Spindlefish and Stars, Christiane M. Andrews
Spindlefish and Stars, Christiane M. Andrews
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Spindlefish and Stars

Author: Christiane M. Andrews

Narrator: Vanessa Johansson

Unabridged: 9 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/22/2020


Synopsis

This spellbinding fantasy about a girl from the shadows and a boy from the sea is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and The Book of Boy.In which a story is spun.
And unspun.

Clothilde has lived her whole life in the shadows with her (sometimes) thieving and (always) ailing father. But when he fails to meet her one morning, sending her instead a mysterious ticket of half-paffage, Clo finds herself journeying across the sea to reunite with him. The ticket, however, leaves her on a sunless island inhabited only by creaking fishermen, a rumpled old woman, a piggish cat, and a moon-cheeked boy named Cary.

Clo is quickly locked away and made to spend her days in unnerving chores with the island's extraordinary fish, while the old woman sits nearby weaving an endless gray tapestry. Frustrated and aching with the loss of her father, Clo must unravel the mysteries of the island and all that's hidden in the vast tapestry's threads—secrets both exquisite and terrible. And she must decide how much of herself to give up in order to save those she thought she'd lost forever.

Inspired by Greek mythology, this spellbinding fantasy invites readers to seek connections, to forge their own paths, and to explore the power of storytelling in our interwoven histories.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Athena on June 18, 2021

So this is a cool book for middle graders, and I enjoyed it despite some slightly convoluted story threads and leaps of imagination A girl who spins fish into the old woman's (I guess a fate, or the fate's) tapestry, in a half world between Earth and the underworld. Icarus is there, for centuries aft......more

Goodreads review by Tasha on October 21, 2020

Clo has grown up on the road with her father. They move from village to village, taking small things every time but also repairing and fixing paintings too. When her father doesn’t return one morning, Clo puts their regular leaving plan in action, waiting for him in the woods. But her father doesn’t......more

Goodreads review by Molly on December 09, 2020

Huh--I'm super perplexed on how to rate this one. The writing was really lush and immersive, and Clo was interesting as the main character. The plot was incredibly literary, incorporating in Icarus and the greek Fates, etc, with lots of deep themes of sorrow being necessary to find joy, etc--and a b......more

Goodreads review by Quill&Queer on November 03, 2021

I thought this was going to be some sort of high seas adventure, and instead what I got was a good 100 pages of people speaking backwards, which made this a total slog to get through, and some pretty obscure Greek Myths. What is it with books just assuming we know Greek Myths? I wanted to like this......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on May 03, 2021

Charlotte's favorite character? The cat. She also liked identifying the different parts of myths woven (see what she did there?) into the story.......more


Quotes

* "An epic tale of abandonment, travel, secrets, family, and the meaning of art.... Exquisite in detail.... A tapestry, both humble and rich."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A lyrical debut exploring the nature of destiny and sacrifice.... The narrative voice...makes this enchanting story feel like an all-new myth built from classic material."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Expertly written, full of beautiful imagery and elements of Greek mythology.... An engaging and inventive novel."
School Library Journal

* "Readers familiar with Greek myth will take special pleasure in the slantwise view Andrews conjures.... The tapestry metaphor also offers a longer, measured view of the unavoidability of pain and the beauty of kindness as well as commentary on the persistence of powerful stories through art."
BCCB, starred review

* "Bewitching, beautiful, and bewildering.... Immensely satisfying."
Booklist, starred review

"Both mysterious and evocative.... A dreamy, immersive story that raises questions aboutthe power of art and the value of humansuffering."
The Horn Book