This book is basically Nellie Bly (one of my favorite historical figures) with supernatural powers, so what is there not to love?

I'm not an expert (but I did major in history, so I'm no idiot), but the historical setting felt very real and well researched. It was a great blend of fantasy and realism.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction, murder mysteries, or Kerri Maniscalco's books.

'Spectacle' is a taut young adult historical mystery that blends both thrills and the supernatural to create something fresh for the YA genre. I'm a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers, so this was immediately on my radar. I wasn't sure what to expect and went in with a pretty open mind. What I got was surprisingly better than I thought and I enjoyed it more than I had anticipated.

The main character, Nathalie, is a very realistic female lead for the book. She has her strengths and weaknesses, like we all do, and it made connecting with her really easy right from the beginning. She's strong, determined, a loving daughter and friend, wants to do what's right and to find justice and answers to her newfound abilities. I liked getting to know Nathalie throughout the course of the book and enjoyed seeing her character change and grow as the story progressed. The plot itself was solid and intriguing, but I will admit that it took a little while for me to get really engrossed in the story. Things seemed to go too slow with too many details on unimportant details and I found my mind drifting quite a bit. As the book continues, the pace and anticipation also picks up and I found it hard to put down after that point. I wanted to know who the murderer was, why was he doing these things, and everything that concerned Nathalie. There were some twists and turns thrown in that I didn't see coming and took me by surprise, which doesn't happen often. The book is told in the third person point of view, from Nathalie's perspective. This isn't my favorite writing style and I think if the story had been written in the first person with Nathalie as the narrator, I would've been a lot more connected with her and invested in the plot as a whole. Overall, this was a great book and I definitely recommend it to fans of YA, historical fiction, mystery, thrillers, fantasy, and supernatural.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this.


OMG! My heart jumped when I was approved for this! GUYS!!!! This book was one of my most anticipated.

I absolutely loved this book! Spectacle was set in the late 1800's in France. Nathalie, the main character, just got a job reporting about the public morgue. In the meantime, Paris is hit with a series of murders and the main character discovers that she has a gift that allows her to see the murders through the eyes of the murderer. I LOVED this concept. This was so interesting. But she soon discovers that this gift doesn't come without consequences. She also learns that other people in the city are gifted in different ways and maybe these gifts are connected to the murders.

I loved the world building. This was definitely a must read.

I was really looking forward to this book. The type of story is exactly what I love. Historical, murder mystery and strong female lead. I enjoyed the story and the unique ability of the main character. I just had a hard time getting into this one. I found myself putting it down often due to some slow pacing. There were several instances where I was like “get on with the story already”. Overall it’s a good read and I do recommend it.

Great historical fantasy! Nathalie (love that name too) is an easily to relate to character with a weird job: visiting the Paris Morgue's display of the unclaimed/ unidentified dead. While most people visit this to gawk, the real role of it is to allow for the bodies to be identified by family and friends for burial. Nathalie's job is do a daily write-up for the paper about the bodies there.

It's all pretty mundane for her until the day she sees the body of a brutally murdered girl and gets a vision for the perspective of the girl's murderer. These visions, and murders, propel her down a course of adventure and mystery.

Spectacle was one of my most highly anticipated books for 2019, and it didn’t disappoint! It’s an atmospheric tale of murder and magic that I found completely enthralling.

There are two main characters in this book: Nathalie, a young journalist writing morgue reports during a spate of murders, and Paris. As in, the city. I don’t exactly mean that in a Neverwhere sort of way – the city itself isn’t magical, or alive – but the impression of Paris that you get from Spectacle is so strong and detailed and textured that it almost feels like a character. Though I have never seen the places described, the way that Nathalie describes her surroundings is so immersive – I felt like I was there. It’s not always pretty in Paris (in fact, there’s a very realistic depiction of the danger and dirt of the city) but it is mesmerising.

The horror aspects of the story are really nicely done, and left me intrigued and unnerved without being outright scared. Now, I’m a huge scaredy-cat, so I don’t think people looking for full-on horror will find it here, but I thought it was the perfect spice to make the story really sing. And of course, the story is also peppered with magic, when Nathalie realises that she can relive the last memories of the serial killer’s victims. It’s kinda gruesome and fascinating in equal measure – I’m not a true-crime sort of person, but I can see why people are so interested in it, and I think this gave me some insight into how it feels to look at the darker side of humanity.

This is a fairly dense read, but it feels luxurious, like a long lunch in a Parisian café. I was so captivated by Nathalie’s need to find out about her magic that I was flipping pages like nobody’s business towards the end! I thought it was a really unique mix of historical texture and magic, and it just really worked for me – I was glad it didn’t fall into the clichés of YA too much. I think the meticulously described Paris setting stopped it from getting too fantastic, and the mysterious magic powers sent this much further up my street than a murder mystery might otherwise have been! I’m very excited to keep an eye on Jodie Lynn Zdrok in the future, as I think her writing is fantastic – those looking for some YA that breaks the mould should definitely give this a go.
Five out of five stars!

I found myself setting this one aside constantly. The beginning started off great, until the story slowed down immensely and my interest waned. The synopsis is fantastic, but the lack of action just couldn’t keep my attention. Another story that I’m sure some people will love, while others will set it aside.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

This book was an interesting story from start to finish. It is a definite reread. Recommending it to all my friends.

Great atmosphere and voice. I liked the concept as it was darker and different than others.

I did have a little trouble getting through it and following the threads which is why I gave it 4 stars.

If you are a fan of paranormal, historicals, and mystery add this one to your shelf.

Spectacle is a one of a king novel! It’s so fun and interesting to read about. I truly felt like I was walking through the catacombs and the streets of Paris. Please check this one out! It’s anazing!

This book has everything I adore. A murder mystery, science, magic, layered heroines and a vivid historical setting. It did start out a touch slow, but once Nathalie came to terms with her ability, I found myself absolutely swept up in this wonderful story! Zdrok's writing is confident and utterly engaging, taking readers from cathedrals to catacombs, and it brings the whole world to life. The mystery was twisty without throwing in gimmicky wrenches (I won't go into much detail to avoid spoilers,) and the addition of Insightfuls added a fresh spec-fi twist to what could have become trope-y.

And that's one of the things I loved the most about SPECTACLE. It constantly subverts expectations. Potential love interests end up betrothed to another, killers are defeated by surprising sources, and secondary characters weave in and out of suspicion to constantly keep you guessing. And it really is about the *spectacle*, of life and death and magic and murder, unpredictable and unflinchingly walking through grey spaces. Again, it's a tricky one to review without spoiling, so I'll keep it brief; this book totally exceeded my expectations, and if the blurb snags your attention, it's one I'd wholeheartedly recommend.

I went into this one expecting something like the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. While it was similar, this one was a bit different with but with the same gothic vibes that I love. The authors writing was very good and I really enjoyed the switch in perspective that we get here.

While I found it hard to connect with Nathalie, I really enjoyed the plot of the story! It’s something about YA murder mysteries that pull me in. I would read something else by this author in the future.

While I didn’t dislike this book it was simply okay. I adored the characters and the bits of Paris scenery, but the plot fell short for me. I was hoping for an action packed thrill as they race against time before the killer strikes again. What I got was minor thrill with more self discovery and a somewhat satisfying, though abrupt, conclusion. There was a minor cliff hanger that could indicate a sequel, however, i’m unsure if I would be willing to pick it up

If you want to see my full review click on my link to go to my blog

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this one, though to say I loved it and that this is highly recommended from me would be a stretch.

Nathalie is 16 and she writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal and I find that really fascinating. Our MC is really badass and I enjoyed being in her mind. I also love the friendships she has throughout the book. But I must admit sometimes I find her voice so mature. She's only 16 but that's not a major complain of mine. I just think it would be better if I experienced her as a teenager because she's really young. But then again, she's already writing a column about deads and the plot of this story is not really for the young at heart, Nathalie gotta have mature thinking.

Speaking of the plot, it was fine. I think the blend of suspense, mystery, paranormal and the characters' charm and wit are the right blend for this book. But still, it's not enough to make me engrossed in the story. It's either it's lacking something or there are so much going on. I can't really pinpoint where this book goes meh. The setting, Paris in the 1800s, was amazing though. The author has a talent for making the setting alive.

Overall, this is an okay read and will not be the last book I'll read from the author.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The opening few chapters just didn't grab me. It is possible that I just wasn't in the mood for the dark tone of the book having just come off of reading several and felt the need for something more appealing. I didn't finish the book but I do plan to give it a second try at a later date.

The concept of this book really appealed to me - historical murder mystery set in Paris! Girl reporter using visions to track down the killer! Magic and mystery! - and this was all present but I found myself struggling to pick this book back up. Although I enjoyed the unfurling of Nathalie's powers, and the backstory to them, the main plot felt slow, and not in an interestingly paced way. I did like Nathalie's involvement at the paper, as well as her growth throughout the book towards trusting herself and wanting to do what was right, but for a book about a murder mystery rooted in the desire for power it was somewhat flat, and for a book set in historical Paris, it was surprisingly lacking in atmosphere. Also, there were no queer characters or (as far as I remember) characters of colour, and I wasn't super fond of the way the "insane asylum" was portrayed or involved.

But! The concept was fun, and I love that we're seeing more historical YA with fantastical/horror elements.

Spectacle is a fantastic historical murder mystery with elements of the paranormal set in Paris, 1887.
The main character Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes a grisly column for the local newspaper describing the unidentified bodies on display in the morgue, however one day while viewing the body of a murder victim she has a frightening and graphic vision of the girl’s murder. When a second girl is murdered Nathalie again has a vision of her death but realises her visions are from the perspective of the murderer himself! As more girls are murdered Nathalie reluctantly decides to use her visions to help discover the killer and she is soon drawn into a complex and intricate mystery involving medical experiments, individuals with special powers and her supposedly mentally ill aunt who has been incarcerated in an asylum…
I absolutely adored this book for many reasons. Firstly, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and I thought the pacing and plot development were perfect – there is a lot going on but she connects all the different plot strands together beautifully. Also the mystery aspect was really well done – I had no idea who the killer was until the reveal and I was suspecting every character at one point. The author was obviously inspired to some extent by Jack the Ripper especially with the letters that the killer sends to the newspaper and the murders themselves are quite gory and gruesome. There is also a strong sense of menace running throughout the novel as you worry that Nathalie or one of her friends could be a victim. The 19th century Parisian setting was very enjoyable and the writing and descriptions were very evocative of that time period. The characters were also very interesting and multi-layered and full of surprises. The ending was quite sudden and mysterious so I am hoping that there will be a sequel.
I would really recommend this if you like historical murder mysteries and I would read more books by this author. E-Arc received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to read this due to the formatting on my computer. The premise sounds so interesting though and I hope to pick it up in the future!

When I first read the synopsis for Spectacle, I was enchanted. Paris, murder mysteries, and a heroine with magic? It sounded right up my alley and a little bit like Stalking Jack the Ripper but with magical talents.

I absolutely loved the descriptions of Paris. Zdrok did an excellent job of bringing the city to life and making Nathalie's Paris easy to imagine. Plus the food all sounded amazing. Overall, the atmosphere was fantastic. There's one scene in the catacombs that sent shivers down my spine. I also liked Nathalie, she was determined, persistent, and brave. There were also some great female friendships and I loved how her friends challenged her instead of just following her lead.

However, the pacing in this book had major problems. It was so slow and there just wasn't enough tension to keep me interested. I think this was mostly due to the juxtaposition of the two mysteries (Nathalie discovering her powers and the murders). Separately, I would have loved them. Together, they didn't quite fit and made the two halves of the story feel disconnected. I also wasn't a huge fan of the love interest, it just felt awkward.

Spectacle had an interesting premise and I do look forward to seeing more from Zdrok in the future. While there were a few things about this book that didn't quite work for me, I do think that many readers will enjoy this one.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.