Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange of a review.
I started listening to this one but didn't hold my interest. I thought the concept was good but I wish I could have connected with the characters and plot more.

Actual rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Ahhhhh!!! I think this one suffered from my listening to it via audiobook. I think I downloaded it when Netgalley Shelf was launched and they started releasing audio-arcs.

With this type of story, not a lot of high-stakes action, very character focused, slice-of-life, historical, etc, I think I would have absorbed it better having physically read it.

That being said, I can't deny that this had a gentle magic to it and I did enjoy learning about the circus family and all the dramas and trials they faced within their lives. It was a beautiful novel and the parts I was properly listening to were mesmerising.

"Big Gen - the circus bookkeeper- was a hoarder". Yep, sounds like me. I am living up to that namesake!

I loved the Tales Told portions, in between the diary chapters. The little story of the two lovers, in particular, was so sad (chapter 15). I wish I had concentrated better so I could see better how those in-between stories connected to the main narrative. I wouldn't rule out re-reading this one day because I reckon I would give this 5 stars, if I give all my attention to it.

This was a beautifully written, exquisite little gem of a book and I do hope there is a sequel!! If you enjoyed the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth MacNeal then you will love this....

''This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived...

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child... But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?''

Our nameless main character - known as mouse - is one of the most intriguing characters I have ever read about and I was spellbound from the first page to the last. Full of beauty, mystery and magic this was an amazing read and I highly recommend. The audiobook is also a treat to listen too and the story is read beautifully and really brings the characters to life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read/listen to and review both the ebook and audiobook.

Loved the blurb but just couldn't get into the book itself sadly. I just wasn't gripped enough to persevere. Too many books on my Kindle to keep going with this one.

I really wanted to love this book. With it’s magical overtones and circus setting I hoped it would in the same vein as the Greatest Showman, though perhaps a bit darker. However it somehow missed the mark for me and I just couldn’t get in to it. It felt like a bit of a slog to get through as it went on but I was intrigued enough by the concept to persevere with it.
It is darker as I’d hoped, with Marina’s backstory reveal (although that wasn’t that much of a surprise given the historical setting) and the trauma Mouse suffers throughout her childhood, but it just doesn’t really go anywhere.

In the second part of the book Mouse seems to switch to a totally different person which didn’t make sense to me. She goes from being a meek thing who hides to an outgoing person, and it’s explained simply by her internal dialogue about it, it was confusing and out of character. Furthermore her actual career that you think the book is working up to is glossed over. It felt like the writer had been given a word limit and realised they’d spent too long on earlier sections and just had to wrap it up.

I felt for Mouse but didn’t particularly like her either, I don’t feel like any of the characters are well developed enough for readers to really get to know and therefore love. Also there were several references to Mouse being a ‘monster’ throughout the first half and then she’s supposed to go off and live her life in the spotlight with various lovers etc. Other characters refer to her as such early on too so I was expecting there to be some sort of ‘freak show’ type reveal regarding her appearance but that never happened so I’m confused about what that was all about.

The final twist is quite good but by that point I wasn’t really fussed anymore and was just glad to be reaching some sort of conclusion. I liked the way it was tied up with the ‘handing over’ of the stories but ultimately it just didn’t grab me. I don’t know if it’s because I listened to audio version and found the narrator’s northern accent a bit jarring but I didn’t connect. You can’t love them all though can you.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I have to DNF this audiobook. I picked this up a couple of months ago and loved the narrator of this audiobook. The voice drew me into the story but the story just wasn't something I enjoyed. I definitely went into this expecting something completely different and it left me feeling a bit disappointed. I decided to take a break from listening and just never got the urge to pick it back up. I know that this book will be loved and enjoyed by many and the audiobook narrator does such a fantastic job. I just don't think I will ever finish this.

This is a enthralling story that is well narrated. While much of the prose is beautiful the plot is both bleak and heartbreaking as the characters suffer from the cruel actions of those around them. Highly recommended for those that need a good cry.

A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington is absolutely stunning. Have had it on my shelf for a while and not got round to reading it, despite having heard great things about it but it is wonderful! Perfect lockdown escapism! Beautiful storyline and loved the narrator. Cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I think the best thing about this book was the narrator. I found this book hard to get into, over - sensationalist and over - sexualised. There seemed little plot otherwise

I really didn’t like the audio format of the book - the issue is with the Netgalley shelf as opposed to the actual book.
I wasn’t overly keen on the tempo of the narration despite speeding it up and slowing it down. I think I will buy the book on audible (to see if it’s Netgalley shelf that I had the issue with) or in paper back and then update my review with my thoughts on the actual book

This was the first audiobook I have ever tried. And it turns out audiobook aren't for me. I got about 30% of the way through but I was noticing how much I had to force myself to press play. This is a personal thing and I'm grateful that I got to try this one out. I am still interesting in the book but I think I'll be heading to the physical copy to finish the story. I did like the fact that this had different voices for the interviewer and our main character that were easily identifiable, it made it feel more engaging. However it wasn't enough for me. I love the feel of a physical book and the quietness of reading. I would definitely recommend this book audiobook to people though!

I struggled to get into this book but stuck with it until the end. The book focuses on a young woman born into the circus life. Her mother abandoned her, and another act took her under her wing and taught her to be a tight-rope walker. Through a series of events, she tries to locate a missing child. The story covers myths about fairies and legends taught to her, and this is used within the story while the main character attempts to locate the child in NYC.

The ideas were original, but the narrative and characterisation could have used some work. I struggled to get a sense of the character and any connection. The story also flittered around a lot more than I felt necessary.

I thought the reading felt a bit cold and reading as on paper and not really into the story.

I enjoyed the whimiscal element of this audiobook, especially in the first section that focuses on Mouse's time at the travelling circus. There are dark moments too, and Marina's backstory was an interesting and heartbreaking tale that allowed us to understand her callousness in relation to her daughter.
I did however find the plot hard to grasp - there is a pace to the story that felt like it was taking us somewhere we never quite reach. The time that we follow Mouse's adventures in New York feels a little rushed, even as it is leads us to an ending that feels slightly unfinished.
Overall I enjoyed the narration, although some of the different accents fell a little short of the intended intonations, but as a whole this did not put me off the audiobook.

I'm still pretty new to audiobooks and trying out some different genres and styles. This was a little different for me as books go in general, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it! The narrator was great, and the whole book had an almost dreamy quality.
The book follows a girl called Mouse, an unwanted child of a popular, beautiful circus performer. Mouse grows up with the circus, travelling with them, remaining quiet and unnoticed. When young Serendepity Wilson joins, things change - she takes Mouse in, cares for her and talks to her like nobody had ever done before. They become good friends.
Things soon change again, though. Serendipity Wilson herself becomes pregnant. Mouse doesn't really understand it all, and she has a lot of emotions around the new child, but she is extremely fond of her once she arrives. The child - Bunnie - and Mouse become close, playing and giggling and, of course, fighting. But Mouse's childish mistakes of the past, mixed with new mistakes, cause things to change once more. This change affects her whole life.
The book is told through letters from Mouse, transcripts and childhood journal entries. It is not chronological exactly, jumping across the timeline quite a bit. The ending is sort of in the present; the present being the moment in which Mouse is writing. It may sound a little complicated but I didn't find it particularly problematic.
I love a unique book, and this was definitely one. It was sort of whimsical, but dark and sad, too. The atmosphere was very strange (but not at all in a negative way). The narrator was wonderful, and I really became immersed in the story. I'm not sure how much I actually like Mouse as a character, but we all have flaws, don't we?
My overall rating is 4.5 stars; as much as I enjoyed it, I wouldn't quite class it as a 'favourite'.

A Girl Made of Air was very well written, and I enjoyed the original circus setting, but ultimately it turned into a DNF for me. I'm not sure if I'll finish it at some point, but I was put off by the ableist depiction of difference once the main character travels to the US and the graphic focus on the so-called 'freaks'.

I really enjoyed following Mouse’s journey through her history piecing together her childhood growing up within a circus and training to be a funambulist under the eye of the enigmatic Serendipity Wilson.

Mouse doesn’t have a relationship with her parents and Serendipity Wilson becomes everything for her. There is some beautiful writing, my favourite chapter was the one that depicts Mouse’s first ever performance - absolutely hypnotic writing.

There was some of the story that I didn’t follow, it didn’t fit into the narrative at times. I also wished that there was more of her life as a funambulist.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book!
I finished this book a few days ago and havent written my review until now because I'm not sure how I feel about it.
At first I struggled to get into it and connect with the characters, found myself plodding along, however as the story went on and you got brought into the lives of Serenity Wilson and Mouse as we know the narrator I started to enjoy it more.
It started off as a sort of The Night Circus vibe, which I loved when i read it, however this one didnt engage with me as much at the time, although the story has stayed with me since finishing it.
I got to know and enjoy the characters and I really liked the ending but it wasnt a book that made me go WOW! or made me fall in love with it, however it is a beautiful book and story and I would recommend it.
It was heartwarming yet also emotional, had tears in my eyes in a few places without saying what or why.
I couldn't vividly picture the scene or fully fall into this book,which is why I have ummed and ahhhhed about what rating to give it!
Have given it 4stars as I just really enjoyed it, despite missing that spark that makes me fall in love with a book.

Thank you to #NetGalley #HachetteAudioUK and #Quercus for giving me an ARC of the audio book #AGirlMadeofAir by #NydiaHetherington in exchange for my honest review.

2 stars - **

Mouse is a Funambulist born into a post-war circus family. She was unwanted by her parents and brought up by Serendipity Wilson who throws her into the circus spotlight. As an adult Mouse is haunted when a child, Bunny, is lost from the circus and Mouse spends her life trying to find her.

When I read the blurb of this book I was expecting it to be a whimsical, magical, YA fantasy and I was met with a dark, confusing story. I struggled to follow the plot and as a result it took me much longer to complete it than I would have liked. I found myself unable to connect at all with the main character and if I am honest this book was just not for me.

With thanks to Netgalley for an audio arc all opinions expressed here are my own.

A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington is a historical fiction set in a circus environment. It is not a light hearted read as the narrator “Mouse” is an unwanted child born from difficult circumstances who spends her life hunting for Bunny, the child who went missing. I didn’t feel connected to the main character and felt confusion each time we dipped into the side stories. We also didn’t learn much about her tightrope walking, despite it being what she’s known for.

Overall an average, but not outstanding 3 star read.

This book had a lot to live up to, it being compared to the works of Angela Carter, and to The Night Circus in particular. For me, it was like neither of these books. For me, it was a great big disappointment with an uninteresting narrator and a clunky and disordered story.

We are informed near the beginning that the main thrust of the story is Mouse (the otherwise unnamed protagonist) looking for a lost child known only as Bunny. That said, we then spend the following two thirds of the novel getting to know everyone at a circus that Mouse and Bunny's mother Serendipity worked on the high wire for.

While we wait to hear about anything to do with Bunny--or, indeed, her birth--we get to meet the ringmaster, Mouse's biological mother with whom she has a completely divorced and unloving relationship. We do, at least, find out there is a reason for this, and it is satisfying, though sad.

My favourite bits were definitely the five sections that were short stories that Serendipity Wilson had told to Mouse in her youth, and that she recalls throughout the narrative, in no particular order. These function as short stories that would probably function just as well outside of the rest of the novel.