The Rundown:

Eliza Meeks was abandoned by her family, potentially because of her odd gift. Eliza can telepathically communicate with animals, but she’s not entirely in control of her powers. Tired of being treated like an outcast by the people of Baton Rouge, she decides to join a traveling carnival. But this is not your ordinary fun carnival full of rides, savory foods, and funhouse mirrors. This carnival is overseen by an evil spirit who is hunting for someone special…

What drew me into reading this was the cover. It’s beautiful. Some of my favorite genres to read is magical realism and thrillers, which Bacchanal has both. I also enjoy reading about African spirituality. The first 100 pages were interesting, but it kind of starts to fall flat after that.

What I didn’t like

Let’s get the bad out of the way first.

Too many side characters that don’t matter. The characters who deserved a backstory didn’t get much of one. I wanted to know more about Ahiku, the owner and carnival demon! I wanted to know what was up with Clay and Jamey, the guys running the carnival for the demon! When prominent characters got a backstory, it felt thrown together, and I found myself thinking, “that’s it?!” Meanwhile, characters who didn’t matter had chapters explaining their backstory/why they joined the carnival. I didn’t care about them; it wouldn’t alter the storyline if their chapter was removed.

Unnecessary scenes and dialogue. The parts that needed more detail and dialogue felt rushed and incomplete. For example, Eliza is rarely shown talking with animals. It’s made clear in the first chapter that she doesn’t have a good handle on the power and needs to practice, but she is rarely shown practicing. Most of the time, Eliza is roaming the carnival talking to other carnies, or she’s moping about her family and her inability to properly communicate with animals. I found myself skimming chapters that involved random going-ons.

Unnecessary love triangle. I found the “who do I choose” love triangle pointless. I didn’t care who Eliza ended up with. There was no chemistry between her or either of the love interest. I didn’t care who she chose.

What I liked

The world-building. Veronica Henry did a great job making the carnival come to life! One of my favorites was the scene in the wax museum. It was so creepy! If the world-building actually advanced the plot, it would have been great.

The setting. The backdrop of Bacchanal is the south during the Depression era. It felt like historical fiction as the carnival traveled through southern states plagued with racism and poverty. This detail added to the macabre mood I felt while reading.

The African mythology sprinkled throughout the novel was a refreshing touch.

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Disclaimer

There are a few things that some may see as jarring. Self-harm, child abuse and death, lynching, and animal death. None of it is gory or overly detailed, but I know it can be a dealbreaker for some readers.

Overall

Despite how chunky and rushed the book felt at times, I give it 3/5 stars. I enjoyed the theme, and the setting was atmospheric. There is a good story here once you get past the drawn-out screens. If you like slow burns and don’t mind multiple points of view, grab a copy at your library and give it a try.

If you’ve read Bacchanal leave a comment letting me know your thoughts.

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