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ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
3.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for the opportunity to review Spectacle!
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.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for the opportunity to review Spectacle!
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.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I've never "read" an audiobook before, but Audible is having a deal right now that I just couldn't pass up. For my first read, I chose SPECTACLE since it has been on my TBR pile for a while now and it sounded compelling. I didn't pay any attention to the length of the book (ELEVEN hours of listening), so I got really confused when it kept going and going and going and going ... Now, I don't mind a lengthy book as long as it keeps me engaged. This one is engrossing enough that I finished it, but it got so repetitious and slow that I grew bored with it somewhere around the middle of the story. There's a lot of murder and graphic, gory scenes, but the story drags quite a bit. Part of the problem is the plot, which is familiar and predictable. I saw one of the Big Reveals coming simply because I've read/watched enough similar stories to know where it was going. Add in all the blood and guts and the overall depressing tone of the book and, yeah, I just didn't end up finding SPECTACLE satisfying or enjoyable. Bummer.
As for the narration, I don't have anything to really compare it to. The narrator spoke clearly, but a little unnaturally. Her French sounded more natural than her English. My daughter says she sounds like the Google Translate voice - ha ha. Also the way she pronounced "Nathalie" drove me crazy. I don't know why. Overall, I think she was a fine narrator. Not outstanding, but good enough.
As for the narration, I don't have anything to really compare it to. The narrator spoke clearly, but a little unnaturally. Her French sounded more natural than her English. My daughter says she sounds like the Google Translate voice - ha ha. Also the way she pronounced "Nathalie" drove me crazy. I don't know why. Overall, I think she was a fine narrator. Not outstanding, but good enough.
_camk_'s review against another edition
1.0
Definitely did not like.
-The book isn't terrible. It's just really boring and dull and it took me 4 sittings over 1 weeks to finish it when I can usually read these books in 1 or 2 sittings.
-It is painfully slow.
-The female has absolutely no common sense as well as no personality.
-The premise was good but the execution was a failure.
-The book isn't terrible. It's just really boring and dull and it took me 4 sittings over 1 weeks to finish it when I can usually read these books in 1 or 2 sittings.
-It is painfully slow.
-The female has absolutely no common sense as well as no personality.
-The premise was good but the execution was a failure.
kaybethbookish's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the premise of this, as it gave me Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes. I wanted a Halloween read that wasn't horror but would give me creepy and spooky. This book did deliver on that, with a mixture of murder, a little gore without being too descriptive and enough twists to keep me guessing until the end. I liked the atmosphere of the book and I think there were some really solid ideas in here.
That being said, I did have a couple of niggles. The characters themselves were okay, nothing special, but I was a little fed up of their descriptions being more in-depth than their actual personalities (for example, we are told many times how the MC is tall, but don't know too much personality wise).
I also didn't enjoy the plot change at around 2/3 in. It went from a creepy murder-mystery, high-stakes showdown to a paranormal science/mystic mystery. It almost felt like there was too much going on all at once.
That being said, the ending was well-paced and gave a great setup to the second book. I definitely want to continue the series (even if I'm a little worried that Nathalie's pining for Christophe will drag it down a little). I think there were many elements in here that have piqued my interest, and I am particularly interested in the ways in which Nathalie's visions will impact her next time!
That being said, I did have a couple of niggles. The characters themselves were okay, nothing special, but I was a little fed up of their descriptions being more in-depth than their actual personalities (for example, we are told many times how the MC is tall, but don't know too much personality wise).
I also didn't enjoy the plot change at around 2/3 in. It went from a creepy murder-mystery, high-stakes showdown to a paranormal science/mystic mystery. It almost felt like there was too much going on all at once.
That being said, the ending was well-paced and gave a great setup to the second book. I definitely want to continue the series (even if I'm a little worried that Nathalie's pining for Christophe will drag it down a little). I think there were many elements in here that have piqued my interest, and I am particularly interested in the ways in which Nathalie's visions will impact her next time!
sarah_grey's review against another edition
2.0
The historical parts of this book are well researched and fascinating. Paris had a public morgue built behind Notre Dame and people waited in lines and came from all over to see the bodies on display! That really happened.
The rest is a rambling, ambling, unsatisfying supernaturalish mystery that doesn't provide an aha! moment, but rather quite a bit of disappointment. I found this difficult to finish.
The rest is a rambling, ambling, unsatisfying supernaturalish mystery that doesn't provide an aha! moment, but rather quite a bit of disappointment. I found this difficult to finish.
someonetookit's review against another edition
4.0
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.
I recieved an advanced reading copy from Netgalley and the publisher Tor Teen. All opinions are that of the author and have in no way been influenced by the publisher or its affiliates
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.
I recieved an advanced reading copy from Netgalley and the publisher Tor Teen. All opinions are that of the author and have in no way been influenced by the publisher or its affiliates
withthebanned's review against another edition
4.0
Spectacle was a well-written and engaging novel. I was thoroughly invested while reading and the author does a fantastic job of making the reader feel enveloped in the setting. The characters were well done and complex in their own ways and I thoroughly enjoyed each type of relationship presented. I was on the edge of my seat wondering just who the killer could be, and I will say there were may times that I thought I had it all figured out! I am pleased to say that the author did not take any cheap ways out and I found myself surprised by the reveal. I must note, however, that the book does end on a slight note that may be opening it up for a sequel. (Mostly) everything is tied up neatly so I won't say it's a cliffhanger, but it is a close one. I will surely be back to read what Jodie Lynn Zdrok writes next, though I must say that I would enjoy some more romance the next time around. What can I say, I'm a sap for lovers of the macabre becoming lovers! Push this one up on the TBR for sure.
jennifermreads's review
3.0
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
Nathalie’s job as the morgue reporter for the local Paris newspaper brings her into daily contact with those who die in the city’s streets. But, one day, she touches the glass that separates observers from the deceased and she relives the murder – in reverse through the eyes of the killer. As rumors spread that this is the start of a spree of murders, Nathalie struggles to understand what is happening to her and whether what she sees could possibly help the police catch the killer.
This murder mystery with a fantasy twist never completely gripped me. It was interesting, and it was intriguing enough to read to the end. I just never fully engaged with Nathalie and I was disappointed in the seemingly “other” feel of the mystery portion of the book. I think, if a reader goes into reading this novel knowing this is more a story of Nathalie and her discovery of her gift, the result may be more satisfying. I went in thinking I was going to get a good who-dun-it with a bit of grisly detail. Those bits were there but the murders were a subplot not the focus. Also, I hate that I saw coming a mile and a half away. It pained me still but it was not surprising.
As I read, I kept thinking of Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I think that, if you enjoy those books, this one will be right in your wheelhouse!
Nathalie’s job as the morgue reporter for the local Paris newspaper brings her into daily contact with those who die in the city’s streets. But, one day, she touches the glass that separates observers from the deceased and she relives the murder – in reverse through the eyes of the killer. As rumors spread that this is the start of a spree of murders, Nathalie struggles to understand what is happening to her and whether what she sees could possibly help the police catch the killer.
This murder mystery with a fantasy twist never completely gripped me. It was interesting, and it was intriguing enough to read to the end. I just never fully engaged with Nathalie and I was disappointed in the seemingly “other” feel of the mystery portion of the book. I think, if a reader goes into reading this novel knowing this is more a story of Nathalie and her discovery of her gift, the result may be more satisfying. I went in thinking I was going to get a good who-dun-it with a bit of grisly detail. Those bits were there but the murders were a subplot not the focus. Also, I hate that I saw
Spoiler
Agnes’ murderAs I read, I kept thinking of Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I think that, if you enjoy those books, this one will be right in your wheelhouse!
queens_flame's review against another edition
3.0
I was really excited about this one, because it reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco, which is one of my favorite books.
For the most part, I did enjoy the novel. As stated above, I’m a sucker for mysteries and trying to get to the bottom of who was the culprit. I love the hunt for clues, and the big reveals in all that. However, this book fell a little short for me with the reveals. Because, I guess, I was expecting the killer to be someone the character knew – someone we didn’t expect or see coming. But, it was someone completely random, that we didn’t really know at all and it was out of nowhere, and in a way I felt disconnected to that plot line of the story. The book also got extremely confusing as more and more information was revealed about the killer? Every time you thought the plot was resolved, something else happened and threw the storyline in a different direction. I felt like I was in a revolving door and it didn’t really help me understand the flow. So, I was a little disappointed with the murder mystery, because it felt confusing.
What I REALLY liked was the fantasy / science fiction that was incorporated into the story. It gave me The Diviners feels, which is a fav story of mine. The character finds out that she has powers, the ability to see how the victims of the murderer died. She is then told that her parents had blood transfusions when they were younger, where this scientist essentially gave people magical abilities, through science. She realizes she’s not the only one with these powers, that there are others and even with people she knows. The character struggles with dealing with learning how to use these abilities, while revealing truths about her family’s past. This was all very interesting and I LOVED this part of the plot, but I felt it didn’t fit very well with the murder mystery. In a way, it felt like two totally different stories.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, almost in the middle of a sentence/thought. I’m not sure if this was the author being tricky and messing with us, or if there will be more books to this where we get to explore the main characters abilities. While I felt the end was very confusing, I would love to still read more in this world, and hear more about our main character’s journey.
If you like complex murder mysteries with a bit of fantasy in it; like books similar to The Diviners with a Stalking Jack the Ripper-esque feel – pick up Spectacle which came out this week!
For the most part, I did enjoy the novel. As stated above, I’m a sucker for mysteries and trying to get to the bottom of who was the culprit. I love the hunt for clues, and the big reveals in all that. However, this book fell a little short for me with the reveals. Because, I guess, I was expecting the killer to be someone the character knew – someone we didn’t expect or see coming. But, it was someone completely random, that we didn’t really know at all and it was out of nowhere, and in a way I felt disconnected to that plot line of the story. The book also got extremely confusing as more and more information was revealed about the killer? Every time you thought the plot was resolved, something else happened and threw the storyline in a different direction. I felt like I was in a revolving door and it didn’t really help me understand the flow. So, I was a little disappointed with the murder mystery, because it felt confusing.
What I REALLY liked was the fantasy / science fiction that was incorporated into the story. It gave me The Diviners feels, which is a fav story of mine. The character finds out that she has powers, the ability to see how the victims of the murderer died. She is then told that her parents had blood transfusions when they were younger, where this scientist essentially gave people magical abilities, through science. She realizes she’s not the only one with these powers, that there are others and even with people she knows. The character struggles with dealing with learning how to use these abilities, while revealing truths about her family’s past. This was all very interesting and I LOVED this part of the plot, but I felt it didn’t fit very well with the murder mystery. In a way, it felt like two totally different stories.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, almost in the middle of a sentence/thought. I’m not sure if this was the author being tricky and messing with us, or if there will be more books to this where we get to explore the main characters abilities. While I felt the end was very confusing, I would love to still read more in this world, and hear more about our main character’s journey.
If you like complex murder mysteries with a bit of fantasy in it; like books similar to The Diviners with a Stalking Jack the Ripper-esque feel – pick up Spectacle which came out this week!
vanessamariebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Book review: https://youtu.be/A5fN-ogKdws (review starts at 2:21)
On another note, does anyone know if this is a stand-alone or series, cause the ending still left me with some questions and I want to know more.
On another note, does anyone know if this is a stand-alone or series, cause the ending still left me with some questions and I want to know more.