Okay, so my title is a little bit of a spoiler to what happens at the end of Ghost Circus by Adrienne Kress and illustrations by Jade Zhang. The Horseman shows up at the end, you think he’s a bad guy (like he usually is in stories) but he helps our heroes. I just couldn’t resist making a good (or bad depending on how you feel about it) pun.
And I think you shouldn’t miss this graphic novel either. Both classical and modern elements make this thriller, little horror, mystery, humorous ghost story fun, clever and both familiar and unique. The two characters, Casey (a young boy who has no memory of what happened to them) and Creepy Girl (a cold, unfeeling (at first) ghost girl who likes her lucky kidney (which is someone else’s) and her friend Polterghost), must figure out why Casey is neither dead or alive but can be seen by the ghosts and he sees them. As they go along we learn what happened to him, that the circus is more creepy than just the basic creep factor of clowns or the woman with no head once her ribbon comes off her neck, and are given a hint that there will be a book two.
The cover gives you a decent idea of the illustrations. Traditionally large, bold, bright graphic novel imagery is what Zhang gives us and that matches the text well. The story is not “deep” on the surface, but there are layers to it, the layers that we’ll learn as the history of the performers unfolds. There are a few triggers that may make this not for a sensitive reader (Creepy Girl is a little creepy, the Headless Horseman wants to fight and has swords of flame, the elephant is killed by a poacher) but also I feel they are tastefully done and not too much overall. Do know your reader as I would say at least 10 to 14 (but slightly younger, and of course, adults, could do it).