Puppet Parade

Puppet Parade by Zeinab Alayan

(Summary taken from goodreads.com) "The life of a puppet master is never ordinary. Oliver Deere knew this when he ran away from home to take up the trade of puppetry, but he had no idea just how much his life would change. After his puppets come to life and flee town, Oliver meets up with a masked girl who hides a mysterious past.

As they travel together in search for Oliver's lost puppets, they find that the line between puppet and master is becoming much less clear - and much more deadly.

When Oliver and his companion enter the strange world of The Parade, they begin to realise that their journey will lead them to discover the truth behind a dangerous villain's path, and in the end, discover more about each other."

I have to be honest. I did not like this book at first. I didn't like the puppets' language, especially. I didn't feel connected to Oliver or Sophie. I didn't like the puppets because they were crude and mean. I didn't understand why Oliver would create such detestable characters. I really couldn't tell where Oliver was, or where Sophie was. And, when did this book take place? Is this modern day or 200 years ago? Not knowing these details made it hard to get into. I could not wait for this book to be finished. Had I not been reviewing it, I probably would not have finished. But then something happened. I kept reading and I got picked up by The Parade. I found a softer side of Oliver and Sophie, and really came to like them. I even found myself liking some of the puppets. The puppets' language got a little better, and I found myself immersed in The Parade. Yep, I got sucked in. The different towns in The Parade fascinated me, and I wanted to know how it all worked. I wanted to know what was in the Fog and who was in charge. And, the ending did not disappoint. It wasn't what I expected, but I thought it fit well and it all came together. I liked how the two worlds came together. I didn't understand, really, but, I am not a magician. If I could pick, you'd find me with Sophie in the library and the college.

This book does have quite a bit of language in it. Like I said, the puppets have "potty" mouths. It gets better as the story goes on, but the beginning is full of it. There is some violence, especially in the Violence Town. That part was quite graphic and awful. Thankfully, it was a short stay in that town, because it was shocking. Sophie and Oliver fight others (sorry....can't give it away), and that isn't too bad. There is some light kissing and some hints at intimacy, but it never happens. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors as well.

I ended up enjoying this book. It has some fun twists and surprises, and is very creative. I haven't ever read anything like it. I would recommend it, with the previous warnings.

Rating: PG-13+ (Language, violence--including graphic murders)

Recommendation: 16 years and up. As always, I recommend parents read it first to see if it is appropriate for their child.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.