Cirque Du Freak: Trials of Death - Kimberly Morales

                                                                                                Morales, Kimberly                     

                                                                                                English Per. 6

                                                                                                November 20, 2008

 

                       Book Review Blog: Cirque Du Freak Trials Of Death

                       

Cirque Du Freak: Trials of Death by Darren Shan is my favorite book of the Cirque Du Freak series . I started to read this series in the sixth grade. I picked the first book up in my sixth grade Homeroom Class. When we read the first few pages as a class I got so interested in the book. It sounded so mysterious. Since then I have continued reading the books I am now on the fifth book. There is now a movie coming out for the first three books. I am sure I will want to watch that movie .

Trials of Death is based on a boy named Darren Shan. While still being a person he visited a freak show that changed his life. He was a normal boy. He had a mother, a father, and a little sister named Annie. When a spider bit his best friend, Steve Leonard, he sacrificed his life for his friend. Since then he has been a half vampire traveling with Mr. Crepsley a full vampire. Mr. Crepsley works sometimes in the freak show with his spider, Madame Octa. It has been a long journey for him. He has had to defeat vampaneze, get almost killed by a wild bear that drank the blood of a vampaneze, and now present himself to the Council. He is now in Vampire Mountain and isn't really approved by the Vampire Princes. To prove himself he has to go through The Trials of Initiation. He has to pass five tests in ordered to be accepted as a vampire or fail and die. The five tests consisted of The Aquatic Maze, The Path of Needles, The Hall of Flames and The Blooded Boars. As the trials were going on the vampaneze were approaching, with the help of someone unexpected. He passed the first three tests with difficulty. But did not succeed on the fourth one. Put did he really die? Or did he continue and risk his life.

"When I was making up my mind to accept the challenge, they told me that if I passed, I'd be accepted into the vampire ranks. What they neglected to tell me until afterward (when it was too late to back out) was that if I failed – I'd be killed." This quote is very significant in this book. It is mostly what it is about. Trials of Death is based on this one quote. During the whole book Darren is trying to pass all the trials to be accepted in the vampire rank. At the same time he knows that if he fails he dies. I choose this quote so you all have an idea of what is going on in Darren's head during the trials.

This book in my opinion deserves five mountains. This means that I really enjoyed it. You can also rate it. You can rate from five mountains to 1 mountain. Five mountains mean you would read it and continue reading the other books. One mountain means you wouldn't bother to even pick the book up. The reason I chose mountains as my icon is because in vampire mountain is were the trials are taking place.

This book is really enticing. I love it. This book is one that you should pick up because you can't put it down. It really hooks the reader. The author is descriptive and you can imagine Darren's trials. It fills you with mystery of what is going on around during the trials. If you enjoy mysterious but exciting adventures you should read it. BUT PLEASE START FROM BOOK ONE.  If you get disgusted easily I think you probably shouldn't read it because there are some gory parts. But other than that you should pick it up sometime.