The Mumbo Jumbo Circus [Kindle Edition]

Jane George (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

**Summer Sale** $2.99 from regular price of $4.99

If you enjoy stories by Diana Wynne Jones & J.K. Rowling, you're in the right neighborhood. Look over there. Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS...

Step right up into the world of mystery and magic that is The Mumbo Jumbo Circus, a rag-tag traveling circus that is also home to a group of throwaway teens. When 15 year old Evan takes up with the circus, she has nowhere else to go. She soon discovers this circus is like no other. The Ringmaster was bequeathed a powerful ju-ju that brings forth a magical talent, or donvrai, in certain individuals. Evan's gift is the ability to read horses' minds. She's terrified of horses, with good reason. Worse, a traitor who wants the ju-ju is convinced Evan will make a success out of Mumbo Jumbo Circus and they will do anything to stop her. Does she have what it takes to be a star in the center ring and save her weird, new-found family?

Illustrations will appear in color on color devices. Otherwise in B&W.
Contains: some swearing. Recommended for age 14 and up.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is AWESOME!!!! *ahem* Right... having gotten that out of my system I can now attempt to tell you why you should stop reading this review and just go grab the book...    -Lisa K, Baffled Books --baffledbooks.com/

I was immediately drawn in from the first paragraph. I fell in love with Evan, the book's heroine, as she shows her strength from the very beginning. This is one of my new favorites! --Sara @ Eve's Fan Garden

...the ideal read for fans of Harry Potter... If you suspend disbelief for a little while, and jump into this world, you won't want to leave. Be prepared for an adventure ride and one heck of a good time! --Steph The Bookworm

It was AWESOME reading this book!! I throughly enjoyed it, loved it to pieces!! Jane George has captured the magic of the circus. I promise you, that you are in for a treat with this book!! --Books Complete Me

THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS also contained illustrations that made the story come alive for me. They made the imaginative and magical story seem more real because I would actually see an artist's rendition of the world...  --An Avid Reader's Musings

About the Author

Author Jane George lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and is a life-long appreciator of the sublime and the absurd. Jane also has a BFA in illustration From the California College of Art and has received honors from the Society of Illustrators in New York and from San Francisco Society of Illustrators. Online she can be found at: www.Jane-George.com And at @Jane_George on twitter.

Product Details

• File Size: 1169 KB
• Print Length: 337 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 193653908X
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004UAVHHG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #345,813 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book immerses you in a fantastic world. April 24, 2011

By Esri F. Allbritten

Format:Kindle Edition

The author does a great job of creating a realistic world with sympathetic and unique characters. The protagonist has been through the worst aspects of foster care, but is still a sweet person. The circus world is portrayed so convincingly that whenever I stopped reading to do something else, I felt like I had been someplace completely different. Some of that comes from the magical elements in the story, but most is just from good writing and description. The pace is quick, with plenty of action, and there is a nice teen romance. The print version says, "Volume 1," so I have hopes that it's the start of a series.

Highly recommended!

Esri Allbritten
(author, Chihuahua of the Baskervilles)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED it! A fantastic circus read. June 14, 2011

By Lisa K (BaffledBooks)

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

've spent a while trying to express my wholehearted love for this book in a way that does not utilize capital letters, an overabundance of exclamation marks and the word awesome. I have clearly failed because I still want to shout: Dudes! This book is AWESOME!!!! *ahem* Right... having gotten that out of my system I can now attempt to tell you why you should stop reading this review and just go grab the book...

First of all, it's set in a circus. Having been to a grand total of... 0 circuses in my life, I love a good circus story to fill this gaping whole in my life experience. The Mumbo Jumbo Circus is just like a circus should be (according to my completely uniformed imagination), complete with clowns and fire and horses. It is even better though, because it has magic! Ta da, two of my favorite things, circus stories and magic.

I loved how Jane managed to balance the everyday circus appearance, the one that people like to go and eat popcorn and watch, with the wonderfully complex magical backdrop that holds the circus together. The magic controls the plot, which is written so perfectly that, even with some admittedly odd events, I never questioned anything. Each scene made sense, and every character fitted perfectly into the circus. I would apologize for my vagueness but really, having no clue what you are getting into is the best part.

So having described my love for the setting, the magic and the plot (which really is fantastic) I must give some acknowledgement to my absolute favorite part: the characters. Without this hodgepodge crew of people, who really come to life in the story, even the fabulous story would have fallen flat. We have a little bit of a love triangle, which I normally hate, but here it adds a bit of oomph.... I loved Wally, the gothiest cook in history and I particularly loved Solly, the elephant. And of course, I loved the ringmaster who was exactly quirky enough to be perfect.... ok, I loved everyone.

If you are still dithering over spending you $3, go for it. I promise you won't regret it. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ladies and Gentlemen July 28, 2011

By Marik Berghs

Format:Paperback

Step between the chapters of this book and instantly get swept into magic, mystery, non-stop excitement, and the 42 true meanings of life. This is a winner on every level, the characters are well developed and appealing, the plot twists faster than a ring full of performing horses and the bad guys are drenched in evil.

Hyperbole aside, this is a great story, one that will occupy a treasured space on my shelves and one I'll recommend to everyone over 12 who loves fantasy. Though this is clearly YA this is a book that adults will enjoy reading on the edge of their seats as well.

Ms George's illustrations are reminiscent of the classic Circus posters and the tale is a classic coming of age story, original, old-fashioned in its hope and integrity, yet as cutting edge as today's news.

I can't wait for more stories from under the Big Top of the Mumbo Jumbo Circus!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read!!! August 2, 2011

By A Book Vacation

Format:Paperback

I was pleased to find that this is a really great debut novel by Jane George, complete with love, betrayal, action, and a very interesting, original storyline! George has created a world in which the reader quickly becomes immersed, a world in which the tastes and smells of the circus become palpable as Evan is whisked away on an adventure after running away from foster home number eight. I highly enjoyed this novel and found myself glued to the pages from the very beginning. The magic and paranormal activity within the novel was extremely fascinating, and George's characterization left me feeling as if I truly knew the characters, having experienced their troubles and triumphs alongside of them. While Evan does make mistakes that caused me to cringe in anger, her heart is always in the right place, and watching her come-of-age as the novel unfolded really made me love her as a character, connecting with her on a deeper level, which isn't always possible in books. This is a wonderful novel that I recommend for YA and above--it's truly amazing! Four and a half stars.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Charismatic and Fascinating Tale May 31, 2011

By Lauren Suero

Format:Paperback

Fact: I've never been to a circus in my entire life. Fairs and Carnivals are certainly not the same and apparently don't bring the same amount of magical elements that come with attending the Circus. But as usual, I love living through books and THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS was definitely a story that I got completely lost in it's magical world.

All Evanja Leane wanted in life was to be loved and feel like she belonged somewhere after being separated from her mom when she was just a baby. Abusive Foster House #8 becomes a thing of the past when a series of magical words are spoken on behalf of Evan (and her foster parents) and a mysterious Ringmaster shows up with a proposition that Evan can't find the heart to refuse. Join the Circus life, discover who you are AND get away from horrible Foster family? WHY NOT?!? Enter Wally (the goth teenage cook), Johnny (the elephant boy) and we have ourselves a tame Love Triangle! But not everything in the Circus is fun and games, especially when the business is dying off and someone out there knows Evan's gift and plans to do whatever it takes to acquire Evan and her gift. Will her fears continue to prevent her from furthering her gift or can she accept whatever life throws at her to save not only the Circus, but her newly acquired friends and family?

WELLLLLL... you'll just have to read the book, now won't you? :)

Obviously plot in a story really helps determine whether one will like a book or not. Ok, well there are many other elements to a story but the characterization in MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS really captured my full attention and had me singing this book's praises since the very beginning. I'm all about relateable characters, and I felt at one point of the book (or many other times!!...) I could identify with each character in the emotions, experiences, etc. of what they were going through. Evanja was a strong lead female character who thrived to discover who she really is, while often thinking of others before herself.

And OH THE LOVE TRIANGLE.

Ok, so it really wasn't a HUGE, EPIC love triangle but it doesn't hurt to have two strapping young men yearning after one girl's heart. In this case we have Wally, the goth boy cook with a knack for bringing the angst and Johnny, Solly the elephant's assistant with a wicked awesome grin sure to melt any heart. Alas, Wally comes out strong from the very beginning and the relationship between Evan and Wally becomes more evident throughout the novel...although not the sole plot of the story!

Jane George's THE MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS is a charismatic and fascinating tale that left me wanting more with every page turn. The additions of the illustrations throughout the novel was a delightful element and great visual to place within the story. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who needs to take a "magical vacation" within a book. Read more ›

More About the Author

Jane George lives in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area with her family and four beloved kitty cats. A trained artist, she puts her eye for detail and observation to use in her visual writing style. She is a lifelong appreciator of the sublime and the absurd. She also likes horses and plants.