“☆ This creative exploration of chosen family, self-knowledge, love, and the tension between opposites is both timely and timeless. Dazzling.”
The Circus Rose
From a New York Times bestselling author, a queer retelling of “Snow White and Rose Red” in which teenage twins battle evil religious extremists to save their loves and their circus family. YA fantasy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Mackenzi Lee, and Laini Taylor.
Twins Rosie and Ivory have grown up at their ringmaster mother’s knee, and after years on the road, they’re returning to Port End, the closest place to home they know. Yet something has changed in the bustling city: fundamentalist flyers paper the walls and preachers fill the squares, warning of shadows falling over the land. The circus prepares a triumphant homecoming show, full of lights and spectacle that could chase away even the darkest shadow. But during Rosie’s tightrope act, disaster strikes.
In this lush, sensuous novel interwoven with themes of social justice and found family, it’s up to Ivory and her magician love—with the help of a dancing bear—to track down an evil priest and save their circus family before it’s too late.
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020
Top Ten Title for Teen Readers, American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List 2021
“A delicately lovely reimagining of the fairy tale ‘Snow White and Rose Red’….a rich range of queerness.”
“A graceful exploration of the families we’re born with and the ones we make.”
“The story tackles crucial themes—including the importance of found family and the dangers of religious fundamentalism—while navigating complex familial relationships and delivering a rich atmosphere.”
“You will adore this standalone set at a family circus.”
“Breathtakingly beautiful . . . takes on a passion that I’ve not often seen in any YA novel.”
“An intense, compulsive and gripping read . . . . Exquisite. Highly recommended.”
“Sparkling with lush magic and worldbuilding . . . I loved this book.”
“Reminiscent of thrilling, other-world scenes found in various books in the Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children series. For those who enjoyed author Betsy Cornwell’s 2015 steampunk version of Cinderella, Mechanica, those who like Steampunk or Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children, The Circus Rose is an excellent choice.”
“The Circus Rose is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time — openhearted, fiercely committed to the utopian possibilities of queer love, and just absolutely magical”