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Spartacus and the Circus of Shadows

by Molly E. Johnson (Goodreads Author), Robin Robinson (Illustrator)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 30 ratings · 12 reviews

When Spartacus Ryan “Poop Lip” Zander finds his house destroyed and his wacko, Human Cannonball mother missing, it’s obvious that she’s been kidnapped by Bartholomew’s World-Renowned Circus of the Incredible. But when his dad and brother refuse to believe it—because they’re morons, obviously—it’s up to Spartacus to be the hero.

With the Internet-wizardry of his best friend...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published October 26th 2011 by RainTown Press (first published October 18th 2011)

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2011 Debut Authors (Young Adult and Middle Grade Lit.)

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Feb 09, 2012 Lisa Ard rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and I laughed out loud!

When Spartacus's mom leaves town to join the circus, his father, brother and almost everyone in town accepts her absence -- but not Spartacus. With the online help of his nerdy, techno-wizard friend Eli, Spartacus hits the road to save his mom from her kidnappers - Bartholomew and World-Renowned Circus of the Incredible. Along the way, he meets a cast of characters, each more outlandish than the last. From the giant tattooed biker to the blue-haired crim...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Erik This Kid Reviews Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Spartacus Ryan Zander’s mom (Athena) was a little kooky…OK she was downright strange. She was always trying to do circus tricks like leaping off the roof onto a trampoline and she was obsessed with being a circus performer. Spartacus’ Dad was always taking Will’s (Spartacus’ older brother) side in arguments and pretty much didn’t believe anything Spartacus said. Will treated Spartacus poorly (but a lot of older brothers will do that). The day Spartacus started seventh grade Athena turned up miss...more Spartacus Ryan Zander’s mom (Athena) was a little kooky…OK she was downright strange. She was always trying to do circus tricks like leaping off the roof onto a trampoline and she was obsessed with being a circus performer. Spartacus’ Dad was always taking Will’s (Spartacus’ older brother) side in arguments and pretty much didn’t believe anything Spartacus said. Will treated Spartacus poorly (but a lot of older brothers will do that). The day Spartacus started seventh grade Athena turned up missing and the house was a mess! The sink was overflowing, the TV was broken and there were knives stuck in the cabinet doors! Will thought maybe she left them and Spartacus’ dad didn’t say much. Spartacus and his best friend Eli had evidence that Athena was kidnapped by the evil Bartholomew’s Circus. Spartacus runs away to try to find her and Eli helps by guiding him along using his internet skills. Along his road trip, Spartacus has amazing adventures and meets up with zany allies. When Spartacus finally finds his mom, it isn’t the reunion he was expecting…

I REALLY got into reading this book (no, really, I got in trouble at least three times for not listening because I was reading this book). I really liked this book because of the humor, action and adventure in it. Spartacus was a good main character and likeable. He has cool talents like fire-breathing, escaping from ropes and knife throwing (all circus talents). The character I liked the most was a scary biker guy named Lloyd Loeke, a guy that Spartacus got a ride from and it turned out that even though he looked scary he was a pretty nice guy. The whole plot of the story was strange but in a good way. You never knew where Spartacus’ adventure would turn next. The book had some sad parts to the plot (mostly about Athena not being a very good mother) but it didn’t make the book overly sad, it was really more wacky than anything. When I got the request to review this book, I asked my usual “Is there any bad language, graphic violence, or any other inappropriate content for a 10 year-old” question to Ms. Johnson. She replied “There is a swear word on page 40. But that’s it–I promise.” My mom edited the curse word out of my copy and inserted “bad word”. “Bad word” appeared 3 times on page 40 but my mom OK’d the rest of the book (thanks Ms. Johnson for the warning!). If I were to change anything about the book I would have it be completely clean so younger advanced readers could read the book. Come on Ms. Johnson! Us younger kids want good stories too!! **I recommend the book to kids 10+ with the warning to parents about page 40!

(less)

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Jul 02, 2011 ananka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, family, friendship, mystery, tween, j

I got this in the mail from Rain Town Press just before I left for vacation. They included a carmel apple pop, so I couldn't say no. The mystery of a book wrapped in black paper also piqued my interest. As their website says:

"RainTown Press is extremely proud to announce our first book, Spartacus and the Circus of Shadows, by Portland author Molly Johnson. It’s a high adventure runaway tale about Spartacus Zander, a normal kid with a not-so-normal name (and freakish circus abilities) who runs aw...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Spartacus, or Ryan as he prefers to be called (since it's more "normal"), is quite the main character. I see a lot of MG readers falling in step with him instantly. See his life isn't easy. His mom has disappeared to the circus, he's pretty sure she was kidnapped, but no one else seems to care. Spartacus has no one on his side. Will, his older brother, is a mean and spiteful person. His dad doesn't seem to want to listen. What is a boy to do? Luckily, he has his best friend's technological skill...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Paul Bulger rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, suspense, children, horse-crap, mystery, fiction, adventure

Spartacus and the Circus of Shadows suffers from a childish depiction of mature themes through its, for the most part, unlikable main protagonist, and its infantile sense of humor. In the beginning chapters we're introduced to a young boy undergoing that awkward transition in his life we've all experienced as he rapidly learns the realities of life and makes his way through the rocky stages of childhood to adulthood. Spartacus consistently squanders its chances to display the true virtues of wis...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Wally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, boy-hero, coming-of-age, doorway-character, families, friendship, humor, tween

This was an entertaining story about a 13 year-old boy whose mother has run off with the circus, and who believes she has actually been kidnapped by the circus. When he runs away from home, he finds himself in deep water quickly, trusting total strangers when he probably shouldn't, and relying on a friend at computer camp who arranges rides for him long-distance, sight unseen. When he does make his way to the circus itself, things appear much different than when he left home.

I liked this book fo...more

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Oct 26, 2011 CorLostForWords rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tour, for-review, teen-book-scene-blog-tour

Source: Received from publicist courtesy of Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to RainTown Press and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 4/5

Spartacus Ryan Zander has always disliked his name. It's not normal enough for him, and to add insult to injury, his older brother has dubbed him "Poop Lip" due to the freckle or mole on his upper lip. When his mother joins the circus, Spartacus is left...more Source: Received from publicist courtesy of Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to RainTown Press and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 4/5

Spartacus Ryan Zander has always disliked his name. It's not normal enough for him, and to add insult to injury, his older brother has dubbed him "Poop Lip" due to the freckle or mole on his upper lip. When his mother joins the circus, Spartacus is left bereft. He believes she has been kidnapped, and no one will do anything about it. His father doesn't seem to be worried, which makes Spartacus even more concerned. He devises a plan to find his mother, but he'll have to rely on his best friend to find him the rides he needs to get to the circus. Once there he uncovers more disturbing news, and he will have to bring down the whole circus if he is going to save those he cares for, as well as himself.
Spartacus is a sweet kid. He is completely infatuated with saving his mother, and will do anything to bring her back home. With the help of his best friend, he embarks on a journey across several states to get to the circus. He hitches rides with some questionable characters, and finds himself in some hairy situations, but he doesn't lose his determination to find his mother. He is a plucky character, and will have readers engaged in his wild ride to the circus.
Johnson displays a tongue in cheek quality to her writing, one that will have readers laughing alongside Spartacus as they find him in some increasingly compromising predicaments. The friends he makes as well as the enemies, will have readers hoping that he makes it to the circus in one piece. Then of course, the hard part will be extricating his mother from the grasp of the evil Bartholomew.
Many characters pop up throughout the novel, and they bring about some of the best comic relief I have read in a long time. The elderly women in the car are hilarious, and will have readers laughing as well as hoping that Spartacus can get himself out of yet another dangerous situation.
All in all, a hilarious and enterprising read. Spartacus will draw readers to him as he travels across state lines to find his mother. An engaging hero, a diabolical villain, and many humorous yet complicated situations will have readers deeply invested in Spartacus' story. (less)

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May 06, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The combination of the name Spartacus and the idea of a "circus of shadows" certainly speaks of great adventure, laughs, and thrills. And Molly Johnson's debut novel proves to be just that. Taking her thirteen-year-old protagonist on a wild journey across the Western US, with her story Molly provides everything that her title promises.

The story all begins when Spartacus' mom goes missing. Except according to the note she left, she's simply run away with the Circus. But Spartacus doesn't believe...more The combination of the name Spartacus and the idea of a "circus of shadows" certainly speaks of great adventure, laughs, and thrills. And Molly Johnson's debut novel proves to be just that. Taking her thirteen-year-old protagonist on a wild journey across the Western US, with her story Molly provides everything that her title promises.

The story all begins when Spartacus' mom goes missing. Except according to the note she left, she's simply run away with the Circus. But Spartacus doesn't believe that his hair-brained, slightly crazy mother would just abandon him for the circus without saying good-bye, and when postcards with hidden messages inside them start arriving (messages that say "help" and "come get me"), Spartacus knows what he has to do: he has to hunt down Bartholomew's Circus (which after a quick internet search seems to be a hot bed of crime and mystery) and rescue his mother.

It was so refreshing to read a middle grade piece with a great protagonist, great humor, great adventure, and no magic. Now don't get me wrong: I love fantasy. But it's nice every once in a while to pick up a book that could so easily be magical, and then find that the story works perfectly well without anything at all magical happening. Spartacus embarks on a crazy, hitch-hiking journey across the western US in search of the circus, and while he runs into a slew of odd characters--some scarier than others--they are all just normal people. Even the circus characters, just as wacky as circus people should be, are at their core, just normal people too. The only magic this story needed was the circus, and the imagination and tenacity of its main character.

Spartacus himself was perhaps the best part of this book. Self-conscious about his name--he prefers to go by his middle name, Ryan--tortured by his older brother, misunderstood by his father, he's not your average idea of a hero. But he's got courage, and that counts for a lot. At thirteen, armed only with a backpack full of granola bars, a flash light, and a two-button suit, Spartacus ventures forth into the world with only the help of his best friend (who's at computer camp at the time).

A great story, and a great read. I'm excited to see what Molly does next.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Danielle Myers rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book for young middle-grade readers, especially young boys. Spartacus is delightfully easy to relate to, and his adventures are mysterious and fun. This is a book that really explores the importance of trusting relationships with both family and friends, and doesn't end the way you might expect. It's a great read for kids in the 8-12 age range, though of course I and my 15-year-old sister thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

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Apr 30, 2012 Laurie D'ghent rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I don't like to be rude, but this book is crap. The only reason it didn't get one star is because I actually read the whole thing (that "it's gotta get better--right?" fallacy). I felt that the main character was way too young to be swearing and crap like he was. The ending was stupid, too. Not a book I would let my kids read.

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Nov 04, 2011 Ltcgumby rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: middle school + ages

Recommended to Ltcgumby by: author

Awesome story line that exemplifies the struggles of middle-school-aged kids! Highly recommend this to adults as well (think "Princess Bride")!

Hope the author has another story out soon . . . . perhaps a sequel?

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Apr 13, 2013 Crystal Beran rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love it when the pieces all snap together for the reader just a moment before it happens for the protagonist.
Write more books!
See you soon,
Crystal

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About Molly E. Johnson

Molly E. Johnson started out writing sports for her small-town newspaper in Sisters, Oregon—that is, until they discovered she knew nothing about football. She went on to write sarcastic movie, restaurant, and art reviews for her college newspaper. After barreling through a BA from Linfield and an MA from Portland State, she then barged (and blogged) through a year of teaching English to some of t...more

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