There are some books that leave an indelible mark by dint of their incredible strangeness–books that startle and make you wonder how an author ever could have come up with it. This is one of these books. But it’s brilliant.

Geek Love follows the story of Oly, an albino hunchback who her parents deplore for being too normal-looking, unlike her Siamese twin sisters or either of her brothers, one who seems to be part fish, and one with mysterious powers. Oly and her siblings have been made in this fashion, through a strange combination of drugs her parents decide on. They figure that if you own a circus, you need a regular, loyal supply of freaks to fill its bleachers.

And it just gets better and more twisted from there. The writing is absolutely superb and the story is ingeniously crafted, building and building on itself in shocking and strangely satisfying ways. If you’re looking for something like you’ve never read before, if you’re entranced by the world of the circus, if you need an amazing book to read–you should pick this one up.