Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student one test away from earning his degree, receives devastating news that sends him over the edge and on the run from life as he knows it. Jacob jumps aboard a passing train and lands smack in the middle of a traveling circus. Set in the Great Depression era, Water for Elephants is a powerful emotional tale of love, self-discovery, acceptance, and finding the courage to do what is right in life.

Readers who enjoy being pulled into the middle of action and emotion. This is a book that is hard to put down once you begin reading.

I held off reading this book for quite some time because I knew reading about animal abuse would greatly upset me. And it did, but these incidents also drew me into this vivid story and involved me with the characters' lives in a way that I've rarely experienced before. The rich descriptions and fast paced dialogue made me feel like I was right there with these characters watching every scene unfold before me. As a reader, I greatly appreciated that.

The only parts of the book I didn't care for was the 2-3 sexual encounters. They are somewhat humorous, but like the rest of the book they are VIVID in detail, and I didn't think they added to the overall story. That point aside, this is one of the best books I've read, and I highly recommend it.

Rarely have I read a book that made me feel such a wide range of emotions. There were moments (especially with Rosie, the elephant) when I wanted to scream and rip apart the character of August for the cruel things he did to her. And there were moments when I laughed and smiled, and even cried a little.

The author certainly did her research when writing this story. The plot, setting, and behavior of the characters are all very realistic.

The dialogue and character development is fantastic, as is the pace of the storyline. It is a story that will stay with me for years to come.

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Created May 29, 2013 at 10:50am • Submit your own review...