Dec 14, 2012

Review: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver


Title: The Spindlers
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 10.2.2012
Pages: 256
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Series: No
Source: Finished copy provided by publisher

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):
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.

Review:
I will be the first to admit that while I can appreciate middle grade novels, they’ve never really been something I was overly curious about. It wasn’t until my 11-year-old cousin started asking me for book recommendations this summer that I truly started considered reading and reviewing them. Before this, I would constantly recommend books to her older sister (who was 19), but a lot of those aren’t exactly something I wanted a kid to read. I decided to give Lauren Oliver a go because I adored her YA novels, and I am so glad I did.

The Spindlers is a magical, fantastical tale of a sister trying to save her brother. Liza is heroic and brave, but never to the point where she doesn’t have her own doubts about things. And I just love her older sister vibe. Being an older sister to a younger brother, I found myself easily relating to Liza. I know my brother drove me insane, but the day he got in a fight at school, I was immediately by his side helping in whatever way I could. Oliver nailed the complex sibling dynamic.

Below is a dark, shudder-inducing world that sparks the imagination. I loved how Oliver took the time to truly build this world and make me feel like I was in it with Liza. Even from the beginning, I was sucked into this story by the attention to detail.

 Oliver brings the same flare and elegance to her middle grade novel that made her young adult ones best sellers. She has a gift for weaving a story that I believe transcends age. Anyone can appreciate this novel, and I loved being able to hand this book off to my young cousin (who completely loved it).

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for the review -- I love Lauren Oliver's YA books and I have seen this book reviewed positively all over the place!

    I think I will buy it for my niece!!

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  2. I've been seeing this book everywhere and it looks so good. Great review! Looks like a fun read.

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  3. Thanks for the review! Excited to read this:)

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