Review: Pantomime by Laura Lam

Read from July 28 - 31, 2013 

Book: Pantomime (Micah Grey #1) by Laura Lam
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Number of Pages: 392
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilization long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada. - (source)

I went into Pantomime not knowing what to expect. I rarely read synopses and blurbs because as a reader I always want this element of surprise. I know synopses are definitely not spoilers but I still want to be as blind and as unbiased as I can. Now that I have finished Pantomime, I could honestly say that throughout my reading progress, I seriously had no idea it was the kind of story I would be getting. Until now, I'm still not certain what Pantomime really is.

As I read on, it's easy to envisioned what would come next but Pantomime manages not to stick to a straight path. It relishes on using the most unconventional route, and it makes for quite a slow, bumpy ride. Although I could clearly categorize Pantomime as a slow book, never once did I get bored or uninterested. I might have taken a pause once in a while, but there was always this urge to open the book again and find out what would happen next.

The story goes back and forth into the past and the present of one, woefully named, Iphegenia. A girl who doesn't seem quite able to fit in a society wherein balls and marriages determine a girl's success. Gene doesn't want any of it. She longs to climb trees and play with boys. She was different. But it's her physicality that really sets her apart from everybody else. So she ran away from the life she knew she would never be a part of, and she stumbled upon a place where her new destiny awaits.

Sometimes Pantomime reads like a mythology, sometimes fantasy, but even though I was not certain where this book was leading me, there's one thing I'm sure of, it's a story of a girl's journey towards self-discovery—finding herself, making her own decisions, and meeting people who would accept who she truly is.

Pantomime is a well-written debut. Lam has a vivid imagination, and I know she has plenty of tricks up her sleeves waiting to bedazzle her readers. If you want to be enraptured by a world of circus and magic, Pantomime might just be the book for you.

Cupid's Verdict:

4 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review. 

I am back!

Sorry for being weird.

HELLOOO!! I am back from my almost 1 year blogging hiatus. It's so unbelievable how much time has passed since my last blog post.

I've been planning on coming back since August, and it was not without serious thought that I decided to blog again. Keeping a blog is one thing, but running it is a different matter altogether. One of the most important realizations I had, while I was away, was I regarded blogging like a demanding, stressful job. As a result, blogging became a dragging commitment. That's why I decided to change my blogging perspective to keep the dreaded blogging burn-out at bay. I could still be overwhelmed, yes, but it will be totally up to me how I would handle it. So from now on, there will be no more pressure.

Now that I have my blogging mantra out of the way, let's talk about the modifications in the blog. Have you noticed the drastic change in my blog's design? From a dark, mysterious, edgy look, I opted for a lighter and cleaner color palette. This was how my old blog looked like:

In hindsight, it might've been quite difficult to read posts with bright font colors in a dark background. Yikes. I also changed my blog button to match my blog design, and I updated my Review Policy, Contact and About sections.

So what do you think of the blog's overall new look? Is it too girly or is the font too small? In my opinion, I think it's quite dainty and pretty, but then again I was the one who made all the customizations so you could say I'm a little biased. Ha!

I am so happy to be blogging again. I'm definitely excited to continue sharing the reading bug. Here's to keeping it fresh and fun!