Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this first Wednesday of August? It’s hot, so Dad has been lazy and watching TV. Since I have very little will power, that means I have also been lazy and watching TV. Though I did recently finish a beat sheet (Save the Cat! style) for the unnamed cozy mystery (the winner of the poll from a few weeks ago), so I’m going to start writing again. Soon. Anyway, it’s late as I’m writing this, so I decided to do a mini-review of J. R. Dawson’s The First Bright Thing. I don’t usually review the books of people I know (because bias), but I sincerely enjoyed this one so much that I decided a small review sans spoilers wouldn’t hurt.

Plot: the beginning is kind of a slow burn, but seeing the life of the circus and getting to know the characters makes it worth the wait. I loved the intertwining timelines and how the focus starts super wide, but gradually narrows down. It highlights the idea that if you focus on too much at once, you miss the chance to change the little things. And little things can have the biggest impact. It’s also cool how everything comes full circle in the end.

Characters: there are cripple characters! And not token cripples there to tug on heartstrings. They just exist. Like people. It’s cool. Rin is even disabled in a way. But aside from that, the main characters are all fleshed out and interesting. As a lover of villains, I admit I’m partial to the Circus King. He’s a jackass and not good despite what he thinks, but I still want to hug him and squeeze him until all his insides are squished together. And no, I don’t know why I’m like this.

Writing: I love how Dawson incorporates details about the circus and theater and Jewish life in this book. I learned quite a bit and nothing felt like an info dump. It flowed naturally, which I appreciate.

Overall, I gave The First Bright Thing 5 out of 5 stars. That’s rare, even for books by friends (maybe I’m a little harsh). But this one just gave me all the right feels. Now that I’ve read it, I can confidently say that if you like fantasy, circuses, and/or found family stories, you should try this one.