The Lost Spectacular

by Zoé Duhaime

Both magical fable and a tender love story, The Night Circus meets The Midnight Library in this dazzling ode to the life-changing power of books, as childhood loves-turned-rivals chase each other through the stories that shaped them, leaping through classic literature and famous paintings and private letters and family dinners, until all that’s left is to confront the grief they’ve been running from...and decide whether they might face it together, instead.

Everything you love must leave you.

Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest weren’t always rivals chasing each other through the pages of books. They grew up listening to stories from Munro’s grandmother and arguing over their favorites. But then one night, they discovered the Spectacular, a mysterious, ever-changing festival glittering with everything lone pearl earrings and apple orchards, abandoned first drafts and shipwrecks, a skyful of umbrellas. This Spectacular, found only by invitation or in the pages of misprints, is the most precious thing in the world. In its wake, stories settle. Noon has always been the sort to move on with grace, and Munro goes into the business of never letting go—their divide starker than ever after a misstep abruptly closes the door on what could have been.

Now long estranged yet forever drawn to one another, Noon and Munro’s differences have defined their ways of life. Munro, an ambitious museum curator, vows his next exhibit will trap the Spectacular and return its lost treasures, while Noon, queen of cat-and-mouse, has been chosen as the next captain of the show.

As opening night for Munro’s exhibit draws closer, he and Noon will have to stop running and finally agree on how their story ends—and perhaps, find a way to start again.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Books About Books, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 29, 2026

About the author

author and reader in Montreal; occasional illustrator, handspinner, and purveyor of sweet dreams

Reviews

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this book is COMPLICATED! I truly had no idea what the heck was going on, until I read reviews. There was no significant discussion and introduction to this world. Please, read the reviews prior to reading!

Noon Bonaventure has inherited her father’s bookshop after his passing. She has grown up to be a major fan of reading, particularly of old books. Growing up, her parents (Arial & Elizabeth) lived above Munro Forrest, and his moms Anjali & Esperanza, and Esperanza’s mom, Millie Forrest. Millie owned the bookstore & sold it to Arial.

The Spectacular is like an art exhibit, a museum of sorts. The troupe are all immortal, and when they are not in a library performing, they live in books, wherever the person in charge takes them. They skip from book to book utilizing magic that is never truly fleshed out.

There you go, lol. There’s your starting point!

Now, once I understand what the heck was going on, I actually really enjoyed this story. I don’t necessarily think the author wanted to have a set-in-stone understanding of this book. It was lyrical, wacky, and felt like, well, an amalgamation of a million different books in one. I loved the idea of recreating how a child falls in love with reading, the different worlds you are transported to, and how adulthood doesn’t need to be without the magic of books. Heck, that’s why I’m posting all these Goodreads reviews and setting reading goals for myself. There is MAGIC in reading and for that, this book gets four stars from me.

Read the reviews, acquaint yourself with the world, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it enough to continue reading. It’s beautiful, despite the longer road it takes to arrive at that conclusion.

[The Dragon Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lost spectacular

You know that strange sensation, when you are having an amazing dream and everything makes complete sense when you are in the dream, but you wake and try and tell someone else about the dream and suddenly nothing makes sense.

That’s how I feel about The Lost Spectacular it both made sense and didn’t make any sense at the same time.

I found the reading hard work, like walking through a dream in real time. If that was a deliberate style choice of the author then I applaud them, mission accomplished.

I am rating this one 3 stars, thank you NetGalley and Zoe Duhaime for the opportunity to read this ARC

[Erin Mendoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about books. But for some reason, I just didn't love this book.
It was a bit too surreal for my tastes. I never felt like I got a good sense of what was happening. I prefer a bit more world building.
I feel like this was a beautiful story. I feel like Munro showed a lot of character growth. But... I'm not sure. Because I'm not sure what happened 😬
If you are a fan of books like The Starless Sea or The Night Circus, this might be the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an early copy for review.

[Jessica (Readingdiaries_)]

Thank you, Solaris, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because of the summary - it sounded so good with a mysterious circus, two childhood friends turned strangers, and with Night Circus vibes.

I really liked the idea of the book, with characters and objects stolen from people and stories, all gathered in a mysterious Circus that appears and disappears. It's such a cool concept, but sadly, the book did not quite hit the mark for me. The concept of two childhood friends linked by a bookstore and a mysterious circus was super interesting, especially the idea of following them as they reconnected. However, from the first chapter, I really struggled with the writing - it was confusing, and I barely understood 80% of what I was reading. The writing was too flowery and disjointed for my liking, with so many places and people mentioned (without us knowing who they were and without being introduced to them in any shape or form). I thought it would get better, but it only became more and more confusing, and I lost interest in the story and the characters.

In the end, I understand what the author was trying to do and the mysterious, mystical atmosphere they were trying to build, but it didn't work for me. I am giving it three stars because I can imagine that some people would love this type of book, but it did not deliver for me.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****ARC REVIEW ********

We must all decide how close we want stories to look like our lives.”

Some books remind you why you fell in love with reading in the first place, and The Last Spectacular is one of them. Part magical fable, part love story, it felt like a love letter to books, storytelling, and everyone who has ever found a piece of themselves between the pages.

At its heart, this is a story about grief, memory, love, and the things we struggle to let go of. Noon and Munro are childhood friends turned rivals, connected by the mysterious Spectacular, a magical festival where everything lost eventually finds its way. As they chase one another through stories, art, and memories, they’re forced to confront the past they’ve spent years running from.

My biggest advice is don’t try to figure everything out right away. Just surrender to the journey. The writing is so vivid and dreamlike that reading this felt like drifting down a river, letting the current carry me exactly where I needed to go.

When I reached the final pages, I just sat there for a moment. Every detail had a purpose, and watching all those threads come together was incredibly satisfying.

This is the kind of book you don’t simply read, you experience it. If you love magical realism tinged fantasy that celebrates the power of stories and reminds us that letting go doesn’t mean forgetting, then The Last Spectacular is one that will stay with you long after you close the cover.

A huge thank you to the NetGally, Kensington Publishing and Erewhon Books for letting me read this incredible ARC

“There is no good ending; there are only the stories we tell ourselves.”

[Kassyreadsalot]

I Have DNF this book at 10% I’m sorry I like the whole concept for this book and the writing! But I find myself confused with what is going on in the story and that is on me. The whole concept sounds amazing but I’m not enjoying this but I know there are people that will love it!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc!

[Jay]

DNFing at page 30 😬

It has taken me 5 days to read 30 pages and I dont think I can continue trying to read more. The writing feels like too much is going on but at the same time nothing is making sense.

[Hana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though this book didn't quite live up to my initial expectations, it was still a really great read. When I first read the synopsis, I was incredibly hyped—it sounded exactly like my kind of book! However, once I started, I found myself pretty confused and felt like things didn't connect with each other. We aren't really introduced to the characters upfront; instead, we just have to figure them out as the story goes along, which made some of the plot twists feel like they came out of nowhere.

​I also felt the book was a bit too long and could have been more balanced. The synopsis really sold me on the show itself ("The Spectacular"), but the actual story focused way more on the characters' individual backstories. That said, the writing style was absolutely beautiful—lyrical, whimsical, and flowery. It heavily reminded me of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval series, which I absolutely love.

​Ultimately, what saved the book a bit for me were the two main characters, Noon and Munro. The most important thing for me when reading is that I don't hate the characters, and these two had such unique, distinct personalities. The moments where we actually got to dive into "The Spectacular" were fascinating. While the middle dragged enough that I had to skim a bit, the mystery of how it would all wrap up kept me turning pages until the very end.

Thank you to netgalley and the publiaher for providing an ARC in excahnge for an Honest review.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I severely struggled with this one…was expecting for this to be similar to other books I’ve read and yet I was left feeling nothing but confusion after reading this one…the writing style wasn’t it for me as it was a little repetitive and generic, and I never truly felt connected to any of characters during any point of the book. A little disappointed as I was looking forward to this book as the plot intrigued me, but this may have just not been a solid pick for myself and may work out for someone else.

[Di]

I have absolutely no idea what I just read.

There were moments I genuinely enjoyed, where I thought the story was about to come together, and then I was completely lost again. This book has been compared to The Starless Sea and The Night Circus. I enjoyed both of those books immensely, but even with their dreamlike, whimsical storytelling, I always felt like I knew where the story was heading. With this one, I spent most of the book trying to work out what was actually happening.

For me, it felt like the author was trying a little too hard to be clever and mysterious. Instead of adding layers to the story, it left me feeling disconnected from it. I think it needed a stronger, more grounded narrative to tie all of the beautiful ideas together. There were flashes of brilliance and some lovely imagery, but they weren't enough to overcome my confusion.

That said, I've seen plenty of readers who absolutely loved this book, and that reminds us that there are books for everyone. If you enjoy highly abstract, atmospheric stories where the journey is more important than a clear plot, this may be exactly your kind of read.
Unfortunately, it just wasn't mine.
Happy Reading 📚🩷📚

[Rand Samara]

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry but The Lost Spectacular has honestly lost me. I ended up DNF’ing at around 40% because I just couldn’t connect with the story or find enough reason to keep pushing through.

The biggest issue for me was the writing. The story felt like it lacked structure, and the world-building never reached the level needed to make me feel immersed in the world.

One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when a story makes the reader feel like they’re the problem for not understanding what’s happening. I don’t mind complex plots or stories that require attention, but there needs to be enough context and development for the reader to actually feel involved. Here, I often felt like I was missing pieces that were never properly explained.

I kept waiting for the story to pull me in, but by the 40% mark, I realized I was reading more out of obligation than enjoyment. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

[Jordyn]

DNF at 32%

Unfortunately I was not vibing with the writing, and was struggling to be convinced by the characters.

The beginning really drops you in and expects you to catch up with context clues. Given the magical realist nature of the Spectacular, I’m not sure this was the right move. Coupled with a detached narrative voice that indulges in its own meta-commentary, in a way that came off more pretentious than charming, it’s a rough start that while verbose lacks conviction.

Why is the reader meant to care about Noon, Munro, and why should we buy into the mystery of the Spectacular? By 32%, all I knew of Noon was that which we learned in chapter one, Munro’s chapters felt caricature-ish and while the idea of the Spectacular became clearer the more I read, so much which might have been interesting was skipped over at the cost of character development and our investment to the titular event.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.

[Valeri Galathynius]

First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for kindly letting me read this book.

Unfortunately, I have to DNF it. I’ve tried three times to read it, but I can’t get past the 25% mark because the story feels too chaotic and, at times, so dreamlike that I constantly found myself getting lost.

I don’t know if it’s simply not the right time for me to read it, but for now, I won’t be continuing. I hope I can revisit it in the future with a fresh mind and give it another try.

Thank you,
Valeria

[Will Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is an…interesting book. A love letter to literature and storytelling, friends to rivals, and intertwining narratives. All pieces I love. At the same time, the magic is very blurry and unclear, while the ending was drawn out and yet abrupt. The prose itself was flowery; I enjoyed it, but it will not be for everyone. I also thought the cover gave YA vibes, but this is definitely an adult novel.

[Narrative Khaos · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely DNF books. In fact, I usually finish everything I start because I always hope a story will eventually click for me🙏🏻

Unfortunately, The Lost Spectacular and I never found each other😔

This is clearly a beautifully written book. You can feel the author’s knowledge, care, and literary talent on every page. The prose is rich and thoughtful, and there is no denying the craftsmanship behind it.

But as a reader, I felt completely lost. I kept waiting for the story, themes, or characters to come together in a way that made sense to me, and it simply never happened. Instead of feeling intrigued, I found myself increasingly disconnected from the narrative and struggling to understand what the book was trying to give me.

Which is disappointing because I usually love books about books, readers, and literary worlds📚

This is one of those cases where I can appreciate the quality of the writing while also recognizing that the book was not for me. Other readers may find meaning and beauty in it, but unfortunately I never managed to connect with it.

A spectacular miss for me, though I can absolutely respect the effort and talent behind it💜

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

This book is special - the creativity and lore, and the beautifully polished writing caught me off guard and this was my favorite read in a long time. This author clearly has a lifelong, deep passion for books and her reference base alone was astounding aside from the main story. It was a surreal and whimsical read, and I viscerally felt the conflict the conflict between the main characters.

Noon is a great lover and curator of books at the shop which she inherited from her father. She is brought up in a complex compound family with her childhood best friend and first love Munro, who matches her knack for special editions and unique reads. When the shop closes and Noon gets the opportunity to run the mysterious and mythical Spectacular, Munro's jealousy fuels him on a chase of her through countless lost stories.

[Marie Adams]

I found the writing too abstract; all too frequently, I had no idea what was happening so could not emotionally connect to the characters or plot.

[Arien Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this!

The vibes of this novel are great. The prose was lush and the umbrella ☂️ story line was adorable.

But as far as plot, I was a little confused. This is great for people who like to read based on the way a book makes them feel more than structure. I wish the author the best of luck and look forward to reading any future novels they publish!

[Karolina Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books where the idea is so ridiculously imaginative that my brain kept going “Wait… this is actually so cool.” A mysterious circus where lost things gather, stories can be entered and explored and reality gets a little… negotiable? YES. Give me the weird little umbrella circus. I’m listening. At the center of everything are Noon and Munro, childhood friends whose relationship has been thoroughly wrecked by years of hurt, grief and things left unsaid. Their connection was probably my favorite part because underneath all the magic and literary chaos, there are two people who are carrying a LOT and doing what emotionally constipated fictional people do best: avoiding an actual conversation.

I liked that Noon wasn’t simply this wide eyed character swept away by the magic. She had her own reasons for wanting to disappear into the Spectacular and watching her relationship with the place evolve made her journey feel more complicated than a simple “magical circus = good” situation and Munro? Please sit down. Breathe. Maybe communicate. Just once. His obsession with finding the Spectacular and understanding what happened gave the story a strong emotional thread, especially because his search wasn’t really just about the circus.

The world itself was easily the star for me. The Spectacular is strange, beautiful, slightly unsettling and completely committed to being its own bizarre little creature. I loved the idea of lost objects, stories, paintings and forgotten pieces of life all existing together. There were moments where I could absolutely picture myself wandering around this place, touching things I was probably told NOT to touch.

BUT… and this is a big but, the writing style made me work for it.

There were quite a few moments where I had to stop and reread something because I genuinely thought my brain had temporarily disconnected from the WiFi. The writing is very dreamy and descriptive, which works beautifully when you’re already immersed, but sometimes I needed the story to just take me by the shoulders and say “Here. THIS is what is happening.” The magic is also very much a vibes first situation. If you need every magical rule neatly labeled, explained, color coded and delivered with an instruction manual… babe, this might test your patience. I definitely had moments of “Okay… I’m going to stop questioning this and simply accept that apparently we are doing THAT now.”

I also struggled a little with the pacing in the middle. The beginning hooked me with the promise of this strange, impossible world and the later sections pulled more emotional weight for me, but getting from one to the other sometimes felt like wandering through a very pretty hallway wondering where the exit was. There are also a LOT of literary references and story within story moments. I appreciated what they were doing and loved the larger idea behind them, but occasionally I felt like everyone else had received the secret bookish group chat invite and I was standing outside with my little name tag like “Hi… am I supposed to know this?”

But underneath all the weirdness and chaos, there’s actually a really tender story here… The story is ultimately about memory, grief, family, friendship, love and the stories we create to survive the things we don’t know how to face. That emotional core is what kept me invested even when the actual mechanics of the Spectacular had me squinting at the page.

Was it a perfect read for me? Nope.

Did I occasionally feel like I needed a map, a flashlight and possibly a small emotional support librarian? Absolutely.

This is one of those books I think will work best for readers who enjoy atmosphere over rigid rules, literary references, unusual storytelling and books that would rather make you feel your way through the world than hand you a diagram explaining it.

A huge thank you to Kensington Publishing and Zoe Duhaime for allowing me to read The Lost Spectacular as an eARC before its release through NetGalley. I truly appreciate the opportunity to experience this wonderfully unusual story early.

The Lost Spectacular releases September 29, 2026.

[Dora | ThePedestalBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Zoé Duhaime for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Available Sep 29 2026.

THE LOST SPECTACULAR is a lot of things. It's a circus that exists in and travels through stories. It's Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest, childhood friends who had lost their connection after an unfortunate conversation during an important event. It's also The City Not-Unlike Montreal, a museum, and a bookshop, all of which feel as if they were characters as well. And in the end, it's family.

We follow Noon, a young woman who decides to drop her real-life worries to exist at the helm of a magical circus, where she becomes as untouchable as a storybook character. We also follow Munro, the head curator of a museum he opened with his friends, who is desperate to find the very circus Noon gave herself up to. When they were young, and still friends, they followed Munro's grandma into the magical circus, and where Noon was rather indifferent towards the magic of it, Munro became consumed by it. Several familial tragedies later that their friendship could not survive, Noon and Munro find themselves on opposing sides as Munro chases her through stories, and she keeps running further away.

Zoé Duhaime has a distinct writing style, one that had me laughing, crying, and marvelling at the words on the page at the same time. The magic of travelling through stories in a literal sense, characters embedding themselves into other stories' narratives, is the very core of the novel, and it is every bit as ethereal as you would imagine. The Spectacular, which is the name of the circus, is made of umbrellas stolen by the man in the charcoal cloak, whom you get to know through the story itself, but even better through the short inserts of his thievery of umbrellas at the beginning of each chapter. It is also the place where all the lost and forgotten things go, and the crew uses them to create unforgettable experiences for their patrons.

The concept itself is marvellous. The story draws you in with its promises of a magical experience and a love story that will span across years and borrowed narratives, and it does exactly that, with its last third being arguably the strongest. It is a story worth reading in full.

It is not, however, a story that will make doing so easy.

I hate to admit to having bad experiences with books, especially ones that I had so much hope and excitement for. THE LOST SPECTACULAR drags in the middle, or maybe it simply didn't capture me as much as the first third did, and I found myself actively talking myself into continuing to read it. It felt slow - it felt as if nothing was happening. I felt bored. There were many characters mentioned, some popping up for the first time at the halfway point, and at the part where the magic system became important as Munro chased Noon through books, I didn't understand how everything worked. There was a joke, at the beginning, about the author's decision not to explain how everything works - sadly, that is precisely why I couldn't get into something I couldn't wrap my head around.

I haven't read THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY so I can't comment on that, but if you read this expecting it to be similar to THE NIGHT CIRCUS, you will mostly be left disappointed. They share the concept of a circus built on magic and two characters whose love spans through years, working against each other, but that is all. The comparison does a disservice to THE LOST SPECTACULAR, as it sets expectations that it simply does not meet, whereas without them, for all its faults, it makes a fine book on its own.

I would recommend this to those who would like a story built on vibes and a semi-explained magic system, where literary references are a key ingredient to the narrative.

[AMediaLizard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for this arc!

I do think this book had a lot of potential. A book that is meta by having the characters thrust into tales in a whimsical manner, going from several stories and making references to literary works all the while, is a very fun premise. Still, the execution of it did not work for me.

To start off with, the style of prose did not mesh well with me. I’m someone who will read a paragraph twice or even three times if I think I did not understand it well the first time, as I dislike not understanding what I’m reading. With this particular writing style, no matter how much I tried re-reading, the story went over my head at many points. It took me a long while to read this book because of it, and I even contemplated quitting a few times. To give an example, I found many of the metaphors were constructed in a weird way that felt nonsensical. Aside from metaphors and other rhetorical choices that did not work for me, I found the book to also be overly descriptive, which is something I don’t normally think about books, as I tend to actually want more descriptions in most of the books I read. When being thrusted into a new story within this meta-story, I understand including as much description, but there were some already explored areas that did not need to be repeatedly described. With the way the story went, the flowery prose reminded me of the type of prose one would expect to read in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired book or the synesthesia-inspired writing style that Caraval used.

When it comes to the world-building and magic system, I don’t think there was much of a magic system, and that is fine for this type of book. This is a book where the whimsy and abstract world-building is purposeful, just like it was done in other stories inspired by the vibes of Alice in Wonderland. Though I did wish to learn more of the world than what we got, I do understand this isn’t the sort of book one would expect a fully fleshed fantasy world for. It’s more of a magical realism story embedded in stories inside stories.

Last but not least, the characters didn’t feel fleshed out to me, especially the main characters. I don’t need characters to be fully fleshed out in the novels I read, and it would depend on whether the story was more plot-based or character-based, but with my struggles with the prose and the abstract world (which was done on purpose, to be fair), I was looking forward to enjoying the characters’ journeys at least. Having the side characters thrust the main characters into finally communicating and finding each other is not something I’m overly critical about, but I am critical of how the two main characters (Noon & Munro) felt immature for their respective ages. If they were teenagers, I would understand their behavior more. Again, I wouldn’t mind a novel where the characters weren’t fully fleshed out if the plot hooked me, but none of the elements of this book stood out to me in a good way, and the characters’ relationship dynamic and communication were part of my disappointment with this book. 

Of course, this is all my opinion, and what might not have worked for me could work for other readers. If a reader likes a world sprinkled with inconspicuous magic along with very flowery prose, this book might work for them. As I’ve said before, this book reminded me of the vibes in Alice in Wonderland and also the writing style that Caraval has from what I did read of Caraval, as I have not finished Caraval yet. If any of that does sound appealing to you, then this book could work for you.

[Alli · Rating 2 out of 5]

A circus hidden in misprinted books. Two hearts still trapped in unfinished chapters.

Rating: 2.5 ★

Synopsis:
In a City Not-Unlike-Montreal, a home on Boulevard Sainte-Luthier had three floors and three doors. Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest grew up there, spending their days on Grandma Forrest's emerald green couch, getting lost in stories and the magic tucked between their pages. Until one fateful night led them to the Spectacular, a magical circus hidden within misprinted books, where lost things go and forgotten stories thrive.

But everything you love must leave you.

Years later, tragedy has turned the childhood friends into strangers. Munro has built a career preserving the past and is determined to capture the elusive Spectacular for his next museum exhibit. Noon, owner of the neighborhood bookshop, has been chosen as the Spectacular's new captain and charged with protecting its secrets. As an old chase is reignited, the two find themselves drawn once more through the stories that shaped them and the grief that drove them apart.

Some people learn how to let go. Others spend their lives searching for what was lost. And somewhere between the pages, Noon and Munro may finally discover how to forgive the past and perhaps, each other.

My Review:
This is a story about a magical circus filled with lost things, where forgotten treasures and lost souls find a place to belong. It's about two children who grew up together; One a thief, the other a curator, though neither can quite agree on which is which. The story is whimsical, lyrical, and never entirely concrete, always drifting through the spaces between words and worlds. But beneath all that magic is a story about grief, family, forgiveness, and learning how to live with the past without letting it define your future.

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is beautiful, and its message about loss and healing was genuinely touching! Sadly though I struggled to connect with both the writing and the characters. The writing leans HEAVILY into the whimsical and abstract, adding references to old childhood favorites and medias lost to time. While I did enjoy some moments, it made it really hard for me to understand what was happening, and I had to stop and reread which pulled me out of the story.

Noon and Munro are the main characters and have a complicated history. Once inseparable, they were driven apart by grief and the very different ways they chose to carry it. Much of the story centers on revisiting old wounds, confronting regrets, and finding a path back to one another. At its heart, this is a story about reconciliation, forgiveness, and falling in love within the margins of a shared past. I especially loved the family dynamics, which felt both cold and warm, callous and tender, and full of honesty and heart. Their romance also had a fun push and pull, both battling between anger and love. Still, because I never fully connected with the writing style, it was hard to really connect with them.

This is one of those books I wish had worked better for me! It has a lovely message and some very unique writing. I think I admire what the story was trying to do, even if it took me a super long time to get through, and sadly it was not a story I could fully connect with.

[Aislinn Neale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, effervescent, and experiential. I felt every sentence of this novel under my skin, and I saw every lovingly and deliberately described scene.

Any lover of books will feel the kindred spirit of the author's deep, lifelong love of books, and anyone who has grieved anything, whether it is person or object or even a place or space in time, will resonate with this poignant portrayal of loss.

Everything you love must leave you

My top ten favourite things about this book, in no particular order:

1. Montréal. What can I say, I'm partial to my own city. And I'm extremely partial to this version of my city, which both exists and doesn't at the same time. And I'm a sucker for a love letter to the places where we live and love. What a delight!

2. The homage to the childhood readers, to those of us who devoured books in the hundreds from infancy. To the connections we made between stories, to the ways in which we desperately wanted to live inside them. Every perfect reference to every treasured story world that I adored in my childhood, and that has shaped me into the person I am today. And the acknowledgement that that shaping is important and that the stories we loved as children mean something crucial about our characters as adults.

3. The messy, imperfect, loving tangle of family life and how we resist with every fiber of our being the changes that come with growing older and watching those we love grow older too.

4. Every perfect chapter title, every beginning of chapter umbrella theft, and the dedication.

5. The dreamy museum, and every perfect invented exhibit, and God how I wish they were real.

6. The achingly desperate love and loss of it all. And how sometimes the two things are the same, and how unfair that is.

7. Emerald green. That is all.

8. The yearning. Thrilling, sexy, frustrating and romantic just how I like it :)

9. The language. It's not often that you come across an author who is also a true artist. Every sentence is so perfect I just want to kiss it. Every time I read a novel this impeccably written my conviction is renewed that having a good idea and a good plot is one thing, but writing should be beautiful as well. Every paragraph drips with imagery so luscious I can see it.

10. Noon & Munro. And how everyone has been one or the other of them, or both at different times in a lifetime. Two sides of the same coin, yin & yang, enemies and lovers and friends and two halves of one heart forever and ever.

I can't wait for everyone to get to read this in September!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Spectacular (2026) by Zoé Duhaime

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

📖Synopsis:
In a City Not-Unlike-Montréal (yes, that's what it's called), there's a house, home to two families (who might as well be one) and a bookshop passed down through generations of these two families. At the centre we see Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest, once inseparable, sharing storytime with Munro's grandmother Millie. After her father's death, Noon continues to run the bookshop, while Munro leaves to become an ambitious museum curator, and they have turned inro rivals. This rivalry turns explosive over "The Spectacular," a hidden, magical realm of lost things. Noon was chosen to protect it, while Munro wants to claim its treasures for his museum. Diving feet-first into a cat-and-mouse chase, the two are forced to face their past, their grief, and the feelings still lingering between them.

⭐️Review:
How beautiful to read the magic that can be found in all sorts of stories, drawings, paintings, music and more. I really love the idea of jumping in between books and the wonderfully visual descriptions of The Spectacular and its items. Don't expect a detailed description about "how it all works", though - the magic serves the story and the characters rather than the other way around, which is also refreshing.

Like other reviews mention, this book is a bit difficult to get into. It feels a bit obsessive at first due to the large amount of literary references and some bits of fourth-wall breaking strewn throughout, but this also matches very well with the characters' obsession with storytelling, literary texts and each other. It's as if their story is like any one of the stories they interact with.

Push through the first part of the story, get used to the style and you'll be handsomely rewarded. With each chapter, I was sucked further into Noon and Munro's story and their oh-so-complicated frienemy-relationship. The characters are complicated and messy, and will have you liking and disliking them at different points of the story.

Finally, the entire book feels like a stylistic love letter to classic storybook stories and, dear reader, I ate it up. Good food often requires a bit more preparation, doesn't it?

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Many thanks to Erewhon Books / Kensington Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Virginia Easthome · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like watching Moulin Rouge for the first time - you're dunked into a world filled with color and lyrical prose and you splash around until you've got your bearings and then you realize you are in the most beautiful world, and continue to bask in the poetry of it all for the next several hundred pages.

I love a book whose world building immerses you into it - you can picture each place you're drawn into, visualize so clearly the rooms and the people and the action, and even hear the sounds - that's how vivid Duhaime's writing is, and I felt as if I'd sunk into a pool of story and was surrounded by it. It absolutely feels as if it belongs to another time.

This is a love letter to every reader who devoured books as a child, enjoyed university reading for the sake of the words, and continues on in the same manner as an adult. It absolutely reads this way, pulling bits and pieces from here and there, gathering and layering emotional arcs and plot points.

Noon and Munro are heart-rending, honestly, they're both so desperately seeking the way into the person and life they believe they're supposed to lead, the grief they want to escape, and future they want to attain, that you can't help but root for them (even though they want opposite things so much of the time). I'd get so excited to see which story they'd jump into next, or to know what they'd abscond with, and found the push and pull of one caring about the disappearances and the other absolutely unable to let it go so brilliantly executed. And the overall themes of families - ones that are biological and ones that you create, are so fiercely poignant, especially when the love is extended over those who make very different life decisions from your own. Their patterns of chase and competition are established so well and early on, and I loved experiencing the Spectacular from the POV of them as children, growing up, and <> - but suffice to say, I loved the ending.

I will also say that I am EXACTLY the audience for this book - I love lyrical prose and immersive world building, and I can already tell that if a reader does not prefer poetry in narrative form, this one won't be for you, but I hope you give it a chance because it's brilliant and beautiful.

*Thanks to Kensington Publishing (Erewhon Books) via NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[RUTH Maus · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay so imagine someone described a book to you as "the night circus meets the midnight library" and then it actually tried to be both of those things at the same time. that's kind of where we're at.

let me start with what works: the VIBES. the lost spectacular is dripping in atmosphere. a mysterious festival that collects lost things—lone earrings, abandoned manuscripts, shipwrecks, a sky full of umbrellas? that is a MOOD BOARD. that is a candle line waiting to happen. duhaime is clearly operating on a level of imagination that i genuinely admire, and when this book is just letting you wander through its world and soak in the aesthetic, it's beautiful.

noon and munro as childhood loves turned rivals chasing each other through the pages of literal books and paintings is such a gorgeous conceit. the idea that stories settle in the wake of the spectacular, that lost things have a place they gather—there's something really tender underneath all the whimsy and i think duhaime's heart is absolutely in the right place with this one.

here's my issue: the whimsy is HEAVY. like, load-bearing-wall heavy. the writing style leans so far into magical fable territory that it sometimes tips past enchanting and into overwrought. i found myself wanting the prose to breathe a little more, to trust the reader to feel the wonder without being told every five pages that this is, in fact, wondrous. there were moments where i was fully transported and then a particularly ornate sentence would pull me right back out.

and the magic system—look. if you are someone who reads fantasy with your analytical brain turned off and your vibes brain turned all the way up, you will have a great time. if you are someone who at any point thinks "wait, but how does that actually work?"—do not pull that thread. it will not hold. the spectacular operates on dream logic and that's either going to charm you or frustrate you and i landed somewhere in the middle.

the love story between noon and munro has genuinely lovely bones. the grief at the center of their estrangement gives the story real emotional stakes. i just wished the book had trusted those quieter, human moments as much as it trusted the spectacle.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffanydian · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Reviewed from NetGally Arc**

To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going on at first, and it wasn’t until I read other reviews that everything really clicked into place for me. The world-building is somewhat lacking, so I highly recommend reading a few spoiler-free reviews before diving in to give yourself some helpful context!

To give you a quick starting point: Noon Bonaventure has inherited her late father’s bookshop. Having grown up above the shop, she is a massive fan of reading, especially old books. Her parents, Arial and Elizabeth, lived above Munro Forrest and his mothers, Anjali and Esperanza (along with Esperanza's mother, Millie). Millie originally owned the bookstore before selling it to Arial. There’s a few other really good reviews on here that dive deeper into the premise, but this is a good starting ground.

Once the story truly gets underway, we are introduced to "The Spectacular," which feels less like a traditional theater and more like a living, breathing art exhibit or an immersive museum. The members of this performance troupe are entirely immortal. When they aren't putting on a show in a library, they actually reside inside the pages of the books themselves, traveling wherever their leader guides them. They skip from story to story using a captivating magic system that was easily my favorite element of the book, though it left me wishing the author had fleshed it out just a little bit more.

As soon as I found my footing in this unconventional world, the narrative completely won me over. Rather than tethering the plot to strict logic, the author delivers a dreamy, wonderfully surreal experience. The writing is inherently poetic yet beautifully bizarre, echoing the sensation of falling into a kaleidoscopic blend of a million different stories at once. My favorite aspect was how beautifully it mirrors the pure joy of discovering books as a child and the effortless escape to distant realms and the comforting truth that adulthood can still hold space for literary enchantment. Capturing that elusive feeling is precisely what inspires me to track my reading goals and write these reviews. There is profound magic hidden between these pages, and it easily earns a well-deserved four stars.

Thank you again NetGalley for the opportunity to read this❤️

[Leah Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stop and imagine, if you will, the sound of an umbrella springing open. It is very important for this story.

The Lost Spectacular is a sensory delight. Every sense is engaged: the pop of an umbrella, the smell of popcorn… or books, the flavor of a pomegranate seed, the feel of a sweater warmed from the wearer’s body. The sight of words rippling across a page or an illustration turning its head.

This book was about loss. The Spectacular itself is made of lost items and is lost in the sense that it cannot just be found. “A good way to think of it, this is the process of loss turning into story (ch. 21). It is also about the loss of a loved one and how very differently people deal with loss.
Noon and Munro grew up in the same building, more like family than neighbors. They did everything together, and one night they followed Munro’s grandmother to a magical show called The Spectacular. The children are dazzled. Munro becomes obsessed with finding a way back. Then the losses come: Munro’s grandmother and Noon’s father. They grew apart but still The Spectacular beckons to them both. It brings them together and tears them apart again. “Without notes, he could find his way to her through every exhibit, from every point in history, so vast was their shared cartography (ch 16). Theirs is a game of cat and mouse through famous and obscure books and paintings and letters. Noon has found herself because of The Spectacular. Munro has lost his heart to it—will The Spectacular take his mind too?

Noon and Munro. The mothers. The Man in the Charcoal Cloak. Grandma Millie, Arial, Odette, the Museum owners. The characters in this book are impeccably written. I feel like I know all of them deeply.

I did find the story to be somewhat confusing for much of the book. I knew where the main story was going but all of the ins and outs had me rereading portions to double check I didn’t miss something, and perhaps the ending was a bit rushed.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was fun to read about all the stories being hopped in and out of and what the lost things become within The Spectacular. I felt sad with Noon and angry with Munro and hopeful with the mothers. Mostly, I wish I would receive my own invitation to be whisked away to where the lost things go.

[Jo Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky. That’s my one word precis. But of course, you want more than that so here goes…

The things I enjoyed;
- what a fantastic premise for a story. The ability to enter stories, texts, and paintings via magic… Unusual, interesting and yes - quirky
- Some unusual, evocative writing.(‘Apollonie was starlight in a dish’)
- The odd little, inconsistent, asides from the narrator. I wish this had been more consistent throughout.

However… It’s a good job I had read the book summary before starting to read, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the foggiest what was going on!

The story follows Noon and Munro, once close childhood friends, now grown up (and apart). Their lives are entwined with The Spectacular, a strange paranormal circus where lost things end up. How they view it is completely at odds with each other and this drives the story to a final confrontation, where the magic of the spectacular has them careering from story to story.

So what didn’t resonate so much for me?
- There are a few weird turns of phrase that meant I had to re-read sentences at times eg ‘he had been many late nights spent in his own library…’ or ‘Under her care, there had a faint spaghetti-western atmosphere’
- On occasion it is simply impenetrable, especially at the beginning. I think more clarity about what was going on is required earlier in the story.
- I would have got more out of the overwhelming amount of book scenes quoted if I had read the books referenced. Instead, I felt like I was missing out on an inside joke and it resulted in me feeling a bit disengaged with the story.

So, I had struggles which resulted in me taking a while to get through it. I do wonder if this fantastic idea would be better as a short story or novella, focussed on the section of the pursuit.

As a novel it was too long, the heavy descriptions dragging the pace down, and the lack of clarity about the storyline creating frustration rather than intrigue as it went along.

In conclusion, I wouldn’t read it again, though I would give another book by this author a chance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion for the e-Arc.

Overall 2.5 stars, rounded to 3 for GoodReads.

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, it’s whimsical, but kind of in an overbearing way, smashing it into your face. It’s difficult to get into (you can’t fall into it, it’s a bit more like, climbing, carefully, with diligence and perseverance), because the language is a lot, and it asks much of the reader. There was one point where I genuinely assumed our protagonist had mental health issues, rather than believing in the magic of the book. It’s not a book that eases you in gently.

But once it got going? It was less about mystery and more about punching you in the face with the themes of it all. There’s a segment about the stories we tell ourselves, and just in case you didn’t get it, there’s a line “and her elevator pitch kept her good company even on the worst of days” which is then hammered home with emphasis, two pages later in the paired line “or such was the story he told himself.” It’s like the author doesn’t think we’re capable of understanding their themes, or following the plot.

And okay, yes, there is whimsy. Lion cubs sneaking out behind you, our protagonists slipping between stories, in and out of paintings, letters, dreams, pilfering a little here and there for an idea, a narrative. It’s a bit like a children’s fort, propped up with wide open umbrellas with a blanket thrown over the top, with fairy lights on the inside. Held together with a wish and a bucket of delight in the moment.

But then it gets a bit dark, because adults aren’t children, and they’re trying to one up each other rather than admit their truths, be a bit vulnerable and have a grown up conversation like adults. They’re also really mad at each other, and hurt, too. Misunderstood and feeling wretched about it.

The end, where there was vulnerability, a forgiveness, I think (hard to tell, it stopped a beat early and I think were meant to imagine the ending), and everything got a bit meta, reminding us again of the circular stories, how it’s all intertwined together.

Also, awkwardly, I don’t think the spectacular was ever lost?

I don’t know. It was a cute read, but I found it overly heavy handed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.