The first in a trilogy known as Vampire Blood, Cirque du Freak is based around the “true story” of Darren Shans life. Darren introduces us to his messy and unfortunate world that he lives in. He describes his passion for spiders and how every night he imagines them ‘climbing down his throat, laying eggs in his belly then hatching and eating him from the inside out’. Its this passion for spiders mixed with a boys curiosity that changes Darren’s life forever.
This book certainly didn’t follow other children’s books with its predictable and at time corny twist, instead at best it seems like a true story told through the eyes of a child. As Darren says at the start ‘Don’t expect a happy ending because thats not how real life is’. I recommend this book to young boys who enjoy reading about vampires, werewolves and other freaks.
