Anna is a psychic who works for a travelling circus with her twin sister Kat. When Kat is suddenly murdered, Kat's ghost begins to haunt Anna. The two of them try to work together to solve the mystery of Kat's murder, and now everyone in the circus is a suspect.
The character building was decent. Anna is quiet and skeptic of all things supernatural in spite of being a psychic. Her sister Kat is the life of the party and a bit of a drama queen. Although I loved the idea of a murder mystery occurring at a circus, I found Spectacle just okay. The cliff hanger at the end made the story feel incomplete somehow.

A great start to a graphic novel series, full of suspense, lovable characters and humour. This volume left me on such a cliffhanger I'm already eagerly awaiting the next book!

*Actual rating was a 3.5*

This was a fun, fast read. Maybe "fun" isn't the right word for a story about murder, hauntings, and a circus but <i>Spectacle</i> has a sense of whimsy to it that captivated me from the beginning.

Anna cracked me up with her muttered comments and but really won me over as I watched her try to come to grips with Kat's murder. I wish the side characters in this novel had been developed a bit more. Many of them showed a glimpse of an interesting story of their own and I hope the reader learns more about them in Volume 2.

The only thing I didn't like about <i>Spectacle</i> was the ending. The story seemed cut off in the middle of a scene in a way that was incredibly unsatisfying. The good thing about the ending is it will definitely encourage me to keep an eye out for the release of Volume 2.

If you're looking for an unusual, delightfully strange graphic novel, I definitely recommend giving <i>Spectacle</i> a try.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Liked the story and LOVED the artwork but was frustrated that I have to wait until part 2 for a resolution! It took awhile for me to get into the story but once I did, I really couldn't stop reading. I wish I had the physical book because I think I would have been able to appreciate the artwork better if I could examine it more closely. I found myself flipping back and forth between pages to look at the art. The story has really great elements and interesting characters and I hope that part 2 doesn't disappoint!

3.25 stars

I am not big on comic books and the only reason I picked this up was because of that gorgeous cover and the fact that I have a weakness for circus stories. The art style took some getting used to, tbh but I think it was just the right about of beautiful and colorfully whimsical for the story. The story itself was extremely intriguing - containing a riot of vastly different characters and themes of murder mystery with the mystical.

I definitely think the story has potential, I especially liked the bond between the twins, Anna and Katy. The only issue I had was the ending which happened out of nowhere and did not leave me feeling thrilled or excited but on the contrary it felt unsatisfactory. It wasn't that it was a cliff-hanger but the way it was executed.

If it had not been for the ending, I would have rated this 4 stars.

At first, I wasn’t a fan of the drawings in Spectacle but I grew to like them as I read. Interesting premise, Anna’s twin sister is murdered and she tries to find the murderer. The ending was weird because it felt like it was shortly. I enjoyed it enough.

This book is a new genre for me, I don't generally read books which are graphic or comic in nature. However for some reason, this one drew me in. I think it was the cover, the bright colours and just the different-ness of the book.

I am not one to judge a book by its cover but I must say that the cover was what drew me in. No matter how I started reading, I continued to read because of its plot and characters. It was set in rural America mid 1800s and it was a supernatural murder mystery, what's not to be tempted? Right?

I loved the setting, and the characters were lively. The art was what drew me in and continued to keep me engaged. The characters are pretty good, I loved the dilemma Anna faces when Kat is murdered. The circus also boasts of some odd and sort of interesting characters, too! The supernatural and scientific wonders of the circus were good, it's a quick and fun read and I would like to read more stories set in this universe.

Its pace was a bit odd for me, at times, I felt it fast enough but then it would slow down and I would feel like it's dragging a bit. However one of the best things about this book are its diverse characters, I can't name them all here but they sure are interesting in their own ways and if any of the fun art doesn't tempt you then you should definitely give it a go for the characters. The end of the first volume left a lot to be desired but I am guessing that the next volume will clear the doubts.

Beautifully drawn novel about two sisters set in a traveling circus. I love stories about circus as they are bright and festive even in the case of solving a murder. There are several intriguing characters that are gradually revealing their mysteries. My only disappointment is that the first part is quite short and the second part is scheduled not too soon.

Spectacle follows twin sisters: one an engineer and fake mystic at a Circus, the other skilled at knife throwing and one of the main performers at the Circus. One of them ends up dead, murdered during the night, so it's up to the other to find out who is responsible.

I really enjoyed this. I loved how the supernatural elements were weaved in with this murder mystery subplot, and that there's small dramas within the Circus aside from the death, so it truly feels like a vibrant, alive community of people. I thought the art was brilliant, and suits the content well- there's a certain whimsy to it that just fits the tone of the comic. There's a lot of backstory for the twins being hinted at, and you can tell there's a strain on their relationship relating to their history, as well as secrets Kat has kept from Anna.

Overall, a really enjoyable graphic novel, and I am absolutely buzzing for the sequel, even though I have to wait a YEAR for it.

Hmm. I honestly don't know how I feel about this one. Gorgeous art, and I loved the premise, with the fragile community of carnies disrupted by the presence of a murderer in their midst. But the volume ends on a massive cliff-hanger and I feel no closer to figuring out what's going on with Anna, or who the murderer is. This definitely felt like the prelude to a much longer story. Would probably need to read the entire arc to work out how I feel about it.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story about two sisters in the circus, one dies and the other has to find out who murdered her with the little clues left behind. The main character believes in science so you can guess how confused she is when she starts seeing ghosts.
This book boasts a rich cast of characters and gives a sneak peek into what life is like In the circus, leaving you in suspense as to what happened to her sister and what dark magic is in the circus. The art is unique as well. I would love to read the next book in this series.

Interesting story and striking art style. Was difficult to read physically, there was some stickiness when trying to swipe through the pages but was enjoyable otherwise

Thank you Net Galley for providing a free copy of this book in trade for an honest review.

This review is also posted on my blog :
https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/spectacle/

Review

A murder story combines with magic, supernatural thing is something new to me. Rarely have I read a book with these combinations, but somehow it comes out quite unique in its own way. The story of Anna who doesn’t believe in ghost and now she had to live with her sister’s ghost is somehow ironic.
When I first read this book, I was disappointed. The graphic is weird, the coloring has a rare combination. I left it for a week before I read it again. Turns out, the story is good and humor also appears in a few parts. Once you read it, you will indulge into the mystery instead of the unique color and illustration.

I like it that Anna’s quest to find her sister’s murderer is getting more interesting and intriguing as the story goes. She has 1 friend who helps her. The circus life is also quite appealing with their bizarre characters. It really pictured a mystical circus.

Illustration style is actually not my biggest favorite. I’m ok with the lines not being uneven, but I feel that the faces are very simple. Some of the texts are hard to read, being too squiggly. But I like the coloring. The combination of watercolor and ink is perfect. It’s like combining a hard and soft element at the same time.

The story ended with a strange event…the strangest during the whole book. It really makes it feels the whole book feels mystical and there might be some dark force at play here. I’m kind of hoping that there will be the next book.

Recommend for those who loves crime and mystery book with a twist of magical, illogical, supernatural element, all thrown together.

It's hard to review this since I think I may have received an incomplete ARC. Gedris's art style is really unique and grows on you as you get used to it (years later, I'm still sad about the disappearance of I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space!!!), and I love the colors in this book. There's definitely a lot going on in the story (a circus full of interpersonal conflict, a murder mystery, ghosts, a Charles Babbage-style difference machine that can predict the future) but none of it gets resolved before the copy I got ends very abruptly, so I can't say whether any of it gets wrapped up. I might recommend waiting until Volume 2 comes out to start this if the real end to Volume 1 is this big of a cliffhanger.

I love reading graphic novels, it's a guilty pleasure of mine when I need a break from the lengthy fantasy novels I usually read. Spectacle by Megan Rose Gedris was a beautifully illustrated and intriguing read. It is to be published on 22nd May 2018 by Oni Press. I received an eARC copy from NetGalley for an honest review, and I have to say I really enjoyed reading this! 

Synopsis:

Pragmatic engineer Anna works as a psychic in the Samson Brothers Circus, but she doesn't believe in anything supernatural—until her twin sister Kat is murdered and comes back as a very demanding ghost. Sharing a room with her sister was hard, but now they're sharing a body while trying to identify the killer. With few leads, a troupe full of secretive folk, and strange paranormal occurrences popping up around the circus, solving the case seems near impossible. But the murderer in their midst may be the least of their problems...

This was a really quick and enjoyable read. Combining murder mysteries, the supernatural and a circus setting sets up this intriguing story of a woman determined to find her sisters killer. The storyline is creative, filled with a few twists I was pleasantly surprised to read. The story is quite dark at times but it adds contrast to the beauty of the characters relationships with each other; specifically Anna and her sister's ghost.

The main character Anna is a fortune-teller who uses her machine, Conjecture Engine, to predict futures. But after the death of her sister, she now see's ghosts, and not just her sisters. In the midst of trying to solve Kat's murder the head of the circus is arrested and something is amiss when the Big Top catches fire, but doesn't burn. Secrets are coming to light and a darkness looms not only over the circus, but the town as well. 

The body positivity and diversity of characters in this was really great to read. Our lead Anna  is a strong black woman, who's crime solving companion, the 'fat lady' turned snake singer Flora make an interesting and enchanting team of sluths. Their dynamic is both funny and strange, and I anticipate there will be a lot more come to light about Anna's new friend Flora in the coming volumes. 

The artwork in this is gorgeous. I love the pop of colours and stylization of the characters. The flow of the comic panels is great and the large artwork panels are stunningly drawn. The overall story telling is really strong and this volume really sets up the subsequent novels to come quiet well. The ending felt a little abrupt and not necessarily the strongest point to end the volume, but despite this is does finish in a way that leaves you wanting to read the next volume to find out what happens next. I know I'll be looking forward to it. 

I thought this was a gorgeous read and will read it again. 

5/5 stars

This is a magical, deception, and beautifully illustrated graphic novel, with good characters and great art work I would highly recommend, and its a quick read so give it a go.

This was an enjoyable read. I always love a murder mystery and a circus story. The art is gorgeous, and it definitely breaks the boundaries of comics/graphic novels. The lack of resolution at the ending was not my cup of tea - it felt like it ended in the middle of an issue. I'm all for cliff hangers, but I thought this was a little too abrupt. Would be interested in Vol 2 when it comes out. I would like to solve the mystery!

Twin Peaks gains a big top. Like some other people I have found the ending to this a little off, but on the whole this is an enjoyable series opener. And to say it looks like it could get too weird in the future is to deny its weirdness from the off – a girl working as a carny fortune-teller in a stranded circus, with a machine that helps her predict things, finds she can contact ghosts and really know the unknown when her sister gets murdered. That's not the half of it. But what might be weirdest of all is that this seems billed as a YA graphic – yes, it's a PG read but only the artwork (that is nice, but defies realism and real craft a lot of the time) is the only thing that would make me expect anything but an adult audience here. Despite the visuals not always being to my taste, I quite enjoyed the soapy shenanigans and strong characters. Recommended.

I was quite looking forward to this but I cannot get it to open with any of my devices or apps

Engaging premise and setting, but a deeply unsatisfying ending.

Twin sisters Anna and Kat are performers in the Samson Brothers Circus: Anna tells fortunes, while Kat is a knife-thrower. Whereas Kat’s talents are all too real, Anna is a fraud. Well, kind of: while Anna tells the rubes what they want to hear, she can predict the future and decipher the past with the help of her self-made conjecture engine. It’s kind of slow and not very flashy, so – like Anna – it mostly stays in the background.

When the circus’s train is stalled out in the middle of the desert, Kat turns up dead, stabbed in the back with her own knives. Not wanting to alarm the other performs, circus owner Jebediah Tetanus (how’s that for an evocative name?) tasks Anna with solving the murder in secret. But things go from bad to worse when a series of tragedies beset the circus, including Tetanus’s own arrest at the hands of the corrupt deputy sheriff. Not to mention Kat’s lingering spirit, which flits in and out of Anna’s body to hide from pursuing demons.

So I really wanted to love SPECTACLE – and some of the elements here are great – but there’s a lot going on. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except that very little is resolved by the end of chapter five. Usually I expect that a TPB has a self-contained story arc, but Book One of Spectacle feels more like the first two-thirds of a story. The ending – in which one of the roustabouts suddenly sprouts a rhino horn – is deeply unsatisfying, to say the least.

The art wasn’t initially my favorite – so many blockheads! – but it grew on me pretty quickly. I enjoyed the setting, which is some time in the mid (?) 1800s (?). This makes for some great old timey humor, such as when the circus doc diagnoses Anna with hysteria and prescribes coffee. With a side of heroin.

The story features a cast of pretty fascinating women characters, from Flora the would-be fat lady/current snake charmer to Lucy Chen, a clown who did it all for love. I really hope that my suspicions about the source of the weirdness between Anna and the bearded lady pan out; a cute F/F romance makes every story better, okay. I wish that we’d seen more of Eve and Lynn, the conjoined twins; there’s a lot of ableist yet era-appropriate language thrown their way, and I want desperately for the story challenges this as the plot unfolds. The collision between science and the supernatural also holds some promise going forward.

P.S. WHAT GIVES WITH THE PICKLES!?!