Cirque Du Freak (Book 1 Of Saga Of Darren Shan )

Description:
The chilling Saga of Darren Shan, the ordinary schoolboy plunged into the vampire world. THE SAGA OF DARREN SHAN BOOK 1 Darren goes to a banned freak show with his best mate Steve. It's the wonderfully gothic Cirque Du Freak where weird, frightening half human/half animals appear who interact terrifyingly with the audience. Darren -- a spider freak -- 'falls in love' with Madam Octa -- an enormous tarantala owned by Mr Crepsley. Darren determines to steal the spider so that he can train it to perform amazing deeds. But his daring theft goes horribly wrong and Darren finds himself having to make a bargain with a creature of the night. Something out of the ordinary is set against the background of children's normal lives to chilling effect. Atmospheric, funny, realistic, moving and! terrifying.

Review:
Cirque Du Freak '!fast-paced and compelling book ! full of satisfyingly macabre touches!which leaves the reader hungry for more.' JK Rowling 'Brilliant, macabre tale.' Guardian 'I read Cirque Du Freak last week. I loved it. I love the way you manage to juggle the funny with the unpleasant, the affection with the hurt. It's great story-telling.' Roddy Doyle The Vampire's Assistant 'The Vampire's Assistant blazes a thrilling, gruesome trail through a fascinating plot.' The Good Book Guide Vampire Mountain 'Get your teeth into it!' Funday Times

Author Biography:
Born in London in 1972, Darren O'Shaughnessy [writing as Darren Shan] moved to Limerick with his parents and younger brother. Returned to London to study Sociology and English then worked for a TV cable company. His first adult novel Ayuamarca has been published by Orion and his writing has been likened to Clive Barker and Iain Banks. He is now a full-time writer of TV scripts and novels. Cirque du Freak is his first title for children.