3.5-4 stars. There were parts that had me fully interested/invested, and parts where it dragged a bit. I appreciated that it was such a different take on a WWII era hist fic novel, and enjoyed the insight into someone who had polio, as well as the after-effects of it.

Lena is a character who, from the beginning, you are routing for her. The setting on a Circus Train gives a look into a unique lifestyle. While the troupe entertains villages across war-torn Europe. With the topics of.disability, magical illusions, and living rhrough the horrors of WWII. The characters show the beauty of human connection and endurance of the human spirit.

I would like to thank you for allowing me an advanced copy of The Circus Train.

The Circus Train follows Lena, a young girl who had a bought with Polio as she navigates being different from her peers and in a wheelchair on a circus train.

She meets and befriends Alexandre, who is an orphan with his own secrets.

Lena gets separated from her friend and father and has to figure out her own way.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

You go in expecting one thing and get another. What could have been a wonderful magical realism / circus based story was just another historical fiction novel and while that's great, it's not for me. And not what I was expecting. So a bit of a letdown really

I loved this book more than I thought I would. The main female character is in a wheelchair and so am I, so I can relate to some of the things she experienced.

The Circus Train masterfully weaved the circus, romance, and World War II together. It's hard to imagine the myriad of events and emotions the characters went through or the loneliness Lena experiences at the end. The writing was lovely, the characters came alive, and by centering around the circus, Parikh found an element of the WWII era that I've yet to come across in another book.

Has great historical aspects, a strong narrative, and such a good concept I was on a ride for this one.

This would be perfect for those looking for a haunting, but strong WWII story, especially looking for lesser told stories.

Set in WWII, Amita Parikh’s novel The Circus Train is a powerful coming-of-age story will make you believe that anything is possible. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this well-written book about friendship, courage, magic, and believing in yourself.

Finally got around to reading this ARC from NetGalley…thank you for the copy. Unfortunately, this was not as enjoyable as I had anticipated. It was a very loaded plot line with characters that just didn’t appeal to me. Too much trying to happen so it seemed that every topic was simply skimmed over. The mystery was also pretty easy to guess before the middle so rest of story was a boring read. Sorry…cannot recommend this one.

When I read the first words of this books "May 1929 Thessaloniki, Greece" I knew I was going to love this book.
The first scene gathers Theo, Gia, and baby Lena. Amita Parikh sets a very dense stage: Gia just gave birth to Lena (baby is less than 24 hours old) and upon giving her last breath, Theo promises her that he will keep her secret buried.

Fast-forward 9 years: Lena is in a wheelchair after having suffered from polio. Her dad Theo is an illusionist in a travelling circus called the World of Wonders, and they are living the life. Lena feels lonely because she cannot make friends because of her disability. So, she spends her days reading books. Theo is very protective of her. One day, Lena is hungry and heads to the kitchen area to get herself of piece of cake. There she finds a stranger on the floor, passed out. It's a young boy and he still breathes. She basically saves his life. They become fast friends. That's when the story really kicks in.

I absolutely adored the story, the characters, all the things they all had to go through (especially during WWII) and all the life lessons taught throughout the book. This story was emotionally rich: I enjoyed love, death, rejection, hope, resilience,.. so beautiful! At the end, we finally discover Gia and Theo's secret, and it made me love the characters even more.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

“Try or don’t try. The time will pass anyway.” -The Circus Train

"The Circus Train" by Amita Parikh is a captivating coming-of-age novel set against the tumultuous backdrop of World War II. The narrative skillfully unfolds Lena's journey, a brilliant young woman in the circus world facing societal limitations due to her wheelchair. The introduction of Alexandre, an orphan with secrets, adds a layer of complexity. As war escalates, their friendship transforms, weaving a tale of resilience and unexpected bonds. Lena's character is crafted with depth and authenticity, making it impossible not to love her and find her truly inspiring. The novel, marked by emotional nuances, delves into themes of courage and self-belief, creating a compelling and heartfelt read, with a little twist at the end, earning it 3 stars.

I enjoyed this novel. It had the feeling of the greatest showman without the music. The characters are immediately likable. I enjoyed reading about the friendship that turns into companionship from a few main characters. You kind of end up yearning for the same kind of love and protection the characters provide for one another throughout the storyline. It was a bit long in my opinion. I love the colors of the book cover.

This is a wonderful read about a European traveling circus set in WWII. Every moment of the circus is filled with wonder although nothing is as it seems. The main character, Lena, feels like she has never found her niche within the circus even though her father is the headlining magician. Although disabled, she yearns to be in the world of science and medicine. The story characters, Lena, her father Theo and young Alexandre are well developed with their own secrets and flaws. The story covers 20 years and travels throughout Europe during this time.

Completely captivating and beautifully written. The book has such a unique concept and I was hooked from the first page. Bravo! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Short synopsis: Set in Europe before the start of WWII, young Lena Papadopoulos who was born with polio and can’t walk, lives with her father on a traveling circus train. One day she finds Alexandre a young Jewish stowaway boy on board, and their friendship blossoms.

My thoughts: This was a mesmerizing story set in the backdrop of a developing war and anti-semitism on the rise. It had some great topics, but my favorite part was watching Lena learn to love herself despite the Rocky hand she was dealt. She persevered through some vert difficult situations and learned to find her own happiness.

I really liked traveling with the circus throughout Europe and seeing little tidbits into some of the culture. I also really liked the behind the scenes look Into the circus and entertainment aspect of the book.

There are definitely some heavy moments sprinkled throughout. But honestly I wouldn’t have appreciated the book as much if we didn’t hear about the struggles faced during the War. So be prepared for some emotional moments.

Read if you love:
- Historical fiction
- Circus acts and illusions
- Found family
- Coming of age

Things I learned from reading The Circus Train:

Family is not always blood relation…Lena was lucky enough to find a family with the other people in the Circus, Clara who was her tutor and Alexandre.

Even during the toughest times, good things can happen…During WW II, people still fell in love and still had happy moments even with all of the devastation around them.

This is a beautiful coming of age story with WWII as the background. Characters were so lovable that you found yourself involved in the story.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book had its highs and lows for me. I thought the setting was compelling and generally enjoyed the Night Circus and Water for Elephants which were touted as points of reference for this book. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as those.

To my knowledge, this book is not considered YA but some parts seem a bit... vague? Especially for the time frame of the setting. While ww2 is not the focus of this story, it is when the story takes place so some of the surface level detail felt like an odd choice.

I don't know if its a book i would revisit, but if I came across it in my local library, I would pick it up as a first time reader.

Thank you so much for the advance copy, but I ended up reading the paperback copy from my local library. I enjoyed how the book started out, telling us a little about polio. The story was beautifully written, but I was just not in the mood for it, so it took me a while. Overall, I enjoyed the story and did audibly gasp a time or two. I think this book is a solid 4 out of 5.