I LOVED IT! I absolutely love the art style, and the bigger art pieces in between were so beautiful. I wasn't sure about the story at first, but it ended up sucking me in. It ended on such a cliffhanger, and I am dying to know how the story continues (pun not intended, sorry). The cliffhanger might be because of the different volumes, and I'm not sure if this is the actual end of the book, since I only received 115 pages and Goodreads says it has 136, but it was a bit abrupt.

The people of the circus that Anna is with are such a diverse bunch and I can't wait to get to know everyone and find out who the killer is.

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

3.5 stars

This was an entirely new reading experience for me. I've never really gotten into graphic novels or comics but this was definitely enjoyable. I liked the relationship between the sisters a lot. The mystery was intriguing. The art work was beautiful. I don't feel like I got a fully story within this first volume but that's just an adjustment I meed to make for the type of reading medium this is. Overall, this was enjoyable and makes me want to give other comics/graphic novels a chance.

Really loved the illustration style and the unique plot. Left wanting more and can't believe I'll have to wait a year now!

From the very first of its brightly coloured pages, this book hooked my interest. It was sent in a circus, something that is always interesting, and followed a murder. Every character felt like a suspect and I was waiting to find out what happened. Safe to say, I need the next issue soon, especially after that cliffhanger ending.

A wonderful tale that I can't wait to continue!

There is a lot going on in this graphic novel. Good artwork and coloring. Cool story too.

I found this book average. I struggled to connect to the characters and the artwork was not to my taste. I did love the colours used throughout though. I think maybe I'm just a but inundated with circus-themed books at the moment.

"Please Lord let it just be a deranged lunatic."

As murder, chicanery, and chaos overcome the circus that line quoted above is the ringmaster's prayer. Because he fears the problem might also be demons and curses and other things that go bump in the night.

This is in an oddly engaging and deeply idiosyncratic graphic novel. Anna's sister Kat has been murdered, and her soul/ghost has taken up residence inside Anna's body. Now the two of them have to investigate to find out who in the circus is responsible for Kat's death and for the other strange things that have begun happening on the circus grounds. (Note that this Volume 1 collects the first four issues of the series. Some questions are answered by the end and some aren't, because the series will continue.)

The novel begins a bit slowly. The drawing is loose and exaggerated, with garish and clashing splashes of color and a style that swings from cartoony to surreal to a sort of Maxfield Parrish on acid. Between that graphic style and the odd/freak characters, and the intentionally awkward and erratic dialogue the whole project feels like it's going to be tough going for little reward. But wait. Once Kat is murdered the two sisters become a smart, witty and engaging double act. The odd characters start to develop and the circus, which was sort of slapdash and unnatural, begins to come into focus as a background for a decent mystery story.

Soon enough the reader is invested in what happened, what's happening, and what's going to happen. Suspects and motives emerge and the energy in the writing and drawing becomes focused toward telling an actual story. By that point the reader is hooked, and the writing and drawing style that seemed so odd and uninviting begins to capture the reader.

Is it all a bit artsy and self-conscious? Well, maybe a little. But the showyness ultimately is dropped in favor of storytelling, sort of the way a barker draws you in to watch a circus show, so it makes sense. By the end I was left admiring the craft and thought that went in to this project, and appreciated the originality, style and energy that it reflected.

So, this ended up being a nice find for me, even though I recognize it might not appeal to all tastes. (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Spectacle is Gedris' first YA comic, but it retains a lot of the things I've always loved about her adult work. As a performer, she brings the vibrant colors, movement, and costuming of her other job to her comics. Set in a traveling (train) circus in the Old West, Spectacle is populated with talented performers, mysterious characters, and an array of disabled people who are not other-ized in the circus as they are in the general populace.
The plot kicks off with the murder of Anna's twin sister, Kat. Anna wakes up, finds her sister's body in a pool of blood, and starts to see her ghost. The story progresses from there as we meet more people in and out of the circus and Anna tries to figure out whodunit. Much of the internal conflict is based on Anna's rocky relationship with her sister and on the ways in which talking to ghosts challenges her previously held beliefs in science over the unexplainable.
The story touches on the ways people engage with religion and with each other, with the concepts of blood family and found family, and the ways we judge those around us. It's a really fun time, tempered with tragedy and mystery.

A murder mystery in a circus setting, mixed with some supernatural elements. This is 100% my sorta thing. I love circus stories and this one is no exception.

Anna's twin sister Kat is murdered and she makes it her mission to find the killer. On her quest we get introduced to loads of different characters within the circus and some strange ones with their own agenda outside of it. Mixed with all the human drama, is a very cool supernatural element. The story in this graphic novel is just great. There are no weird or unnecessary gaps in the story line and all relevant things are explained. The characters are well developed and, since this is volume 1, there are still loads of questions for the next volume to get into.
On top of all that is some very solid artwork that I really enjoyed. Can't wait for Vol. 2!

This hasn't happened to me in a really long time, but I just... don't know how I feel about this.
I loved the art in this graphic nove. It was beautiful! But the plot kind of confused me.
The villain didn't really seem like the villain, and nothing was really done about it.
I love the idea of a cursed circus, but this is not what I had had in mind.

I've been getting into comic books & graphic novels a lot recently and I have to be honest, it was only really the cover that drew me into this one. Spectacle was a supernatural murder mystery set sometime in the 1800s in rural america. It was set in a circus and had a very wild west atmosphere.

There was an exciting, vibrant, and charismatic cast of characters and I enjoyed the relationships in this graphic novel, especially that one between the twins, Anna & Kat. The supernatural element was intriguing too, as was the murder mystery, and I did enjoy the story. I feel like this vol. ended quite suddenly, which threw me off a little bit.

The art itself wasn't my usual taste, but it was colourful and it flowed nicely with the story.

Overall, an average read for me but I would probably to those looking for an easy graphic novel to read.

An interesting concept about circus folk, death, spookiness and intrigue. I loved the main character and the use of spirits to connect the story together. I wished the ending was a bit neater but I understand it was only the first volume and it has so much more to give.

This is a murder mystery, with the super natural thrown in. This is supposed to be taking place in the late 1800s, rural America, with a circus that is stranded, and a murder happens to the twin sister of Ana. With the help of the spirit of her dead sister, Kat, she tries to solve the murder, and a whole bunch of other things get in her way to do so, as murder mysteries do, but this went a little overboard.

And even when it looks as though the mystery is almost solved, the volume ends on a weird note. In between Ana starts seeing other ghosts, and solves the murder of a local sheriff.

It was an ok story. The art flowed well, but the story kept taking side turns to concentrate on other aspects of the traveling circus. Perhaps when all the volumes are published, this will all make sense, but right now, it doesn't.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Spectacle Vol. 1 is full of original characters and an unique story line, featuring more of a murder mystery plot. The art is different than what is normally in comic books but enjoyable just the same. A traveling circus, a murder, and a ghost haunting begin this story of twin sisters Anna and Kat. When Kat is murdered her ghost haunts her twin while the two of them try to uncover the murderer among them. The story ends abruptly with a cliffhanger. My only complaint would be some of the font in the book makes it hard to read but overall it is an enjoyable, original story. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

It didn't really capture my attention at all, but the drawings were BEAUTIFUL.

*thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.

This was OK. I did like the storyline enough but it wasnt really for me. I dont like giving any book a low rating as I believe authors put alot of work into their books but an honest opinion is what is asked for. I need to state that this is not a bad book its just not my type.

The style of the artwork I can appreciate. The usage of the colours was quite good and that cover is really pretty. The characters were all different body shapes and more realistic which is a really good thing for a YA book of any type. I hope others enjoy this more than I did.