Water for Elephants

I hate circuses. I hate everything they entail—over-the-top dramatization, a focus on “freaks,” mistreatment and housing of animals (I also hate zoos for this same reason). I reluctantly picked up this book, because I wanted to satisfy my curiosity—why have people cited this as a favorite book so often?—and also satisfy one of the challenge tasks for the College Students Spring/Summer Challenge.

I actually liked this book a lot. Jacob is a narrator who is easy to relate to, and you really get a sense of his life and his environment. I especially like the transitions from the past to the present. I love books that send you into particular times and places. I could almost hear the sounds, and I definitely could picture August and Marlena—and I also loved Rosie!

All in all, this book was a good read. I wouldn't call it a favorite because I hated the subject matter, but the characters were likable and distinct despite the basic plot. Gruen has a wonderful way of storytelling and would definitely read other books from her in the future (though hopefully not related to circuses!).