Oh, this is so delightfully messed up! I mean it, it is sometimes downright gruesome, so if you can't handle death and morgues and such... might want to skip it. But if you can handle it, this was a really good one! Let us discuss why!

•Nathalie was morbidly curious, yet still relatable. I mean, I don't frequent places of death personally, and I imagine most of you don't either. But I understood Nathalie's inquisitiveness too. Especially since apparently, this was a legit pastime in France. (Can we please have another shout-out to how delightfully strange old-timey France was? Love it.) Plus she isn't like, messed up- just interested in death and the macabre a bit more than the average bear. No shame, girl.

•The mystery kept me on my toes. I cannot tell you how many times I wrote "wait maybe it was him!" in my Kindle notes. I was usually wrong, so sue me. That's the good part though- I was wrong, because the mystery was good. I love a good whodunit. And this was one.

•It was thought-provoking. So many questions about death, and choices, and more stuff that I can't talk about because it would probably be spoilery, but I loved it.

•Friendships FTW! I love me some strong female friendships, and they were front and center in this novel! Again, I don't want to give too much away because they are important to the story, but the relationships felt really authentic.

•It tugged at my heartstrings a bit! That was unexpected, actually. It's not often that a murder mystery gets me teary, but here we are. (Also, does the fact that I list "crying" as a positive make me a complete masochist, or...?)

My only real qualm was that I would have liked a bit more from the ending? It definitely answered some questions, but then others were left more open. I assume there's a chance this will get a sequel? I do hope so, as I'd definitely be reading it! Also, it's pretty much romance-free, which isn't exactly a negative, but I wouldn't turn one down, either!

Bottom Line: Pretty messed up, but in the good way! A mystery that kept me guessing and characters I enjoyed make me hope this doesn't end up being a standalone!

I think I need to adopt a Marie Kondo style to my reading. If it does not spark joy within the first quarter, quit it. And after turning the last page of <I>Spectacle</I>, the title feels a lot like a misnomer. This wasn't a spectacle by any means, but rather a bit of a snore.

This book could have been incredible, but alas. Its biggest flaw was in its pacing. The best mystery/thriller/suspense novels I've read are fast and snappy. Before you've even recovered from the last plot twist, you're sent reeling by another. Then another, another. The most definitive thing I can say about <I>Spectacle</I> and its pacing is that there are only so many times you can read at length the main character getting on this Omnibus, getting off this tram, lamenting how far she has to walk. About 200 pages were spent detailing Nathalie's near every move and her constant complaints of the power she has. Bearing in mind that I've only read an ARC, this was a story that could have benefited heavily from a good edit and a slashing of about 100 pages. I believe then it would have held up well and really snared my attention.

As it were, I did think the mystery itself was quite intriguing. What initially drew me in was 19th century Paris. I'm an absolute sucker for that era and city and I found it to be portrayed really well here. Visiting the iconic spots of Paris, such as Notre Dame and the Catacombs and seeing inside every day with the morgue was wonderful if a little morbid. Despite the overloading of details and events, I still did not know whodunnit until the main character figured it out herself. Something I am immensely grateful for. I thought the writing was quite impressive as well. There were a lot of hidden gems of description and thought that nailed down the dark atmosphere this story and world was meant to evoke.

The magical angle was interesting, rooted as it is in science and blood. Learning about Insightfuls and in turn figuring out what is happening to Nathalie and her own ability was neat. Little snippets were fed here and there that kept me reading through the sometimes long-winded conversations and internal dialogue. How it led into the mystery and the whodunnit was also interesting. Sadly I think it's full potential was never reached.

There were a few other elements aside from the pacing that didn't sit well with me and made it difficult to enjoy. SPOILERS AHEAD.
📚 As interesting as Nathalie's magical ability was, I found there to be a glaring hole with it. Namely that whenever she touched the glass of the morgue window it would activate. But only ever with the murdered girls. Never with the other people lying on the slabs. It irked me because I doubt she is able to be selective, and certainly not at a distant. Especially when at the end she touches someone else and sees how they died.
📚 The execution of her memory loss was very poorly done. See, on several occasions in the beginning Nathalie will suddenly be made aware of the fact that she can't remember doing something, such as writing the letter she just mailed to a friend. That shock doesn't sit all too well with the reader when they just sat through a rather boring chapter of her writing the very letter. When the reason for this comes to light it makes sense, but the delivery is poor.
📚 There were several tropes that just didn't land. For instance, Nathalie works at a newspaper, but as the only woman she must dress as a boy whenever she delivers her column. My only response is why? What purpose did it serve for the story? Absolutely none other than perhaps an author self-indulgence. Another aspect that was lost was the inevitable romantic feelings Nathalie develops for another character. The way it all went ... why even bother?
📚 Finally, what the hell was that ending? It fell so soft and yet makes one believe it's a cliffhanger for a second book. I sincerely hope not.

There was definitely potential with this, but it fell flat of my expectations.

2.5 stars, rounded to 3

During the month of January I had the amazing occasion, thanks to Netgalley, to read Spectacle. It was a good choice, because it ended up being one of the best read of the month!

And I would have given it five stars if it wasn't for certain things about the final part of the book, but let's start gradually because you really should give this book a try.

First of all, it's macabre. But also not that much? Maybe I'm pretty used to this kind of stuff, bodies, death and gore, but the whole novel managed to report gruesome and morbid facts without being void of taste and tact.

Also, it was so interesting to discover that Paris' morgue was in fact open to the public. Despite what I think of it, it's always amazing when you discover that some fact written down are actually true and not only the author's imagination.

Second point is about France. I didn't live in Paris or the upper zone of France, but for many years I passed three months of my vacation in south France and learned about the country, lived with its people... and I saw a bit of it inside the book.

I feel like the author didn't focus extremely on France atmosphere and more on the main character and what was happening in the story, but I also caught details that made me happy.

But that's not all. Specatcle has many other things that made me happy. First of all, this story didn't have the amount of romance I was fearing? I know that I start with a little prejudice, but it wouldn't be the first time that I read a book made 50% of romance and the other half of plot. Instead, this novel had little mention and scenes on it, while focused a lot on Natalie's journey to discover the truth and also about friendship, family, pride in our own work...

Also, Natalie is a girl in the year 1887 and has to work following a series of rules. While she follow them, in the pages I didn't read the possible and despicable prejudice the other characters around her could have shown. Instead, they were all very supportive, or nice at least! It was very refreshing but at the same time it didn't erase or implicated the absence of certain walls women could face at the time.

Another positive note on the story is the mix I found! We really need more books that mix historical fiction with thriller, fantasy and also science. Everything I read was very mysterious and I really hope the author will give me the chance to read more about it. Maybe with anther book? Because... some things didn't make much of sense if left like this. Like, it wasn't enough to explain powers, but just a start.

Passing to the character, I've to say that I wasn't exactly able to get Nathalie. I'm not 100% sure of how I could define her, aside from resilient, with sense of justice, moral. I liked her but she maybe didn't strike me as one of the characters that will remain impress in my mind forever.

But one thing that remained impressed to me, is her relationship with her family. Until the quest for knowing the truth start to make things difficult between them, it's a very lovable bond. On the other side, I related a lot to the struggling part, when discussion start to come up. I was definitely mad, just like Nathalie.

Because yes, despite not being able to place her as a character, I did found a way to go near her. Especially in her relationship with family and friends.

For some reasons I found very relatable Nathalie trying to undercover the truth, but also seek respect and understanding from people who knew her situation. Things that she didn't get at first. I still think she deserve more respect from her beloved ones.

My only very negative point is about what was supposed to be the most juicy/important part of the story. At a certain point I had the feeling that the story was finished... before the actual end.

I didn't feel the same interest that kept me reading the novel. And... oof, I wish to say more but it's easy to enter the spoiler territory! The temptation is strong.

In the end Spectacle was a beautiful start of what could be hopefully a series. I can only hope and wait. It would be amazing if the author decided to keep the macabre atmosphere and touch even in the possible sequels

This is a great murder mystery. I loved the setting, characters, and plot development. The author has a cleaver way of using magic in this book. I can say that "magic comes with a price" fits the story perfectly.
It is a character driven narrative. And the writing style is very captivating.
With so many questions left unanswered, I hope we are getting a sequel.
I wished the last part of the book was less dense. It felt a little rushed compared with the initial pacing established by the author.
I recommend it for people who love historical fiction, Paris, murder mysteries, magic, and character diving plot.

I had heard so many good things about Spectacle on Twitter, so when I was finally able to read it, I was so excited. I love a good murder mystery and if it has a side of supernatural too, all the better! Nathalie is a brilliant character and how she dealt with her visions was both extraordinary and real. She fights off murderers but also freaks out and cries about her circumstances too. I always love when a character does both. But before I give away the whole plot, let’s get to the review!

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Paris, 1887.

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day’s new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered–from the perspective of the murderer himself.

When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie’s search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie’s strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer’s identity–and she’ll have to do it before she becomes a target herself.

Nathalie has just been hired as the morgue reporter for Le Petit Journal. What is a morgue reporter? Nathalie goes to the morgue every day and reports on the bodies there. The morgue is like an attraction in the city. People go each day to see who has died. It is a spectacularly morbid amusement but I could actually imagine people going to something like this today.

When we see Nathalie visit the morgue for the first time, she notices a girl who is cut very badly, but while she has been to the morgue before and this isn’t the first body she has seen, something very different happens this time. When she touches the glass separating the onlookers from the bodies, she gets lost in a vision. A vision of the dead girl being murdered and Nathalie is looking at her from the perspective of the murderer.

Once she comes back to the present, the people around her are staring at her and she doesn’t exactly know why. What she does know is that she is holding a bouquet of flowers with no memory of where she got them despite the fact that she just bought them!!

As Nathalie deals with this new power, she also must deal with her life at home with her mother and with her friends Simone and Agnes. At first, she only tells Simon of her powers and because Simone is pretty open-minded, she accepts them, but also wants Nathalie to use her powers to help the police. Nathalie wants nothing to do with it. Her visions scare her and she realizes that the more she gets them, the more of her memory disappears.

When the visions first start, Nathalie’s best friend, Agnes, is away on holiday, but when she comes back, Nathalie tells her everything. Initially, Agnes is skeptical, but when she sees that Nathalie is serious and sees what happens to Nathalie in person, she believes and is willing to help her friend in any way possible.

And it seems that is what Nathalie needed to give her the confidence to continue with her writing, with her visions, and with everything. But Agnes isn’t around for long (NO SPOILERS!) and once she’s gone, Nathalie goes into free fall.

The rest of the story follows Nathalie as she searches for the murderer, figures out the reasons for her powers, tries to understand her Aunt Brigitte who is in a mental asylum, and ultimately, discover who she is and how she wants to live her life.

Spectacle is a story of Nathalie discovering the truth behind who she really is. It is fascinating and thrilling and omg I should not have read this at night. At one point, Nathalie is followed through the streets of Paris and then I had to walk to my bedroom and I was SCARED!

My only critique of Spectacle is that the ending was not entirely satisfying and I was also a little confused. The killer was definitely a surprise but the way it shifted from being a man the entire time to a different character was confusing to me. This could totally be just me not reading closely enough or my brain having a moment but I wish it had been a little more explicit. In terms of the ending, I wanted a longer and more intense scene between Nathalie and the killer. It seemed a bit too short, especially for how much build-up there was.

But beyond that, I really enjoyed this story. Nathalie’s journey was really interesting and I loved following her as she learned more about her visions and figured out the history of her family. I also sooooo enjoyed her friendship with Agnes and Simone and cried immensely when “something” happens to Agnes. I am giving Spectacle 3 out of 5 stars. If you like your young adult fantasy mixed with some murder mystery and a dash of historical fiction, you will love this book.

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok comes out February 12, 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was quite an interesting book. A good, strong plot, thought the first half was slow paced and redundant. When I got to the second half, I found it interesting and hard to put down. There were a lot of twists and turns.

Spectacle was a story that intrigued me because of the historical mystery and fantasy. Though there are similar aspects with Spectacle and Stalking Jack the Ripper, this story is totally different with its twist of magic while Kerri Maniscalco’s YA murder mystery doesn’t involve fantasy. Zdrok’s writing was pretty descriptive with her dark imagery of a late 1800s Parisian city that was dependent on a young girl that follows the murders that plagued her city. The problem that I did have with this novel was the pacing and slow pockets. It was well written and thoroughly thought out to make sure that no one knew what was coming. People who enjoy fantasy, magic, and mystery will be intrigued by the new story that Zdrok introduces.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reading!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There seems to be a publishing trend for the beginning of this year that has fantasy/historical fiction YA novels set in Paris, and I don't hate this trend. Zdrok's writing immediately drew me into Nathalie's world. I love a good historical fiction novel that turns traditional male professions of the time on their heads by have strong female characters in those roles instead -- and it doesn't hurt that the profession here is a little macabre since she writes the morgue report. My biggest problem with this novel is the pacing -- there were a few times I felt the pace was a little lagging but this can be overlooked because of the cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more!

Spectacle is a great fit for anyone looking for a creepy page-turner. It kicks off in 1887 Paris with protagonist Nathalie, who dresses as a boy to write the death column for the local paper, observing the body of a violently murdered young woman. If that alone isn't enough to create an eerie atmosphere, Nathalie quickly learns that when she touches the glass in front of the body, she has a vision, from the killer's perspective, of the murder occurring. Throw in an aunt in an insane asylum, a hypnotist, a mad scientist, several jars of blood, and an elusive killer who calls himself the "Dark Artist," and you've got quite the horrifying page-turner.

Spectacle is a read-it-in-one-sitting kind of book. It isn't super short but is fast-aced, with short, cliff-hanging chapters and high action. There are plenty of chase scenes, moments where Nathalie is convinced she's being followed, and uncomfortable conversations with strangers who turn up out of nowhere and are just a little too friendly. There's not much in the way of character development, but that works fine for this plot-centered story. In spite of its breakneck page, the novel still manages to paint a vivid and unsettling picture of the underside of Paris at the time, where the streets stink and the whole community is fascinated by death and lingers at the morgue like it's a coffee shop. I was a little disappointed by the revelation of the killer, but the eerie, messy ending made up for my sense of anticlimax. Horror is usually not my thing, and I couldn't read this one without all the lights on in the house, but I also couldn't put it down and tore through it in two days. Not necessarily a standout or memorable read, but a good story for readers who like their books with high action and a chill creeping up their spines.

This historical mystery was a good one, but not one that I won't forget. I think the setting was fine, the pace was good. But, the book lacked characters that will stay with you and also more science behind what's happening.
Also, it's a bit too gory for my taste, so content warning for sensitive readers.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book set in Paris that I've read recently (the other being Gita Trelease's Enchantée) and I think this might be my preferred of the two. I think this book managed to grab me more without feeling like I was being smothered by a French flag and beaten by a baguette. It is also possible that the darker nature of this book appealed to me more than the more whimsical aspects of the former. But we're not here to compare books, we're here to review. My point was that this book manages to write a book set in Paris without being annoying about it.

I really liked Nathalie as a character, I thought that she was interesting, smart, driven and basically everything I wish I was. I loved that this book recognised that it was unusual for her to be a reporter, but managed to find a way to make it work - the sections where Nathalie has to dress up as a boy to deliver her stories were some of the most fun parts of the book. She is absolutely the star and if she hadn't been done well I don't think I would have enjoyed this book nearly as much.

It's interesting, there is a fair amount of fantasy in this book, looking at the aftermath of a series of experiments that left some people with powers, but my lasting impression of the book was not revelling on how that 'magic' fit into the historical setting of the book, but rather it was of the overall tone of the story itself. That's probably what I enjoyed most, the creation of this world, the little details and the descriptions of the streets and locations really managed to capture me, I felt like this was one of the more cohesive and believable historical fantasy books I have read of late.

The mystery element is interesting, I do think the pacing is a little off towards the end, the denouement of a mystery novel (ok fine, TV show but I'm working on the novel thing) has to be this big reveal and really make you go 'oh so that's what's going on' and I didn't quite get that from this. However, I do think that the book as a whole is strong enough that it isn't enough to ruin it for me.

If you enjoy this kind of book, and you aren't opposed to a grizzly murder (ok, bad phrasing, of course I do not condone murder), I think you'd probably really enjoy this, at the very least I think you'll fall for Nathalie as hard as I did - because oh boy.

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A fascinating look at a strange moment in history, when visits to the morgue and attending executions were de rigueur. 16-year-old Nathalie is a journalist for Le Petit Journal, where she writes the daily morgue report. During one of her visits, she learns she possesses a supernatural talent - the ability to see through the eyes of a killer. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Nathalie and the serial killer who calls himself the Dark Artist, as Nathalie tries to make sense of her visions and learns that her family has been keeping more secrets than she realized. Spectacle is a dark and macabre tale, perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Nathalie lives in 19th century Paris, and her life is like any other teenage girl: she spends time with her friends and family and writes the morgue report for the local paper. But when she starts having visions of gruesome murders, Nathalie is determined to find out who is behind these murders, and her own place in them.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. The visions were really interesting, and I liked discovering the meaning of them along with Nathalie. I also liked how there was a certain group of people had special powers and that magic was achieved through science. There are plenty of books where people just have magic, but it is rare that this it is achieved through science.

I also liked Nathalie’s relationships with the side characters. I was glad that the book focused as much on them as it did on Nathalie. Because of this, the reader is able to know them better and feel more connected. I also liked how most of the side characters had their own story, struggles, and connections to the magic.

However, I think the book could benefit from some more action. There were a couple small action scenes sprinkled throughout, but they were short and left me wanting more. I also wanted Nathalie to be betrayed by one of the characters. The whole time I was reading it, I was convinced that some of the characters were using Nathalie for their own gain. If this had happened, I think it would have added some necessary conflict and intrigue. Everyone was just too good.

I won’t mention much about the editing, because I’m sure it will be tightened before final publication, but some of the dialogue seemed a little unrealistic, and there was some information presented that I could have inferred.

Overall, Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok is an intriguing mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end. It’s perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco and Vicious by V.E. Schwab.

Jodie Lynn Zdrok's SPECTACLE is enthralling from the first page and takes the reader on a twisty and turny ride until the very end! Zdrok is shaping up to be master of the page with her ability to plop the reader firmly in 19th century Paris and intense descriptions. I would highly recommend this story to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy of Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok. I received the book electronically in exchange for my honest review.

Spectacle is an exciting debut thriller set in the 1800s that is sure to please. The story has a fast-paced plot that mixes magic, insanity, and murder. Add in an ending that clearly makes way for a second book, and you have a winner. Pick this book up!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paris. 1887.

Nathalie has gotten a job as the morgue reporter for a newspaper. Every morning, she finds herself waiting outside of the public morgue waiting waiting to view the bodies for the day. Her job is then to write a brief report about the bodies and submit it.

But things don’t go as planned. After 2 weeks on the job, she views a body who has been so brutally murdered that she touches the glass separating her and the victim. Instantly, she is transported to a scene where the murdered girl is still alive. She views this as if in a dream, and when she is pulled back out of it, she is still in the morgue.

Startled by this response, the detective at the morgue asks to speak with her, but Nathalie finds that her memory has gaps. She continues on with her day, but she is haunted by what she has seen and does not wish to repeat it.

But there’s a problem: there’s a new body of another girl murdered very much in the same way. Soon it becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose, and perhaps Nathalie can use her newly discovered ability to find them.

A combination of thriller, historical, and a touch of fantasy. Spectacle is the brilliant debut novel by Jodie Lynn Zdrok.

Normally, if a novel takes place pre-1940s and includes fantasy elements, I avoid it, but I had heard so many good things about this book that I decided to give it a try. Zdrok is able to make both elements deeply fascinating and extremely relevant. It’s also worth noting that the Paris morgue was a real attraction for Parisians during the 1880s.

I was intensely fascinated by this story, and there were moments that took my breath away. There is a sequel coming too, and I must say, I am still highly suspicious about the true intentions for one of the characters.

This is a very solid debut, and you need to check it out.

Spectacle releases February 12.

So good! It's like a Jack the Ripper tale, but in France. The young woman at the center of the tale writes the morgue column for one of the local news papers in Paris. Everyday she goes down to the morgue to wrtie about the latest murders, suicides, and suspicious deaths. At this time in France, if they couldn't identify someone, they put them on display for everyone to come and look at in hopes of identifyinig victims. Well, one day, our intrepid reporter Nathalie, touches the glass. She is transported into the murder of a young woman.

Through the course of the book, we the reader learn more about her astonishing ability, and of others around her. The Dark Artist is the murderer the whole town is looking for, and she catches his eye. It's a great murder mystery with a bit of supernatural flair, and I enjoyed it. I thought the ending was abrupt, but if it leads to another installment in the life of the Parisian, then I guess I can wait!

Second bested eARC read this month; grant it’s only the second ARC I’ve read in January, lol! But that’s besides the point!

This book starts off with a great start; our MC, Nathalie, is at the morgue to view a body for the column she writes for the local newspaper (impressive by the way seeing as she is sixteen, seventeen years old and a female.)

I never felt bored with this story, I could hardly put my kindle down. There were a few scenes that were slack where it comes to pacing, but it helepd build the mystery, even the characters. And, boy was I immersed into this story. I’m not one for murder mysteries, but this was well strung together, and almost had me biting at my nails a couple times!

Jodie Lynn Zdrok was careful with each plot twist, dropping them almost unnoticed, which propelled me deeper into the storyline and leaving me wanting.

~Characters~

So, our MC, Nathalie, is pretty cool. She’s determined, which I found to be her most appealing trait. I loved that she questioned her self, her role in the whole sleuthing act. Her dedication to reporting is admirable. It almost makes me want to join the newspaper!

Aunt Brigitte, a secondary character, was an interesting one. I doubt there’ll be a companion novel following her, but her power was similar to Nathalie’s and I’m curious enough to take a dive into her history and to learn more about her story.

I’m not too fond of her mom, but most of her rag tag team of friends were brilliant.

Simone was a interesting character. She’s deep in the mystics, and she works at a club. I can’t say she’s not a good friend because all friends have flaws. But I definitely did not care for how Simone treated Nathalie in a few scenes.

And then we have Christophe….the one holds my heart in this story.

I live for the flirting, but it was very mild and in the background. I desperately wanted more.

Romance wasn’t a huge factor in this book, which is always a nice change of things, but this is definitely one of those romantic interests that I wished hadn’t fallen through.

I suppose I should mention Dr. Henard, too. I don’t have much to say about him, but for the sake of this review, note that he is the cause for humans having magical abilities.

~Some PROs~

I mentioned plot twists earlier in this review. And by George, was there A LOT. But that’s not a bad thing in this case. Because, by my notes on my kindle, I thought one thing would happen-something predictable-and Zdrok was like “nope, sike!”

The magic system in this book is also original and really cool. I love who Zdrok tied it in with the culture of the period. Lots of science, trying to further society, and WHAM! Humans can possess magic….well most humans.

~CONs?~

I did find that the whole murder mystery case was second to Nathalie trying to find whether her powers were passed down from her parents. But I looked aside from that because Zdrok wrote the book so beautifully, tied everything together perfectly in the end.

~The End~

The conclusion is open ended, so I feel like there may be a sequel coming our way maybe next year….

and if not, I think this book is substantial enough to stand on its own two feet.

Overall, this was a great book; it’s worth recommending. Sure, there’s a serial killer on the loose, but this book was completely natural, nothing left upturned or felt off key. A great debut on Zdrok’s part.

**my review on my blog contains additional context, as in my thoughts based on quotes from the book**

So Nathalie is a girl of 16. Unlike today's 16 year olds however, she is smart and street-wise, knowing when to push and when to let things go. While her friends are off learning how to be a lady and a fantastic wife for the men they will soon court and marry, Nat is attending the coroners office every day so she may report on societies demise. Being female, she has a hard slog. Noone would actually want to advertise that they have a female writer, so instead she writes from the shadows, accrediting her work to a made up man. She's a trooper, unwittingly facing the Dark Artist and his lady friend on multiple occassions, none the wiser until the final pages. I liked her but something was off, I couldn't quite put my finger on it to be honest.

Her friends, Agnes and Simone, are polar opposites of one another. Agnes is a lady, writing letters to Nathalie while on holidays and bringing her back gifts from the seaside when she returns. Simone on the other hand is brash and feels kind of judgemental of everything Nat does (she's kind of mean but everyone has that nasty friend they just adore). I feel the dichotomy of these two characters really helped to expand Nathalie's persona, allowing her to be better understood by the reader.

The token love interest within the piece, was well placed and a little unexpected. I was so very happy to find that while it is mentioned and there is a sweet moment or two, after his admission that he is taken, Nathalie backs off and it is never mentioned again. In recent years, the 'love interest' trope seems to have become a must have in novels and I found it refreshing that in Spectacle, it was such a minor occurrence that it had absolutely no effect on the story (To you Ms Zdrok, I raise my glass for going against the stream).

Now, as I said earlier, this novel is set in Victorian era Paris. There is a public viewing for every corpse that comes the coroners way. There's dank, dark underground tunnels. Some filthy streets add to the ambience of the whole thing. It is basically a setting deserving of any good Penny Dreadful novel of the era. Add in a Jack The Ripper-esque villain in The Dark Artist and you have the makings of a fantastic novel. Everything is spot on, mostly...

Here is where I wish to mention the down sides. It felt a little like I had heard it before. As I said in the previous paragraph, it has all the eerie setting and mass murder you would expect to see in a Penny Dreadful. And I am partial to a good Penny Dreadful story. Alas instead of feeling fresh and new, it felt a little like a retelling of Jack The Ripper rather than a whole new tale. Yes there were different aspects thrown in (I got to around 75% through and THOUGHT it was over but turns out it wasn't), but at its core it felt a little like I had in part read it before.

Second, I want to point out the language. It has French which is all well and good. But the amalgamation of English and French, Spanglish-style, made me a little irritated. Then a little more until I got to a point where i skipped large chunks of the dialogue in one specific part (I had to go back and read it again because it was kind of important. Oops). While it is a seemingly small annoyance, it distracted from a fairly evenly paced, slow burn of a novel.

So, as a whole, I enjoyed Spectacle. It was well paced and oozed ambience. I liked the MC and loved her relationships with her friends. The villain of the piece was sinister at every turn, getting to be so self assured, he flouted his expertise in advance letters to the coroner by the end. While it had a very Jack The Ripper vibe, the Dark Artist brings his own sense of mischief, seemingly wanting to be caught whilst also wanting to stay in the shadows. The dialogue was a little too back and forth for my liking and the arc of the story felt a little cliched but overall, I found it an interesting read

2019 seems to be the year for YA books set in France. There's Spectacle, which will release on February 12 (go preorder, people), and Enchantée by Gita Trelease, which releases February 5.
I absolutely love anything to do with France, and I also love murder mysteries. Spectacle incorporates both, while also including strong, well-rounded female characters.
Spectacle is set in 1887 Paris, and is about a series of murders committed by "The Dark Artist," and the girl who has visions of the murders as they're being committed. Nathalie Baudin is sixteen years old and the morgue reporter for the newspaper. However, everyone assumes it is a man who writes the column. One day while visiting the morgue, Nathalie touches the glass and is thrown into a vision of the victim's last moments-- from the point of view of the killer. Desperate to discover the origin of her strange power, Nathalie begins to explore her family's past, beginning with her Aunt Brigitte, who has been locked in an asylum for years. But the killer discovers that Nathalie has been having visions of the murders, and will stop at nothing to find out the root of Nathalie's power.
I really enjoyed my time reading Spectacle, thanks to the ARC I received from Netgalley. I loved Nathalie as a character; as a morgue reporter, I expected her to be a bit morbid or dark, but she was such a smart, kindhearted character who just wanted to protect her family and friends. She had the sweetest relationship with her mother, who had recently suffered burns on her hands from a fire, and with her father, who was gone from their home for months at a time for work.
Nathalie also had two best friends, Simone and Agnes. I thought that Agnes was a bit one-dimensional; then again, most of her interactions with Nathalie were through letters. I do think that her primary function was as a plot device, which made it kind of hard to connect with her as an individual. Simone, on the other hand, was larger than life. She's a cabaret dancer who leads a much different life than Nathalie; nevertheless, she's so supportive of Nathalie and hardly bats an eye at Nathalie's strange ability.
As for the mystery, I thought it was delightfully creepy. The plot twists towards the end really solidified my love of this book, as it made the whole thing much more complicated than before.
I also really enjoyed the paranormal aspect of the book, which became more apparent further into the story. So much of the plot was finding the balance between the two mysteries: the identity of the Dark Artist and the origin of Nathalie's ability.
Nathalie developed so much as a character by the end of the novel. She comes to terms with the fact that she is essentially stuck with this strange ability, but perhaps she can use it for good. I loved seeing her become more confident as she unravels the mysteries.
Oh, I also liked that the romance was pushed to the background for most of the novel. I think Nathalie has much more to worry about than a cute guy at the morgue.
I did rate Spectacle only 4 out of 5 stars, because the first half of the book, while enjoyable, dragged quite a bit. The majority of the action happens in the second half, so I was bored for a lot of the first half. This was really only a minor problem, though, because I still really enjoyed reading the descriptions of Paris and Nathalie's everyday life.
If you like murder mysteries, French culture, or anything that's a little bit creepy, Spectacle is definitely the book for you.