Excitingly different and weirdly wonderful, this feels as though evocative tastes of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Eastern European folklore have been vividly blended together into a modern yet completely unique tale. After the death of her grandmother, Rosie has an accident and finds herself in the curious world of the Unseen Circus, ruled over by Mother Matushka. Mother Matushka is an absolutely fascinating character; capable of being both loathsome and compassionate, she is chillingly unnerving to say the least. The storyline is based on Rosie and the impossible decision she has to make, the author cleverly reveals snippets of information to the reader, at times she leaves Rosie in the dark and you find yourself wanting to shout out a warning to her. The ending has a surprise in store making this, an already memorable, gorgeous tale, unforgettable.
Staying alive isn't easy in the world of the dead. After an accident at her grandmother's house, Rosie is transported to a strange and sinister world populated by a cast of carnivalesque characters who reside in the Circus of the Unseen. Reigning over them is an old woman called Mother Matushka, who guards the threshold between life and death and has extraordinary powers over all around her. This is an in-between world, a bizarre and trapped existence, but Rosie is not like the others here. She seems to be hovering between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and even seems to have the power to challenge Mother Matushka. Can Rosie escape Mother Matushka's formidable rule and a world in limbo? And can she solve another mystery - one that lies at the heart of her grandmother's life?
Joanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real. An early passion for culture, story and folklore led Joanne to read archeology and anthropology at St John’s, Cambridge, after which she worked as a bookseller, and led the UK children’s book buying team for a major international retailer.
Joanne has written several books for children/young adults. She’s now a fulltime reviewer, workshop presenter and writer, working on YA novels with a strong basis in diverse folklore from around the world, as well as fiction for younger readers (in which witches are very much real).
Excitingly different and weirdly wonderful, this feels as though evocative tastes of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Eastern European folklore have been vividly blended together into a modern yet completely unique tale. After the death of her grandmother, Rosie has an accident and finds herself in the curious world of the Unseen Circus, ruled over by Mother Matushka. Mother Matushka is an absolutely fascinating character; capable of being both loathsome and compassionate, she is chillingly unnerving to say the least. The storyline is based on Rosie and the impossible decision she has to make, the author cleverly reveals snippets of information to the reader, at times she leaves Rosie in the dark and you find yourself wanting to shout out a warning to her. The ending has a surprise in store making this, an already memorable, gorgeous tale, unforgettable.
