The spinner of dreams

Gr 7 Up--On the day Annalise Meriwether was born, 11 years ago, the town of Carriwitchet ceased to see sunlight and began to experience only terrible things. Coincidence? The town and Annalise blame it all on Annalise's two-sizes-too-big hand and the shattered black heart mark that radiates pain and fire. If Annalise is going to have any chance at a normal life with friends and rid herself of this curse, she must fight the Fate Spinner and find the Spinner of Dreams. Annalise, along with a supporting cast of dreamers, enter the Mazelands in an effort to find the Spinner of Dreams and have all of their dreams come true. However, the journey isn't easy and the many obstacles are dangerous. Adventurous readers of all ages will fall in love with this tale of hope, courage, and friendship. Readers who are looking for a nonromantic, quest-centric fantasy will appreciate the relationship that Annalise forges with Mister Edwards, a three-legged fox who guides and encourages Annalise as she follows her dream. VERDICT Highly recommended; a great title for middle grade book clubs and school and public libraries.--Maryjean Bakaletz, Morris County Library, Whippany, NJ

"Cursed" Annalise journeys through a labyrinth to reverse it.A fairy tale-esque preface chronicles the birth of twin princesses in the Mazelands: the hated, pale-skinned Fate Spinner and the beloved, dark-skinned Spinner of Dreams. The story proper opens with the birth of Annalise Meriwether. Her "cursed" left hand, twice as large as her right, bears a broken black heartthe Fate Spinner's markthat occasionally shoots fire and is blamed for the town's persistent miseries. Though her parents are incredibly loving and supportive, the townsfolk are abusive. Understandably traumatized, Annalise uses such mechanisms as counting to cope. Refreshingly, Annalise's anxiety and coping strategies aren't portrayed as obstacles or deficits. Hoping for "a normal left hand," Annalise travels to the Mazelands to face the perils of the Fate Spinner's labyrinthand her misbeliefs about herself and her "wicked" hand. The plot itself is labyrinthine and its exploration of fate uneven. Moreover, the Fate Spinner's evil comes across as simplistic, in contrast to the story's other, more fully developed villains. The tiresome convention that equates dark with evil is turned on its head with the Spinner sisters' skin colors, but most everything else, disappointingly, aligns with it. Annalise's mother has brown skin, but Annalise herself is described only as having straight black hair and purple eyes. Mental health resources are provided in the backmatter.An interesting if imperfect story commendable for its portrayal of a protagonist suffering from anxiety and possibly PTSD. (author's note) (Fantasy. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.