Product Description

Darren Shan seems like your average boy--he likes playing football with his mates, passing notes in class and loves spiders. Then, one day, his best mate Steve gets tickets for a banned freak show and Darren starts experiencing things that no average boy would dream of. At the Freak show he sees a limb-chewing wolf man, a woman who can grow a beard in front of your very eyes, a snake boy and a goat-eating tarantula called Madame Octa. But what about the mysterious people in blue-hooded robes whose faces you never see? And is Mr Crepsley really a vampire? Don't be deceived by the facetious tone of the narrator, this book will have you screaming out in revulsion and horror. Wrap yourself up in your duvets and get prepared to be scared. This is outrageously gruesome: Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. If you're ready, let's begin. If this was a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started ... It started in the toilet.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1006 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From Amazon.co.uk
Darren Shan seems like your average boy--he likes playing football with his mates, passing notes in class and loves spiders. Then, one day, his best mate Steve gets tickets for a banned freak show and Darren starts experiencing things that no average boy would dream of. At the Freak show he sees a limb-chewing wolf man, a woman who can grow a beard in front of your very eyes, a snake boy and a goat-eating tarantula called Madame Octa. But what about the mysterious people in blue-hooded robes whose faces you never see? And is Mr Crepsley really a vampire?

Don't be deceived by the facetious tone of the narrator, this book will have you screaming out in revulsion and horror. Wrap yourself up in your duvets and get prepared to be scared. This is outrageously gruesome:

Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. If you're ready, let's begin. If this was a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started ... It started in the toilet.

Cirque du Freak is Darren Shan's first novel and the first in a series highlighting Darren's adventures and misadventures. You'll be baying for blood if you miss out.

And, remember, it's all true. (Age 10 and over) --Nicola Perry

Amazon.co.uk Review
Darren Shan seems like your average boy--he likes playing football with his mates, passing notes in class and loves spiders. Then, one day, his best mate Steve gets tickets for a banned freak show and Darren starts experiencing things that no average boy would dream of. At the Freak show he sees a limb-chewing wolf man, a woman who can grow a beard in front of your very eyes, a snake boy and a goat-eating tarantula called Madame Octa. But what about the mysterious people in blue-hooded robes whose faces you never see? And is Mr Crepsley really a vampire?

Don't be deceived by the facetious tone of the narrator, this book will have you screaming out in revulsion and horror. Wrap yourself up in your duvets and get prepared to be scared. This is outrageously gruesome:

Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. If you're ready, let's begin. If this was a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started ... It started in the toilet.

Cirque du Freak is Darren Shan's first novel and the first in a series highlighting Darren's adventures and misadventures. You'll be baying for blood if you miss out.

And, remember, it's all true. (Age 10 and over) --Nicola Perry

Review
Cirque Du Freak "!fast-paced and compelling book ! full of satisfyingly macabre touches!which leaves the reader hungry for more." JK Rowling 'Brilliant, macabre tale.' Guardian "I read Cirque Du Freak last week. I loved it. I love the way you manage to juggle the funny with the unpleasant, the affection with the hurt. It's great story-telling." Roddy Doyle The Vampire's Assistant "The Vampire's Assistant blazes a thrilling, gruesome trail through a fascinating plot." The Good Book Guide Vampire Mountain "Get your teeth into it!" Funday Times

---

Customer Reviews

Absolutely Marvellous
My 14 year old son read the Cirque du Freak book and told me how good it was. I then read it (in 1 sitting), and immediately bought the remaining 11. We spent the next 2 weeks reading them all.
Its simply a marvellous story and adventure. Each book leaves you wanting to start the next. It brings the reader to humour, then dark humour, then it scares you then makes you laugh.
I am 47 and have read thousands of books, and I would put this series in the top three.
Absolutely Marvellous entertainment.

Slightly gruesome, but a brilliant read.
Darren Shan is a normal kid. He loves football, finds school boring and hangs around a lot with his friend Steve. However, when Steve buys tickets to a mysterious freak show, things start to change a bit.
At the freak show, Darren is captivatd by a tarantula named Madame Octa, owned by a man called Mr. Crepsley. Darren discovers that Mr. Crepsley is a vampire but still steals the spider to keep as a pet. When it bites Steve, Darren is offered a choice: give up his life and become a vampire, or let Steve die.
While the plot device is fairly standard (the choice between your death or the death of a friend/loved one), Darren Shan's excellent writing keeps it exciting and interesting right up to the last page. Cirque Du Freak is an amazing book. Unlike most horror novels written for younger readers, it isn't afraid to dole out a little blood and guts when necessary (especially during the freak show). However, this doesn't mean the book is just cheap shock tactics. It involves the reader deeply, meaning that we truly care about Darren's fate. It is well-written and in places quite funny. Overall this is an excellent book, which I would recommend to anybody, young or old.

The Great Darren Shan
I've read the first 10 books in this series and i think they're all fantastic.As i read them i really started to care about Darren,Mr Crepsley,Harkat and the rest of the vampire clan, although i hated Steve Leopard and the Vampanese.If i had to choose a favourite it would be the tenth book,The Lake of Souls. This is a great story about Mr Tiny sending Darren and Harkat to another dimension to find Harkats soul.They have to fight different animals before they find the lake.You must read these books in order though to stay with the story.Read the first book to find out how Larten Crepsley turned Darren into a half vampire after Darren stole his performing spider,Madame Octa. The rest of the books follow Darren as he accepts what he is and becomes a vampire prince with a good heart.FANTASTIC.