The Electrical Venus

Description

In the harsh company of a travelling side-show, Mim doesn't know what love looks like. But when a stranger joins the fair and chooses Mim to be part of his awesome new act of 'electrickery', Mim is elevated to the role of 'Electrical Venus'. Is this starring role her true worth, or is love worth more than a penny for an electrifying kiss? An intoxicating and atmospheric examination of our attitudes to race, disability and self-worth through a love story set in the filth and thrill of a travelling show during the height of Georgian Enlightenment.

Julie Mayhew originally trained as a journalist, then as an actress, and she started writing because she hardly ever saw a script with a brilliant role for a girl or a woman. She is the author of RED INK (shortlisted for the 2014 Branford Boase Award) and the critically acclaimed THE BIG LIE. She is also prolific writer for radio, and has twice been nominated for Best Original Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards for her plays A SHOEBOX OF SNOW and THE ELECTRICAL VENUS. Julie is a recent recipient of an Arts Council England Award and a K Blundell Trust Award to research and develop stories in Berlin and in her hometown Peterborough, and she is currently under commission to write a free and modern adaptation of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN for Eastern Angles Theatre. She lives in Hertfordshire with her family, where she is host of short story cabaret The Berko Speakeasy. Website: www.juliemayhew.co.uk, Twitter: @juliemayhew, Instagram: JulieMayhew

A welcome reminder that the terms 'literary fiction' and 'young adult' are not mutually exclusive: a sophisticated text offering up both intellectual and emotional pleasures. A must-read. -- Claire Hennessy * The Irish Times * A magical book, with magical characters: outsiders, adventurers and misfits battling for love and acceptance in the harsh underworld of the travelling fair. I was rooting for Mim and Alex all the way. Mayhew's language zips and sparkles on the page like the Electrical Venus's own 'electrickery' * Maria McCann * A great feminist historical fiction novel with a romance and a PoC heroine who leaps from the page. I raced through this book * Laura Noakes * Mayhew's a fantastically evocative writer and her decision to tell the story as (mostly) a series of one-sided conversations keeps us engrossed while moving the narrative along at a terrific pace. It's easy to see how The Electrical Venus originally began life as a BBC radio play. There are also several themes in this book that are just as compelling as the central story - this is as much a book about lost childhood and the need to realise your dreams as much as it is a romance. Mayhew also does fine work of weaving disability, race and gender into the discussion. The Electrical Venus may be set in Georgian England, but its subtext is very contemporary and timelessly important * Starburst Magazine * Mayhew builds tension like no other, positively choking us with it. Mim is a great character, naive for sure but positively hopeful. She reminds me of many young girls, waiting to reach their full potential. Naively fumbling about until you figure out what you really want. Alex is by far the most charming of characters, positively electrifying. And George the parrot keeps the spirit of the travelling show alive * A Writer's Desires * This is such a fun, magical little read all with the slightly sinister undercurrent of what true poverty was in Georgian England * Island Girl Reads * This is an electrifying read and one for the adventurous reader, reminiscent as it is of the writing of both Leon Garfield and Angela Carter * Books For Keeps * The Electrical Venus is a coming-of-age story in which Mim develops her confidence and understands her self-worth. It is a turbulent journey of unrequited love, false love and true love * Armadillo Magazine * I really enjoyed this book, and if you fancy something a little different I'd urge you to give it a go * Berkhamstead Living * It's such an incredibly beautiful book * Fantastic Book Dragon * This unique story bring[s] the eighteenth century vividly to life in all its colour and harshness * Inis Reading Guide * Very engaging, with a highly unusual and romantic yet scientific flavour * School Librarian *