Oh how I wanted to love this one.  It was right up my alley - historical fiction, strong feminist character and a cool mystery.  Unfortunately, this one feel a little flat in places for me.

Spectacle starts off very intriguing.  Set in Paris, in the 1880s, there is a man running around killing young women ala Ripper style that the press have named The Dark Artist.   Our main protagonist, Nathalie works for a newspaper company, writing the morgue column (dreary much!).  The morgue happens to be displaying dead people (including the murder victims) for all the world to see.  Kind of like a side-show attraction.  Nathalie frequents this place often to write her column and when she comes face-to-face with the first victim of the killer, she feels the sudden urge to touch the glass - showing her a vision of the murder taking place.  Obviously, she is scared of what she saw and if it's even real and what's more it seems that she can't figure out who the killer is, but the killer just might know who she is.

I first want to say that I did enjoy this book.  I probably went in with too high of expectations because I love this type of story.  It had lots of potential and lots going for it.  The main character was a strong female - she was 16 and talked much older but that is pretty normal in YA books, so that didn't bother me.  She's inquisitive, brave and ahead of her time and I really enjoyed her as a character.  I also loved that their are not one, but two different strong female/female friendships.  The friendships are beautiful to read and they weren't about boys.  I love seeing more and more of this in YA - I really do hope it becomes the norm, because it's wonderful to read and really connects me to the characters so much more.

Another wonderful thing was the author's beautiful writing and descriptions.   I could imagine Paris in that time because of her lovely writing and there is enough talk about French pastries that I had to go get a snack while I was reading (ok, a couple snacks, but who's counting!).  I also loved that the author chose to throw some French in here and there, it just really adds to the atmosphere and getting lost in it.

Ok, so what was my issue with the book? The pacing - the pacing wasn't just slow, it was repetitive.  I felt like I spent half the book, at least, reading about the main character not accepting her ability.  It really slowed the story down and didn't offer a ton, it should've been wrapped up quicker, in my opinion, or we should've been getting more in-depth useful information while she went through her whole ordeal.  Although, many of the descriptions are well written and beautiful - the back stories and learning about key information (such as experiments) weren't really fleshed out enough. I wanted more of that type of writing and less French pastries.

There was also a very small love interest story that seemed a little pointless, but maybe it comes into play more in the second book.  The mystery was interesting, but I wanted some kind of cool twist, which didn't happen at all.  I do think that the end set up the second story to be much more exciting though and hopefully answer a ton of unanswered questions.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and will likely try the second one.  I had no idea this book wasn't a stand-alone when I went into it but I'm fine with that.  This is Jodie Lynn Zdrok's debut novel and I think her writing is very strong and certainly an author to watch.  If you like stories like Stalking Jack the Ripper then you might enjoy this one.  Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

This was an amazing, rich and detailed YA historical mystery with an unusual protagonist. I loved the premise of this book and was delighted that it lived up to my tentatively formed expectations. Twisty, challenging and beautifully written this is not to be missed.

For someone who finds difficulty in finding murder mysteries that I actually enjoy, this surprisingly surpassed my expectations. It kept me on the edge of my seat and the storyteller was enjoyable- making me feel like I was in on the plot while keeping me out of the loop at the same time. Nathalie was a great main character, she managed to keep her femininity while working in a male centered job. She was smart while making mistake and I especially appreciate the bit of selfishness she displays when it comes to herself and her survival. The conversation on magic vs. science was something I wished was explored more, but hopefully a sequel w=with rectify that.

The premise was interesting - murders in 19th centurty Paris and a girl who sees them in her visions (ala Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but in reverse) because of bloodborne magic. These elements, however, never came together in a cohesive way for me. And Nathalie just didn't come off as the kind of female character she needed to be to helm the whole thing.

The wouldbe 'romance' element between Nathalie and Christophe was flat and didn't add much to the plot for me. The same could be said about many of the minor characters. It all seemed like filler and background noise.

I did enjoy some of the writing - Zdrok has the ability to evoke emotion and interest with her words. The problem is that it gets bogged down by repition and, at times, awkward language.

For me, the story plodded along. I nearly gave up several times. Given the ending, I wouldn't have regretted doing so.

I flew through the first third of this book.

It was paced and interesting. Sadly, it then really slowed down

Spectacle is set in the summer of 1887 in Paris where we have Nathalie who is a 16 year old who has been given the opportunity of writing the Morgue Column for the local newspaper. Every day she attends the morgue to write about the bodies that have been found for the Parisians to read about.
Until one day, Nathalie has a vision of one of the anonymous bodies final moments from the perspective of the murderer. As more bodies are discovered, Nathalie utilises her new powers to try to hunt down the killer.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted February 8, 2019 at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This was interesting, and I mostly liked the premise, but there was a fantastical/sci-fi element that just didn’t work for me. Had it been the main character’s power only, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more. There were moments throughout that I really liked, but just nothing that made it stand out as more than just ok.

When I read the description of this book I knew it would be completely hit or miss - love or hate. Luckily for me I loved it. 

Set in 19th century Paris  our heroine is already set apart from her contemporaries by holding a strictly masculine position at a newspaper. The indelicacy of her post is somewhat at odds with her personality. Add in a mysterious aunt, committed to a facility for patients with mental disorders, and her parent's hidden backstory and the story becomes more complete. 

Whilst there were small issues with plotting and storyline (as is often the case in YA books - a quirk of the genre) I really, really enjoyed the author's voice. As in I would promote any further releases to the top of my TBR pile. I can't quite pinpoint exactly what I liked so much but I can say that I did no eye-rolling in the reading of this book - something I am somewhat prone to do. Particularly  when reading in the YA genre. 

I debated posting this over on my blog for children's books as the romance was tame and there was nothing too distressing. And then I remembered it was a murder book so maybe not. That's possibly what I enjoyed about the writing - I forgot that the main premise of the book was so grim because the writing was so pleasant. 

A 4.5/5 (the writing was a definite 5 but the quirks in the storyline needed a slight deduction). 

I received an ARC through netgalley. 

*Set to auto-post on publication date*

Spectacle is one of those books that had me hook, line and sinker within the first chapter. 

Picture this: it's late 1880s Paris, and Nathalie is waiting in line to see the dead bodies of the day. Because they lay them out on cold slabs in a public morgue. How gruesome is that?

While waiting in line to view the day's dead bodies, Nathalie buys her mother yellow flowers from a...I suppose she's like a traveling florist. When she finally gets inside to see the bodies, Nathalie touches the window pane in the morgue and sees a victim's murder....in reverse.

But to make things weirder, after the vision, she has no idea why she's holding yellow flowers. And in fact, has zero recollection of ever buying them, even after seeing the lady she bought them from.

Whaaaat?

This book kept me absolutely enthralled trying to figure out who the Dark Artist is, why Nathalie has these visions, and more importantly, WHO IS THE DARK ARTIST?

When I go into a mystery/thriller, I started suspecting everyone. At one point, I even wondered if Nathalie herself was the killer. 

Who it was wasn't anyone I expected, although the book does throw some good curves in there to throw you off along the way.

And the ending...um, what? I sincerely hope there is a second book because I definitely would read it. 

There's weird science-y stuff going on, and a little bit of magic, and a whole lot more in Spectacle and I loved it.

I definitely recommend this book!

<b>4.5/5 stars!</b>

I really loved this! I wasn't so sure how I would feel about this book from just the blurb itself, but after the first few chapters I was hooked! I started reading this late at night, and I struggled to put it down to get some sleep. I'll just say outright that this is a must-read! Definitely on my preorder list once I get back from vacation!

Nathalie discovers an amazing, but also confusing, ability while at the morgue viewing to write for her column in the paper. She struggles to figure out what her visions mean, and why she's getting these all of a sudden. She finds herself tied to the Dark Artist killer terrorizing the streets, and sees that her newfound ability may go deeper than she expected. She delves in the world of scientific magic, psychics, and even the asylum to find some sort of possible explanation for everything, and why she's been made to help find the killer.

I loved most of the characters in this book. I loved learning about Nathalie, her mad aunt, her close friends, and even Chirstophe. The mystery aurrounding the Dark Artist killer, and Nathalie's ability, was so well done. You think something may finally be over, only to realize there are loose strings that still need tying. The books delves deep into scientific magic, and how it is deemed as normal for some, but fearful or shameful for others. Nathalie's struggle of both the acts of the killer, and finding why she's tied to it all, had me glued to the book.

I couldn't get enough of the macabre setting and tone. The ending, while absolutely perfect, has me wanting more. I wanted to know what the future held for Nathalie, and how Paris recuperates from all the events. I absolutely loved this. It's a bit of a long read, but very well worth it and excellently done. I can't wait for this to release so I can get myself a copy lol! Definitely recommended!

<I>ARC given to me by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.</i>

I was in a mood for a book JUST like this (murder mystery, slight magic/fantasy elementy, set in 1800s) and this book was no disappointment. A thrilling murder mystery set in 1800s Paris with a protagonist who finds she has a special ability that may help her solve the crimes. I really thought I knew how this one was going to go and was SO happy to find that the author didn't follow the typical murder mystery formula. I'm not sure if this will be a series, but it does end with a way that I could see her writing some more. Excellent book, very pleased with it and will be recommending it to my library patrons! I could have done with a bit more romance but I was partly happy that this took a back seat to the main plot.

This was spectacular. YA mysteries are far too often filled with petty drama, unlikable characters, and predictable twists. Spectacle, however, was none of these things. The author did a beautiful job of balancing gorgeous French phrases and historical buildings with just a touch of magic.

This follows a reporter named Nathalie, who, while visiting the morgue for an article, touches the viewing glass and gets a glimpse of the murder. In reverse. So she's obviously shook, and is trying to reconcile what she knows about the world around her and the secrets everyone has been keeping from her. Meanwhile, the killer? Yeah, he knows who she is...

Jodie's prose paints pictures in your mind, it plants thoughts of true depth to be pondered upon at a later notice. That's a more fancy way of saying I LOVED HER WRITING *flails forever

Nathalie was definitely a strong female character in many ways. Her dedication to being a reporter was actually rather inspirational, so don't blame me when I run off to join the online newspaper. I will say that I sometimes felt like her personality wasn't always steady. Sometimes she'd make choices I didn't think went with choices she would otherwise make? And sometimes her actions would annoy me but that's probably because I get impatient. And want the answers.

This was ridiculously twisty? Like, I THOUGHT I saw a couple of things coming but haha no. So many tiny details come into play later, but in ways I never expected. Of course, there were a few moments where I thought NO FORCED ROMANCE but I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes, I thought that the plot was a little scattered but I was honestly too caught up in everything to care.

And the magic was too perfect? Like, it's magic/science and it's so flipping cool. The way it's integrated into the story is pure brilliance. THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH. I also really appreciate that Nathalie actually has a family? Which for some reason is rare in YA.

I'd totally recommend this to fans of Stalking Jack The Ripper! While it lacks the wonderful sass of Thomas Cresswell, it DOES have a female character placed in a "traditionally male role" in historical fiction, a murder mystery, and awesomeness. Except that this has a touch of magic, and a more well-thought out mystery!

4.5/5 stars!

Review to be posted on my blog closer to release date!

Hello, I will be adding this review to my Instagram, blog, and Goodreads on January 29th, 2019. The review will also be added to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the publication date. Links to the reviews will be added once they are public, thank you.

Title: Spectacle
Author: Jodie Lynn Zdrok
Publication Date: February 12th, 2019
Rating: 5 stars
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

Spectacle follows a sixteen-year-old named Nathalie Baudin who writes the morgue column for a journal in Paris. Murders start happening and she soon starts seeing visions of their murder through the eyes of the killer. She can only hope that they will be enough to help catch the person responsible before its too late.

When I found out I was approved for this I literally screamed. I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper and needed more murder mystery in my life. This book was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Although it may be similar to the previous book mentioned, the author adds a dash of paranormal and magic that lures you in and gives it its own spin.

From the first page you are swept into this eerie plot. There were no slow spots for me as it left me engaged and guessing the whole way through. Although I had my suspects, I wasn't expecting the outcome and its always refreshing to be surprised!

Nathalie is a wonderful character that grows a lot throughout the book and really tries to find out who she is. Some of the other characters weren't as fleshed out as some but it didn't deter me from enjoying the back. One thing that stood out for me was that there was no romance. Nathalie may have liked someone but they were never together and not much was said about it and its great to find a book that doesn't need all that for a great plot.

Nathalie's visions are a unique way at looking at the murders and add a more eerie feel to the book. There is some background to her visions and how it may be tied to her family but for the most part the magic (not sure what other word to use) is subtle with most other characters and hopefully there will be another book that delves more into it!

Overall, this was a wonderfully fantastic read and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Spectacle was quite different then what I was expecting. Though I did have my issues with Spectacle, I was nonetheless blown away by Jodie's writing style and the dark themes she wrote about in her debut novel. Spectacle was a page turner with characters that were easily likable and a series of grisly murders that you couldn't help but want to know more about.

My biggest issue with this book that by the way it is described I was expecting a blood soaked murder mystery that was going to send chills down my spine. Though it do that at many points, the murders and who the murderer is seemed to be a sub plot rather then the main plot. A big part of Spectacle was Nathalie trying to piece together where she got her ability to see the murders from and uncovering secrets from her parents and aunt's past.

Spectacle had a lot of potential and at certain points it felt like it just fell short of it. Important parts of the story were brushed past and I wish Jodie had taken more time to describe the experiments that gave people their magical abilities and a deeper view into the things that led Tante down the road to an asylum. I knew enough that everything made sense, but not enough to be emotionally invested.

I really enjoyed Nathalie's growth from the start of Spectacle and to the end of it. The story takes place over a few weeks worth of time and you can gradually to see the change in how Nathalie begins to act and think towards certain things. The friendship between Nathalie and Simone warmed my heart and I found it very similar to some of my actual relationships with friends, so I was able to feel her pain when her Simone would have disagreements. I don't thing Spectacle needed a romance aspect, it worked pretty well with out it. But Jodie did tease us with Christophe and Nathalie's interactions and by the end of the novel their relationship was very up in the air.

Spectacle did end very open ended and I can see the potential for another novel about Nathalie and her adventures since not everything was clarified by the end of Spectacle. Though I didn't love Spectacle, it was an enjoyable read and I am eager to see what is in store for these characters next.

Nathalie writes columns summarizing the cause of deaths for the newest arrivals at the morgue. Nathalie has a special ability that shows her visions of how the victim died. When a killer is on the loose Nathalie uses her ability to track down the murderer. Set in 1887 Paris you go on a dangerous journey.

Nathalie was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her ability and all that it entails. I enjoyed seeing the sights around Paris in 1887 as Nathalie works her way around the city trying to find the killer. There are a lot of plot twists along the way with every person you meet a possible suspect.

I enjoy reading murder mysteries and the premise of this sounded interesting, unfortunately I could never fully get into this book. It was slow paced which made my interest waver as I progressed. I did enjoy trying to piece together the clues and figure out who the killer was. The final part of the book did pick up and had some surprising revelations that I didn't see coming.

I received this via Netgalley for an honest review. For the most part, this was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters.

There were a few spelling errors here and there. Some of the transitions could have been smoother. Also, there was a murder I totally saw coming.

Overall, a pretty enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that Parisian Fantasy/Historical Fiction just isn't my jam.

After the disappointment that was Grim Lovelies (a slow-paced, trope-filled book that came out last August) I was reluctant to give this genre another chance... But, I thought that perhaps Spectacle would be all the things Grim Lovelies wasn't: Engaging, interesting, and well-written.

Alas, it was not.

I have two primary issues with this book.

For starters, the characters. Nathalie, our protagonist, had absolutely no depth or complexity to make her stand out amongst other fictional characters. She lacked any personality whatsoever and had no interesting qualities about her. And, as you might already know, dry and bland characters lead to a dry and bland book... Which, sadly, was exactly what Spectacle was.

My other problem with this book was the pacing. Seriously, it was SO. TEDIOUSLY. SLOW. Sometimes I found myself unknowingly skimming through pages due to the book's boring and action-less content. Oops.

Overall, Spectacle was a huge disappointment for me. With one-dimensional characters and pacing slower than that of a turtle, it was, to say the least, not a five-star read.
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Thank you to Tor Teen Publishers and Jodie Lynn Zdrock for giving me the opportunity to read this novel! Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Spectacle is at once a murder mystery and a magical adventure. The book features a multilayered lead with complex agency. Jodie successfully captured every aspect of the setting. Vivid imagery paired with intimate writing make this title a treasure.

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Spectacle was very surprising at many chapters of the story because it was totally unexpected. Throughout reading the book, I was expecting the story to go in one direction but when identifying the woman murdered, the story just took another turn that totally changed the course of the plot. Our readers are in search of more mystery book and historical fiction and this is another that gets the best of both worlds. However, there were some parts that dragged for a long time making it very difficult to get through so some readers might be a little bored but when the secret is revealed it is definitely a surprise.

We will consider this book for our adult fiction section at our library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.