Sideshow [Hardcover]

Anne LeClaire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 1995

The haunting story of a child in jeopardy and a woman's daring sacrifice across the boundaries of time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers in search of suspense will find this novel aptly titled: like a carnival sideshow, it promises more than it delivers. Boston librarian Soleil Browne agrees to be a subject in "Dreamscape," a sleep experiment in which dream states trigger an audiovisual display. Somehow--and the author never explains this adequately--Soleil's participation in the program sparks bizarre dreams that mentally transport her to 1932, where she bears witness to the traumatic life of an orphaned 12-year-old girl. Chapters about Soleil, who becomes obsessed with "protecting" the child, alternate with stories of the girl, called "Shoe" because she has been disfigured by a horse's kick to the face. LeClaire's ( Grace Point ) imaginative rendering of Depression-era life proves stronger than her cardboard, soap-opera version of present-day events. Still, plot devices loom from every direction--Soleil's mother has suffered a stroke; one of Dreamscape's doctors is Soleil's estranged lover; a serial killer nicknamed the "Sweetheart Strangler" is on the loose in the present--and practically nothing gels. It's only natural for readers to suspect that Shoe's life, Soleil's dreams, the comatose mother and the serial killer will magically converge at the climax; however, nothing so spectacular takes place, even when Leclaire draws comparisons between a homicidal child molester's pursuit of Shoe and the strangler's stalking of Soleil. Ultimately, the author's failure to provide even a sketchy scientific or psychic framework for her tale undermines its already shaky plot. Paperback rights to Signet.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When Soleil Browne, a librarian working in a Boston museum, agrees to participate in the Dreamscape project, she is annoyed to discover that the project's director is Dr. Andy McKay, a former love. In a series of haunting and terrifying dreams monitored by McKay, she enters a small town in 1930s Ohio and encounters Shoe, a 12-year-old girl whose face is permanently marred from an accident. Soleil's dream world and reality intermingle when Shoe is pursued by a sinister townsperson and Soleil finds that she, too, is being stalked. Although physically sickened by the dream experiences, Soleil realizes that she is Shoe's only hope for survival. Side Show is thrilling to the last surprise and equal to the author's recent Grace Point (LJ 6/15/92). Highly recommended for public libraries.
Heather Blenkinsopp, Mercy Coll. Lib., Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Books; First Edition edition (February 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074990285X
• ISBN-13: 978-0749902858
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,217,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has stayed with me for a long time . . ., July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sideshow (Onyx Fiction) (Paperback)

I just reread Sideshow and it affected me more than ever. The way that Anne LeClaire intertwines the past and the present is haunting, a little bit disturbing and ultimately very very satisfying. Not only do I recommend that you read it--I recommend that you hang on to this book and read it again and pass it on. I hope this author writes another book soon!