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The Lost Spectacular
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.
*DELUXE LIMITED EDITION with specially commissioned interior artwork, custom endpapers, stenciled edges, and foil case stamp by renowned cover artist Micaela Alcaino.*
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.
*DELUXE LIMITED EDITION with specially commissioned interior artwork, custom endpapers, stenciled edges, and foil case stamp by renowned cover artist Micaela Alcaino.*
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 29, 2026
About the author
Zoé Duhaime
2 books118 followersauthor and reader in Montreal; occasional illustrator, handspinner, and purveyor of sweet dreams
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
May 11, 2026
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest were once children who grew up together on the same steady diet of fantastical worlds, tall tales, and mesmerizing stories. Now they are rivals, caught up in the glittering world of the Spectacular festival and eager to best the other with their inventions and creative prowess.
This book was both enchanting and confusing in equal measures! I was sold on the other worlds and book wandering abilities mentioned in the synopsis, but this both did and didn't play a notary part in the narrative. The primary focus remained on the duo at its centre, involving their backstory and relationship to the other. The way in which Duhaime introduced new literary worlds into her own exquisite one was very clever and understated, leading this to feel whimsical and magical yet not as highly fantastical as I had anticipated, throughout. I struggled to find my footing throughout much of this, despite still enjoying all I was reading. I commend the author for her creation and think this is a book that would highly benefit from a second reading.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Zoe Duhaime, and the publisher, Erewhon Books, for this opportunity.
This book was both enchanting and confusing in equal measures! I was sold on the other worlds and book wandering abilities mentioned in the synopsis, but this both did and didn't play a notary part in the narrative. The primary focus remained on the duo at its centre, involving their backstory and relationship to the other. The way in which Duhaime introduced new literary worlds into her own exquisite one was very clever and understated, leading this to feel whimsical and magical yet not as highly fantastical as I had anticipated, throughout. I struggled to find my footing throughout much of this, despite still enjoying all I was reading. I commend the author for her creation and think this is a book that would highly benefit from a second reading.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Zoe Duhaime, and the publisher, Erewhon Books, for this opportunity.
April 23, 2026
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
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
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Munro Forrest found a magical festival containing everything humanity has ever lost and responded by building an adult career around capturing it, because apparently therapy was not accepting museum curators. This man could have treasured one beautiful childhood memory. He could have written in a journal. He could have taken up woodworking. Instead, he grows up, becomes professionally responsible for preserving historical objects, and decides his next exhibit should trap the impossible story-circus currently captained by the childhood best friend whose heart he already helped break. Munro. Your project proposal is alarming.
He and Noon Bonaventure grow up above a bookshop, listening to stories from Munro’s grandmother Millie, fighting over their favorites, and developing the kind of childhood bond where everyone around them probably thinks, oh, these two are obviously going to fall in love. Which they do, sort of, except Noon and Munro are both deeply committed to making affection feel like an international border dispute.
Then they discover the Spectacular, a secret, shifting festival hidden inside misprinted books and filled with everything the world has lost. Lone earrings. Abandoned drafts. Vanished orchards. Shipwrecks. Forgotten languages. Entire pieces of history sitting around like they just missed the last train home. Noon sees wonder. Munro sees wonder and immediately develops a lifelong inability to behave normally about it.
Because these two handle loss in completely opposite ways. Noon lets go before anything can make her beg it to stay. Munro holds on until the thing he loves starts filing paperwork. Noon treats impermanence like weather. Munro treats it like a personal enemy he can defeat with enough determination and museum funding. Then one painful misstep shuts down whatever they might have become, and instead of having one devastating conversation, they spend years building entire lives around not needing each other. Excellent use of time.
Now Noon is captain of the Spectacular, protecting the exact place Munro wants to capture. Munro is preparing an exhibit designed to bring the festival down and return its lost treasures. Their adult careers are basically a custody battle over magical grief. He thinks the Spectacular is hoarding what belongs to people. She thinks he will destroy it by trying to possess it. They are furious with each other. They are obviously still drawn to each other. Nobody has suggested coffee and one sincere apology.
Instead, they chase each other through stories. Actual stories. Books, paintings, private letters, family dinners, memories, all the places their shared history has gotten stuck. Noon keeps slipping away. Munro keeps pursuing her with the confidence of a man who believes one more literary dimension will finally make his feelings easier to discuss. They could say, “I miss you and I am still grieving.” They choose to involve classic literature. Somewhere, a fictional character is being displaced from their own plot because these two refuse to communicate without symbolism.
And the Spectacular itself is gorgeous. A sky full of umbrellas. Lost languages and unfinished art. Objects sitting beside whole vanished worlds. Stories you can physically enter. Misprints acting like hidden doors. Every time we went back inside it, I understood why Noon would protect it and why Munro could not leave it alone. Tell me there is a secret place inside an old book where everything lost is still waiting, and I will also abandon basic judgment. I am not better than these people. I am just less qualified to mount an exhibit.
But there is so much whimsy happening that eventually whimsy cornered me at a party and would not stop talking. Every object means something. Every hallway is a metaphor. Every story opens into another story carrying a lantern made of longing. I kept admiring how beautiful everything was while waiting for the emotions to grab me by the throat, and instead the book would hand me another symbolic umbrella and ask whether I had considered the nature of memory. I had. Extensively.
Noon and Munro needed to be placed in two chairs and denied access to magical portals until they completed one honest conversation. Munro, preserving everything is not the same as loving it. Noon, leaving first is not the same as being free. You have both created opposite coping mechanisms for the exact same grief and then made those coping mechanisms your careers. Congratulations on becoming professionally codependent.
That is what finally got me, though. These are not really two people fighting over a magical festival. They are two kids who grew up sharing stories, lost pieces of the same world, and learned completely different ways to survive afterward. Munro holds on because losing something feels like failing it. Noon lets go because wanting anything to remain feels humiliating. Neither of them knows how to stay without trying to control the ending. That hurt. Moving on before I start crying into a misprinted copy of The Wind in the Willows.
I’m at 2.5 stars for The Lost Spectacular. I wanted this to emotionally flatten me. I wanted to feel like I had stepped back into every childhood book that ever became a home. I kept reaching for that feeling and mostly ended up admiring the elaborate machinery surrounding it. By the time Noon and Munro finally stopped turning literary landmarks into relationship collateral, I cared about them. I just spent too much of the journey feeling like I was touring an exquisitely curated exhibit about being swept away instead of actually being swept away.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, and for letting me watch two adults chase each other through classic literature because neither could say, “I am grieving, I miss you, and I handled it badly.” Books can transport us across worlds, preserve forgotten histories, and apparently provide limitless alternatives to having one normal conversation.
He and Noon Bonaventure grow up above a bookshop, listening to stories from Munro’s grandmother Millie, fighting over their favorites, and developing the kind of childhood bond where everyone around them probably thinks, oh, these two are obviously going to fall in love. Which they do, sort of, except Noon and Munro are both deeply committed to making affection feel like an international border dispute.
Then they discover the Spectacular, a secret, shifting festival hidden inside misprinted books and filled with everything the world has lost. Lone earrings. Abandoned drafts. Vanished orchards. Shipwrecks. Forgotten languages. Entire pieces of history sitting around like they just missed the last train home. Noon sees wonder. Munro sees wonder and immediately develops a lifelong inability to behave normally about it.
Because these two handle loss in completely opposite ways. Noon lets go before anything can make her beg it to stay. Munro holds on until the thing he loves starts filing paperwork. Noon treats impermanence like weather. Munro treats it like a personal enemy he can defeat with enough determination and museum funding. Then one painful misstep shuts down whatever they might have become, and instead of having one devastating conversation, they spend years building entire lives around not needing each other. Excellent use of time.
Now Noon is captain of the Spectacular, protecting the exact place Munro wants to capture. Munro is preparing an exhibit designed to bring the festival down and return its lost treasures. Their adult careers are basically a custody battle over magical grief. He thinks the Spectacular is hoarding what belongs to people. She thinks he will destroy it by trying to possess it. They are furious with each other. They are obviously still drawn to each other. Nobody has suggested coffee and one sincere apology.
Instead, they chase each other through stories. Actual stories. Books, paintings, private letters, family dinners, memories, all the places their shared history has gotten stuck. Noon keeps slipping away. Munro keeps pursuing her with the confidence of a man who believes one more literary dimension will finally make his feelings easier to discuss. They could say, “I miss you and I am still grieving.” They choose to involve classic literature. Somewhere, a fictional character is being displaced from their own plot because these two refuse to communicate without symbolism.
And the Spectacular itself is gorgeous. A sky full of umbrellas. Lost languages and unfinished art. Objects sitting beside whole vanished worlds. Stories you can physically enter. Misprints acting like hidden doors. Every time we went back inside it, I understood why Noon would protect it and why Munro could not leave it alone. Tell me there is a secret place inside an old book where everything lost is still waiting, and I will also abandon basic judgment. I am not better than these people. I am just less qualified to mount an exhibit.
But there is so much whimsy happening that eventually whimsy cornered me at a party and would not stop talking. Every object means something. Every hallway is a metaphor. Every story opens into another story carrying a lantern made of longing. I kept admiring how beautiful everything was while waiting for the emotions to grab me by the throat, and instead the book would hand me another symbolic umbrella and ask whether I had considered the nature of memory. I had. Extensively.
Noon and Munro needed to be placed in two chairs and denied access to magical portals until they completed one honest conversation. Munro, preserving everything is not the same as loving it. Noon, leaving first is not the same as being free. You have both created opposite coping mechanisms for the exact same grief and then made those coping mechanisms your careers. Congratulations on becoming professionally codependent.
That is what finally got me, though. These are not really two people fighting over a magical festival. They are two kids who grew up sharing stories, lost pieces of the same world, and learned completely different ways to survive afterward. Munro holds on because losing something feels like failing it. Noon lets go because wanting anything to remain feels humiliating. Neither of them knows how to stay without trying to control the ending. That hurt. Moving on before I start crying into a misprinted copy of The Wind in the Willows.
I’m at 2.5 stars for The Lost Spectacular. I wanted this to emotionally flatten me. I wanted to feel like I had stepped back into every childhood book that ever became a home. I kept reaching for that feeling and mostly ended up admiring the elaborate machinery surrounding it. By the time Noon and Munro finally stopped turning literary landmarks into relationship collateral, I cared about them. I just spent too much of the journey feeling like I was touring an exquisitely curated exhibit about being swept away instead of actually being swept away.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, and for letting me watch two adults chase each other through classic literature because neither could say, “I am grieving, I miss you, and I handled it badly.” Books can transport us across worlds, preserve forgotten histories, and apparently provide limitless alternatives to having one normal conversation.
October 5, 2026
I see all the bad reviews and just want to dissolve into tears
because this is one of the best books I’ve ever read (I’ve read thousands). I understand the bad reviews are by people who truly did not like the book. I just need to say that those were clearly not the right readers for this book. If you love Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus… If you love Gandalf and Lothlorien… If you have felt the cold snow of Narnia at the back of the wardrobe… If you loved books as a child and those book memories are part of who you are now… If you love poetry or lyrical poesy… If you love books…
If you dream or imagine… If you have lost something or someone irreplaceable… If you see wonder around you and realize that each moment is extraordinary and time is fleeting… You should visit the world inside this book… Fall into it… Trust the process… If you are one of the right readers for this book, you might well love it with the kind of
fierce love we had for books as children. I know I do.
I’m not going to tell you what the book is about because you will discover that as you read it… The journey is too delicious to suffer any impairment from spoilers or a thinly-crafted summary. I’m not here to say what the book is ABOUT. I’m here to say who the book is FOR.
because this is one of the best books I’ve ever read (I’ve read thousands). I understand the bad reviews are by people who truly did not like the book. I just need to say that those were clearly not the right readers for this book. If you love Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus… If you love Gandalf and Lothlorien… If you have felt the cold snow of Narnia at the back of the wardrobe… If you loved books as a child and those book memories are part of who you are now… If you love poetry or lyrical poesy… If you love books…
If you dream or imagine… If you have lost something or someone irreplaceable… If you see wonder around you and realize that each moment is extraordinary and time is fleeting… You should visit the world inside this book… Fall into it… Trust the process… If you are one of the right readers for this book, you might well love it with the kind of
fierce love we had for books as children. I know I do.
I’m not going to tell you what the book is about because you will discover that as you read it… The journey is too delicious to suffer any impairment from spoilers or a thinly-crafted summary. I’m not here to say what the book is ABOUT. I’m here to say who the book is FOR.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
Did Not Finish
October 2, 2026Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC.
DNF @ 36%
The Lost Spectacular promises magic and whimsy, but that was not my experience in the 36% I managed to read of this. I think in theory this book is really cool and I liked where the story in general was going, but I could not get past the writing. I am all for lyrical writing and purple prose. I love books that are meta and play with form. I am not one to shy away from a book that takes time to understand. I actually love being confused if I can feel a book is doing things that go over my head for the majority of it, to then come together at the end to make the prolonged confusion worth it and fun. I did not get the feeling that we were ever actually going to arrive at a satisfying point.
The "whimsical" writing of this felt extremely forced. It was work to get through page after page when the sentences had no rhythm and didn't flow properly, making everything feel jilted and choppy. Most of the time when another book title was mentioned (which happens a lot) it was followed by the year in parentheses and the author's full name, over and over and over. Sometimes there'd be entire pages that felt like reading the references of a research paper. There's only so much I can endure for the sake of whimsy.
Beyond the issues I had with the writing itself, I don't feel that the story was being told effectively. The magic system here is LOOSE. While I usually prefer a hard magic system, I don't mind a fun, whimsical time every so often where I get to just sit back and accept things as they are with little to no explanation. This however bordered on nonsensical. It was a constant effort for me keep track of what was happening, and how and why. Dialogue, both internal and with other characters, was sometimes impossible to follow. I feel like I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts, but that's because this book has a hard time articulating anything well at all.
DNF @ 36%
The Lost Spectacular promises magic and whimsy, but that was not my experience in the 36% I managed to read of this. I think in theory this book is really cool and I liked where the story in general was going, but I could not get past the writing. I am all for lyrical writing and purple prose. I love books that are meta and play with form. I am not one to shy away from a book that takes time to understand. I actually love being confused if I can feel a book is doing things that go over my head for the majority of it, to then come together at the end to make the prolonged confusion worth it and fun. I did not get the feeling that we were ever actually going to arrive at a satisfying point.
The "whimsical" writing of this felt extremely forced. It was work to get through page after page when the sentences had no rhythm and didn't flow properly, making everything feel jilted and choppy. Most of the time when another book title was mentioned (which happens a lot) it was followed by the year in parentheses and the author's full name, over and over and over. Sometimes there'd be entire pages that felt like reading the references of a research paper. There's only so much I can endure for the sake of whimsy.
Beyond the issues I had with the writing itself, I don't feel that the story was being told effectively. The magic system here is LOOSE. While I usually prefer a hard magic system, I don't mind a fun, whimsical time every so often where I get to just sit back and accept things as they are with little to no explanation. This however bordered on nonsensical. It was a constant effort for me keep track of what was happening, and how and why. Dialogue, both internal and with other characters, was sometimes impossible to follow. I feel like I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts, but that's because this book has a hard time articulating anything well at all.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's a no for me, unfortunately
I am "magically" drawn to Books about books, and this one should have hit every mark
-magical realism ✔️
- books as comfort ✔️
-characters are actually characters in books ✔️
But it just didn't
I loved the idea that book-characters are sentient... that they actually realise that they are fictional
I loved the jumping in between the pages of stories
And that's about it
I kept reading and reading, hoping to get what this book is trying to say
20%
Then 30%
Then 50%
And still nothing
The main protagonists, Noone and Munro, have absolutely no chemistry between them
The Spectualr is vague and you don't know what or why it is
I think the book tried to work on vibes much like The Starless Sea, but it failed
Great premise, terribly executed
2 stars for the idea
A Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my humble, honest opinion
I am "magically" drawn to Books about books, and this one should have hit every mark
-magical realism ✔️
- books as comfort ✔️
-characters are actually characters in books ✔️
But it just didn't
I loved the idea that book-characters are sentient... that they actually realise that they are fictional
I loved the jumping in between the pages of stories
And that's about it
I kept reading and reading, hoping to get what this book is trying to say
20%
Then 30%
Then 50%
And still nothing
The main protagonists, Noone and Munro, have absolutely no chemistry between them
The Spectualr is vague and you don't know what or why it is
I think the book tried to work on vibes much like The Starless Sea, but it failed
Great premise, terribly executed
2 stars for the idea
A Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my humble, honest opinion
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4,5 ⭐
📖«Everything you love must leave you»
A beautifully whimsical story about books, magic, love, loss, and learning to let go. The Lost Spectacular completely swept me into its dreamy world. 🍂📚☂️
🙏A huge thank you to Zoé and Solaris Books for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful story early
📖«Everything you love must leave you»
A beautifully whimsical story about books, magic, love, loss, and learning to let go. The Lost Spectacular completely swept me into its dreamy world. 🍂📚☂️
🙏A huge thank you to Zoé and Solaris Books for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful story early
September 30, 2026
Please, please, PLEASE read the reviews before picking up The Spectacular. Not because you need to know everything going in, but because you need to know what kind of book you’re getting yourself into. This is not a straightforward story, and I think knowing that going in makes the experience so much more enjoyable.
This book had SO much depth and mystery. At its heart, it’s a story about books, life, grief, love, and the stories we carry with us. There were so many parallels woven throughout the story, and I’m honestly convinced there is even more meaning here than I caught on my first read.
The premise alone is fascinating. Noon Bonaventure inherits her father’s bookstore after his death. She grew up surrounded by books and developed a particular love for old ones. Her parents, Arial and Elizabeth, lived above Munro Forrest and his mothers, Anjali and Esperanza, along with Esperanza’s mother, Millie Forrest, who originally owned the bookstore before selling it to Arial.
And then there’s The Spectacular.
It feels like an art exhibit, a museum, a library, and a performance all rolled into one. The troupe is immortal, and when they aren’t performing in a library, they live inside books, traveling from story to story wherever their keeper takes them. The magic behind how they move between books is intentionally mysterious and never completely explained, which somehow adds to the dreamlike quality of the whole thing.
And from the beginning, it’s obvious that Noon is completely smitten with Munro… but something happened between them. 👀 I loved slowly uncovering their history and trying to understand how all of these pieces connected.
But the part that really stayed with me was the way this book handles grief. It’s quiet, complicated, and deeply intertwined with memory, love, and the stories we use to make sense of our lives. I genuinely cannot do it justice in a review.
I also LOVED the nostalgia of all the childhood books woven throughout the story. It made me think about how we first fall in love with reading, the stories that shape us when we’re young, and why certain books stay with us long after we’ve grown up.
If you loved The Midnight Library, The Night Circus, or magical realism with a literary twist, I think The Spectacular is absolutely worth looking into.
Just go in knowing that this is a very bookish, very layered, very strange little story and I mean all of that as a compliment. 📚✨
I have a feeling this is one of those books I’ll understand a little differently every time I revisit it.
This book had SO much depth and mystery. At its heart, it’s a story about books, life, grief, love, and the stories we carry with us. There were so many parallels woven throughout the story, and I’m honestly convinced there is even more meaning here than I caught on my first read.
The premise alone is fascinating. Noon Bonaventure inherits her father’s bookstore after his death. She grew up surrounded by books and developed a particular love for old ones. Her parents, Arial and Elizabeth, lived above Munro Forrest and his mothers, Anjali and Esperanza, along with Esperanza’s mother, Millie Forrest, who originally owned the bookstore before selling it to Arial.
And then there’s The Spectacular.
It feels like an art exhibit, a museum, a library, and a performance all rolled into one. The troupe is immortal, and when they aren’t performing in a library, they live inside books, traveling from story to story wherever their keeper takes them. The magic behind how they move between books is intentionally mysterious and never completely explained, which somehow adds to the dreamlike quality of the whole thing.
And from the beginning, it’s obvious that Noon is completely smitten with Munro… but something happened between them. 👀 I loved slowly uncovering their history and trying to understand how all of these pieces connected.
But the part that really stayed with me was the way this book handles grief. It’s quiet, complicated, and deeply intertwined with memory, love, and the stories we use to make sense of our lives. I genuinely cannot do it justice in a review.
I also LOVED the nostalgia of all the childhood books woven throughout the story. It made me think about how we first fall in love with reading, the stories that shape us when we’re young, and why certain books stay with us long after we’ve grown up.
If you loved The Midnight Library, The Night Circus, or magical realism with a literary twist, I think The Spectacular is absolutely worth looking into.
Just go in knowing that this is a very bookish, very layered, very strange little story and I mean all of that as a compliment. 📚✨
I have a feeling this is one of those books I’ll understand a little differently every time I revisit it.
October 10, 2026
My feelings about this book are hard to put into words. It is definitely magical realism as opposed to fantasy. And the magical world of the lost, where books and art are doorways to everywhere, comes second. The ongoing rivalry between Noon and Munro is the real focus, and their relationship is complicated by grief, obsession, and regrets.
The writing is quite airy and disjointed at times. I saw another review that liked it to a dream that makes sense while it's happening but it confusing and hard to piece together once you're awake. This element in particular will make or break the story for readers. For me it just wasn't right. I couldn't quite connect with the characters. At times I honestly hated Noon.
I did enjoy the moments that happened in the real world. Noon and Munro grew up in the same house so their collective mothers (one for Noon, two for Munro) know each other. They scheme to pair up the two and they miss their children, now adults and one their own. The relationship between everyone in this close group was my favorite part of the story. Watching Munro grow and do better by his moms was wonderful and heartwarming. The descriptions of the town they grew up in were done very well. I enjoyed that their home town grounded me in reality.
If you love to read based on vibes and enjoy a journey unbound by rules or a final destination, this might be for you! But if you need the magic system to have some explanation, rules, or limitations just be warned (the comparison to The Night Circus are fairly accurate). In all, this story had some enjoyable moments but wasn't quite my style.
A huge thanks to The Tandem Collective for providing a free copy and inviting me to participate in your readalong!
The writing is quite airy and disjointed at times. I saw another review that liked it to a dream that makes sense while it's happening but it confusing and hard to piece together once you're awake. This element in particular will make or break the story for readers. For me it just wasn't right. I couldn't quite connect with the characters. At times I honestly hated Noon.
I did enjoy the moments that happened in the real world. Noon and Munro grew up in the same house so their collective mothers (one for Noon, two for Munro) know each other. They scheme to pair up the two and they miss their children, now adults and one their own. The relationship between everyone in this close group was my favorite part of the story. Watching Munro grow and do better by his moms was wonderful and heartwarming. The descriptions of the town they grew up in were done very well. I enjoyed that their home town grounded me in reality.
If you love to read based on vibes and enjoy a journey unbound by rules or a final destination, this might be for you! But if you need the magic system to have some explanation, rules, or limitations just be warned (the comparison to The Night Circus are fairly accurate). In all, this story had some enjoyable moments but wasn't quite my style.
A huge thanks to The Tandem Collective for providing a free copy and inviting me to participate in your readalong!
September 24, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
__________________
While I absolutely can enjoy a ‘no-plot-just-vibes’ book, this was not it for me. Even if there are no high-stakes plot beats happening, there does need to be a semblance of coherency in the plot and the things that are happening. And I just didn’t get that with this book. There are some quite nice instances of description in every chapter, but there was just no drive in the plot at all and things get incredibly convoluted by the end. I also didn’t care for any of the characters in this book, especially Munroe who is absolutely insufferable to everyone and thinks he should still get away with everything and have a happy ending. Noon was by far the strongest character, especially considering all of the side characters are very barely fleshed out into real feeling people. It unfortunately dragged pretty badly, and I felt myself wanting it to be over at multiple points.
The idea behind all of the magic was really interesting, and there was a great concept there.
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 29 2026
__________________
While I absolutely can enjoy a ‘no-plot-just-vibes’ book, this was not it for me. Even if there are no high-stakes plot beats happening, there does need to be a semblance of coherency in the plot and the things that are happening. And I just didn’t get that with this book. There are some quite nice instances of description in every chapter, but there was just no drive in the plot at all and things get incredibly convoluted by the end. I also didn’t care for any of the characters in this book, especially Munroe who is absolutely insufferable to everyone and thinks he should still get away with everything and have a happy ending. Noon was by far the strongest character, especially considering all of the side characters are very barely fleshed out into real feeling people. It unfortunately dragged pretty badly, and I felt myself wanting it to be over at multiple points.
The idea behind all of the magic was really interesting, and there was a great concept there.
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 29 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well—this book was like a dream... A dream that is lost once we are awake and can never find it.
Let me break it down
Things I loved about this book:
♡The Characters
Each and every characters in this book were so interesting. From the moms to the troupe members to the four curators. Chef's kiss! The character dynamics were so intriguing and more than the plot, I was liking it.
♡The Writing
Now, the writing style might not be in everyone's palate but for readers like me love lush and descriptive writing—and love The Night Circus, you'll love it.
I also have some issues here, but that's for later.
♡Noon & Munroe
Yes—they deserve a separate mention.
I never thought of enjoying a childhood lovers turned rivals until this. Though this is not a proper romance or romantasy, their every moment was dripping with such tension that I couldn't bother about ANYTHING ELSE! The character development of both of them but mainly of Munroe really increased my love for him.
And the way my jaw dropped in chapter
♡The beginning of each chapter with Lukøje stealing umbrella(s) 😂
Now my issues with the book:
⩩The constant mentions of the books.
I know it IS a book about books so that was expected. But to me? It felt like a distraction. I DIDN'T hate it. It was kinda nostalgic tbh. The books of my childhood being mentioned.
But it diluted the plot a little.
⩩The Writing
Ok—hear me out. No matter how beautiful or lush it was... it was also confusing.
There were moments I wanted a clear groud of whatever hell was happening. I felt so lost at the first quater of this book. But then, either I got used to the beauty, or the characters(Noon & Munroe ofc) were too interesting for me to bother about anything.
˖ ִֶָ𐀔 𓂃 ࣪˖ ⋆
Thankyou Netgalley and the publisher for the arc (my first arc actually🤭)
⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded off to 4
Let me break it down
Things I loved about this book:
♡The Characters
Each and every characters in this book were so interesting. From the moms to the troupe members to the four curators. Chef's kiss! The character dynamics were so intriguing and more than the plot, I was liking it.
♡The Writing
Now, the writing style might not be in everyone's palate but for readers like me love lush and descriptive writing—and love The Night Circus, you'll love it.
I also have some issues here, but that's for later.
♡Noon & Munroe
Yes—they deserve a separate mention.
I never thought of enjoying a childhood lovers turned rivals until this. Though this is not a proper romance or romantasy, their every moment was dripping with such tension that I couldn't bother about ANYTHING ELSE! The character development of both of them but mainly of Munroe really increased my love for him.
And the way my jaw dropped in chapter
♡The beginning of each chapter with Lukøje stealing umbrella(s) 😂
Now my issues with the book:
⩩The constant mentions of the books.
I know it IS a book about books so that was expected. But to me? It felt like a distraction. I DIDN'T hate it. It was kinda nostalgic tbh. The books of my childhood being mentioned.
But it diluted the plot a little.
⩩The Writing
Ok—hear me out. No matter how beautiful or lush it was... it was also confusing.
There were moments I wanted a clear groud of whatever hell was happening. I felt so lost at the first quater of this book. But then, either I got used to the beauty, or the characters(Noon & Munroe ofc) were too interesting for me to bother about anything.
˖ ִֶָ𐀔 𓂃 ࣪˖ ⋆
Thankyou Netgalley and the publisher for the arc (my first arc actually🤭)
⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded off to 4
July 23, 2026
*****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.”
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.”
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Erewhon for a complimentary arc of The Lost Spectacular. All opinions expressed are my own.*
The Lost Spectacular felt like stepping into a magical city where everyone speaks a language you don’t understand and you’re not quite sure where you’re going.
This was one of those fantasy stories that was so magical that it just went right above my head. The plot and world building are incredibly complex, and while there is clearly so much thought and depth behind them, I often felt like I couldn’t follow what I was reading.
And yet, I couldn’t deny the beauty of it. The prose is wonderfully lyrical, adding to that almost dreamlike quality of the story, while the characters felt complex enough to keep me intrigued enough to continue. But, by the end, the whole experience felt a little like trying to piece together memories from a long night out or make sense of a blurry dream.
I went into this with high hopes, but I think this is one of those books you need to read twice to truly understand and follow along.
If you like lyrical and dreamlike fantasy stories, you might be more equipped to follow along with this from the start and fall in love with this, like I hopefully will next time I pick it up.
The Lost Spectacular felt like stepping into a magical city where everyone speaks a language you don’t understand and you’re not quite sure where you’re going.
This was one of those fantasy stories that was so magical that it just went right above my head. The plot and world building are incredibly complex, and while there is clearly so much thought and depth behind them, I often felt like I couldn’t follow what I was reading.
And yet, I couldn’t deny the beauty of it. The prose is wonderfully lyrical, adding to that almost dreamlike quality of the story, while the characters felt complex enough to keep me intrigued enough to continue. But, by the end, the whole experience felt a little like trying to piece together memories from a long night out or make sense of a blurry dream.
I went into this with high hopes, but I think this is one of those books you need to read twice to truly understand and follow along.
If you like lyrical and dreamlike fantasy stories, you might be more equipped to follow along with this from the start and fall in love with this, like I hopefully will next time I pick it up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Lost Spectacular by Zoé Duhaime is a magical fantasy book taking place within the pages of books. The premise of the book is amazing!
Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest chase each other through the pages of books. Munro is looking for Noon, but also the Spectacular, which is a secret festival that happens within books. Noon is now the new captain of the Spectacular after having had to close her father’s bookshop. But she wants nothing to do with Munro. And so they flit in and out of books and pages, chasing and dodging.
This book is fun, and the writing is very descriptive. But it might be too descriptive. I had a hard time following along with all the characters, and book scenes listed. I can’t lie, I was confused through much of the book. The main storyline gets bogged down with all the details. I think this is a very charming and whimsical book, but not one I could really get into, because my mind couldn’t keep track.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of this book!
Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest chase each other through the pages of books. Munro is looking for Noon, but also the Spectacular, which is a secret festival that happens within books. Noon is now the new captain of the Spectacular after having had to close her father’s bookshop. But she wants nothing to do with Munro. And so they flit in and out of books and pages, chasing and dodging.
This book is fun, and the writing is very descriptive. But it might be too descriptive. I had a hard time following along with all the characters, and book scenes listed. I can’t lie, I was confused through much of the book. The main storyline gets bogged down with all the details. I think this is a very charming and whimsical book, but not one I could really get into, because my mind couldn’t keep track.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of this book!
Did Not Finish
September 16, 2026Nah, no, nope. DNF @ 11%. Pick a metaphor. The writing style in this is so jarring, and I just can't do it. I know nothing about the characters at over 1/10th into the story, but sure, the "white wine is sunlight in Noon's body" or... something. The writing lacks any feeling and yet tries to be whimsical.
•
Thank you to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.
•
Thank you to Kensington Publishing for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
For everyone who has ever wanted the whimsy of a circus wrapped up in a love story with a profound message about loss, this one is for you. Noon Bonaventure knows a thing or two about loss, as her father passed away when she was young and she has to close the doors to his struggling bookstore. Growing up in a home with her grandmother and her best friend Munro Forrest, Noon is no stranger to stories and children's literature, and both her and Munro's lives are forever changed when they follow their grandmother to the Spectacular. Carefully curated from lost things plucked from both reality and literature, the show is never the same but always astonishing. Noon, who never really accepted the permanence of real life, is thrilled to join the Spectacular as the ringmaster, because the Sandman felt it was time to pass on the mantle. Munro, however, is haunted by his inability to find the Spectacular so he makes it his life's work to stalk Noon through literature in order to find her. The two engage in a battle of wills culminating in two spectacular exhibits, one in Noon's fairytales and one at Munro's museum. Readers will be riveted as they try to figure out if the two reconcile, to guess what will happen at the next Spectacular, and, honestly, to see how it ends. Noon is our heroine, so I must admit, I was on her side a bit more than Munro's, but the characters are very likable and the story is captivating. Just remember: everything you love will leave you, and this too shall pass.
June 22, 2026
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Lost Spectacular is not a novel that moves in straight lines. I had to recalibrate at first, step outside the expectation of plot and let myself read differently, with imagination as the guiding structure rather than narrative certainty.
What emerged felt less like a story about a magical realm and more like a study of how we inhabit experiences. The Spectacular, the museum, the bookshop, all become ways of asking the same question: do we experience meaning, or do we try to possess it?
Noon and Munro sit on opposite sides of that question. Noon moves through wonder and grief, allowing experiences to shape her without trapping her in them. Munro, in contrast, tries to preserve what he cannot bear to lose, and in doing so becomes bound to it.
In the end, I stopped thinking of the Spectacular as a place and started seeing it as a mirror for how we live now, how easily we turn moments into objects, and memories into things we try to hold instead of live.
A surreal, reflective read that lingers, not because it explains itself, but because it doesn’t.
Thank you @NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What emerged felt less like a story about a magical realm and more like a study of how we inhabit experiences. The Spectacular, the museum, the bookshop, all become ways of asking the same question: do we experience meaning, or do we try to possess it?
Noon and Munro sit on opposite sides of that question. Noon moves through wonder and grief, allowing experiences to shape her without trapping her in them. Munro, in contrast, tries to preserve what he cannot bear to lose, and in doing so becomes bound to it.
In the end, I stopped thinking of the Spectacular as a place and started seeing it as a mirror for how we live now, how easily we turn moments into objects, and memories into things we try to hold instead of live.
A surreal, reflective read that lingers, not because it explains itself, but because it doesn’t.
Thank you @NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2026
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.
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.
September 29, 2026
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review.
The Lost Spectacular challenged me as a reader in that the writing doesn't hand hold. At first I was incredibly confused as I tried to grasp the mechanics of the magic and I felt like I was getting constant whiplash but once I got used to it, it was refreshing to feel like the author trusted me. It throws you into the magical realism head first and it's up to you to keep up.
The narrative follows childhood best friends turned rivals Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest through a game of cat and mouse as they work out their unresolved issues with each other. As children, they discovered the Spectacular together, a circus/museum that lives within stories and is composed of everything lost and forgotten. As they grow into adulthood, however, Noon and Munro develop opposing ideologies about the Spectacular and their own relationships with loss. While Noon has mastered the art of letting go and has taken over running the Spectacular, Munro has been rejected from the Spectacular and obsessively hunts the troupe across the texts they hide in, curating a museum exhibit to expose its secrets.
This is a truly cozy read. The pacing is languid and character development is subtle. There is no grand fight to resolve the conflict or emotional collapse at the climax but rather quiet shifts from resentment and petty revenge to self-reflection and finally to making amends. The mechanics of the magic used to leap between the real world and the world of story or through different literary worlds is only loosely explained in fragments but the haziness was part of the charm for me.
At its core, the story is about the narratives that we create from the pieces of our lives. One of my favorite aspects of the writing was how Duhaime layers narrative theory over each character's world view. Noon, with her philosophy that "everything you love will leave you", embraces endings while Munro stubbornly refuses them, whether narratively or in real life. Noon has a reader's intuition for pacing that she applies to her own life and seems consistently aware of where in her own narrative she is (e.g. she recognizes the call to adventure) whereas Munro has no such intuition. Through Noon's and Munro's feud, the story explores how people process loss and grief differently, reminds us to step back from our own narrative of events to see how another person might experience the same events differently, and teaches us to acknowledge the hurt caused from that disconnect as a step toward healing.
I see a lot of books hailed as being a "love letter to literature" but The Lost Spectacular is the first book I've read for which that phrase really resonated. Duhaime's narrator makes fantastic use of cheeky fourth wall breaks which I adored and constantly includes specific citations and editions to situate us in the sweeping bibliography of interconnected works through which the characters travel (I'm tempted to make a reading list from this). The story and characters constantly surprised me and made me laugh even when they were doing horribly spiteful things to each other. The Lost Spectacular captured a certain depth to the tangled experience of being human that I think a lot of cozy stories miss in trying to create a tidy narrative package. Noon's and Munro's progression is messy and a perfect balance of whimsy, nostalgia, humor, and stubborn rivalry with a healthy dose of obsession of the "it's always been you" variety. Truly one of my favorite journeys I've been on this year.
The Lost Spectacular challenged me as a reader in that the writing doesn't hand hold. At first I was incredibly confused as I tried to grasp the mechanics of the magic and I felt like I was getting constant whiplash but once I got used to it, it was refreshing to feel like the author trusted me. It throws you into the magical realism head first and it's up to you to keep up.
The narrative follows childhood best friends turned rivals Noon Bonaventure and Munro Forrest through a game of cat and mouse as they work out their unresolved issues with each other. As children, they discovered the Spectacular together, a circus/museum that lives within stories and is composed of everything lost and forgotten. As they grow into adulthood, however, Noon and Munro develop opposing ideologies about the Spectacular and their own relationships with loss. While Noon has mastered the art of letting go and has taken over running the Spectacular, Munro has been rejected from the Spectacular and obsessively hunts the troupe across the texts they hide in, curating a museum exhibit to expose its secrets.
This is a truly cozy read. The pacing is languid and character development is subtle. There is no grand fight to resolve the conflict or emotional collapse at the climax but rather quiet shifts from resentment and petty revenge to self-reflection and finally to making amends. The mechanics of the magic used to leap between the real world and the world of story or through different literary worlds is only loosely explained in fragments but the haziness was part of the charm for me.
At its core, the story is about the narratives that we create from the pieces of our lives. One of my favorite aspects of the writing was how Duhaime layers narrative theory over each character's world view. Noon, with her philosophy that "everything you love will leave you", embraces endings while Munro stubbornly refuses them, whether narratively or in real life. Noon has a reader's intuition for pacing that she applies to her own life and seems consistently aware of where in her own narrative she is (e.g. she recognizes the call to adventure) whereas Munro has no such intuition. Through Noon's and Munro's feud, the story explores how people process loss and grief differently, reminds us to step back from our own narrative of events to see how another person might experience the same events differently, and teaches us to acknowledge the hurt caused from that disconnect as a step toward healing.
I see a lot of books hailed as being a "love letter to literature" but The Lost Spectacular is the first book I've read for which that phrase really resonated. Duhaime's narrator makes fantastic use of cheeky fourth wall breaks which I adored and constantly includes specific citations and editions to situate us in the sweeping bibliography of interconnected works through which the characters travel (I'm tempted to make a reading list from this). The story and characters constantly surprised me and made me laugh even when they were doing horribly spiteful things to each other. The Lost Spectacular captured a certain depth to the tangled experience of being human that I think a lot of cozy stories miss in trying to create a tidy narrative package. Noon's and Munro's progression is messy and a perfect balance of whimsy, nostalgia, humor, and stubborn rivalry with a healthy dose of obsession of the "it's always been you" variety. Truly one of my favorite journeys I've been on this year.
Did Not Finish
May 7, 2026Thank 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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Surreal is the best way I can describe this book. This was a surreal experience and I don’t know if I liked it. In fact, I’m almost certain I didn’t. My opinions on this book are almost all negative. Unfortunately.
I just didn’t know why was going on. I felt lost, anything that was happening confused me completely and any meaning this book was trying to convey ran past me at full speed. I had to check multiple times if I had missed something, maybe I misunderstood some things. But apparently I’m not the only one, it’s a shame I didn’t check the reviews say midway through it, maybe I would’ve liked it more.
The writing was also not to my taste, not because of anything in particular, I don’t know why it just didn’t gel with me right. It was clunky, too convoluted. Not the best.
I mostly decided to pick this book up because it involved a circus. The one that’s on the cover. My expectations were not met, I was a bit disappointed with how that was portrayed? It’s not remotely close to The Night Circus, which I loved and see it getting compared to this book. Not what you’re going to find here.
The writing is trying too hard to be something it isn’t, the story is confusing. I will give it to this book, the atmosphere could’ve been something great, maybe with a different kind of writing? And whimsical writing could’ve definitely fit the vibe, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t like how abstract, even lyrical (in a bad way, unfortunately) it was.
This was a disappointment in more ways than one, as I said, my rating would be around a three star. I do see the potential, and it’s frustrating, it just wasn’t executed the right way.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just didn’t know why was going on. I felt lost, anything that was happening confused me completely and any meaning this book was trying to convey ran past me at full speed. I had to check multiple times if I had missed something, maybe I misunderstood some things. But apparently I’m not the only one, it’s a shame I didn’t check the reviews say midway through it, maybe I would’ve liked it more.
The writing was also not to my taste, not because of anything in particular, I don’t know why it just didn’t gel with me right. It was clunky, too convoluted. Not the best.
I mostly decided to pick this book up because it involved a circus. The one that’s on the cover. My expectations were not met, I was a bit disappointed with how that was portrayed? It’s not remotely close to The Night Circus, which I loved and see it getting compared to this book. Not what you’re going to find here.
The writing is trying too hard to be something it isn’t, the story is confusing. I will give it to this book, the atmosphere could’ve been something great, maybe with a different kind of writing? And whimsical writing could’ve definitely fit the vibe, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t like how abstract, even lyrical (in a bad way, unfortunately) it was.
This was a disappointment in more ways than one, as I said, my rating would be around a three star. I do see the potential, and it’s frustrating, it just wasn’t executed the right way.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2026
Thanks so much Kensington books and Tandem Collective, I’m honored to have been able to join this read along! I loved that throughout the story there were so many mentions of classic books! It felt like a love letter to books in the best way. This was such a fun whimsical read while also tying together love, loss, and family. I will say at first it felt rather confusing but then it all came together beautifully! I listened to the audio while reading along because I’m a sucker for an immersive read. This book is one of those books that if you reread it I’m sure you’ll catch so many wonderful things you may have missed the first go around!
*Fav quotes:
~“I am trying, but you’re everywhere.”
~“We all Must Decide how close we want stories to look like our lives.”
~“Everything you love will leave you.”
~“They were both wrong, but it was a story.”
~“Just as there our worlds Beneath our own, there are stories beneath stories.”
*Fav quotes:
~“I am trying, but you’re everywhere.”
~“We all Must Decide how close we want stories to look like our lives.”
~“Everything you love will leave you.”
~“They were both wrong, but it was a story.”
~“Just as there our worlds Beneath our own, there are stories beneath stories.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received The Lost Spectacular by Zoé Duhaime as an ARC from Kensington Publishing Corp., and I’d like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this not-so-typical literary fiction.
To be quite honest with you, I was very confused most of the time while reading this book. I got the overall idea and the gist of things, but I feel like there were a lot of added things that weren’t needed and not a lot of things that were needed to understand the world we were entering. I found myself re- reading whole chapters just trying to get a better understanding, and that barely helped in most cases.
Now, I will say that overall, I thought the story sounded very promising, and I really liked how things ended. Just throughout the book, I really found myself wishing everything would just make more sense. I felt like it wasn’t balanced enough, and all the whimsical, literary wording really just threw me off.
By the end of the book, I think things came together, but I wish they had just come together sooner. I thought the writing was very eloquent, and I loved the literary techniques throughout the book. I also loved the references to classics throughout the book, and I definitely wrote down a few to check out myself.
To be quite honest with you, I was very confused most of the time while reading this book. I got the overall idea and the gist of things, but I feel like there were a lot of added things that weren’t needed and not a lot of things that were needed to understand the world we were entering. I found myself re- reading whole chapters just trying to get a better understanding, and that barely helped in most cases.
Now, I will say that overall, I thought the story sounded very promising, and I really liked how things ended. Just throughout the book, I really found myself wishing everything would just make more sense. I felt like it wasn’t balanced enough, and all the whimsical, literary wording really just threw me off.
By the end of the book, I think things came together, but I wish they had just come together sooner. I thought the writing was very eloquent, and I loved the literary techniques throughout the book. I also loved the references to classics throughout the book, and I definitely wrote down a few to check out myself.
Did Not Finish
June 7, 2026I 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!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc!
Did Not Finish
July 12, 2026DNFing 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.
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.
September 27, 2026
Set in a city that feels so much like Montreal you can almost smell the rain on the cobblestones and hear jazz drifting down side streets, this story wraps around you like an old, well-loved hardback.
Noon Bonaventure never asked for her father’s bookshop, or the strange, wonderful secret tied to it: the Spectacular. It’s a place that only turns up by invitation, or tucked away in the typos of forgotten pages—home to everything the world has ever lost, from snatches of ancient Alexandria texts to whole ballets no one remembers dancing, even showers of floating umbrellas that turn grey afternoons magical.
Noon and Munro Forrest weren’t always on opposite sides of this glittering secret. Once they were just two kids, squabbling over stories and hanging on every word from Munro’s grandmother. But something shifted, and now they’re strangers tied tight by what they found together. Munro’s made a name as a sharp, driven museum curator, and he’s dead set on his next show: pulling the Spectacular apart and restoring its treasures to who he thinks they belong to. Noon, though? She’s the one keeping the Spectacular alive—and she’ll fight tooth and nail to stop him.
With Munro’s big opening night looming, there’s nowhere left to run from each other, or from the bond they’ve spent years trying to ignore. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet tale about what we hold onto, what we have to let go, and how even the stories we think are finished can get a second chance.
Noon Bonaventure never asked for her father’s bookshop, or the strange, wonderful secret tied to it: the Spectacular. It’s a place that only turns up by invitation, or tucked away in the typos of forgotten pages—home to everything the world has ever lost, from snatches of ancient Alexandria texts to whole ballets no one remembers dancing, even showers of floating umbrellas that turn grey afternoons magical.
Noon and Munro Forrest weren’t always on opposite sides of this glittering secret. Once they were just two kids, squabbling over stories and hanging on every word from Munro’s grandmother. But something shifted, and now they’re strangers tied tight by what they found together. Munro’s made a name as a sharp, driven museum curator, and he’s dead set on his next show: pulling the Spectacular apart and restoring its treasures to who he thinks they belong to. Noon, though? She’s the one keeping the Spectacular alive—and she’ll fight tooth and nail to stop him.
With Munro’s big opening night looming, there’s nowhere left to run from each other, or from the bond they’ve spent years trying to ignore. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet tale about what we hold onto, what we have to let go, and how even the stories we think are finished can get a second chance.
October 1, 2026
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a review copy. I absolutely hate to DNF a review copy. I feel like even if the book isn’t for me there are so many readers out there that someone may absolutely love it. I hope that this book reaches its audience. The premise of the book sounds amazing. I think the author created an entire story around vibes and she does deliver on that. Unfortunately, I just found it hard to connect to the story and the characters. I really wanted to enjoy this but it just wasn’t for me.
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