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Carnival #1
Decatur
A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
In a world of lights, music, fanfare and fun, there's not a lot left to the mundane, and nothing can be truer for four special boys whose lives intertwine in a most unusual, unexpected way. They all have secrets and supernatural powers that set them apart from the average small town high-schooler.
Jessie's world revolves around his family's traveling carnival. Tate's busy being the good son to Decatur, Alabama's first black mayor. Rand knows everyone's secrets. And Donny wants a family. When sexuality and special abilities become each boy's focus, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up. With an uncertain road ahead of them, their talents to see the future, hear other people's thoughts, and manipulate wills might help them change their destined courses and find the right path.
Four boys. Each with his own cross to bear. Just trying to grow up.
In a world of lights, music, fanfare and fun, there's not a lot left to the mundane, and nothing can be truer for four special boys whose lives intertwine in a most unusual, unexpected way. They all have secrets and supernatural powers that set them apart from the average small town high-schooler.
Jessie's world revolves around his family's traveling carnival. Tate's busy being the good son to Decatur, Alabama's first black mayor. Rand knows everyone's secrets. And Donny wants a family. When sexuality and special abilities become each boy's focus, a whole new realm of possibilities opens up. With an uncertain road ahead of them, their talents to see the future, hear other people's thoughts, and manipulate wills might help them change their destined courses and find the right path.
Four boys. Each with his own cross to bear. Just trying to grow up.
202 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2014
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 8, 2014
1.5 stars, rounded up because Goodreads still has no half stars.
For my honest and true view of this book, please read …MORE
Goodreads TOS-compliant review (I think, let me know when they tell us what the rules are):
"The book I just read is about two (or three) lovely people, written in beautiful language, by a very good and prolific author. I liked it very, very much.
It is for sale on Amazon.”
DISCLAIMER: My reviews now all have this pretty face, so that all and everyone on Goodreads can stay happy and beatific. I’ll let you know if I change my mind. See the real review above for my thoughts on this book.
For my honest and true view of this book, please read …MORE
Goodreads TOS-compliant review (I think, let me know when they tell us what the rules are):
"The book I just read is about two (or three) lovely people, written in beautiful language, by a very good and prolific author. I liked it very, very much.
It is for sale on Amazon.”
DISCLAIMER: My reviews now all have this pretty face, so that all and everyone on Goodreads can stay happy and beatific. I’ll let you know if I change my mind. See the real review above for my thoughts on this book.
July 3, 2015
I'm conflicted by the Carnival books, (I say books because this review is about Decatur and I'm currently reading Chattanooga). I selected them to read via NetGalley to fill a need for YA LGBT books in my library - but I'm just not sure about including the books in a school library.
The book seems like it is written by multiple people - there are 5 POV's in the story and the character the reader sees in the Jessie POV is a totally different character then when Jessie is seen through the Donny or the Tate POV's.
Then there's the issue that the books don't seem to be about much more than the boys dealing with their sexuality. Yes, that must be an important issue in the lives of LGBT teens but I've read several other LGBT books where the characters actually have other things going on in their lives other than thinking about their sexuality/their crush/their hookup.
Then there's the stereotypical behavior in each relationship. In the Jessie/Tate, Jessie/Donny and Tate/Rand relationships there is always an assessor and a weaker-submissive participant. The weaker-submissive participant always pines for the aggressor and the aggressor always holds the upper hand in the relationship.
Then there's the muddle about who are the four boys that have the psychic powers that the book blurb mentions. In Decatur, the boys with psychic powers are Tate, Rand, and Jessie - Donny doesn't seem to have any powers. Tate and Rand are left behind at the end of the book and since the book revolves around the travels of a carnival one doesn't figure that they will be involved in future stops along the way. So are different boys going to be brought in to each subsequent book? Because the blurb for Chattanooga mentions "four boys with abilities" again.
Finally, my confusion about whether or not to include the book in my library collection, stems from the short time period the book spans and the implications from that. The carnival is in Decatur for two weeks. So Jessie and Tate meet, fall in love, have a life-changing relationship, fall out of love, then both move on to significant relationships with other people in the span of two weeks. Yes Tate knew Rand prior to the two week period, but Jessie didn't know Tate or Donny and those relationships move really fast.
What kinds of messages does this give teens? Especially those who are dealing with identity issues already. As I said at the beginning, I'm holding off my final opinion on this series and I'm reading the second book - hopefully it will help me decide.
The book seems like it is written by multiple people - there are 5 POV's in the story and the character the reader sees in the Jessie POV is a totally different character then when Jessie is seen through the Donny or the Tate POV's.
Then there's the issue that the books don't seem to be about much more than the boys dealing with their sexuality. Yes, that must be an important issue in the lives of LGBT teens but I've read several other LGBT books where the characters actually have other things going on in their lives other than thinking about their sexuality/their crush/their hookup.
Then there's the stereotypical behavior in each relationship. In the Jessie/Tate, Jessie/Donny and Tate/Rand relationships there is always an assessor and a weaker-submissive participant. The weaker-submissive participant always pines for the aggressor and the aggressor always holds the upper hand in the relationship.
Then there's the muddle about who are the four boys that have the psychic powers that the book blurb mentions. In Decatur, the boys with psychic powers are Tate, Rand, and Jessie - Donny doesn't seem to have any powers. Tate and Rand are left behind at the end of the book and since the book revolves around the travels of a carnival one doesn't figure that they will be involved in future stops along the way. So are different boys going to be brought in to each subsequent book? Because the blurb for Chattanooga mentions "four boys with abilities" again.
Finally, my confusion about whether or not to include the book in my library collection, stems from the short time period the book spans and the implications from that. The carnival is in Decatur for two weeks. So Jessie and Tate meet, fall in love, have a life-changing relationship, fall out of love, then both move on to significant relationships with other people in the span of two weeks. Yes Tate knew Rand prior to the two week period, but Jessie didn't know Tate or Donny and those relationships move really fast.
What kinds of messages does this give teens? Especially those who are dealing with identity issues already. As I said at the beginning, I'm holding off my final opinion on this series and I'm reading the second book - hopefully it will help me decide.
July 5, 2015
"So, Macon Brothers' Carnival always kept to small downs, the kinds of places where everyone knew everyone else and family feuds lasted as long as time itself. They ended up in the kind of places bad movies were made of, where ghosts from ages past still haunted forgotten grounds."
Carnival-Decatur is the story of four different boys.
Jesse is the son of the owner of Macon Brothers' Carnival, and travels all over the country with his father and the rest of the carnival. He's never been a normal teenager, he just spends a week at a time in different small towns, with the same routine each time.
Tate is the son of the mayor of Decatur. He's got pressure on him to be the best son possible, even if that means not being the true him.
Rand has a special ability that leads to him knowing everyone's secrets.
Donny is mysterious, and new to the carnival. He's got secrets that no one knows- like why he's joining the carnival, and why he's a sixteen year old who's all alone.
This was a short novel, because it is the first "installment" of a series. The issue is that this book ended at an awful place. There was less than no resolution to the story, and the ending was so abrupt it felt like it ended in the middle of dialogue.
The characters were not very consistent; at times on, Jesse for example, would be sweet and nice, and then a total jerk to someone ese for asking a question.
There was a lot of "telling, not showing" in this novel, so I feel like a lot of the description went over my head because it didn't feel well developed enough.
Everything i this was confusing. There was nothing concrete for me; no locations had been described well enough that I felt the characters had a connection to them - even to their own homes.
There are also randomly unexplained and even more undeveloped "superpowers" that these characters have that didn't seem to have a purpose in the novel. They didn't affect the characters at all in any developmental way, so they just seemed to be an unnecessary addition.
*Disclaimer: this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley. I am not profiting from this review.
September 29, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
I have to start by addressing the biggest surprise I came across in Carnival – Decatur: the ending. I was reading away, happily following the events of the story, when it came to an abrupt end. My first thought was, well, I’m sure you can guess what it was, and so I went to a few other sites including the publisher’s website to try and find out about the cliff hanger ending (and not a particularly suspenseful one at that) and ultimately I was advised that Carnival – Decatur was in fact the first of a series. Don’t get me wrong, I love series, but I want to know that I am starting a new series and not find out at the end of the book. Needless to say, I was not impressed.
That being said, there is a lot going on in Carnival – Decatur, with multiple overlapping story lines, but not once did I feel confused as they flowed rather seamlessly together. The pace at which the boys address their sexuality, wants, and needs may have been a bit fast, but then again, at that age, in a small town, when new and shiny show up, it may act like a catalyst, and it is obvious that nothing will ever be the same for Jesse, Rand, Tate, or Donny.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
I have to start by addressing the biggest surprise I came across in Carnival – Decatur: the ending. I was reading away, happily following the events of the story, when it came to an abrupt end. My first thought was, well, I’m sure you can guess what it was, and so I went to a few other sites including the publisher’s website to try and find out about the cliff hanger ending (and not a particularly suspenseful one at that) and ultimately I was advised that Carnival – Decatur was in fact the first of a series. Don’t get me wrong, I love series, but I want to know that I am starting a new series and not find out at the end of the book. Needless to say, I was not impressed.
That being said, there is a lot going on in Carnival – Decatur, with multiple overlapping story lines, but not once did I feel confused as they flowed rather seamlessly together. The pace at which the boys address their sexuality, wants, and needs may have been a bit fast, but then again, at that age, in a small town, when new and shiny show up, it may act like a catalyst, and it is obvious that nothing will ever be the same for Jesse, Rand, Tate, or Donny.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
July 6, 2015
Rating: 2 out of 5
This was a novel with a lot of potential, but it unfortunately did not live up to it. Zoe Lynne takes a great idea-- four kids trying to come to terms with their sexualities and the attraction to their best friends, with the carnival as a backdrop-- and bogs it down until it's too bloated to be easily read.
My biggest issue with this novel was the prose. Lynne constantly chose to use twenty words when five would do. Descriptions were thrown in for no apparent reason, such as the repeated descriptions of Tate's skin color (okay, we get it, he has mocha skin and is super hot!) and the brands of clothing being worn by the boys.
There was also the sub-plot of three of the four boys having magical powers. It was an interesting premise, but had no relevance to the plot other than to act as a cheat for the author. Why write an emotional coming-out scene with solid drama and angst, when one of the characters can read minds?
Read the rest of the review at Just Love.
This was a novel with a lot of potential, but it unfortunately did not live up to it. Zoe Lynne takes a great idea-- four kids trying to come to terms with their sexualities and the attraction to their best friends, with the carnival as a backdrop-- and bogs it down until it's too bloated to be easily read.
My biggest issue with this novel was the prose. Lynne constantly chose to use twenty words when five would do. Descriptions were thrown in for no apparent reason, such as the repeated descriptions of Tate's skin color (okay, we get it, he has mocha skin and is super hot!) and the brands of clothing being worn by the boys.
There was also the sub-plot of three of the four boys having magical powers. It was an interesting premise, but had no relevance to the plot other than to act as a cheat for the author. Why write an emotional coming-out scene with solid drama and angst, when one of the characters can read minds?
Read the rest of the review at Just Love.
December 7, 2015
I want to first say, I love the other alter ego of this author, so when I heard/saw that her YA books were up for review I jumped. Not a YA reader, I wasn’t sure what to expect except for brilliant writing and creative thinking. Which I got in spades.
We start with Jessie’s story, him and his father are the carnival, although Jessie wishes for a normal life, he knows until his dad retires, the carnival is it.
Coming into another nameless town he finds Tate and Rand, one is the object of his desire the other is the BFF.
Then out of the blue, Jessie dad hires Donny, who is vague about himself, his past and his place in life.
All four boys are about the same age and find a weird friendship as the muddle through the two weeks of the carnival being in town.
It’s amazing to me how not only did we get an in-depth tale of a canrie life, but through the eyes of several different age brackets.
The four boys/to young adults. The father and boss, the workers and the general public. And it was all blended together so perfectly with just enough detail that we feel bogged down by any of it, but instead was mesmerized just as Tate was when the lights went on for the first time.
We start with Jessie’s story, him and his father are the carnival, although Jessie wishes for a normal life, he knows until his dad retires, the carnival is it.
Coming into another nameless town he finds Tate and Rand, one is the object of his desire the other is the BFF.
Then out of the blue, Jessie dad hires Donny, who is vague about himself, his past and his place in life.
All four boys are about the same age and find a weird friendship as the muddle through the two weeks of the carnival being in town.
It’s amazing to me how not only did we get an in-depth tale of a canrie life, but through the eyes of several different age brackets.
The four boys/to young adults. The father and boss, the workers and the general public. And it was all blended together so perfectly with just enough detail that we feel bogged down by any of it, but instead was mesmerized just as Tate was when the lights went on for the first time.
July 3, 2015
Coming of age tale revolving around four teenage boys who are each coming to terms with their sexuality. Jesse Macon arrives in Decatur, Alabama with his father to set up a carnival. He has his sights on Tate, the mayor's son, the moment he arrives. Tate and his best friend Rand are both gay, but don't discuss it and have not come out. Lastly, there is Donny, the kid who is taken in by Jesse's dad and given a job working the carnival. These four boys try to figure out who they are and what they want. They will make mistakes, but it's just a part of growing up.
I loved how the book followed each of the boys throughout their journey. We get a chance to see into the minds and hearts of these young men through the journeys of first loves. Gay or straight, we have all dealt with these feelings and the story was beautifully told. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series when the carnival moves on to the next town.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved how the book followed each of the boys throughout their journey. We get a chance to see into the minds and hearts of these young men through the journeys of first loves. Gay or straight, we have all dealt with these feelings and the story was beautifully told. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series when the carnival moves on to the next town.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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November 28, 2015Harmony Ink freebie Nov 28, 2015
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November 9, 2014Will rate/review after the book releases.
January 5, 2015
Review at The Novel Approach:
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April 7, 2016Free at Harmony Ink 11/28/15
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