The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Vintage, 2012. ISBN 9780099554790.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Reves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm. True love or not, the game must play out . . .
The Night Circus is one of those rare books that manages to be unique, original, charming and fascinating all at the same time. It's written in beautiful, lyrical language that describes the circus with a kind of awestruck wonder, that perfectly suits a book like this. The characters are interesting and varied, from the cruel Prospero the Enchanter, to the kind and studious Marco. All of these characters, even minor ones, are developed well throughout the novel, each with their own little stories and nuances.
The circus itself is incredible, mysterious and enchanting, a circus one wishes was in reality, rather than embedded in pages of fiction. The author describes the circus in such a way that it almost seems to come alive, along with all the intricately detailed characters. This makes the book very memorable.
The Night Circus is unique, memorable, enchanting and incredible all at once, with an exciting plot and an endless stream of intriguing characters.
I highly recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams