  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/15/2020 *Starred Review* Brown ushers readers behind the curtain of the ten-in-one in her nuanced tale of a sideshow freak. Isabel and Jane are conjoined twins, sold to a showman when they were very young—much like history’s Daisy and Violet Hilton. Though performing as oddities has drawbacks, it also provides the girls with a supportive family in the other performers, such as fat lady Baby Alice and Nora, the tattooed snake charmer. One evening after their act, the sisters are approached by a doctor who believes he can separate them. Despite Isabel’s misgivings, Jane, always the more dominant of the two, pushes her to agree to the surgery. Tragically, only Isabel survives, left with a cumbersome prosthetic arm and leg and the still-attached ghost of her sister. Now freakish in an entirely new way, Isabel returns to the sideshow to figure out what to do. Brown’s simply lined artwork favors shades of blue, green, and red and draws upon vintage sideshow banner art as well as Sailor Jerry–style tattoos, injecting the tale with just the right aesthetic. She also incorporates commentary on the mixed experiences of freak performers, always treating this subject with respect. What emerges is a marvelous story marked by tragedy, courage, personal growth, and first love that is as singular as Isabel herself. - Copyright 2020 Booklist. Booklist - 03/15/2020 - Copyright 2020 Booklist. Loading...
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