My book club of science fiction and fantasy geeks loved this book! The book in its entirety is a fast read with a very interesting method of story telling. The book is a series of interviews with various characters hosted by a mystery interviewer who's identity is not known by the reader or the characters.
No family is perfect. People with less "functional" or "ideal" home lives can be indirectly making those of a more "functional" home life feel guilty for their healthy childhood. Our job is to cease the issue of shame and instead feel grateful for those with healthy home lives and hopeful for the human species. This leads me to the topic of being vulnerable and supportive in your relationships with friends, family, and partners.
The story is a wonderful execution of third person omniscient, and the plot never deviates. Everything is about the circus and, even deeper, the competition. I didn't feel like Morgenstern's implementation of magic in the real world was cheesy in any way, in fact, I would say they are tasteful. She executed the believable factor of the fantasy element really well.
Pragmastery 