The Spindlers

This book contains a great story for the young and old alike! It holds your attention throughout the length of the book.

The Spindlers was OK, nothing special. I felt Lauren Oliver tried a bit too hard with creating a fantasy world with mystical creatures. I probably would have enjoyed it more if The Spindlers didn't start to bore me halfway through... and I was really looking forward to reading this . I was raised on fairy-tales (who wasn't?) so I LOVE fantasy involving other worlds as well as magical creatures. The story starts off with Liza waking up to find that her brother, Patrick, is not her brother at all, but a replacement.

"One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated her and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not."

After reading the first paragraph it continued to meet my expectations and kind of scared me:

"Across the table, the fake-Patrick began rearranging the cereal letters on the outside of his bowl. He spelled out three words: I H-A-T-E Y-O-U. Then he folded his hands and stared at her with that strangely vacant look, as though the black part of his eyes had eaten up all the color.

"Stop bothering your sister."
Here's what the real Patrick would have done: He would have stuck out his tongue, or thrown his napkin at Liza in retaliation, or he would have said, "It's her face that's the bother."
But this impostor did none of those things. The impostor just stared quietly at Liza and smiled. His teeth looked very white."

*Shivers* Tell me reading that didn't send chills down your spine.

Liza is a very truthful person, so after finding out that the spindlers took her brother's soul and planted eggs in his body, she tells her mother that he was taken Below and plans to get him back. Her mother, being stressed out due to unpaid bills, has had enough of Liza and her made up stories.

Despite Liza's bravery to venture Below filled with creatures, I didn't like her much. She was a very whiny person. There were only a few characters I enjoyed: Mirabella the rat and the nocturni. I loved Mirabella and her mother-like personality and her sweet voice. I find it rather humorous this particular rat dressed herself as a human and wore a wig as well as make-up. The nocturni were very interesting creatures, they're the ones that gives us are dreams (you'll read more about them). The Spindlers didn't seem like much of an original tale; rather, it reminded of few and I think you'll feel the same way, too.

It was a nice shot a writing this (there are some very memorable passages), but The Spindlers is not all it's cracked up to be despite the pretty cover and interesting synopsis

I’m sad to say I was a tad disappointed by The Spindlers, but I think that’s completely due to the fact that I idolize Miss Oliver. It really was a cute, quick adventure. That’s another thing: it took me a little over two days to finish when it really should’ve taken me a couple hours. Not the book’s fault, of course, but it didn’t exactly add to my enjoyment.

I found the writing to be a bit off at times. It was rather whimsical and childish in the way of repeating and odd grammar choices, but that doesn’t really mean it’s bad. In fact, I often like that kind of writing in my middle grade, but I think I wasn’t in the right mood for it this time around.

I rather appreciated Liza’s commitment to finding Patrick. She didn’t once think “well Patrick can be a bit annoying at times…” or “maybe I’d like being an only child…” She traveled through dangerous situation after dangerous situation to save her admittedly annoying brother. I also quite liked the fact that she went Below scared out of her wits. She didn’t go charging in all brave and awesome (which is cool in its own right, of course) but instead kept pushing on again and again despite her fears.

I definitely have to hand it to Oliver on her crazy world-building, though. The world Below is crazy and wonderful and awesome. I mean, we have creatures that protect us and give us dreams; troglods who are kind of like gnomes but steal little trinkets from homes like socks and glasses; glowworms who act as lighting for the underground world; and of course, the creepy and disturbing Spindlers themselves. I don’t want to go into too much detail and ruin it, but I’m definitely left wondering where Oliver comes up with these things!

The Nutshell: I didn’t enjoy The Spindlers as much as I’d hoped, but I think it’s my fault, really. In fact, I may revisit Liza’s story one day to see if I enjoy it more. And though I may not have enjoyed it as much as I could have I did still enjoy it. It’s a quick, fun read if you’re looking for a fantastically imagined world and a good adventure.

Near Miss/Hit

This is my first Lauren Oliver read, and I honestly don't know why I have waited so long to read one of her books! She has created a magical and unique world called Below where dark and creepy things live and come Above to take things that they need. Now, don't let dark and creepy deter you and make you believe that everything Below is bad, looks can be deceiving. Give things a chance, take a closer look and then decide if it's good or bad... The Spindlers was inspired by Maurice Sendak's book called, Outside Over There, a creepy children's book about a little girl who has to go find her baby brother who was stolen by goblins. Definitely not your typical bedtime story - and neither is The Spindlers.

One day, Liza wakes up and instantly notices that something is not right with her little brother, Patrick. And she instantly knows what has happened to him - it's the work of a Spindler. A "spindler" is a large spider that has human hands. They come Above (our world), steal people's souls and bring them down Below (there world is under ours) for their Queen. There is no time to hesitate, Liza knows what she must do. As much as a bother little brothers can be, she is the only one who knows what has happened and must go Below and get Patrick's soul back before it's too late.
As soon as Liza goes Below, I felt like I was right next to her and was able to picture every single detail that Oliver laid out for us!
We quickly meet Mirabella, an eccentric rat who volunteers to guide and help Liza get to the spindlers nest. Now don't judge, not all rats are dirty and scandalous!
And Liza's determination, stubbornness, bravery and most of all, her outpouring love for her family - even after her parents ignore her and constantly dismiss her "imagination" - she is an inspirational, motivating and memorable character.

If you are a lover of all things from Alice in Wonderland, the dark and magical things from Coraline and the trials and tribulations of Harry Potter - then this is definitely a must have book to add to your shelf!