From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up–Faking his own death, Billy the Kid is free to roam, or so he thinks. Then Fineas Spoule, the Human Spider, approaches him and tells him that he's discovered his secret. Spoule offers a deal: help him retrieve a precious jewel from Dr. Victor Frankenstein and he'll keep Billy's secret. If the Kid doesn't help, then Spoule's contacts will release his whereabouts to the authorities. All Billy wants to do is retire in anonymity, so he agrees to the plan, and soon he finds himself in the service of a caravan of carnival sideshow performers who have their own unfinished business with Frankenstein. It's not until the end of the story that Spoule reveals the real reason for their trip to see Frankenstein–one of their performers has been kidnapped. The story is fast-paced, and the artwork is reminiscent of both spaghetti Westerns and B-movie horror. The illustrations are in full color, but have a dark tone that provides the right blend of quirky and macabre. The treatment of the freaks (as Billy calls them) is an accurate portrayal of the period and, as Billy grows as a character, his attitude toward them changes.–Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
