Pantomime by Laura Lam

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Pantomime

Date of Publication: February 5, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars – “An extraordinary and surprising coming-of-age novel with a unique story of self-discovery and self-acceptance at its heart”

Okay, can I first just say how misleading the description of Pantomime is and how blatantly it underrates the value and extent of its content? Honestly, it does not do this book justice! One look at it gives the unsuspecting reader the impression of a Young Adult paranormal romance, featuring a story of star-crossed love between a daughter from a noble family and a low-born circus scalawag, perhaps. But no, no, no, that’s just all wrong!

That’s the problem with publisher descriptions, I suppose. I understand about wanting to save some surprises for the book. I get that, I do. But it’s another thing when it makes a book sound so average and conventional, when in reality it’s anything but! Hiding behind the official synopsis here is a story that’s a lot more significant and extraordinary. Yes, I was surprised and I loved this book for being so much more than its description. But on the other hand, had I know earlier what Pantomime is really about, then maybe I wouldn’t have shrugged it off as “just another YA romance” and waited so long to get to it!

Having said that, I am now at a dilemma. How do I talk about how much I enjoyed this one without giving the story away? After all, I did just criticize the description for misrepresenting the book, and yet here I am being vague. At the same time, I was really surprised when revelation about the characters hit me, and spoiler or not, I wouldn’t dream of taking that away from anyone else thinking of picking up this book. I loved the story more for it, and it’s definitely something you have to read for yourself. Or bah, who knows, maybe the “secret” is actually common knowledge by now. Suffice it to say, I’m sure there are many other reviews out there that have divulged it if you’re still curious and want to know, but you probably won’t be getting the details from me.

What I will say though, is how impressed I am with the character development and how this coming-of-age story deals with matters of sexuality and identity. These are issues portrayed with sensitivity and attention, as well as the associated emotions that come along with the characters’ struggles to understand what they want versus what society expects of them. There’s action and drama and romance in Pantomime, but at its heart is a very unique journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance, and ultimately it’s this aspect that sets this book apart and makes it so special.

I’m also a sucker for circuses, especially in fantasy stories. What an amazing setting and community Laura Lam has created here, complete with atmosphere and all the cultural dynamics. What’s incredible is how she so perfectly captures the magical nature of a circus, without actually including much of what we’d think of as traditional magic. And yet there are plenty of other fantastical elements, and I find myself intrigued by the rich history of Ellada as well as the mysteries of Vestige. Still, nothing quite beats the vivid descriptions of the circus along with the performers and their acts.

As Angry Robot’s YA imprint, Strange Chemistry has come a long way since its launch. I find some of their older titles to be pretty decent, though a few of their more recent books have been just incredible. I’ve always attributed that to the publisher gradually coming to find its groove over the last year. Little did I expect though, that I would find such a gem in Pantomime amongst some of their earliest publications. It is simply wonderful.