Wow! The first half of the book was excruciatingly slow. Nothing really happened in this part of the book and I didn't cared much about Caitlyn either.
She was described as a simple minded girl with no ambitions whatsoever.
But, if you manage to get past the first half of the book you will enter the magical circus.
From this point the story changes and becomes more engaging.
I found it interesting that she had a connection with all elements. With the psychic world/spirit realm. I liked how it was described in her dreams/nightmares (at the beginning).
I had some questions during the story, but they were all answered by the end of the book.
Here are some of them:
- Why was the spirit realm trying to kill her? Or was something else there trying to?
- How are her powers working exactly?
- What the Ringmaster really wants to do with her powers? (different scenarios went through my head)
- And the voice in her head?? It is her magic speaking to her??

I really like stuff like that. Things that keep you wandering about what it is and make you think about different scenarios.
I also liked very much the way the spirit realm was described and how the souls were represented there.

Can't wait to read the next book and find out what was with that creepy vision 🙄🤔😅

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This is a great paranormal read for high school students and adults! It is a fast-paced, easy read! I couldn't put it down! Who can resist reading a romance between performers in a circus! The characters are likable and you find yourself rooting for the team while feeling hatred for the antagonist of the story. I would highly recommend this book for lovers of paranormal books!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I must admit: I have mixed feelings about this book.

Let’s start with the good. The story itself is great, a contemporary fantasy aimed at a young adult readership. Our heroine, Caitlyn, owner of some powerful but repressed psychic ability, finds herself drawn to the mysterious carnival that has rolled into town. But more than just magic shows and funnel cakes await her there. There are good things, like Daniel, the magician, called the King of Spades, with whom she feels an immediate and intense connection. And there are bad things, like the Ringmaster, who has built his troupe entirely of psychically gifted people and desires Caitlyn’s powers for himself.

What follows is a sort of cat-and-mouse game, as the Ringmaster forces Caitlyn to join the circus and learn to harness her powers, just waiting for them to reach their peak so he can absorb them from her, as he has done to so many others. But Caitlyn is not about to go down without a fight, and as she hones her powers she and the family of circus performers realize that she is more powerful than the Ringmaster. Clandestine meetings and secret plans ensue, leading up to the final battle when Caitlyn must face the Ringmaster in the Spirit World and battle to save not only herself and the souls of her newfound friends, but also to try to save the Ringmaster himself from the evil that has overtaken him.

So, the story itself is intriguing, exciting, full of secrets and dangers and that carnival vibe we all love.

But, the bad part: the writing skill is just not there. This book is not specifically called a Young Adult novel but it certainly reads like one. And the writing is just, well, amateur, to put it nicely. Too many detailed descriptions of everyone’s outfits. Describing the scent of everything. Far too much telling and not enough showing. Odd metaphors and similes (“Heat hit Caitlyn’s cheeks like an oncoming storm in the distance ruffling her loose hair”). Run-on sentences all over the place (“Everything inside her head seemed to mock her weakness and continued to torment her until the sun rose when finally she slept dreamlessly, her head resting in Daniel’s lap stroking her hair softly”).

Authors, please edit your work. If you don’t have the skill and knowledge to do it yourself, find someone who does.

In conclusion, the actual story here rates four stars, but the writing was distractingly poor and rates two stars, so overall I am going to give this book three stars and hope that Ms. Julien will share more of her imagination in the future….with some good editing.

I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept for this story, with a circus, secrets and supernatural powers and I am so here for all the dark and shadowy circus stories in the world! I also really loved the world building around the circus and all the magical elements/powers/performances- and it doesn't hurt that the cover is gorgeous and I am a cover snob.

I did struggle staying in the story and I think it was predominantly due to the continuously switching points of view. The author would randomly change which character was narrating in the middle of a page/paragraph and I could not keep up with what was going on or who was thinking what. It made it hard for me to stay invested in the story when I kept having to decode who felt what. Also at times the plot didn't seem to match up as to what had already happened, time jumped forward in random intervals and the choices made by the primary main character made no sense.

Overall I was a little let down by the book, but I am sure that others will like this story. I recommend this for fans of dark and creepy stories where good and evil battle and nobody knows who will win!

I was very excited to dive into this book as I love a circus theme, but this story was just not for me. The author had great ideas, but it felt as if the storyline and ideas were not complete. The story started to jump around and contain inconsistencies the further in that I got. I tried to push through to finish since I was a fast paced read but just past the halfway point I could no longer stay drawn into the story. I really hope to see the story reworked and built out more because I think it could be great.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As the story goes, Caitlyn is your run of the mill small town waitress who has special powers that are trying to break through in the form of frequent headaches. When a mysterious night circus comes through her town, she manages to convince her best friend Vanessa to attend with her. Everything is exciting and despite ominously being warned by the circus psychic never to return after a reading, she does the next day and soon finds herself ensnared into the show and the Ringmaster himself.

Based off the synopsis, I was expecting something similar to Morgenstern's _Night Circus_ or Garber's_Carval_. Instead I found myself reading a mediocre YA novel that had the potential to be good, but instead left me disappointed and irritated with everything.

The writing wasn't always clear and I found myself re-reading a majority of the passages more than half the time. With characters that were rather one-dimensional and dialogue that fluctuated between inane to ridiculous cheese, I honestly could not find a single thing I enjoyed about the story.

2 stars.

I was intrigued by the description of this book. I was slightly disappointed with how the story began. I found the character's frivolous and without depth. Fortunately, I was wrong! The story was interesting and a quick read. The world was detailed and well explained without taking an inordinate amount of time away from the story, and the descriptions of the circus were vivid and colorful (both literally and figuratively). There is violence and death, and I sometimes found the characters' reactions to these events underwhelming. I am glad that this novel is the start of a series and will most definitely be reading the next book.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy intrigue, supernatural abilities, and vivid imagery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for providing an e-book for an honest review.

#bookreview #netgalley #aspectacleof
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I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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The cover for this book is really eye catching and drew my attention immediately. Add in the description and I was over the moon to be approved for it.
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Description:
Caitlyn always thought she was just your average small-town waitress, but she’s anything but average. Suffering from frequent headaches and vivid daydreams, her oddities mask a secret hidden deep within her mind—one that could defeat even the cleverest of psychics.
When a mysterious circus arrives in town, Caitlyn is immediately drawn to it. While visiting the hypnotic show, she meets a seer who warns her of a gruesome future and urges her to stay away. But soon, Caitlyn finds herself ensnared in the show and the Ringmaster himself.
Recognizing Caitlyn’s powers for what they are, and believing they are the ones he has been searching for, the Ringmaster is determined to claim them as his own. Trapped within the circus and the Ringmaster’s devious grip, Caitlyn realizes that to escape the seer’s foretold fate, her only choice is to fight. Banding together with Bevier, an imprisoned psychic, Meg, an eccentric seamstress, and Daniel, a handsome magician, Caitlyn falls into the Psychic Realm to thwart the Ringmaster and stop the show before they succumb to his control and are trapped forever in his spectacle of souls.
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However, it was not one of my favourite reads. The book is very confusing at the start and stays that way about half way through. The writing style is inconsistent and ranges from cheesy teen to adult like wording. It is not NA and reads more for teens. Of all the characters, Daniel and the Ring Master were intriguing. Caitlyn didn't grab attention at all and as the main character, that is disappointing. Despite high hopes for this book, I was not impressed.

A Spectacle of Songs is a New Adult novel set in a Dark Supernatural background with characters having psychic abilities, the appearance of souls and demons and a Psychic Realm. Sometimes it got really obscure and messed up with graphic scenes but I didn't mind.

I  love the aspect that the author made it very relatable by including character traits and disorders that are very realistic and resonate with many readers like emotional trauma, anxiety, migraine and dementia.

There was also lots of girl love and female empowerment with the heroine's best friend Vanessa being an amazing addition to the cast. Also the special abbilities of each of the circus troupe members was very iteresting!

Though the first half was extremely gripping sadly the story didn't deliver and my interest diminished as the plot continued because the story and characters weren't convincing enough in my opinion.
What I also didn't like was the insta love trope. I couldn't stand this snap snap romance one moment stranger next love of my life. Sadly the hero was only a cardboard cut-out and our female mc the typical shallow YA heroine

Imagine the circus of "Caraval" with the battle in "The Night Circus" and you have yourself "A Spectacle of Souls".

I loved this story! Caitlyn is a young adult trying to make her life mean something in the small town that she lives in with her best friend Vanessa. However, the migraines and headaches that Caitlyn suffer from mean more than she realised and when the Circus comes and the Ringmaster and his mysterious crew find her, she needs to make a choice. And he doesn't make it easy either.

I really liked the characters and the story. Caitlyn wasn't daft, but I found she was too easily pushed into getting involved with the plans. Although she was also strong when she faced what was coming for her. The Ringmaster was such an interesting character and I wish there was more backstory for him. He was a villain you love to hate but want more of. I also liked Vanessa. Carefree and super loyal even though she wants the glamourous life she stays with her best friend and that's what makes me love her - I can totally relate to that.

I actually think the book wasn't long enough and that there was so much room for more story. I did find it jumped quickly in some places and a little more detail would have been nice. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

Circus story fascinate me but they're usually a hit or miss with me. I entirely disliked The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, so I went into A Spectacle of Souls hoping I would enjoy this circus story.

The beginning bugged me a little to be honest... We meet all the characters rather quickly, and there is a lot of useless talk. The first pages gave out the biggest weakness of the book : its writing style. I thought the writing to be very shallow. We understand the author wanted to characterize the characters very early on, especially Daniel, but it's done way too fast and way too obviously for my liking. Overall, everything is very cliché : the characters, the relationships, the antagonist, everything.

However, once I overcame the writing style, I got caught in the magic enough to enjoy the plot. The world building isn't much, as it's just our contemporary world, with the addition of a spirit realm we only get to see twice. A Spectacle of Souls is completely character-driven. You have to let the characters show you their magic, and imagine being a part of the circus.

The true gem here is the circus' troupe. They're a big family who's always looking out for one another, supporting each other and endure the Ringmaster's tyranny together. I loved them all. I would have loved more focus on them as individuals ! We get some interactions with a member of the troupe here and there, but nowhere near enough for my liking.

The magic system is pretty okay, and I liked that each person has a different power, that can often complement someone else's or help someone else. I feel like there are so much power we still have to discover through the series !
The pace of the story was rather fast, but it wasn't too rushed. That makes A Spectacle of Souls a perfect fast entertaining read for people who want a taste of magic. I mean, even though the writing style sometimes bothered me, I still got captivated by the plot, the magic, and many of the side characters. Those are the real strenghts of the book.

In the end, I don't think this book was completely for me, but I really enjoyed it and read it pretty fast. It was entertaining and somewhat magical, which is all I asked for !

Thank you Netgalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for the ARC.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 60%, I wasn't enjoying it and it was really hard for me to understand what I was reading.

The beginning was really strong and solid, so I had hopes to like this one. But the writing was really complicated to follow and I didn't really care about any of the characters.
Too many adjectives and too many jumps. It was exhausting and confusing.

I do think the author described the circus and magic really well, you could feel the atmosphere of it and I appreciated that.
The insta-love was another reason why I couldn't get through with this book. We've had too many books like this, and this wasn't anything special, it didn't add anything to the story.
I really didn't want to read an entire book about a protagonist with no backbone who fell in love at first sight with her love interest. Not for me.

I wish I could say more positive things and give readers other reasons to enjoy this book, but in this case I find it really impossible.

This book was archived before I was able to download it and read it. I heard mixed things about this book and my best friend read part of it before dnfing it. Her and I have similar tastes and when she said it wasn’t her thing and was confusing. I’m kind of glad I didn’t read it. It sounds like it would have been a dnf for me too.

I could have sworn I had already sent feedback for this title. Unfortunately, it was a DNF for me. I didn't really enjoy the writing. Also for some ridiculous reason, I thought it was going to be similar to The Greatest Showman.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNFed this book at 43%. If I DNF a book, it only gets 1 star from me.

I wanted to like this book really badly, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and, worse, I didn't care about Caitlyn (the main character) or any of the others. I found the characters to be one-dimensional.
The whole magic/psychic aspect confused the heck out of me. It was not well explained and it didn't make any sense.
I have no clue what the plot actually is for this book. It was a confusing and jumbled mess for me.

Someone else may find that they really enjoy this book, but while I was reading it I was getting tired and falling asleep. I found it boring, unfortunately and couldn't bring myself to continue with it.

I enjoyed this book. In fact, I read it in one sitting. It was thrilling to read and had me on the edge of my seat. That being said a lot of the big twists were predictable I felt and I wished that some of the characters had been expanded on a bit more, but maybe they will be in the next installment. I'm not exactly sure where a sequel could go as this felt like a pretty self-contained novel, but I will probably pick it up to see if I can learn more about the world and its characters.

A Spectacle of Souls is a story that doesn't have its character's ideals and morals set, therefore the story really doesn't make sense as it is solely based on them. We have characters that are killed off somewhat untriunphantly, not given a real chance of success or appearance in the story. Characters that are deemed with high important, but don't receive a big enough death cause or grief through the other characters that us as readers eventually don't feel the feelings.

In my opinion one of the most important factors of a good storyline its the characters. Without the readers connection to the characters, you have nothing but words and a pretty world. This is what I think happened with this book. The setting appears to be majestic and confusing (on purpose), the mystery seems to unravel in certain ways that may be intriguing, however the characters fail to show the reader emotion and thus all that is desired to be achieved, isn't.

A Spectacle of Souls is the book that could've been. A book that could be improved and strengthen but as it is right now it is not interesting enough for the reader or in my case myself, to continue reading the next book if there is one.

The sad thing is I really enjoy circus reads, thus I am also highly expectant of this books to deliver and if they don't I get crushed really easily as many don't reach my standards of magical realism or my expectations of a book based on magic. This is also mainly due to the fact that my all time favorite book is The Night Circus, and really many books try to be what Erin Morgenstern created but are not able to reach the awe inspiring writing she has.

--- 1.5 stars ---

Jessica Julien has a very different style of writing.It is not similar to the conventional style of writing that I read.
Overall,the premise of the book is very good.
Caitlyn discovers things about herself she never thought,all through an adventure.Generally, I don't like reading books that have the 'Circus' element in them but this proved to be an exception.
3.8/5 stars!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC of this book!!!
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I enjoyed this. I thought characters were well thought out and described. I absolutely love the magical circus plot.
I loved seeing cat come into her own and loved the relationship between her and Daniel. Writing did get sloppy in spots but nothing to ruin the book.

Opinions: WOAH. Julien opened, dare I say created, a door to a whole new realm of fantasy that readers will ADORE. Circuses, clowns, and magicians, normally uncomfortable elements to stories, were the focal points of A Spectacle of Souls and made the atmosphere an encompassing shield that kept readers immersed in the drama. It was almost as if the book was its own circus tent! Apart from the world building, Julien expertly wrote characters for the story rather than a story for the characters. They were all unique, engaging, and most importantly, critical to the plot! This made the themes impressionable and the climax truly resonating. Although readers may cringe with second-hand embarrassment at the character flaws, our eyes widen in shock as their teamwork and devotion help them progress towards a shared goal! All in all, the writing style and passion Julien put into A Spectacle of Souls made it a distinguishable fantasy read for teens. I can't wait to reread it with my friends!

My Favourite Thing: I love the audacity of Julien's writing! Normally, the words weird, funky, and baffling imply negativity, but in this case, I adore A Spectacle of Souls and would still describe the book with these adjectives. The spooky, bizarre tone and voices made the book unique and enticing. The extraordinary and mysterious characters engaged readers yet created a heart-wrenching barrier between real life and fiction. Most importantly, the unexpected and astonishing themes gave the book a re-readable value that I will take advantage of!

Total Rating: PG-13
Language: PG-13
Adult Content: PG-13
Violence: PG-13+

Recommended For and Similar Reads: A Spectacle of Souls is weird, funky, and baffling in all the right ways! If you love fantasy but are looking for a spooky, intriguing twist, this book is for you. Similar reads are Double-Crossing the Bridge by Sarah Sover, Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan, and Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman!