Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Harpercollins
Expected Publication: October 2, 2012
Source: publisher (BEA)
One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.
When Liza’s brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.
She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.
To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers’ nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests—or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.
From New York Times best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a bewitching story about the reaches of loyalty, the meaning of love, and the enduring power of hope.
My Thoughts:
The Spindlers is full of ingenious imagination. We are welcomed to a world where mythical creatures come alive. Lauren Oliver narrates neatly and coherently as she delivers yet again a remarkable middle-grade adventure story, that I am sure, fans of Liesl & Po will love and appreciate.
Lauren Oliver created characters and a story that we will not only enjoy but learn a lot of too. Liza, the main character, is not only a charming and brave girl, but young as she is, knows love, as she was able to show it by risking her life on an uncertain and dangerous adventure, just to save her little brother. Even when her parents don’t believe her, she sticks to what she knows is the truth and without a doubt set on the journey. Along the way, she met Maribella, a rat, who agreed to take her to the Spindlers, creatures from below (that are like breeds of spiders) who stole her brother’s souls. She encountered many trials and deadly tests, and lots of awfully difficult decisions before she met the evil queen, whom posed a bargain that can save her brother’s soul or lose both their souls. The tricky but short-lived tests where fun to read, plus the small near-death adventures that made up one big adventure were absolutely entertaining and engaging to read.
As I read through the story, I noticed that there can be lots of symbolisms in the story, and hidden lessons, that will be fun to discover with your friends. I imagined myself giving copies of the book to middle graders, then have a discussion with them about it. Because, really, there are a lot of lessons to be learned here, simple as the story may be. For me, I’ve learned the tests of love, faith in family, and hope. Without hope, I certainly don’t know where people will be today.
The Spindlers is surely a simple but riveting story!
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