Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet is a story not just about one or two main characters, but an entire cast that is truly diverse and well written. Kitty Hayward arrives in Coney Island somewhat by accident and is in dire need of some friendship. Zeph runs Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet as well as a tavern for the all the Unusuals on Coney Island. Nazan Celik has read about all the treasures inside the Curiosity Cabinet and convinces her date Spencer to accompany her there. Spencer is the son of the wealthy owner of Dreamland, which is the newly opened amusement park on Coney Island. All their paths eventually cross, along with some other very memorable characters, as they find Coney Island under attack by a deadly plague. What will happen to these sideshow characters as they fight to save themselves, their friends and Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet itself.
This was such a unique story and I really enjoyed it. Certain themes draw me in and the characters in this story were so well written, I couldn't put it down. I was so impressed with how well the author handled such a large cast and how I came to care about each one. Also, the descriptions throughout the book are so vivid and realistically detailed that you truly can envision how Coney Island might have looked in 1904.
I received this book courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.