Kira

This is the first book I can remember reading and thinking "I cannot WAIT to see this movie." Most of the time movies cannot possibly do a book justice, but in the case of this beautiful, ethereal story, the world Erin Morgenstern has created begs to be brought to life.It's the story of an enchanted circus that only opens at night, the Circus of Dreams. It arrives mysteriously in the middle of the night and leaves just as suddenly. You are invited to join the crowd flocking to the swirling gates, enter through a starry tunnel, wander through each tent and all it's mysteries, and peek inside the lives of the contortionists, magicians, and acrobats when they are not performing.The overlying story is of two children who are raised to compete in a game to which they do not know the rules, and they are never told what 'winning' entails or what it will cost. All they know is that the circus is the venue, and they are to out-do one another with illusion, wonder, and awe-inspiring tents, such as the Ice Garden or the Cloud Maze. They are absolutely not supposed to fall in love with each other. While that plot is the selling point of the synopsis, and a really good selling point, it's a little misleading, which is why I gave the book four stars.The danger that the main characters were supposedly living under was overshadowed by the grandiose descriptions of the circus, and I was so busy imagining all the amazing things being described I didn't have time to feel the suspense she was trying to create. The end felt a little anti-climactic because I never really understood what, if any, repercussions there would be if the "duel" never came to a head. I'm a hopeless romantic and books with a good love story tend to get higher ratings from me. This book certainly had some of that, but ultimately the love story felt a little flat. I wanted more interaction between Celia and Marco and more passion (romance, not sex); however, the fact that the romance is a little subdued is probably what will make this book appeal equally to men and women. It has a little something for everyone. Beautiful writing and an interesting story, and like I said, I really hope they make it into a movie.