MG review of The Spinner of Dreams by K.A. Reynolds

The Spinner of Dreams by K.A. Reynolds
Format:  Hardcover
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Number of Pages:  416
Published:  August 27th, 2019
Source:  Purchased

Publishers Description:

Annalise Meriwether--though kind, smart, and curious--is terribly lonely.

Cursed at birth by the devious Fate Spinner, Annalise has always lived a solitary life with her loving parents. She does her best to ignore the cruel townsfolk of her desolate town--but the black mark on her hand won't be ignored.

Not when the monster living within it, which seems to have an agenda of its own, grows more unpredictable each day.

There's only one way for Annalise to rid herself of her curse: to enter the Labyrinth of Fate and Dreams and defeat the Fate Spinner. So despite her anxiety, Annalise sets out to undo the curse that's defined her--and to show the world, and herself, exactly who she is inside. 

Opening Line:  "Once upon a time, before the War of Fates, the Mazelands had been ruled by powerful elves, twin brothers who controlled the fates and dreams of every being in all worlds:  one ruled the Southern half of the Mazelands, the realm of fate; the other ruled the half to the North, the realm of dreams."

I love the fairytale-like opening to The Spinner of Dreams.  It's very reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty at the moment when Princess Aurora is being christened and Maleficent appears and curses her.  In the Spinner of Dreams the prologue changes to a set of twin girls,  one who is marked with a solid black heart and named Reverie and the other a crumbling heart and named Kismet.  One to be loved and one to be loathed, never to be friends.  

 Annalise Meriwether is a young girl born under a bad omen, cursed by the Fate Spinner herself.  She has a black mark on her enlarged hand and the town fears her because of the bad luck that seems to follow her.  On Annalise's birthday, her parents take her to an animal shelter to pick up the pure white Siberian cat that she was so looking forward to adopting, the cat has been severely neglected and abused and runs away after seeing Annalise.  Distraught, Annalise vows to rid herself of her curse and take control of her own destiny.  Annalise is a lovely girl, surrounded by loving parents while also faced with a harsh, uncaring outside world.  She's riddled with fear, anxiety, and panic and much of her fears have been internalized into a monster that whispers to her and can behave it uncontrollable ways.  Her distress in the story is very palpable and evoked similar feelings and emotions to the ones that Annalise was feeling.  I yearned for her to achieve her dreams.    

Partway through the story, things took on an Alice in Wonderland mixed with the scene from Harry Potter The Goblet of Fire movie where Harry's trying to escape the maze.  Annalise receives a book and learns that she must enter the Labyrinth of Fate and Dreams, if she successfully completes the maze, she will meet the Spinner of Dreams and have a wish granted.  However, the Labyrinth is a dangerous, dark place filled with many tests and paths that will require Annalise to confront her doubt, panic, and feelings of rejection.  It's a disconcerting kind of place, especially as Annalise goes down one path, only to have it seal up behind her.  Annalise tries to hold on to her dream of wanting to be in control of her destiny and repeats it to herself like a mantra.   Along the way, she also gets assistance from a kindly fox who harbors a few secrets of his own.         

In The Spinner of Dreams, Reynolds has created a world that is fascinating, imaginative, beautiful but also a little creepy.   It's a very unique story written by an own voices author that sensitively portrays mental health issues, and has real-life takeaways about determination, resilience, loving one's self and using that to gain power.  It's really a beautiful story filled with lovely detailed passages and positive messaging.  A story not to be missed.     

Favorite line:  "Books were like rare paper flowers one should always stop to inhale."