Synopses & Reviews
Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire!
Stever remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his forrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.
This is Darren's story.
Review
"Poised to capture a wide audience of series horror readers....The scenario is compelling, and the author mines the exploitative history of early 20th-century sideshows to create an artfully macabre Cirque Du Freak." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Reluctant readers and fans of shows such as Buffy and Angel are the perfect targets for this first installment....Careful readers will note that the names of the main character and that of the author are the same. This wry twist is sure to start some great urban legends about this vampire story and its origins." Voice of Youth Advocates
Review
"If you love scary stories, read this one for the thrill of your life!" Kidsreads.com
Synopsis
In the tradition of The Blair Witch Project and Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, Cirque Du Freak is the frightening saga of a young boy whose visit to a mysterious freak show leads him on a journey into a dark world of vampires. Author Darren Shan's vivid detail and original voice will have young readers glued to their seats in terror. Filled with grotesque creatures, murderous vampires, and a petrifying ending, Cirque Du Freak will chill, thrill, and leave readers begging for more.
About the Author
Darren Shan was born in London, but at an early age he moved to Limerick, Ireland, with his parents and younger brother. He grew up watching old Dracula horror movies and reading spooky comics, which were the inspirations for this story.