OCTOBER 2012 - AudioFile
Simon Vance’s rich performance conveys both the tender and spine-chilling moments as young Liza embarks on a quest to the world below to recover her brother’s soul, which has been stolen by arachnid-like creatures called spindlers. Vance embodies the characters and creatures wholeheartedly through diverse voice and pitch modulations. Liza’s fear and fatigue are revealed with a ragged pace, and her analytical thoughts about her situation are conveyed with an desperate tone followed by a slow-developing calmness. Vance’s portrayal of the spindlers is exceptionally vivid and suspenseful, especially that of the throaty, bloodthirsty queen. Vance’s dramatic reading envelops the listener in this lush and lyrical fantasy-adventure. M.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review
In the tradition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Coraline, The Spindlers is a frightening and fantastical heroine's quest. It offers terrifying and delightful creatures, daunting tasks and plenty of magic—as well as an explanation for where all those missing glasses, baseballs and homework assignments wind up after disappearing…The humor and writing is playful and clever in all the right ways…
—Chelsey Philpot
Publishers Weekly
Liza knows the spiderlike Spindlers have stolen the soul of her brother, Patrick, when he spells “I H-A-T-E Y-O-U” in his Alpha-Bits cereal one morning. “And they had left this thing, this not-younger-brother, in its place.” Liza’s harried parents reprimand her for making up stories, so she ventures into the damp basement, crawls through the hole behind the bookcase, and falls into the world “Below” to save her brother. There, a gaudily dressed, loquacious rat, Mirabella, agrees to lead Liza to the Spindlers’ nests. Along the way, Mirabella introduces Liza to troglods, who sell lost human objects; the lumer-lumpen (glowworms); nocturni, who guard human souls; and other strange, frightening creatures. The terrain changes in dreamlike fashion as Liza travels through market, forest, palace, mountain, and more, making discoveries both terrible and hopeful. Themes of fairness, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption play out in Liza and Mirabella’s relationship, and throughout the underworld cosmos. Oliver’s (Liesl & Po) magical, mesmerizing quest affirms the saving power of story, friendship, and love. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Richly detailed, at times poetic, ultimately moving; a book to be puzzled over, enjoyed and, ideally, read aloud.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This imaginative fantasy emphasizes individual initiative and the power of hope and friendship. With strong, self-reliant female characters and well-defined action, this is a strong addition to fantasy collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Oliver’s magical, mesmerizing quest affirms the saving power of story, friendship, and love.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences....this is sure to win over middle-grade readers.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Lauren Oliver will again sweep up younger readers with her dark and illuminating tale...The novel pulses with great adventure and plenty of heart.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Praise for Liesl & Po: “Classic fairy tale elements weave throughout this spirited, old-fashioned adventure. Invigorating and hopeful, this novel testifies to the power of friendship and generosity to conquer greed and depression.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Liesl & Po: “With her third book, Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall; Delirium) creates another highly original world, this one for middle-grade readers. Oliver introduces orphans Liesl and Will, a touch of magic, some delectable coincidences, and friendship that stretches from the Living Side to the Other Side.” — Shelf Awareness
Praise for Liesl & Po: “Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver brings much-needed magic to an increasingly neglected age group. It’s books like this, with its classic quest plot, intertwined with lyrical metaphysics, that can set a child up for life.” — The Sunday Telegraph
Praise for Before I Fall: “Oliver’s debut novel is raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful....readers will love Samantha best as she hurtles toward an end as brave as it is heartbreaking.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Before I Fall: “Samantha’s attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
Praise for Delirium: “In [Oliver’s] dystopian America, love has been outlawed as the life-threatening source of all discord. Lena’s gradual awakening is set against a convincing backdrop of totalitarian horror. The abrupt ending leaves enough unanswered questions to set breathless readers up for volume two of this trilogy.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for Delirium: “Strong characters, a vivid portrait of the lives of teens in a repressive society, and nagging questions that can be applied to our world today make this book especially compelling and discussable.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
Shelf Awareness
Praise for Liesl & Po: “With her third book, Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall; Delirium) creates another highly original world, this one for middle-grade readers. Oliver introduces orphans Liesl and Will, a touch of magic, some delectable coincidences, and friendship that stretches from the Living Side to the Other Side.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
Praise for Before I Fall: “Samantha’s attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Lauren Oliver will again sweep up younger readers with her dark and illuminating tale...The novel pulses with great adventure and plenty of heart.
The Sunday Telegraph
Praise for Liesl & Po: “Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver brings much-needed magic to an increasingly neglected age group. It’s books like this, with its classic quest plot, intertwined with lyrical metaphysics, that can set a child up for life.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences....this is sure to win over middle-grade readers.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences....this is sure to win over middle-grade readers."
The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
“Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences....this is sure to win over middle-grade readers.
OCTOBER 2012 - AudioFile
Simon Vance’s rich performance conveys both the tender and spine-chilling moments as young Liza embarks on a quest to the world below to recover her brother’s soul, which has been stolen by arachnid-like creatures called spindlers. Vance embodies the characters and creatures wholeheartedly through diverse voice and pitch modulations. Liza’s fear and fatigue are revealed with a ragged pace, and her analytical thoughts about her situation are conveyed with an desperate tone followed by a slow-developing calmness. Vance’s portrayal of the spindlers is exceptionally vivid and suspenseful, especially that of the throaty, bloodthirsty queen. Vance’s dramatic reading envelops the listener in this lush and lyrical fantasy-adventure. M.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Liza must venture Below to rescue her little brother's soul, stolen by evil, power-hungry spider people called spindlers, in this refreshingly creepy, intricately woven tale. A concealed hole in the wall behind a narrow bookcase in her family's basement is her entry, and amid loud scratching noises, Liza trips, falling down into the darkness Below. Mirabella, a giant rat who wears newspaper for a skirt, becomes her trusted guide to the spindlers' nests, which Liza must reach before the Feast of the Souls. But things are never what they seem in Oliver's vividly imagined world....An arduous, dangerous and fantastical journey ensues. As in the author's first terrific book for middle-grade readers, Liesl & Po (2011), there is a smorgasbord of literary references, including strong echoes of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It is laced with humor and engaging wordplay, as well as riddles and death-defying tests and enchantments. Wholly original creatures populate the tale, some reassuring and wise, like the nocturni and lumer-lumpen, others wonderfully macabre (and ferocious), like the queen of the spindlers and the shape-shifting scawgs. In the course of her episodic quest, Liza discovers she is resourceful and brave; she sees things differently than before. Richly detailed, at times poetic, ultimately moving; a book to be puzzled over, enjoyed and, ideally, read aloud. (Final illustrations not seen.) (Fantasy. 8-12)
