Short Summary By Jessie Ann Foley

"That 's what living people do. They shatter and rebuild, shatter and rebuild, shatter and rebuild until they are old and worn and stooped from the work of it." Jessie Ann Foley 's writing relates to situations that our society faces on a daily basis. Considering the title, the word carnival creates images of an amusing and boisterous scene. However, a majority of the book does not seem as animated as the name. As I continued to read, the organization of the plot was not enjoyable, but the impressive choice of vocabulary was engaging. I felt a wild sense of adventure as if I was in the book, seeing the uneasiness that comes with living in a new environment, the trust that is tied with love and the heartbreak that corresponds with loss and grief. The protagonist, Maggie, grabbed my attention. The way she views the world and her perspective on family and friends makes me question why she does it in that manner. Her struggles and complications

The writing approached me in a way where it depicts teenage experiences. Reading about sorrow, loneliness and rebellion reflects on my life. In some circumstances, I can relate to Maggie. Although, I have never dealt with moving to another city, drugs, concerts or a step dad. The book revealed that learning about other characters and how they handle situations is very captivating to me. In my opinion, the book spoke to me in a religious manner due to the amount of passings. Death is encountered at one point in life and being able to see how the characters dealt with it was astonishing. It 's insane to see the reactions of how others cope with a loved ones loss. For instance, page 135 quotes "I didn 't want you to think of him that way, honey. I didn 't want you to feel like he abandoned you. I didn 't want you to admire or - romanticize - what he did. Or to think that doing that is a way out when life gets hard. Because life is always going to be hard." Death is not only apart of religion and culture but it plays a big role