The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/Harper Collins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-197809-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book
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 rates, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids…as well as strange monsters and terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers’ nests, where she must pass a series of deadly tests – or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.
Personal & Info
This is a children’s stand alone novel. I’m always on the lookout for good children’s books, because when I was a child, I could never find anything interesting to read. Stand alone novels are a good way to try things, because there is no commitment to buy more volumes of a series, and if they end up being good it gives me an author to keep an eye out for.
I didn’t know anything about this when I grabbed it. I basically just skimmed the first paragraph of the description, and checked online, where I saw it compared to Alice in Wonderland and Gregor the Overlander. At 246 pages, I don’t see any harm in trying something new. Books that short can easily be read in a day, especially children’s books.
Characters
Liza is the main character. The story follows her perspective throughout the entire adventure. She’s the oldest of two children.
Patrick is Liza’s younger brother. He seems to have a moody personality, but his sister loves him anyway.
Mrs. Elston is Liza and Patrick’s mother. She’s always sitting at the table dealing with piles of bills and scolding Liza for telling stories.
Mr. Eltson is Liza and Patrick’s father. He doesn’t appear much, except to indicate he can’t find his glasses.
Mirabella is an eccentric rat. She guides Liza on her adventure in the Below realm.
Anna is never actually in the story, but it mentions her several times. She is Liza and Patrick’s favorite babysitter, but she is away at college.
Story & Thoughts
This is a cute stand alone adventure. I can see why people compare it to Alice in Wonderland. It has that whole, “down the rabbit hole,” thing going for it. I think this is a great book for children. It’s written in a way that I think makes it a good book to possibly read out loud to them, or for them to read themselves. As an adult, I think it could be improved upon, but for the age group it’s intended for, it’s probably fine.
Liza’s former babysitter, Anna, would apparently tell the kids about fantastical creatures and teach them games. The kids wholeheartedly believe everything she tells them, to the point that they recite a charm every night before they go to bed. It turns out it’s all true, and for some reason, Liza knows exactly where to go to find the place Below.
The book has some real nightmare fuel going for it, but not so much that it would be horror. I don’t recommend it for anyone who has arachnophobia. The main bad monsters are a type of extra horrific spiders. Their description is creepy and unsettling to imagine, and the lore of what they do is actually surprisingly horrific for a children’s book.
I like the creativity of the world Below. The creatures are interesting, and the landscape is vivid. The story is rather simple, but the descriptions and conversations about the terrain and landmarks make the world come alive. I get the impression the important chunk of the story is the journey, not the end. Liza and Mirabella both learn important lessons along the way. A running theme along the journey is Liza’s close-mindedness. She tends to judge things by how they appear at a glance, and as the story progresses, she learns better.