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Summary: Stay with it - it gets better and better
Review: Initially, this book was hard to follow. Toward the middle, the story was much easier to understand. At the end, the book was very interesting and exciting. I think the author could have done better at the beginning of the book to keep you interested and to keep you reading. I had to read this book for a school project and I may not have continued because the beginning was so boring. I kept reading and really got into the story. So stay with it - the story turns out to be really exciting.
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Summary: Wonderful tale about the power of story
Review: Storytellers everywhere look to enhance their repertoire, and so the story of Shahrazad, with her tales of 1000 nights, has special intrigue. Susan Flecther goes one better by weaving a tale of Marjan, who becomes responsible for obtaining the stories for her, and the intricate plot of intrigue and ultimate healing and reconciliation. At the core of the story is the coming of age of Marjan, as her experiences open her eyes to the realities of life and relationships. She gets caught up in the politics and cruelties of palace life, becoming an ally to Shahrazad, only to be shocked when her mistress actually professes her love for the cruel king. In the end, it is a powerful story told to the king, full of wisdom, that secures the true love and compassion for which he becomes known. SHADOW SPINNER is a book with something for all ages, on many levels. It is a book that will become richer upon re-reading, which you will want to do. Enjoy the complexity and uniqueness of the characters, the setting and the plot in this well-spun tale.
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Summary: Very thought provoking
Review: This is an excellent book. I'm not particularly fond of reading Asian and Middle East-based fiction, but this made quite an impression on me! Marjan is the main character- a cripple, who has lost her mother and never knew her father. She lives w/ her auntie Chava and her uncle. She manages to wangle her way into the presense of the Queen Shaharazad and her sister. What happnes next is quite good- you'll have to read it for yourself. A very suspenseful fiction book that's well written.
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Summary: Shadow Spinner - One of my Faves!
Review: Shadow Spinner is a great book! It tells about a crippled girl, Marjan, who loves telling tales - partially because of her role model, the famed Shahrazad. Shahrazad has been telling stories to the sultan every night, so he won't kill her or any other girl in his harem. He had been previously killing a girl a night, because of his anger of his first wife being unfaithful. Shahrazad is in a dangerous position...especially when she starts to run out of stories! When her sister hears Marjan telling stories in the bazaar, she takes her to Shahrazad. There, Marjan tells her a story that she hadn't heard before - a great feat. Shahrazad tells it to the sultan, but he asks for the rest of the story! Marjan must go on a dangerous journey to find it - where she solves some other mysteries, as well. This book was very exciting and realistic, and I would recommend it for ages 11 and up.
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Summary: An excellent read.
Review: When Sheherazad's sister overhears Marjan telling a story she never heard before, she takes an interest in the girl, brings her to her sister, and soon, it is up the Marjan to find a knew and interesting story to please the sultan. Not only is Sheherazad's life at risk, but the lives of all the young woman of the city. The main character is a strong one, and the fact that she is crippled shows she's even stronger. (What I think is interesting is HOW and WHY Marjan's foot is crippled.) Don't miss this read.
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Summary: very absorbing, satisfying ending
Review: My daughter (age 9) wasn't much of a reader until Harry Potter came along. Although we'll be forever grateful to JKRowling for getting her hooked on reading, we've had a difficult time since then finding books that stood up to the comparison (at least in her mind). This is one of the few that have. It is absorbing and suspenseful--we read it aloud, and anyone in the family that is old enough to read was caught at least once sneaking a look ahead (strictly against the rules in our family!). And since I've always been interested in the story of Shahrazad, it was fascinating to see it fleshed out. It had never occurred to me what a heavy burden it would have been for her to save not only her own life but those of hundreds of other women by telling stories night after night. Anyway--this is a great book, especially for reading aloud. It doesn't have quite the pizzazz or made-for-the-movies aura that Harry Potter has, but in my opinion, that's a good thing. And it finally got my daughter out of re-reading Harry for the umpteenth time and trying some new books.
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Summary: Shadow Spinner
Review: This book is GREAT! My Mom and I are reading it for our Mother Daughter Book Club and so far everyone's loved it.This is a perfect book for girls. It's about a girl,Marjan you must find the end of a story or her ideal, the Queen, will be killed by the Sultan. will Marjan find the end before it's to late? This is a MUST read book.
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Summary: Shadow Spinner- A very good book- could not put it down!
Review: I have to admit that Shadow Spinner is a very good book. A crippled woman named Marjan is forced to leave her uncle Eli and Auntie Chava and mave to the sultan's harem. She must help Sharazad stay alive by finding the rest of a story she had told to her. I will not tell you anymore.....read the book! (haha)
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Summary: Call of the Wild
Review: Call of the Wild is a very fascinating book about a dog that was taken from his family and sold as a sled dog in a new, harsh environment. It is encouraging to see him improve, and very inspirational. The story helps me look beyond the immediate circumstances and to a brighter future day when things that are difficult now can be translated to experience, then to good fortune.
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Summary: My review on Shadow Spinner
Review: Shadow Spinner is a great book that can be enjoyed for all age groups. It is the story of a crippled young women named Marjan. One day she is with auntie Chava at the harem selling treasures to some young women who live there. When Marjan is telling a story to some young children in the harem, a lady named Dunyazad over hears her. Dunyazad takes Marjan to her sister the Sultan's wife, Shahrazad. The Sultan's first wife betrayed him and he has been hurt ever since. He feels he can not trust women, so he murders his new wife when ever he gets remarried. Every night Shahrazad tells a story to the Sultan, so she can live the next morning. Shahrazad insists that Marjan comes to live with her so she can be taught new tales. Marjan's real quest begins when she has to sneak out of the harem to find a story teller in the bazaar. She must find the story teller and learn more tales, so Shahrazad has a story to tell the Sultan that night. Each day becomes a struggle to escape to find a new story. Will Marjan be able to continue making escapes to the bazaar and how many more nights can Shahrazad survive? What happens next is very intriguing.
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