A Gathering of Brothers

A Gathering of Brothers, the final book in Kersten Hamilton’s Caleb Pascal and the Peculiar People series, brings the circus adventure full circle. The conflict between Caleb’s family circus and Clark’s unscrupulous circus comes to a head. Thaddeus, the midget freak, is too smart for his own good and bent on revenge. Twin Nightshade, former villain, must confront his evil twin brother. Tanni the pig girl still struggles to recognize her own beauty. Karoom the cannibal decides to meter out his own form of justice. And, after suffering tremendous tragedy, Caleb must choose whether to follow his adopted circus clown father’s footsteps or move to Kansas and live with a normal family. If you have read the previous three books, this final book is a must read.

What I Like: I loved this series. And this last book was made all the more potent by the build up in the preceding stories. Like the earlier books, this story was well written and had so much emotional depth that, without being preachy, it seamlessly and powerfully wove faith lessons right into the heart of the story. I found it completely absorbing. In fact, I had a HUGE lump in my throat about three-quarters of the way through the book and outright cried at the end.

What I Dislike: It was the last book in the series. I sure hope there are more to come...but even if there aren't, it's well worth reading.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2007; ISBN:978-078-4719114; Paperback $7.99

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