Review: The Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew

Can this shocking new feeling be love, or is it electrickery?

In a lowly side-show fair in eighteenth-century England, teenager Mim is struggling to find her worth as an act. Not white, but not black enough to be truly exotic, her pet parrot who speaks four languages is a bigger draw than her. But Alex, the onearmed boxer boy, sees her differently. And she, too, feels newly interested in him.

But then Dr Fox arrives with his scientific kit for producing 'electrickery' - feats of electrical magic these bawdy audiences have never seen before. To complete his act, Fox chooses Mim to play the 'Electrical Venus'. Her popularity - and the electric shocking kisses she can provide for a penny - mean takings are up, slop is off the menu and this spark between her and Fox must surely be love.

But is this starring role her true value, or is love worth more than a penny for an electrifying kiss?

REVIEW
I should probably have a disclaimer somewhere on this blog stating that if a book is set in a circus, or has anything to do with one, I'm going to love it. The Night Circus, Caraval, The Illusionists, Water for Elephants and now The Electrical Venus have all completely captured my imagination. There's something so intoxicating and seductive about the circus world - just look at the success of The Greatest Showman (now one of my all time favourite films, obviously).

The Electrical Venus tells the story of Mim, a half-caste 'girl-exotic', and Alex 'the one-armed boy'. Both have been raised by the Graingers as part of their travelling circus, earning their keep on stage. Funds are becoming tight and Mim, believing herself at the bottom of the pecking order - her act with George, the outspoken and untameable parrot, is wearing thin - fears being thrown out onto the streets. She and Alex begin to hatch a plan to become useful again, growing closer than ever as they do so, until their schemes are interrupted by the arrival of Sebastian Fox and his dazzling, magical machinery. Mim dreams of life in the spotlight. So when her chance comes in the form of Dr Fox and his 'electrickery' she seizes it with both hands. Life for Mim and Alex will never be the same again.

For all its comparisons with Caraval. The Electrical Venus couldn't be more different. The setting for this one isn't a magical realm, but a realistic eighteenth-century circus in all its, occasionally macabre, glory. We see behind the stage make up and bawdy innuendos to a travelling company who are struggling to get by, clinging to any hope, or act, they stumble across - taking risks as a means to survive. I really liked the narrative style of this book. The majority of the chapters are from first person perspective and feature Mim and Alex imparting their experiences and feelings to their animal colleagues, mainly Pig and George the parrot (who let's be honest is the true star of the show).  It had the feeling of a diary format to it, which worked really well. I felt for Alex, he was a sensitive soul determined to better himself in his own way - through hard work and sheer perseverance. I was very interested to learn from the author's notes that The Electrical Venus started life as a radio play for the BBC before it became a novel, which explains the monologue style of narrative. I'll definitely be trying to find the play!

YA historical fiction is a genre that I've only recently begun delving into, but it's one that I'm fast coming to love. Its themes of young love, growing up, the loss of childhood, the fun, the youth, the zest for life and dreams for the future captivate me, and are all brilliantly conveyed in The Electrical Venus. It's a relatively short read, with enough twists that it can easily be read in one sitting - the temptation to read ahead towards the end in particular was overwhelming! If you're looking for fun, character driven historical fiction then this is the book for you.