Originally posted at Hooked on Books 
 Liza needs to save her brother, Patrick, from the spindlers. A mysterious, spider like group of people, who are determined to steal his soul. Despite the fact that she doesn't know where they are, is lost in a completely new world and is forced to travel with a talking rat (of all things!) she presses onwards. Determined to see her journey through to the end. 
 There are many things to love about the new middle grade novel, The Spindlers. For starters there's the loveability of it's protagonist Liza. She knows her brother has been taken, and even though he drives her crazy a lot of the time, she's determined to bring him home. Why? Because he's her brother and she loves him. No hesitation. No dragging of the feet. She see's what needs to be done and she's sets off to do it. I found her brave, and intelligent and just generally a joy to read about. 
 And I love that Lauren Oliver touched on the idea of sibling love. I know, even as an adult, I can relate to Liza's feelings about her brother. My own brother can sometimes drive me up the wall, but at the end of the day there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. This is an especially important message to reinforce with children, who are potentially still getting used to having a sibling or at a time when siblings can be at their most mischievous. 
 The world underneath our own world, the one Liza ventures into, is really a testament to Lauren Oliver's creative mind. It's a world reminiscent of The Borrowers or Roald Dahl. It's full of strange but interesting creatures. Case and point, Mirabella, the talking rat that accompanies Liza on part of her journey. She certainly is a bizarre character and at times you really won't know what to make of her. But she is guaranteed to make you laugh and tug at your heartstrings. 
 Final recommendation: Lauren Oliver's The Spindlers is the stuff good middle grade is made out of. It's an adventure to a new world, filled with imaginative and bright characters and it'll keep you hanging on, cheering for Liza and Patrick right until the very last page.