Previous Finalists

'A must for YA fantasy readers looking for humour, suspense, and fully fleshed out characters.' The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
I always say, you can't go too far wrong with books of this sort. Michael J. Bowler, the author, is not trying to 'break the mould' here; Spinner's not eye-openly original, but it has what YAs want – a clever plot, a memorable cast of characters, strong pacing, fantasy – oh, and a little dollop of humour.
It's predominantly the story of Alex, a boy with powers; he's a spinner, but you'll need to read the book to find out what a spinner is - but trust me when I say, it's pretty cool. Anyway, it's a story of murder (or should I say, murders?), of trusting pals and working together, of struggling with a disability, of uncovering secrets, battling evil, and discovering who you are. Well, nobody can accuse the author of not cramming a lot in!
Now, I'm over thirty – well over thirty, but I do know, if I was still 15, this is a book I'd enjoy. Alex is a wonderful protagonist, broken in many ways, but perfect to root for. Even when he thinks he's probably the murderer, you can't help but want the best for him. And the pacing's good too. I find a lot of YA novels can get a bit bogged down with introspective blah, blah, blah. But Mr Bowler hasn't fallen into that trap; yes, you get to know Alex, but the author keeps the story moving, throwing in so many twists and turns, I started to feel a bit dizzy!
So, can I recommend this novel to YAs? 100% yes. I think they'll love the mystery, the characters, and the protagonist. And the good news is, this is the first book in a trilogy. So, if you enjoy Spinner, you can hunt out Shifter and Spoiler. I just read the blurbs, and they sound pretty good too.
A 'Wishing Shelf' Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk