The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of Lauren Oliver's The Spindlers while I was at BEA.  I love everything that Lauren Oliver writes so I had to get my hands on a copy.  Here is the Goodreads blurb:

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different. When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul. She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him. To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests--or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever. From "New York Times" best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a bewitching story about the reaches of loyalty, the meaning of love, and the enduring power of hope.

This story reminded me of some of the great adventure movies that we watched as kids like The Neverending Story and Goonies.  Liza goes on a magical journey to save her brother because she loves him, even if he's weird and annoying.  On her journey through the land Below, she makes a friend and learns about all of the strange creatures who live there.  Besides the Spindlers, there are a wealth of other unique creatures that inhabit the new and interesting world that Lauren Oliver builds in this book, such as: Troglods, Nids, and Hobgoblins.  Liza has to face her fears and find bravery that she didn't know she had to find Patrick.  I really enjoyed this adventure story that also touched on friendship, honesty, fairness and so many other things.  Liza is a great heroine who, I think, girls and boys alike will love.  I think parents, tweens and teens will all love this book.

You can find out more about Lauren Oliver and her books on her website, her blog and on Twitter.  The Spindlers will be released on October 2nd so be sure to add it to your Goodreads and pre-order your copy!    I give The Spindlers 3 Fairies for a great book to share with your children.