Review Detail

Pantomime by Laura Lam
ARC received from Strange Chemistry
Release Date:
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn

After reading this book, I’m kind of stuck in limbo as to my impression of it. It was definitely the strangest book I have ever read; I’m just not sure if strange is for me or not.

So, I’ll start with the things I enjoyed. I loved the world in which Pantomime was set. It is an old world, full of superstitions and the briefest hint of magic. At one time, there were beings called Alders who were, essentially, like gods. They were beautiful and intelligent and strong, and most importantly, they were magical. However, at some time for some unexplained reason, the gods either left or died out. But, they left behind remnants and artifacts of their magic. These were the things that were so interesting in the book. I wish there would have been more because I just know that these Alders are going to play a role in the future books!

I also enjoyed seeing inside the world of the strange. The circus was fantastic—macabre yet beautiful. The inside look into the minds of these people was brilliant, and I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I felt for them. I’ve always been a fan of the circus, and Pantomime allowed me to live it.

Now, what bothered me. First off, I felt there were way too many details. There were entire pages I skipped and never missed a single important detail. There was never a time when I had to go back and read what I skipped. That tells me that the book is too long, and it needed to be edited down. It was almost 400 pages, and I think it could have easily been in the 300 area. I might have had an easier time staying focused had it been shorter.

The thing that bothered me the most was that the blurb did not fit the book at all. I was under the impression that there was some sort of magic or evil that Micah and Gene were going to uncover, but there wasn’t anything like that, at least in this first book. (I think there might be more magic in the next one). Instead, it was focusing on Micah and Gene and their struggle to be comfortable in their own skin. It was more of a coming of age tale in the world of mystery and magic than it was anything else. The subject matter (which is a huge spoiler and I won’t say anything else) also bugged me. The sexual components of the story were awkward for me, as well. I’m not sure I would recommend it to many readers.

After looking at other reviews, many people loved it. I will admit it was unique and I have not read anything like it, but I’m afraid it ranked too far up on my weird-o-meter for me to truly enjoy it. With all that being said, I still find myself wanting to know what’s next. So, who knows, maybe after giving it some space, I will think definitely and look forward to the next book.