Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
208 used & new from £0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1)
 
See larger image
 

Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1) (Paperback)

by Darren Shan (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
RRP: £5.99
Price: £4.07 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £1.92 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Saturday, July 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
24 new from £0.10 174 used from £0.01 10 collectible from £1.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New edition) 34 used & new from £0.01

Frequently Bought Together

Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1) + The Vampire's Assistant (The Saga of Darren Shan) + Tunnels of Blood (The Saga of Darren Shan)
Price For All Three: £12.21

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Vampire's Assistant (The Saga of Darren Shan)

The Vampire's Assistant (The Saga of Darren Shan)

by Darren Shan
4.6 out of 5 stars (16)  £4.07
Tunnels of Blood (The Saga of Darren Shan)

Tunnels of Blood (The Saga of Darren Shan)

by Darren Shan
4.6 out of 5 stars (14)  £4.07
Vampire Mountain (The Saga of Darren Shan)

Vampire Mountain (The Saga of Darren Shan)

by Darren Shan
4.4 out of 5 stars (14)  £4.49
The Trials of Death (The Saga of Darren Shan)

The Trials of Death (The Saga of Darren Shan)

by Darren Shan
4.9 out of 5 stars (17)  £4.49
The Vampire Prince (The Saga of Darren Shan)

The Vampire Prince (The Saga of Darren Shan)

by Darren Shan
4.6 out of 5 stars (14)  £4.49
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books (4 Jan 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0006754163
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006754169
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 11,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #35 in  Books > Children's Books > Fiction > Horror

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk
Darren Shan seems like your average boy--he likes playing football with his mates, passing notes in class and loves spiders. Then, one day, his best mate Steve gets tickets for a banned freak show and Darren starts experiencing things that no average boy would dream of. At the Freak show he sees a limb-chewing wolf man, a woman who can grow a beard in front of your very eyes, a snake boy and a goat-eating tarantula called Madame Octa. But what about the mysterious people in blue-hooded robes whose faces you never see? And is Mr Crepsley really a vampire?

Don't be deceived by the facetious tone of the narrator, this book will have you screaming out in revulsion and horror. Wrap yourself up in your duvets and get prepared to be scared. This is outrageously gruesome:

Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. If you're ready, let's begin. If this was a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started ... It started in the toilet.
Cirque du Freak is Darren Shan's first novel and the first in a series highlighting Darren's adventures and misadventures. You'll be baying for blood if you miss out.

And, remember, it's all true. (Age 10 and over) --Nicola Perry

Amazon.co.uk Review
Darren Shan seems like your average boy--he likes playing football with his mates, passing notes in class and loves spiders. Then, one day, his best mate Steve gets tickets for a banned freak show and Darren starts experiencing things that no average boy would dream of. At the Freak show he sees a limb-chewing wolf man, a woman who can grow a beard in front of your very eyes, a snake boy and a goat-eating tarantula called Madame Octa. But what about the mysterious people in blue-hooded robes whose faces you never see? And is Mr Crepsley really a vampire?

Don't be deceived by the facetious tone of the narrator, this book will have you screaming out in revulsion and horror. Wrap yourself up in your duvets and get prepared to be scared. This is outrageously gruesome:

Anyway, that's enough of an introduction. If you're ready, let's begin. If this was a made-up story, it would begin at night, with a storm blowing and owls hooting and rattling noises under the bed. But this is a real story, so I have to begin where it really started ... It started in the toilet.
Cirque du Freak is Darren Shan's first novel and the first in a series highlighting Darren's adventures and misadventures. You'll be baying for blood if you miss out.

And, remember, it's all true. (Age 10 and over) --Nicola Perry

See all Product Description


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1)
73% buy the item featured on this page:
Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1) 4.7 out of 5 stars (73)
£4.07
The Saga of Darren Shan Box Set
13% buy
The Saga of Darren Shan Box Set 4.9 out of 5 stars (11)
£19.47
Vampire Blood Trilogy (Saga of Darren Shan)
5% buy
Vampire Blood Trilogy (Saga of Darren Shan) 4.7 out of 5 stars (21)
£6.49
Tunnels of Blood (The Saga of Darren Shan)
5% buy
Tunnels of Blood (The Saga of Darren Shan) 4.6 out of 5 stars (14)
£4.07

 

Customer Reviews

73 Reviews
5 star:
 (57)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (73 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Marvellous, 3 Jul 2006
By Scully Bloke (Wiltshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)      
My 14 year old son read the Cirque du Freak book and told me how good it was. I then read it (in 1 sitting), and immediately bought the remaining 11. We spent the next 2 weeks reading them all.
Its simply a marvellous story and adventure. Each book leaves you wanting to start the next. It brings the reader to humour, then dark humour, then it scares you then makes you laugh.
I am 47 and have read thousands of books, and I would put this series in the top three.
Absolutely Marvellous entertainment.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Slightly gruesome, but a brilliant read., 30 Nov 2001
By A Customer
Darren Shan is a normal kid. He loves football, finds school boring and hangs around a lot with his friend Steve. However, when Steve buys tickets to a mysterious freak show, things start to change a bit.
At the freak show, Darren is captivatd by a tarantula named Madame Octa, owned by a man called Mr. Crepsley. Darren discovers that Mr. Crepsley is a vampire but still steals the spider to keep as a pet. When it bites Steve, Darren is offered a choice: give up his life and become a vampire, or let Steve die.
While the plot device is fairly standard (the choice between your death or the death of a friend/loved one), Darren Shan's excellent writing keeps it exciting and interesting right up to the last page. Cirque Du Freak is an amazing book. Unlike most horror novels written for younger readers, it isn't afraid to dole out a little blood and guts when necessary (especially during the freak show). However, this doesn't mean the book is just cheap shock tactics. It involves the reader deeply, meaning that we truly care about Darren's fate. It is well-written and in places quite funny. Overall this is an excellent book, which I would recommend to anybody, young or old.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Great Darren Shan, 2 Oct 2004
By Helen Barnes (Scotland,Great Britain) - See all my reviews
I've read the first 10 books in this series and i think they're all fantastic.As i read them i really started to care about Darren,Mr Crepsley,Harkat and the rest of the vampire clan, although i hated Steve Leopard and the Vampanese.If i had to choose a favourite it would be the tenth book,The Lake of Souls. This is a great story about Mr Tiny sending Darren and Harkat to another dimension to find Harkats soul.They have to fight different animals before they find the lake.You must read these books in order though to stay with the story.Read the first book to find out how Larten Crepsley turned Darren into a half vampire after Darren stole his performing spider,Madame Octa. The rest of the books follow Darren as he accepts what he is and becomes a vampire prince with a good heart.FANTASTIC.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars great quick read
when i recieved this book i didnt realise that it would be so small but as soon as i started reading i couldnt put it down. Read more
Published 15 days ago by V. M. Parry

5.0 out of 5 stars Fangtastic
Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1)
I started to read this book when I was 8 years old and thought it was a very good book. Read more
Published 2 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
I read this book to my Year 5 class and they loved it! They often begged for me to read one more page after home time. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ms. E. A. Fox

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
This book is the first of the thrilling saga of Darren Shan. It starts the tale of the boy when he firsts encounters vampires and enters their world. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Django

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!!
My son was given this book to read at school and to review for a project, so I thought I would read it as well - to give him some encouragment!! I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. Homans

3.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining dark and diverse tale
In the first part of the saga, normal boy Darren gets the chance to go to a freak show with his best friend, and when there, he sees bearded ladies, werewolves and vampires, and... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Stampy

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but not good...
Hm, I'm not really sure how to review a book when, like me, you're sat so firmly on the fence of the 3-star rating. Read more
Published 11 months ago by V. Flack

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Harry Potter you'll LOVE Darren Shan!
I started reading Cirque du freak after my boyfriend persuaded me to give it a go. I was not expecting to like it and only agreed to read it to prove him wrong. Read more
Published 13 months ago by T. MCGAHAN

5.0 out of 5 stars read them all
i each book in 1 sitting.... that enough? i read the 1st 2 in the same day then waited for the 3 to be released! i followed them all i just re read them again still amazing! Read more
Published 15 months ago by Purdeys

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
This book is fantastic; I honestly cannot say anything bad about it.

The book evolves the main character and others beutifully as it unfolds, letting you sink deeper... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Random

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

Shop now

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates