Lions and Tigers and Boys

strange things are afoot at the oswald zinzendorf school of circus arts, for one thing dani gale is pretty sure she saw a tiger roaming the grounds on the day of her arrival. she can't quite put her finger on why things seem strange, like the clairvoyant dean vasilev, and the odd undercurrents of power she feels when she crosses paths with maggie west.



the truth is that in lions and tigers and boys there are strange things afoot. cai coppersmith has lived at oz since his guardian frank took a job caring for ozzy and loki, the school's resident tiger and lion. although actually, cai and leander also happen to be the school's resident tiger and lion. currently they're working on a special project with professor marvel, one who's goal is to lure the evil wizard out of hiding in order to discover what happened to marvel's wife, glinda.



and if all these names sound familiar it's because this is a well-executed wizard of oz meets harry potter type mash up. and if i have one complaint about this story is that i was so involved in the overall plot and mystery that when i realized that there was less than 10% of book left i was horrified. apparently this is to be a series, which is fine, but it would have been good to know beforehand because it left me feeling like the ending was a bit rushed. there were so many plot points that were left, not unresolved exactly, but unexplained.



so i'm saying i want more in this world, and i hope we'll get it. because i genuinely enjoyed spending time with these characters.



**lions and tigers and boys will publish on january 8, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (teen crave) in exchange for my honest review.

"Lions and Tigers and Boys" is a great new YA fantasy that is made to read in one sitting (and you'll love it that way because it's a tough one to put down!). I got the impression from the ending that it is the first in a new series, and I am so excited there will be more! This is also to say, as a warning, that the ending is left pretty open and there are a lot of mysteries that have yet to be solved. The book takes place at OZ, the Oswald Zinzendorf School of Circus Arts. Although not one of the best known circus schools, it is shrouded in secrecy- and many of the employees and students have magical talents. This book is a play on The Wizard of Oz, and it has allusions to the book although a completely (in my opinion) new and original plot.

We follow Cai and Dani in alternating chapters. Dani promised her mother, before she died of cancer, that she would follow her dreams of doing the high-wire and performing for Cirque du Soleil. Although she was rejected from the best circus school, her Aunt Dottie was able to get her a position at OZ. Dani is not sure she wants to go, because why bother if it's not the best- but her father helps convince her that this is a step towards following her dreams.

Cai is one of the talented students at OZ- he is a shape-shifter and can transform into a tiger. Originally from Russia, he came to OZ with Frank, the animal tamer, after his parents were captured by the Wizard. We don't learn much about the Wizard in this first book, except that the staff are planning a heist to steal the shoes and get back their loved ones. In the process, they need to fill a high-wire position in their performance troupe, which will be used as a distraction to get the shoes. They need someone reliable and choose the stereotypical mean girl, Maggie. As Dani is her fiercest competition, Cai is partnered with her and told that he needs to sabotage her so that the committee will choose Maggie.

However, this becomes pretty complicated when Cai and Dani begin to have feelings for each other. It was a lovely romance, and I was cheering for them the whole way through. As it's a short book, some of the drama/romance felt a little condensed, but I loved it anyway. We also don't get to learn too much about the side characters, but they were pretty interesting, and I would love to hear more about them in the future (especially Anna, Dani's roommate, and Leander, who transforms into a lion). Maggie was pretty 2-dimensional, not fleshed out, but she does provide an archnemesis for our heroine, and I am hoping she will grow as a person in later books.

The best part of this book is the completely unique scenes/scenarios with OZ and the magical faculty/students- we don't learn all their secrets in this first book, and I was left with so many questions- I NEED the next book now! Overall, this was an intriguing and delightful new YA fantasy, and I can't wait to read more! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

What an adorably clever book!

I didn't realize from the blurb (though the title should have clued me in) that this wonderful (ha!) little story is Wizard of OZ inspired (? Themed? Influenced? Not sure.) Definitely not a retelling, but elements and nods to OZ abound while still being its own tale.

The circus school theme is fabulous and the characters and romance likable and sweet.

I also didn't realize that this is the first book in a series, so I am desperate for more.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I love retellings and this one was great. I loved how the author meshed shapeshifting and the retelling of OZ together.

Check out author's other books? YES
Recommend this book? YES

Notes and Opinions: I wasn't to sure about this book when I started it but I learned early on that it was going to be wonderful. The author did a great job with blending two types of stories together. The normal young adult story of boy meets girl with a twist. This one was well paced with characters that I ended up loving. I cant wait for the next book in the series and I hope that we see even more of the characters of OZ and the circus school was a great idea!

Go Into This One Knowing: Elements of the Wizard of OZ.

This was a really interesting take on The Wizard of Oz. I mean, certainly the characters are there, and some iconic shoes are involved, but even after finishing this book, I'm not entirely sure about who to root for, or what is really going on! And that's why I liked it so much. It isn't just a retelling, it's a total reimagining. Loads of fun, and I can't wait for the next book!