The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall
- Publisher: Atthis Arts, 2019
- Genre: Literary Fiction, LGBTQ+, Fantasy
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 286 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Chelsea Shu died a tragic death on NYC Subway tracks and never got to attend her brother Osric’s wedding. After discovering an afterlife as a ghost, she befriended Carmen, a fellow spirit, and Cyndricka, a homeless mime-performing human. The three of them, incidentally the Triple Cs, set out on foot for a cross-country trip to attend Osric’s postponed wedding in San Francisco. They understood it would be a difficult journey, but little did they know what was actually in store for them throughout the months-long walk.
And I like to hear what ghosts thought of their funerals. It’s like your birthday, but you didn’t get any input.
Cyndricka
I have to say I enjoyed the book. It is unique in concept and opened up the possibility of me reading more paranormal fiction. Also, I love the fact that all three main characters grew along the way, finding themselves amid mutual companionship. At its core, the book is an adventure novel involving ghosts and many characters who happened to be queer. While very entertaining, I sensed that some events were inserted as afterthoughts. Maybe the plot lines could have been more well-thought-out, but it was good nonetheless.
A mournful land filled to the brim with tears that could never fall from the ghosts’ eyes, so instead fell from their bones themselves.
McFall critiqued our current world through the form of fantasy. Race and social status are crucial in the book, making it a condensed replica of the real world. The story hinted at the multiple discriminations against Cyndricka, who suffered from many years of abuse from not speaking, being Black, and homeless. In addition, she converses in ASL and is queer, making her the intersection of many minority identities. Through this journey, we get a glimpse of her life and have the chance to rethink how we treat actual homeless people, especially those belonging to multiple marginalized groups.
Under McFall’s conscious choice (when she is presumably white), nearly all important characters were people of color. These include the Chinese-American Shus, Mexican Carmen, a hospitable Filipino family, and many more. As an East Asian, I am happy to say that I did not sense misrepresentation and I appreciate McFall’s effort in making this novel a narrative for the various oppressed.
“I am so, so jealous of you. Your love moved on, is able to be happy again.”
Carmen
The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus is a book about closure, friendship, and purpose. It is definitely worth a read as it questions humanity, priorities, and prods readers to ponder over letting go and moving on. [11 Apr 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Atthis Arts via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
