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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 stars

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

This is a magical, deception, and beautifully illustrated graphic novel, with good characters and great art work I would highly recommend, and its a quick read so give it a go.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story about two sisters in the circus, one dies and the other has to find out who murdered her with the little clues left behind. The main character believes in science so you can guess how confused she is when she starts seeing ghosts.
This book boasts a rich cast of characters and gives a sneak peek into what life is like In the circus, leaving you in suspense as to what happened to her sister and what dark magic is in the circus. The art is unique as well. I would love to read the next book in this series.

Thank you Net Galley for providing a free copy of this book in trade for an honest review.

This review is also posted on my blog :
https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/spectacle/

Review

A murder story combines with magic, supernatural thing is something new to me. Rarely have I read a book with these combinations, but somehow it comes out quite unique in its own way. The story of Anna who doesn’t believe in ghost and now she had to live with her sister’s ghost is somehow ironic.
When I first read this book, I was disappointed. The graphic is weird, the coloring has a rare combination. I left it for a week before I read it again. Turns out, the story is good and humor also appears in a few parts. Once you read it, you will indulge into the mystery instead of the unique color and illustration.

I like it that Anna’s quest to find her sister’s murderer is getting more interesting and intriguing as the story goes. She has 1 friend who helps her. The circus life is also quite appealing with their bizarre characters. It really pictured a mystical circus.

Illustration style is actually not my biggest favorite. I’m ok with the lines not being uneven, but I feel that the faces are very simple. Some of the texts are hard to read, being too squiggly. But I like the coloring. The combination of watercolor and ink is perfect. It’s like combining a hard and soft element at the same time.

The story ended with a strange event…the strangest during the whole book. It really makes it feels the whole book feels mystical and there might be some dark force at play here. I’m kind of hoping that there will be the next book.

Recommend for those who loves crime and mystery book with a twist of magical, illogical, supernatural element, all thrown together.

What a strange and wonderful book. Excited to read more and find out what happens! The artwork is also pretty cool and works will for the setting of the book.

I really REALLY enjoyed this graphic novel. It was fresh and the artwork was amazing. I could hear Anna and Kat's voices in my head. The mystery aspect of it kept me going and I went through the whole thing in an hour! Can't wait for volume II.

Such a fun book and really hard to put down - I can't wait to see what happens in the next volume. The graphics are whimsical and well-detailed, the panel layouts keep the action moving forward and the text is seamlessly integrated and well-chosen; we get believable and interesting dialogue, backstories and necessary info all without any information dumps. Both the characters and plot are developed carefully, and really, what more could you want? A strong protagonist of color - a fake psychic turned detective who has built a steampunk computer to predict the future - a dysfunctional circus family, ghosts, murder. What more could anyone want? Readers who like Nimona or Neil Gaiman will probably enjoy. Highly recommended for middle school and high school (and adults).

Kat and Anna are twins, but when Kat is murdered Anna's world is turned upside down. Before, she never believed in the supernatural, but with her sister still around she's left to question her beliefs and wonder who murdered her sister.

This gripped me pretty early. I was eager to see this mystery be solved, but then it continued to expand into something even more. Not only are you trying to figure out how murdered Kat, but there are secrets at play that loom over the story and make you wonder exactly what was going on with some of these characters.

The cliffhanger at the end has left me hungry for more!! I want to know more about this group of people and I definitely want more information on that romance. I will be eagerly looking for the next volume.

Let's start by saying the illustrations of this novel were gorgeous. I love the style, the setting (a circus!) and the colors. The illustrations were the main reasons why I enjoyed this novel so much.

Because I did really enjoy it. The story starts with Anna who finds her twin sister, Kat, murdered. Kat comes back as a ghost. Although Anna is a fortune teller/psychic in the circuc, she does not believe in supernatural things. To see her sister as a ghost is a real shock for her. Anna tells the circus master Jebediah Tetanus her sister is murdered, but he decides to tell the rest of the circus crew Kat's death was an accident. He askes Anna to figure out who the murderer is. While investigating the murder, Anna finds more mysteries along the way.

I would recommend this novel to everyone who appriciates some nice illustrations, who likes the circus and to who likes a good mystery with a dose of humor.

What a fascinating comics. The story is intriguing, the characters are charming and the art is so beautifully original. It keeps you on guessing on the intrigue and the twists and I can't wait for the second volume to find out more.

Really liked this! It's a great start to a series. The story was really good, I loved the mystery, and the art is lovely!