Play Book Tag discussion

Second book in Ray Bradbury's "Green Town" series, the book is set in a small town based on Ray Bradbury's home town of Waukegan, IL. The story itself is also inspired by an encounter with a traveling carnival from Bradbury's youth.

The book opens with two 14-year-old friends Jim and Will. They meet a traveling lightning rod salesman who tells them a storm is coming; next they visit the library (where Will's Father works) to gather up some of the adventure books they love. Then they make their way to their neighboring homes and go to bed.

What happens next I am choosing to view as imagination gone wild between Will, Jim and Will's Father, although the author doesn't really state this.

At 3:00 in the morning, instead of the promised storm, a traveling Carnival arrives in town - seen only by the two boys and the father. The Carnival is fun, but there's a dangerous element underneath. Some of the rides show people their wildest dreams, tempt them to give up their souls in exchange for broken promises. The main attraction of the carnival is the freak show, and it soon becomes horrifyingly clear that the freak show is composed of those lost souls.

And now the Carnival wants the souls of Will and Jim. They band together with Will's Father to fight back.

This was a delightfully chilling horror/fantasy story. Both Stephen King and Neil Gaiman cite this book as an influence in their writing. It's also been made into a movie which I'll need to go find and watch!

Scared the pants off me! So glad you enjoyed it, too.

This is Bradbury at his best.