Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Twin teens face sideshow life in haunting graphic novel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As THE PHANTOM TWIN opens, Jane and Isabel are conjoined twins who work as a sideshow attraction. After Jane dies during surgery, Isabel returns to the carnival with artificial limbs and the lingering ghostly presence of her sister. Even though one of them is a ghost, the girls have very different outlooks on life. Will Jane stand in the way of Isabel seeking a life outside the carnival?
Is It Any Good?
Carnival sideshows are thankfully a thing of the past, but this charming and sensitive graphic novel uses its historical setting to tell a tale of individual ambition and sibling reconciliation. Author-illustrator Lisa Brown's lively, colorful art perfectly matches the action and tone of The Phantom Twin. The book is aimed primarily at female readers, but boys are likely to enjoy the story if they give it a chance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Phantom Twin portrays life in a carnival sideshow in the first half of the 20th century. What was it like to be a "freak"? Why are sideshows no longer a part of carnivals or amusement parks?
How does the novel address the issue of disability? How do people characterize themselves as differently abled?
Many of the characters are fascinated by tattoos. How has public opinion of body art changed over the years?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Lisa Brown
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : First Second
- Publication date : March 3, 2020
- Number of pages : 208
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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