Started on Wattpad, now it's on its way to our shelves! Trapeze is perfect for fans of Morgan Matson, Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen!



How do you trust the ground when all you’ve known is flight?

In this breathtaking debut, Leigh Ansell has created a compelling, heartbreaking, and truly engaging story about a young girl used to flying high only to be faced with living life with her two feet firmly on the ground . . .

Seventeen-year-old Corey Ryder can’t remember a time when she wasn’t gliding through the air of Cirque Mystique’s big top. As a trapeze artist in a traveling circus, Corey wakes up every day in a different place, buzzing for the moment she can suspend gravity during the night’s performance.

When the circus pulls into small-town Sherwood, California, everything seems normal—aside from meeting the exceptionally cute Luke Everett at a local diner. But that night, in the midst of the performance, tragedy strikes and flames overtake the tent. While Corey narrowly escapes, in the ashes of the circus pitch lies the only home she’s ever known.

Repeatedly thrown out of her comfort zone, Corey must learn how to push toward her future without forgetting her past, what it means to be a daughter to a mother she’s never known, and how to navigate the confusing magic of first love, even as she performs the high-wire act of being true to who you really are.


As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

A stunning debut! Leigh Ansell's writing is smooth, effortlessly honest and full of life. The good, the bad, the in-between. If you're a fan of Morgan Matson, Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen, you'll likely want to keep Leigh Ansell on your radar. Trust me on this one: we're going to hear plenty from her in the future.

Compelling and emotionally charged, Trapeze is primarily about moving forward and all of life's changes. Sprinkle in smalltown life and circus elements, it is a different spin on the more common coming of age stories I've read as of late. And as with most coming of age stories, Ansell tackles multiple topics such as grief, violence and abuse, bullying and more. Trapeze takes these topics and explores them with grace, never once sounding like an after-school special.

Our protagonist is the shining star of Trapeze and this fact becomes clear almost instantly. I find that the story speaks for itself however it wouldn't succeed half as much without Corey. Corey is the perfect main character; flawed, heartfelt and captivating. In short? Corey feels real and I'd grown very attached to her in the course of Trapeze--I think many readers, too, will feel the same.

Fortunately, the other characters featured within Trapeze are just as compelling and likable as Corey. Each stand out in their own right and defy the archetypes that we might have set up for them in our minds. Trapeze toes the line between being a plot-driven contemporary and a character driven one, easing us into the thick of things beautifully. I found myself often thinking that these are the types of characters I'd have loved as a teenager--they felt like friends.

In short, I really enjoyed reading this one. While I felt it had its share of flaws (issues re: things not quite being explained and other subplots that just didn't make sense in context or otherwise) that are worth noting, there was something unforgettable about this book. It has a lot of heart, where so many of its contemporaries don't.

Trapeze was a fantastic read and an eye-catching debut--and it should be at the top of your autumn TBR! If you're looking to ease yourself into the cooler weather this fall, this will likely hit the spot and give you all the warm and fuzzies you need. After all, what's better than a cup of your favourite hot beverage and a sweetened contemporary romance?