Freaks Alive, on the Inside - Annette Curtis Klause

Off the top of my head, I can give atleast 6 reasons why this book will get banned. Of course, that's only if anyone bothers to actually read it.

It was pretty OK. I liked Klause's other books better. I keep having the feeling like this book is written for a younger audience, though what is making me feel that way given the 'bannable content' in it I have no idea. At it's heart it is Historical Fiction, taking place in 1899, but unlike many YA books in this genre, it doesn't read like a history lesson at all. It's rather fantastic in this respect. The main character belongs to a family/troupe of performing 'freaks', human oddities in other words, though he himself has no such oddities about him. Given that set up there is a lot about predujice and judgment of folks based on appearance, but again not of the frying pan variety. Our hero runs away to find his fortune and finds a great deal of adventure in the process. There is also the supernatural romance, which just gives the story an extra kick. It was very much in the style of a fairy tale.

Lots of action kept me pretty glued to the book. To me this is a very 'boy' book and I would not hesitate to recommend it as such. But be aware, there is swearing, vague sexual content, allusions to masturbation, murder, violence, but come one, the main character is a teenage boy, so all this stuff fits in with the story just fine. There is also great and accurate info about circus/side show life of this time period. It's what we've come to expect from Klause's work, good solid story, original characters and setting, good read. And a happy ending, which I was not expecting given the other books. Maybe that is what is making me feel like it's meant for younger readers. Huh, interesting thought, that.