The Disappearing Circus

The Disappearing Circus by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards (Riveted Press) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN 9781763526099

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Ivy and Emme are runaways, both heading north from their respective villages. Both girls are running from sadness, broken families, and broken hearts. Initially unknown to each other, the pair find themselves captured inside a scarlet red circus tent in the Midmoors.

 

The pair soon discover that this circus is a far cry from any ordinary circus. The Disappearing Circus is ‘all about the past and the never-was’. It is a captivating blend of ghosts, myths, extinct creatures, and children of the ‘real and now’, thanks to Ivy and Emme’s arrival.

Ivy and Emme are soon tasked with the overwhelming challenge of showcasing their talents to save the circus. However, both girls believe they have no distinguishing talents to attract the large crowds required. The girls learn and grow together by sharing their stories, facing their past, and keeping memories alive.

The Disappearing Circus is an imaginative and multi-layered middle grade novel seamlessly co-authored by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards. The multiple themes include family, friendship, belonging, grief, courage, self-belief, hope, magic, and possibility.