a story of young love, first love, told in a delicate and sensitive way. It’s not pushed, there’s no instalove here. It’s years of friendship and deep levels of trust that have changed into something more as the characters have grown up. It’s a rather lovely thing to watch unfold, and comes complete with the awkward tensions and embarrassing moments you’d expect from first love. As the story is told from both points of view, we gain a better understand of how each of the characters feels too, which I thought was a nice touch.

I loved all the secondary characters here too, and thought they were well fleshed out, diverse (for the times) and full of colour and life. The author does a good job of exposing the prejudices these individuals faced in Georgian England for the sake of ‘entertainment’ too, and I found myself really rooting for them to gain a better life for themselves despite everything. The setting is also wonderfully described, and sets the scene well. I felt like I was there in the side show, smelling the popcorn, with them.

YA historical fiction done well is hard to come by, and this feels authentic and genuine without being too out of its time. I did find the ending a little bit rushed after a slowish build up, and the plot when detached from these wonderful characters is a little obvious and stereotypical of the genre, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Another good edition to the expanding historical YA fiction genre, perfect for lovers of the Georgian era and side shows.

Rating: ★★★ (3/5)

Review:

This is a very sweet book and a pretty quick read. ‘The Electrical Venus’ definitely lends itself to being more of a romance than any other genre (not always my favourite). But it has the added attraction of being set in a travelling circus in the eighteenth-century, which is setting I find absolutely fascinating. It revolves around our two main characters Mim and Alex, who both have acts in the travelling circus, told from both of their viewpoints and almost in a diary-like format it really gives an insight into both sides of the story. Mim tells her side of the story to her pet parrot and Alex tells his side to one of the pigs who travels with them, it really allows the reader to get behind the romance and understand the thinking on both sides.

Once Mr. Fox turns up with his ‘Electrical Venus’ act and convinces Mim to be the star of the show the story really starts to move along, picking up pace as it goes. The last quarter of the book really flies by and if anything I wish it kept going for longer rather than ending so suddenly once everything had been wrapped up!

I can’t speak for the historical accuracy of the piece, however it is incredibly believable and at no point was I questioning anything that was happening. The setting really lends itself to the story and it creates some fascinating moments that couldn’t really be achieved with any other setting, in my opinion.

‘The Electrical Venus’ is a really lovely read, and perfect to pass by the time with a romance novel to remember.

The plot surrounds two protagonists, Alex and Mim. They are both orphans who were taken in by a travelling circus master when they were children. They perform in the circus and are treated more like assets than real people by the drunken owner and his bitter wife. They both know that things must change if they are to survive when the circus business begins to fail. And, as they spend more time together, they start to notice some changes in their feelings for each other, too.

But when a dapper stranger turns up at the circus with a new act of "magickal electrickery", and takes a shine to Mim, the duos whole world is turned on its head.

The whole book is set around a old-fashioned circus in the early 1800's, on the brink of the discovery of electricity. I loved the author's use of old-style language; it fit the characters perfectly, was very amusing at times and really set the scene for the vintage feel of the book. The descriptions of the clothing, the characters and the settings - even down to the travel by horse-drawn carriage - just took me back in time completely. There was nothing out of place, and when I was reading the book I was in that era and in that tent with the performers and the animals.

The story is set out in an interesting way, with Alex and Mim secretly disclosing their thoughts and feelings to their circus animals companions. It's a very clever way of letting the reader know the characters' feelings from a third-party perspective, and it works well. And because there are two main characters, there are two sides to the story throughout the book.

A lot happens, emotions run wild, and it is not boring at any point. The language and the plot make the story entertaining all the way through. I really felt for both protagonists, I cared about them and I really wanted to know that they would be okay in the end. At the low points it was an emotional read, despite the quirky language use and the historical setting.

Overall I really enjoyed this book a lot. I would recommend it to YA readers and adults alike. It is light-hearted and somewhat of a romance, but it is also very entertaining and something a bit different.

What an unexpectedly delightful book. It tells the story of Mim, a young mixed race girl living as part of a show troop which includes a one-armed boy, a gentle giant with no legs and a dwarf in 18th century England. The narrative is split between Mim and Alex and each character tells the story by talking to an animal - in Mim's case, George the parrot and for Alex, it is the mathematical pig. This took a bit of getting used to, but it is a fascinating way for the plot to unfold it and really allowed the reader to get under the skin of these characters. Mixed in amongst this are handbills which detail what will be on display and newspaper articles. The plot is simple and well-constructed and the pacing is generally good, although it felt a little bit rushed towards the end. What I think is most impressive here, is that the author has taken marginalised figures from 18th century life and given them a voice. She has taken individuals who are on display because of their differences and shown how they make their own way in the world. It is very compelling and overall, I really enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.