Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Scholastic Press (2015), 224 pages
Description
Inheriting a spider-shaped ring from her grandmother, Maria discovers her very useful ability to communicate with and control spiders before catching the attention of the magic-hungry Black Widow.
User reviews
LibraryThing member destinyisntfree
Maria is a seventh grader who is sort of the outcast, the odd girl whose family doesn't have a whole lot of, well, anything. Her clothes are all second hand because she is raised by a single mom and she would rather spend her time with her eccentric grandmother than doing much of anything
Grandma Esme has a lot of stories and a lot of secrets. Maria never imagined in her wildest dreams that any of those stories, or those secrets, could possibly have really been true and that they would take her on the adventure, or the nightmare, of a lifetime.
The Spider Ring is the kind of middle grade read that will get the attention of both boys and girls because it has elements that will hold the interest of both. While having a female main character, something that we are lacking in a lot of MG fiction these days, the content is kind of icky and scary and more on the level of something that will draw in the boys. Then, of course, you throw in a bit of Jr High teasing and drama for the girls, and you have the complete package.
It did start off a little on the slow side and I was kind of worried that I was not going to be able to get into it, but I hit about the 25% mark and the story took off on it's own. While the pacing in the beginning was slow, that did improve toward the middle, though the end to me felt a bit rushed and like there was something missing from the story and that there needed to be something more. It's hard for me to explain that without giving anything away.
Overall, if you like middle grade reads and you want something completely different, give this one a try. It very definitely is unique!
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else.Grandma Esme has a lot of stories and a lot of secrets. Maria never imagined in her wildest dreams that any of those stories, or those secrets, could possibly have really been true and that they would take her on the adventure, or the nightmare, of a lifetime.
The Spider Ring is the kind of middle grade read that will get the attention of both boys and girls because it has elements that will hold the interest of both. While having a female main character, something that we are lacking in a lot of MG fiction these days, the content is kind of icky and scary and more on the level of something that will draw in the boys. Then, of course, you throw in a bit of Jr High teasing and drama for the girls, and you have the complete package.
It did start off a little on the slow side and I was kind of worried that I was not going to be able to get into it, but I hit about the 25% mark and the story took off on it's own. While the pacing in the beginning was slow, that did improve toward the middle, though the end to me felt a bit rushed and like there was something missing from the story and that there needed to be something more. It's hard for me to explain that without giving anything away.
Overall, if you like middle grade reads and you want something completely different, give this one a try. It very definitely is unique!
Show Less
Awards
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2018)
Children's Favorites Awards (Selection — 2016)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
224 p.; 8.57 inches
ISBN
0545682908 / 9780545682909