I found that the most interesting part of The Night Circus was the observation of the two student characters, Celia and Marco, and the natural comparison of the teaching styles used for them. Both magicians use approaches very specific to their own personalities and lifestyles, and project their views and expectations onto their students. Neither are ideal in morality.
Both of the magicians play as an abusive savior to their apprentices, and are given absolute power over their life. Celia and Marco are groomed to compete in the magicians' rivalry, and raised with no sense of personal importance; their childhoods and onward spent serving their mentors one way or another.
As a novel marketed for young adults, it feels as though there's an underlying lesson of how to identify such abusive relationships, by providing not one, but two exaggerated situations. These situations, while of course nestled in the world of fantasy and fiction, can be very real and very difficult to understand not only for children, but for anyone in similar situations.
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