The Circus Rose, written by Betsy Cornwell, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary:  Rosie and Ivory are twins who have grown up in the circus with their mother, the bearded lady and ringmaster. The sisters are extremely close, but incredibly different. Ivory is the primary storyteller, a lover of engineering and the circus stagehand. Rosie is the secondary storyteller, a performer in the show who becomes so overwhelmed after appearances that she must retreat to a dark room. After traveling for years through Fey lands, the circus has returned to its home city, Port’s End, which the performers expect to be a joyous occasion. But the city has changed while they were gone, and is now filled with religious fervor and zealous preachers who speak out against those who are different, like many in the circus family, especially Tam, an agender Fey magician with whom Ivory begins a relationship. When mysterious events befall the circus, Ivory must discover who is responsible in order to save the lives of many that she loves.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  There are some clever devices at play in this story. Ivory, the analytical sister, tells her chapters in prose, while Rosie, the creative sister, tells her chapters in beautiful verse. The effect is interesting, but also leaves the reader feeling like they understand Ivory much better than Rosie. One of the story's greatest strengths is its seamless inclusion of characters that represent many different gender identities and defy traditional gender norms. We see this most clearly in the character of Tam, who is Fey, none of whom identify as male or female, and who uses fe/fer/fers pronouns throughout the book. Tam’s relationship with Ivory is very queer positive, as is Rosie’s relationship, though it is a bit more mysterious. The girls’ mother proudly sports a beard and is considered one of the most attractive women among many in society. These inclusive elements are no doubt responsible for the inclusion of The Circus Rose on the 2021 Rainbow List, along with the plot element involving the persecution of each of these people and many others by religious groups. All of these positive elements aside, the story meanders and is occasionally difficult to follow. It offers almost too many world-building details without enough explanation of most of them. Some of the books' big reveals feel extremely obvious and others seem to appear from nowhere. Many readers are likely to abandon this book before they are able to process the messages, but students who are seeking out fantasy stories heavy on queer elements are likely to appreciate this book. Recommended for collections that are in need of more queer representation.