| Title | : | Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250317851 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250317858 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published January 30, 2019 |
| Awards | : | Ignyte Award Best Novelette (2020) |
Read JY Yang's Tor.com Original short story, Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy Reviews
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Read this in a car (again). It was okay.
RTC -
3.5ish stars? Lynette, aka Circus Girl, a former circus knife thrower/fire juggler, then prostitute (her way of escaping the circus life), then "lowly beauty technician," is startled one day to see "Mirror Boy," a childhood ghost that replaced her image in the mirror for several years until he faded away, staring back at her from the mirror again one day. She wants him to go away again, but Mirror Boy is there to warn her: there's a hunter, a man who's methodically seeking out all of the people Mirror Boy has haunted, and killing them. And now he's after Circus Girl.
This was almost a story that really worked for me. JY Yang has some lovely, evocative language and I really liked the basic idea of the plot. But some of the details grated (like the hunter's religious obsession and constant prayers to Leviathan), and the final resolution, though cheering, doesn't entirely make sense given the rules of the world that Yang set up. Hmm. I need to think about this some more.
Full review to come.
Content notes: some sexual content and a handful of F-bombs. -
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
this explanation/intro will be posted before each day’s short story. scroll down to get to the story-review.
this is the FOURTH year of me doing a short story advent calendar as my december project. for those of you new to me or this endeavor, here’s the skinny: every day in december, i will be reading a short story that is 1) available free somewhere on internet, and 2) listed on goodreads as its own discrete entity. there will be links provided for those of you who like to read (or listen to) short stories for free, and also for those of you who have wildly overestimated how many books you can read in a year and are freaking out about not meeting your 2019 reading-challenge goals. i have been gathering links all year when tasty little tales have popped into my feed, but i will also accept additional suggestions, as long as they meet my aforementioned 1), 2) standards.
if you scroll to the end of the reviews linked here, you will find links to all the previous years’ stories, which means NINETY-THREE FREEBIES FOR YOU!
2016:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2017:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2018:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
reviews of these will vary in length/quality depending on my available time/brain power.
so, let’s begin
DECEMBER 27
I bled from the palms stealing a shard of factory window for my room, and in that sacred space where no one else was allowed—or no one else dared to go—I spent hours with Mirror Boy. I would sit by the cold glass in the afternoons, in between rehearsals and the start of the night’s performances, and I would let spill all the petty grievances of the day. Who had looked at me the wrong way, who had wounded me with cutting words. Mirror Boy never said much. He listened and told me I was right, or that he agreed with me. And I needed that. As time went on I started talking about my hopes for the future, about how I wanted to leave the circus and leave Darlingfort before it broke me like it broke everyone else. And he would just smile and nod and say he believed I could do it.
so i guess i'm going to stick to the tor shorts for this project, since—as far as i know—gr has never deleted any of them. i do want to bitch a little about how arbitrary it is, though. i understand not allowing fanfic on here—that's a whole crazy unregulated world of borrowed characters and there are probably some legal headaches that no one really wants to take on. but short stories published in literary journals and magazines and online wherevers where authors have likely been paid and readers would surely like to know they can access—deleting those seems nonsensical. i was going to read a colson whitehead story for this, that was published in the new yorker, but now it is gone from goodreads. all of the future tense fiction stories i discovered on slate are now gone from goodreads. if this is supposed to be a community for readers, what is a better surprise for a booknerd than discovering that an author they love has a story they've never read? i have loved sharing these links with other readers, so they could get as excited as i have been to find new stories by beloved authors and now this is just one more thing that is sad in the world and why can't we just have nice things for once?
anyway, this story.
i don't want to let my grumpy mood get all over my response to this story, because it is a lovely and poignant one—a little magic, a little horror, a little romance, by an author new to me. and THAT is why knowing that free short stories are out there is so great. because now i have sampled an author's work and will likely go out and try more by them and i didn't have to commit to a full-length novel by a stranger-danger in my limited time when i am more likely to reach for someone i already love and have expectations around. booknerds need to know what's out there and what suits them and little snacks whet bigger appetites.
so thanks a lot, gr, and maybe don't delete our OPPORTUNITIES anymore.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2019/01/30/circus...
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DECEMBER 14 GOODREADS ERASED THIS STORY AND MY REVIEW FROM THE SITE, SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO READ IT, IT IS
HERE. THANKS.
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come to my blog! -
Lynette grew up in the circus. After spurning the advances of the escape artist, he chains her up and throws her in the water tank to drown. She is rescued by a boy in a mirror who becomes her boyfriend/companion, even though he is only present as her reflection. He disappears when she is sixteen, only to reappear years later when someone is hunting down anyone with a connection to him. The title of J.Y. Yang’s new story “Circus Girl, the Hunter, and Mirror Boy” is a bit on the nose, don’t you think? I appreciated that all three title characters had a POV section of the story, though in some ways I would have preferred it stay with Lynette, who is the hero and whose section has the longest word count by far. Magic is an accepted part of daily life so there’s a weird casualness to everything that goes on in the story, even when it seems like the characters should act with a little more urgency. The writing has an unforced charm, like most of Yang’s work; I suppose not every story has to ratchet up the tension to 11, even when the protagonist is being hunted by a serial killer.
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Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy was entertaining but boring.
I loved the writing style, it was so catchy and entertaining I wanted a few more pages about this novella. The characters were incredible, even when Lynette had a difficult childhood she was badass in her own way just trying to help Mirror Boy.
I didn't feel any chemistry between Lynette and Mirror Boy, it was lame and mundane. The plot was stunning especially when the author puts together fantasy with everyday life but The Hunter's POV didn't make sense at all, introducing a whole new line about religion when no one knew about it, it just came out of nowhere so at the end even The Hunter's goal lost his meaning.
This felt more like a tale than novella. -
When twenty-six-year-old Lynette starts to see the Mirror Boy again out of the blue, she is shocked, to say the least as it's been ten years since she last saw him and she's built a new life for herself. Mirror Boy tells her that her life could be in danger so she has no choice but to team up with him and get to the bottom of the danger that lurks out there.
This was a very interesting and lovely read. I was hooked from the very beginning. It's set up in this very familiar but also very strange world both at the same time. I liked how even in the short story, the author was able to provide the back story of the girl. The only reason it is a 4 star for me instead of 5 stars is that I didn't really like the ending, other than that it's absolutely amazing.
4 stars -
I've found a new favorite short story.
I feel like for me it's more difficult to find new favorite short stories than it is to find new favorite novels. Novels will stay with me more easily, but a story? Even if I like the author's writing - and I already knew I liked JY Yang's, because of the Tensorate and Waiting on a Bright Moon - not every story will hit me the right way. I won't get all of them.
This was raw and at times messed up and ugly and I understood it in ways I didn't expect. It's about a woman who was once a circus girl, and the ghost boy who haunted her during the worst year of her life, who helped her through a difficult time when she was a teen. It gets that feeling I can't put into words - when something from your past, especially early adolescence, comes back to haunt you, and you want to claim it as yours and really don't want to at the same time. It's your history but you also wish you had left it behind while wishing it would come back. A part of you and your history that is more you than everything but you're also ashamed of it.
It's also beautifully written and vaguely witch-y in the best way, and the atmosphere has that kind of rotten ruin charm that I love, especially in stories that have vague tones of aquatic horror.
Anyway: this is for those who like knife-throwing haunted girls, lost ghost boys who fight against their nature, helpful witches with the best aesthetics, and mysterious hunters with an obsession. I loved it so much.
Trigger warning for death of gay characters. I usually would have a problem with this - the main characters' sexuality isn't stated (I think - or maybe I missed it) and you could assume everyone but [dead guy] is straight, but honestly: I don't want to police what openly queer authors who usually write all-queer casts do with their stories and I assumed everyone to be queer anyway, but I recognize it could bother someone. -
Paranormal read.
There's a 'wraith', a paranormal being, which is supposed to infect and spread amongst people they choose as host/s.
Then there's the hosts, normal people, who they can take over.
But this particular wraith 'mirror boy' is different as he doesn't want to harm one of his many hosts, the 'Circus Girl'. They share a deep bond over the many years of interaction.
And then there's the 'Hunter' who is out there to kill every host that the wraith has infected or owned.
The Circus Girl has come a long way from a life of misfortunes and the Mirror boy has been her lifelong companion. She needs to be saved.
But the ending is something else.
Even though the plot is good to start with, I find the ending a bit underwhelming and half-planned. I find it rather dull.
What I loved most about this short story is the gripping writing style and the way the characters were developed.
However, the plot lacked direction and as a result the ending was a bit haphazard.
But I enjoyed this one nevertheless. -
Circus Girl, The Hunter and the Mirror Boy was seriously good! From the start, the world build, the presentation of the girl's past, how she met the boy and the present, were all so nicely constructed. And, somehow, the author managed to twist everything up and give a proper ending, which, by the way, I didn't see coming!
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I'll also put the name of the story here, in case Goodreads decides to merge it into some other work:
Circus Girl, The Hunter, and Mirror Boy by
Neon Yang (former known as
J.Y. Yang ) - 2.5-3/5★
A story about an orphan girl and a wraith that fights its call to take over its host, and a hunter that wants to end the wraith.
The short story is found in
Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2019 edition and can also be read on
Tor.com. -
When I saw JY Yang wrote this one, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve read The Black Tides of Heaven and enjoyed it, but it was pure fantasy.
This is more of an urban fantasy ghost story and it felt pretty unique. I liked the elements of witchcraft, the way the story of Mirror Boy unfolded naturally. The writing was great and the ending was pretty fantastic.
It definitely has me wondering what else Yang can do. I’d be excited to see other work outside the Tensorate series from them. -
Read this review and others on my blog!
Again this week I returned to Tor.com to peruse their short fiction, and boy am I glad I did. No need to mince words here—this story was fantastic from start to finish, and eeeee, this author has an entire trilogy out as well as more short fiction, and wow wow wow wow wow, did I love this. (Also, can we take a second to appreciate the excellent artwork that accompanies each Tor story? Maybe there’s something to be said about a lack of a book cover being one reason why many readers overlook short fiction.)
You can read the short story here…
So everything about this story is great—I have literally zero complaints. (Hell must be freezing over, huh?) The language was perfect: appropriately poetic when it needed to be, sometimes experimental, sometimes matter-of-fact. Plot-wise, we’re thrown into a near-futuristic world much like our own but with witches and spirits, etc. (Sidenote that all these ghouls and ghosties seem to have only existed for twenty years, and I want to know moooooooore in the best way possible. Can we get some longer fiction set in this world? Pretty please?) Yang’s voice keeps us feeling grounded without relying on an info-dump slog, and the main character right away feels like someone we can root for. And our MC has a problem—she’s woken up and every mirrored surface shows not her reflection, but instead a dude she’s aptly named Mirror Boy. She used to see Mirror Boy back in the day as well, but then he went away as her life became more stable. Now he’s back, with some pretty bad news: a serial killer is on the hunt for the MC, ready to make her his latest victim.
Also there’s some very cool ocean-based mythology woven throughout.
Does this seem like a lot for a short story? Don’t worry, I promise that everything wraps up at the end beautifully. Please, read this, then join me in feeling that achey, oh no it’s over feeling. Misery loves company. -
Probably more of a 3.5.
I love the author but I didn’t even know about this short story until I saw it nominated in FIYAH’s IGNYTE awards, and I had to read it immediately. It has a bit of a spooky vibe and I don’t usually go for such stuff, but I enjoyed the main character’s desire to have a better life and the mirror boy’s intention of helping people during some of the worst times of their lives, doing so by against his true nature. They both do make a good duo. Beautiful writing as always and it really makes you feel every word. -
A borrowed life is better than none
This hidden gem I found through Tor. J.Y. Yang brought forth such depth and suspense in so few pages. I was highly impressed. If I run into any other short stories by J.Y. Yang I'll be sure to read them.Once upon a time I was a circus girl, just like my mother. Once upon a time I had an apple-cheeked face and an easy, gap-toothed smile. Once upon a time I used to throw knives and juggle and spin fire
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A good and somewhat dark story written beautifully, but it didn't speak to me on a personal level.
Read it here! -
Nice and sweet. The first JY Yang story I liked, to be frank *runs from their fans*
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Intriguing take on (demonic? alien?) possession as a symbol of gender reversal. But this wisp of a sketch of a world really deserves to be fleshed out more. Great sex scene though.
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I have the sensation I have read this story before but at the same time, I know I haven't.
Anyway, I love it very much. -
RTC!
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We are throw into action, the little pieces of world building leave you wanting more. There is only quick paced action which I follow with confusion. I would like to read a more detailed version with greater description of world.
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Free at Tor.com:
https://www.tor.com/2019/01/30/circus...
I saw this come up on Twitter today and, on a whim, clicked on it. I'm SO glad I did. This was a fantastic short story - with the perfect amount of world-building and character depth for its length. I could easily see many stories set in this world, or with these characters.
Honestly, to say too much would be to give it all away. Go read it. It's unique, compelling, and excellently written.
I do know I'll definitely be getting more from J.Y Yang to read soon. -
This was beautiful and exciting, and it surprised me with where it was going. I loved that the author steered away from exposition and let the world-building take place by incorporating details in the natural course of things, allowing the reader to build the world through inference rather than hand-holding. CW:
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*2,5*
Μου άρεσε πολύ το πρώτο μέρος που ήταν από την οπτική του κοριτσιού. Τα άλλα δύο μου φάνηκαν αρκετά μπερδεμένα. 😬 -
Yo no soy fan de las historias de fantasmas, pero no le puedo decir que no a J.Y. Neon Yang, es un autore que nunca me ha decepcionado.
Tampoco leo cuentos y heme aquí.
Resultado: un mundo complejo, un sistema de magia establecido en el que se lidia con fantasmas todo el tiempo y tres historias entrelazadas.
Sólo espero que este se me quede pegado y no se me evapore como me pasa con los cuentos. -
Although it is a short story this was far too rushed. This plot reads like a novel and not a short story. Too much happened in sequence for the impact to be felt. I didn't have any relationship with the characters and this made it difficult to invest in their lives.
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This was... Not great - solid 2.5-stars,but I couldn't bring myself to round it up.
I feel like this story was going for a sort of H. P. Lovecraft vibe (minus the racism) and I guess it hit those points a bit but I just wasn't into it.
Read it if you want but I'm not recommending it. -
Look I love everything J.Y. Yang writes and this delightful story is no exception. I love the world it's set in, how Yang creates all these fascinating elements in such a short narrative and yet it still feels full and complete and fascinating. I love the MC, how world-weary she seems and let how she still hopes, still dreams about a place where she can belong. This was just a wonderful and immersive short story and I'd love to read more set in this world!
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Wow!
What an incredible story! I really enjoyed the concept of the wraith going against it's nature. The characters were interesting and the story of the Mirror Boy was fascinating. I really enjoyed the ending! -
I loved the setting, particularly the continual emphasis on water. I didn't quite connect to the characters, although I appreciated the switching first person perspective in a short story.
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![Prix [ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴠɪʟʟɪᴀɴ ᴇʀᴀ]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1688675855i/34295162._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
DNF at 40%
