The Lost Spectacular has a truly whimsical feel to it and really leans into a dream-like prose. It really asks the reader to suspend disbelief, embrace the unknown and just enjoy the journey.
We meet our main characters Noon and Munro but without much explanation of who they are or the world around them. Instead we need to just pick things up as we go from the very little context provided. Both are shaped by The Spectacular, a festival of sorts that exists beyond our world and contains everything that has been lost. The storyline follows Noon and Munro’s almost cat-and-mouse adventures through books, stories, paintings and memories as they work through their past, their feelings for each other and whether it’s better to hold on to what we have lost or let go.
Unfortunately it wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I found the lack of world building and context to anchor the story made it hard to follow, or fully appreciate the story. Just as I thought I’d worked out what was happening I ended up unsure again. I struggled to stay engaged because because I didn’t feel like I had enough understanding of the world, the characters and how it all worked. I have to admit – I looked up other reviews just to work out the familial links and who was who!
Despite the lack of context, the writing itself felt overly convoluted. I did appreciate the literary references throughout and enjoyed them, but felt over time they became lost amongst the directionless prose.
I can fully see this book finding it’s place with readers that enjoy whimsical, surreal storytelling with a dreamlike prose.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC.
Author: Zoé Duhaime
Publisher: Erewhon Books
Release Date: 24 September 2026
Lotte's Library 