I must admit, I wouldn't have even heard of Water for Elephants if not for the fact that Robert Pattinson is going to portray the lead role of Jacob Jankowski. That said, I'm glad that I found out about this novel because it really is a good one. :) The novel is told in alternating POVs, the young Jacob and present-day Jacob, an old man in a nursing home. In some ways, this novel reminds me of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, but much better, richer and more magnificent in so many ways. 
 Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski who, recently orphaned and broke, jumps onto a train and finds himself in a second-rate circus. He is put in charge of the animals when they find out that he was studying to be a vet and there, he falls in love with Marlena, wife of the brutal animal trainer, August. 
 The novel is incredibly well-researched and I felt like I was having an absolute adventure while reading. I did feel that the characters were a little flat, but I still felt for them. Jacob meets a variety of characters in his journey, and I had the utmost pleasure in meeting Kinko and Camel as well, friends that Jacob makes while in the circus. And how could I possibly exclude Rosie? Rosie is the elephant that Uncle Al, owner of the circus, buys and whom everyone thinks is stupid because she doesn't understand the simplest of commands. Rosie truly was a wonderful character, and I admired her greatly for her courage and loyalty. 
 I did have certain issues with this novel, such as how does sensitive, kind Jacob turn into a rude, grouchy old man? I mean, certainly, time can have that effect, but it does seem out of character to me. Also, I don't mean to demean the romance between Jacob and Marlena but I felt that the novel made it seem that (view spoiler)[August's schizophrenia (hide spoiler)] made it okay for them to be together. 
 All in all, this was a beautifully brilliant novel with a nice ending. I look forward to watching the movie and judging from the trailer, I think it's going to be as beautiful as the book was. GO CINEMATOGRAPHY! 3.5 stars from me.