Overview

It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee.

Salvation arrives in the form of Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders and father to its many members. He adopts Bolt and Eleanor, who travel by train across the vast, sometimes brutal American frontier with their new family, watching as the exhibitions spark amazement wherever they go. There’s Minnie, the three-legged lady, and Dr. Chui, who stands over seven feet tall; Thistle Britches, the clown with no nose, and Rosalie, who can foretell the death of anyone she meets.

After a lifetime of having only each other, Eleanor and Bolt are finally part of something bigger. But as Bolt falls in deeper with their new clan, he finds Eleanor pulling further away from him. And when Uncle Charlie picks up their trail, the twins find themselves facing a peril as strange as it is terrifying, one which will forever alter the trajectory of their lives. An ode to the misfits and the marginalized, One of Usis a riotous and singularly creepy celebration of the strange and the spectacular and of family in its many forms.

Review

It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee.

I enjoyed reading about the strange characters in the Emporium of Wonders. But y’all, that is about it! I had such high hopes for this book. It is just plain SLOW! And I usually DNF one this slow, but I just kept thinking it was going to get better.

Plus, it just has some gross parts. I fast forwarded through some of those. Like I said…this book just was not for me.

This is 2.5 stars rounded up.

This is narrated by a great tag team: Dan Chaon; John Pirhalla; Stephanie Németh-Parker. Sadly, it did not make me like this book any better.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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