Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Starred Review Bound in purple cloth, with oversize pages filled with hallucinatory black-and-white visuals, this graphic novel immediately looks and feels unlike anything else out there. Astonishingly the work of two first-time creators, this is a book that both takes full advantage of its form and offers something unique in the current graphic-novel market: a deep strangeness that pervades every panel, every figure, and even every object within. Although Dunning's humorously dry writing and the bizarrely calm affect of an array of enjoyable characters help create the creepy tone, Singh's flowing, surreal perspectives and vaguely Ditko-esque landscapes of alternate planes are what will cast readers into an unfamiliar and occasionally uncomfortable world. Even amid the constant barrage of obtuse and off-kilter imaginings, there are indelible images that stand out: tortured smoke haunting the air over a mansion; intertwined souls trapped within the insectoid eye of a fly. What's it about? Well, the plot concerns Salem's inheritance of a magic orb from his deceased father, after which he is abetted by the freakish denizens of Dr. Kinoshita's Circus and opposed by the Seven Dark Elders of Midnight City. But what it's really about is the thrill of the genuinely weird.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

After receiving a telegram informing him of the death of his estranged father, Salem Brownstone travels to the house that is his inheritance and learns that his life is in danger. This large-format graphic novel features intricate black-and-white illustrations that support the text by building its sense of the macabre. Readers will appreciate the story's detail, danger, and unique characters.

Kirkus Reviews

Part mystery, part horror, this sly, psuedo-Victorian graphic novel is heavy on style but light on plot. Mundane Laundromat owner Salem Brownstone receives a telegram announcing the death of his estranged father, Jedediah, and a taxi brings him to his father's home, an eerie, Gothic mansion with a circus encampment nearby. Upstairs, Salem encounters circus performer Cassandra Contortionist, who implores him to protect Jed's "scrying ball," an artifact preventing evil spirits of the Midnight City from entering our world. The rest of the book is a tour through Singh's realization of the lush and grotesque scenery of the mansion, the circus and the Midnight City itself, as the opposing forces battle for the scrying ball. Occasional visual jokes, like Cassandra's series of plot-related T-shirts and a label on the mansion's doorbell reading "Antiquated Doorbell Mechanism," bring an undercurrent of irony to the story's moody atmosphere. Readers who, like Salem, "love the rum and unusual, the uncanny, the macabre" will find much to appreciate in the artwork; those looking for a plot of similar depth will be disappointed. (Graphic novel. 14 & up)

School Library Journal (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 8 Up-A telegram arrives, informing Salem Brownstone of the death of the father he never knew. The loss leaves him holding the key to his father&9;s mansion and its strange contents. There he meets a mysterious contortionist in possession of a scrying ball and, as Jedediah Brownstone forewarned his friends, the deathly Shadow Boys have come for it. Like Alice going down the rabbit hole, Salem descends into Dr. Kinoshita&9;s Circus of Unearthly Delights, and the eerie adventures take off from there. Singh&9;s artwork in this oversize book is similar to Edward Gorey&9;s surrealistic pen-and-ink illustrations. It lends itself perfectly to Dunning&9;s dark tale. Fans of H. P. Lovecraft, Lewis Carroll, and Edgar Allan Poe will enjoy this eerie graphic novel. Lisa Gieskes, CA Johnson Preparatory Academy, Columbia, SC

Voice of Youth Advocates

Salem Brownstone is the owner of the Sit & Spin Laundromat. While content with his life, his path is forever altered after receiving a mysterious telegram informing him of the death of his absent father, and his inheritance of a sprawling gothic mansion. Salem accrues more than just the home, however, for his father, Jedediah Brownstone, was more than a magician; he was one of the world’s saviors. Aided by a peculiar “scrying ball,” as well as some new friends and guides, including Cassandra Contortionist, a performer from Dr. Kinoshita’s Circus of Unearthly Delights, Salem must follow the clues left for him by his deceased father. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much time; he must find the answers and his footing quickly, as the Dark Elders of Mu’bric are attempting to enter his world to devour the souls of innocents. A quick but thrilling experience, Salem Brownstone: All Along the Watchtowers is a jewel not just for fans of graphic novels, but also for those who love mystery, fantasy, and suspense. These characters are well drawn, both in terms of illustration and development. Salem’s world is a haunting one, made only more so by the mysterious and enthralling images that accompany the storyline. The gothic elements, combined with the carnivalesque nature of Dr. Kinoshita’s Circus and his performers, mesmerize readers and keep them grounded in the story long after it has ended. —Courtney Huse Wika.