Avery’s Ghost by Annie Dewell

The circus keeps its secrets... When seventeen-year-old Evelyn is accidentally poisoned, her only hope for an antidote is to sign the curious contract of Hart's Circus— the same place her brother vanished. As she investigates her new canvas home, she’s consumed by questions no carnie will answer: why do the performers lie about their uncanny performances? What caused the “hideous” scars of Essence, the sideshow freak who draws portraits so vivid they nearly leap from the page? Terrified into attempted escape by the tempestuous Manager Hart, Evelyn is stopped by paralyzing pain. Undeterred, she’ll cajole and blackmail her way to the truth behind the circus mysteries and her brother's disappearance— truths that will uncover long buried secrets and catapult her into the crossfire of a plot with explosive consequences. Featuring illustrations in the style of vintage circus art, Avery’s Ghost throws readers into a macabre world of secrets and magic, set against the evocative backdrop of a Gilded Age circus. ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ If you've ever wondered what it was REALLY like to travel with carnies, or fall in love under a big top, then the Shimmering Circus series is for you. Perfect for fans of Caraval, Miss Peregrine, and The Night Circus.