ISBN: 9780439846752
Subject: Children's Fantasy
(The Magician Trilogy: Book One)
I found this book at a thrift shop and was drawn in by the cover, which is beautiful, and represents the unique story well. The Snow Spider is about a young boy named Gwyn (short for Gwydion), who receives five unusual presents for his ninth birthday: a metal brooch, a whistle, a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, and a small broken horse. Oh, and he is told by his grandmother that he is descended from magicians. Naturally, these become key points in the story, and the objects bring forth incredible things that only Gwyn sees.
The reader quickly learns of Gwyn's strained relationship with his father, due to the absence of his sister; of his mentoring from his grandmother, who is shown as eccentric; and of his friendship with his best friend named Alun (yes, with a "u"). The appearance of a strange spider and an unearthly girl set the stage for the climax of the story. As the story ends, there are still questions unanswered, which pave the way for a second story.
Welsh references and words are used to indicate that the family is either living a place where the language is common, or they are descended from Wales. The time period is vague, with a coal stove, active candle use, and an apron-wearing mother, but electricity is the main source of lighting and the father owns a Land Rover. Regardless of the time period, the author does a brilliant job building beautiful scenery, both in the ordinary and the extraordinary worlds (yes, plural). The age of Gwyn is portrayed accurately in the things that Gwyn does. The character arch for the girl is like a blurry picture that slowly sharpens, causing the reader to unknowingly predict the reveal.
Because it is a children's book, the pacing is quick, as is the climax. It's been awhile since I've really dived into books for this age group, but I feel the climax fell short of what it could have been. During the rising action, Gwyn is faced with more and more difficult situations. One in particular involves him directly battling an evil force to retrieve something. The scene is short and revealed to the reader through the eyes of the girl. When the climax is reached, Gwyn must face the same evil force but this time he must trap it with the aid of the spider. However, Gwyn does not battle the evil force, and the spider does all the work. In addition, the story doesn't focus on the "battle", but on Alun who has been caught in the middle of things.
Another thing that bothered me, though very small, was the heavy use of the exclamation point. Yes, children are the epitome of the exclamation point, but the use in this book was too much. The best part of the book though, besides the vivid imagery, was the very end. The falling action was expected up until the last two pages, and even within the unexpected twist there was another sharp turn.
Though definitely a story for elementary and middle school kids, there are a few things that would make a young reader stumble: the use of foreign language, the tricky names, and the time period (though I doubt that makes much difference to a 9 year-old). I would recommend this book for any child, and for adults who enjoy unique children's
books.
*If you need another reason to read this book, Jenny Nimmo is also the author of the Charlie Bone books.
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