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Spin
The Song of Achilles and Circe get a sapphic, young adult twist in this “exciting, richly textured, thought-provoking” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) retelling of the myth of Arachne spun in moving verse.
Arachne is a homely girl with no claims to divinity or fortune, ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After a devastating loss, Arachne and Celandine flee to the city of Colophon, where Arachne’s skills are put to the test. Word of her talent spreads quickly, leading to a confrontation with the goddess Athena, who demands that Arachne repent for her insolence and pride.
But Arachne will not be silenced. She challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.
A brilliant weaver of words, author Rebecca Caprara transforms an ancient myth into a sweeping novel in verse, unraveling the tales that frame Arachne as a villainess and deliver a timely story of long-awaited justice.
Arachne is a homely girl with no claims to divinity or fortune, ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After a devastating loss, Arachne and Celandine flee to the city of Colophon, where Arachne’s skills are put to the test. Word of her talent spreads quickly, leading to a confrontation with the goddess Athena, who demands that Arachne repent for her insolence and pride.
But Arachne will not be silenced. She challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.
A brilliant weaver of words, author Rebecca Caprara transforms an ancient myth into a sweeping novel in verse, unraveling the tales that frame Arachne as a villainess and deliver a timely story of long-awaited justice.
393 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2023
47 people are currently reading
3980 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Caprara
9 books51 followersRebecca Caprara graduated from Cornell University and practiced architecture before shifting her focus from bricks to books. She writes stories for readers of all ages and loves experimenting with narrative forms and new genres. Her work ranges from poetry and picture books to middle grade and young adult novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
April 19, 2024
Do not read if you hate spiders.
Do read if you like to cry.
Better Greek retelling than crown of midnight.
Spin VS Crown of Starlight | GREEK RETELLINGS
https://youtu.be/ISwbCz_YlNM
Do read if you like to cry.
Better Greek retelling than crown of midnight.
Spin VS Crown of Starlight | GREEK RETELLINGS
https://youtu.be/ISwbCz_YlNM
February 3, 2024
Most Greek mythology retellings I've found are about the same characters, so I love it when an author tackles something new. I adored Caprara's take on Arachne. I didn't realize before starting it that it was told in verse, which was a first for me, but I liked it a lot. It was a lush, lyrical tale of rebellion and reclaiming power. You watch Arachne go from this timid outcast who doesn't believe in herself to this outspoken woman unafraid to stand up to the wrath of Athena. I loved how she challenged Athena and the other villagers to face the horrors of the gods and men. Arachne refused to let her story, or the stories of other women like her, be silenced. I flew through this in one sitting because the prose and story were so captivating. If you like mythology retellings, then I would highly recommend checking this one out.
April 23, 2022
Rebecca Caprara's SPIN deftly explores women's reclamation of their bodies, stories and the power they ultimately hold. A love letter to story and storytelling, this book challenges the stories we've been told, allowing us to see the pain and strength lingering underneath the surface. Raw, lyrical, and painfully honest in its approach, SPIN is an intricately woven tapestry, so intentional in its beauty. Arachne is a voice to the voiceless, and I firmly believe this new story will allow her to live forever.
March 30, 2023
I don't know about you but I am totally obsessed with all the mythology retellings that have been released over the past few years.
Told in verse, this is Arachne's story like you've never experienced but how it was always meant to be told. Fiercely feminist and an affront to the Gods themselves, Spin shines light on the misfortune and mistreatment of women often downplayed or downright ignored in mythology and modern society.
Arachne is someone deemed "other", disfigured and downtrodden in the eyes of society and yet she has an incredible inner strength and willpower to defy and defeat her peers opinions, her tragic circumstances and even dares to take on a Goddess, earning herself a place in legend and lore.
Told in verse, this is Arachne's story like you've never experienced but how it was always meant to be told. Fiercely feminist and an affront to the Gods themselves, Spin shines light on the misfortune and mistreatment of women often downplayed or downright ignored in mythology and modern society.
Arachne is someone deemed "other", disfigured and downtrodden in the eyes of society and yet she has an incredible inner strength and willpower to defy and defeat her peers opinions, her tragic circumstances and even dares to take on a Goddess, earning herself a place in legend and lore.
February 9, 2022
I love this book so much I can't even! Get it on your 2023 radar now!!!
January 25, 2025
”I am Arachne. Known for my skill alone. And for that I am proud. Too proud, some say, snickering when I turn my back. The verses and myths all agree: hubris leads to my demise. But the bards and poets often get it wrong, especially when they speak of women and girls. So I will tell you my version of the story and let you decide.”
3,5/5!
Arachne is a bullied, homely girl who lives a regular life toiling with her parents to support their family. She finds solace and a way to express all the emotions roiling inside her when her mother teaches her to weave and create art in the form of beautiful tapestries and fabrics. Arachne's story takes her from her small hometown to a bustling city where she, alongside her friend, Celandine, for whom she has fallen for, aims to make a life and name for herself. But her talents catch the attention of Athena, goddess of crafts, and it is always dangerous for a mortal to be noticed by a divinity.
Rebecca Caprara does something wonderful in this book – something I wish more authors in the Greek mythology space would do. Instead of retelling a famous, beloved myth with household names, she picked a small, itty bitty character from myth who appears in one story and gave them a life, a story and a personality. With Arachne as her central figure, Caprara spins (heh) a tale of not just one woman but all the women and girls who have been hurt by the gods – raped, molested, killed, transformed or otherwise brutalised. Her Arachne is her own individual, but also part of a larger story, which I loved. I hope more authors pick up small characters and give them the voice they've lacked for thousands of years. I also loved how this book's format - it is a novel told in verse - paid homage to the way these myths were originally told: they were songs and poems, told orally throughout centuries. I may not be the biggest fan of novels in verse (I like them but I don't tend to love them) but it fits the world of mythology. My qualms with the format are subjective.
Spin is, above all, a story of a young girl and woman who, as she grows up, learns more and more about the world and realises how ugly a place it is for those who do not wield power, like women. The way her mother teaches her to defend herself, to not trust every man she meets and to understand the dangers that lurk everywhere around her through myth is a nice nod to the historical use of folklore and mythology as a teaching mechanism – but this time, myths and stories are not used to teach women their place but to help a woman break out of the role society wants to put her in. Arachne's story definitely resonates with anyone who has grown up feeling ostracised, belittled or bullied, and I think many a woman can relate to the trials of growing up and maturing she goes through. I loved Arachne's righteous anger and how this book made her so much more than this hubristic one of a kind weaver she is often presented as. She has every right to be angry at the gods - what have they ever done for her and who would trust them considering all the horror stories told of them? I liked how, throughout the book, Arachne's bitterness against the gods slowly but surely grows until eventually she is ready to challenge a god, knowing she owes her nothing and is just as good, if not better, than her. But what I appreciated perhaps most of all is how she is not magically gifted, but just a regular woman who worked her ass off to become great. This honours her dedication and hard work and does not make her an anomaly among women. I could relate to her struggling to accept her own talents and how long it took for her to be proud of herself and to value her own work. Girls and women are still, in our world, often berated for being too angry or too proud, so seeing a young woman, by the end, so unabashedly both, was really nice. This quote, just before she
The side characters is where the book struggles. As this book is in poetry form and solely from Arachne's point of view with very few words per page, you don't get to properly know Celandine, for example, which is the reason why I couldn't vibe with the romance. I have to know both parties to love a love story and all I felt like I knew in this story was this glorified image Arachne has of Celandine. What can you say about her other than that she is kind, caring and pretty? I appreciated how brutal Athena is and how frightening she can be, but Caprara's Athena is nothing special. The gods as a whole, on the other hand, are explored really well. I appreciate Caprara really showing just how horrible, petty and cruel the gods can be, how they do not care about mortal lives and how they feel entitled to have whatever it is that they want. I loved this quote, which is, of course, a nod to the famous story of Arachne and Athena's competition: ”The only thing a god truly fears is a power greater than their own.” Arachne's mother was a nice, pleasant woman with plenty of wise words to share, but, just like Celandine, I never felt like I could fully grasp her. I could appreciate how much they both meant to Arachne but that was about it.
This book is a feminist exploration of Arachne's story and an attempt to give her a more empowering story than the one she originally has. I would say Caprara succeeded, even if she didn't really accomplish anything I haven't seen done in other feminist retellings before. This is not so much shade on the book but an admission of just how goddamn many feminist retellings of Greek myth I have read (they are my speciality). I also think, as this is a YA novel and thus written to be accessible to a younger audience, some of the feminist messaging was perhaps a bit too on the nose or spelled out too clearly, as if the reader wouldn't be able to figure them out herself. I am fully aware I am not the target audience and that, for a young reader who is perhaps starting to think about these things for the first time, them being clear might be exactly what they need. As a 27 year old who has read feminist lit for years, I didn't get anything new out of this story, even if I appreciate what it had to say about women owning their talent, fighting back, refusing to be belittled and taking care of each other in times of hurt. It showcases a myriad of ways the world tramples girls and women, both physically violent and emotionally brutal. I want to mention here that the book does contain scenes of sexual and physical violence, so, if that is something you are sensitive to, be wary. It's not super graphic, but it is clearly there and the ramifications of those moments of trauma are explored.
One aspect of the feminist reimagining of this story I want to highlight is the way Caprara writes about weaving. Whenever people discuss women and Greek myth/history, weaving is often depicted as a symbol of oppression (much like the corset is when discussing eras where women had to wear them) and while that is definitely true – women had to weave, it was expected of them and surely many must have hated it and seen it as a form of cruelty – it is also not that simple. Just like there must have been women who hated weaving, there must have been women who loved it and found joy in creating beautiful fabrics, clothes and tapestries. For Arachne, weaving is a form of resistance, of artistry, of self-expression. It is a way for her to connect with her mother and all the women who came before her. Everyone who has ever had a hobby or something they love doing so much they lose themselves in it, can relate to the passion in which Arachne approaches the loom: ”I lose myself in the loom. I find myself in the loom. I become the loom.” She weaves, yes, because she has to support her family, but she also weaves because she loves it and is herself when doing it. It was lovely to read about. I'm happy Caprara challenged this common trope of depicting every "feminine activity" of the ancient world is inherently evil and damaging for women.
This book was not a full hit for me, even if I did appreciate what Caprara did with the story and loved her choice of main character. I would recommend this book to teen fans of Greek mythology especially, but adults can definitely enjoy it as well. For those looking for a sapphic story, this one has that going for it as well, even if the love story is really not at the center of the narrative (I was actually quite surprised by how lowkey the romance was). I hope for more books like this – stories that focus on a lesser known figure of myth and breathe life into their hearts and bones, giving us something new and exciting.
3,5/5!
Arachne is a bullied, homely girl who lives a regular life toiling with her parents to support their family. She finds solace and a way to express all the emotions roiling inside her when her mother teaches her to weave and create art in the form of beautiful tapestries and fabrics. Arachne's story takes her from her small hometown to a bustling city where she, alongside her friend, Celandine, for whom she has fallen for, aims to make a life and name for herself. But her talents catch the attention of Athena, goddess of crafts, and it is always dangerous for a mortal to be noticed by a divinity.
Rebecca Caprara does something wonderful in this book – something I wish more authors in the Greek mythology space would do. Instead of retelling a famous, beloved myth with household names, she picked a small, itty bitty character from myth who appears in one story and gave them a life, a story and a personality. With Arachne as her central figure, Caprara spins (heh) a tale of not just one woman but all the women and girls who have been hurt by the gods – raped, molested, killed, transformed or otherwise brutalised. Her Arachne is her own individual, but also part of a larger story, which I loved. I hope more authors pick up small characters and give them the voice they've lacked for thousands of years. I also loved how this book's format - it is a novel told in verse - paid homage to the way these myths were originally told: they were songs and poems, told orally throughout centuries. I may not be the biggest fan of novels in verse (I like them but I don't tend to love them) but it fits the world of mythology. My qualms with the format are subjective.
Spin is, above all, a story of a young girl and woman who, as she grows up, learns more and more about the world and realises how ugly a place it is for those who do not wield power, like women. The way her mother teaches her to defend herself, to not trust every man she meets and to understand the dangers that lurk everywhere around her through myth is a nice nod to the historical use of folklore and mythology as a teaching mechanism – but this time, myths and stories are not used to teach women their place but to help a woman break out of the role society wants to put her in. Arachne's story definitely resonates with anyone who has grown up feeling ostracised, belittled or bullied, and I think many a woman can relate to the trials of growing up and maturing she goes through. I loved Arachne's righteous anger and how this book made her so much more than this hubristic one of a kind weaver she is often presented as. She has every right to be angry at the gods - what have they ever done for her and who would trust them considering all the horror stories told of them? I liked how, throughout the book, Arachne's bitterness against the gods slowly but surely grows until eventually she is ready to challenge a god, knowing she owes her nothing and is just as good, if not better, than her. But what I appreciated perhaps most of all is how she is not magically gifted, but just a regular woman who worked her ass off to become great. This honours her dedication and hard work and does not make her an anomaly among women. I could relate to her struggling to accept her own talents and how long it took for her to be proud of herself and to value her own work. Girls and women are still, in our world, often berated for being too angry or too proud, so seeing a young woman, by the end, so unabashedly both, was really nice. This quote, just before she
The side characters is where the book struggles. As this book is in poetry form and solely from Arachne's point of view with very few words per page, you don't get to properly know Celandine, for example, which is the reason why I couldn't vibe with the romance. I have to know both parties to love a love story and all I felt like I knew in this story was this glorified image Arachne has of Celandine. What can you say about her other than that she is kind, caring and pretty? I appreciated how brutal Athena is and how frightening she can be, but Caprara's Athena is nothing special. The gods as a whole, on the other hand, are explored really well. I appreciate Caprara really showing just how horrible, petty and cruel the gods can be, how they do not care about mortal lives and how they feel entitled to have whatever it is that they want. I loved this quote, which is, of course, a nod to the famous story of Arachne and Athena's competition: ”The only thing a god truly fears is a power greater than their own.” Arachne's mother was a nice, pleasant woman with plenty of wise words to share, but, just like Celandine, I never felt like I could fully grasp her. I could appreciate how much they both meant to Arachne but that was about it.
This book is a feminist exploration of Arachne's story and an attempt to give her a more empowering story than the one she originally has. I would say Caprara succeeded, even if she didn't really accomplish anything I haven't seen done in other feminist retellings before. This is not so much shade on the book but an admission of just how goddamn many feminist retellings of Greek myth I have read (they are my speciality). I also think, as this is a YA novel and thus written to be accessible to a younger audience, some of the feminist messaging was perhaps a bit too on the nose or spelled out too clearly, as if the reader wouldn't be able to figure them out herself. I am fully aware I am not the target audience and that, for a young reader who is perhaps starting to think about these things for the first time, them being clear might be exactly what they need. As a 27 year old who has read feminist lit for years, I didn't get anything new out of this story, even if I appreciate what it had to say about women owning their talent, fighting back, refusing to be belittled and taking care of each other in times of hurt. It showcases a myriad of ways the world tramples girls and women, both physically violent and emotionally brutal. I want to mention here that the book does contain scenes of sexual and physical violence, so, if that is something you are sensitive to, be wary. It's not super graphic, but it is clearly there and the ramifications of those moments of trauma are explored.
One aspect of the feminist reimagining of this story I want to highlight is the way Caprara writes about weaving. Whenever people discuss women and Greek myth/history, weaving is often depicted as a symbol of oppression (much like the corset is when discussing eras where women had to wear them) and while that is definitely true – women had to weave, it was expected of them and surely many must have hated it and seen it as a form of cruelty – it is also not that simple. Just like there must have been women who hated weaving, there must have been women who loved it and found joy in creating beautiful fabrics, clothes and tapestries. For Arachne, weaving is a form of resistance, of artistry, of self-expression. It is a way for her to connect with her mother and all the women who came before her. Everyone who has ever had a hobby or something they love doing so much they lose themselves in it, can relate to the passion in which Arachne approaches the loom: ”I lose myself in the loom. I find myself in the loom. I become the loom.” She weaves, yes, because she has to support her family, but she also weaves because she loves it and is herself when doing it. It was lovely to read about. I'm happy Caprara challenged this common trope of depicting every "feminine activity" of the ancient world is inherently evil and damaging for women.
This book was not a full hit for me, even if I did appreciate what Caprara did with the story and loved her choice of main character. I would recommend this book to teen fans of Greek mythology especially, but adults can definitely enjoy it as well. For those looking for a sapphic story, this one has that going for it as well, even if the love story is really not at the center of the narrative (I was actually quite surprised by how lowkey the romance was). I hope for more books like this – stories that focus on a lesser known figure of myth and breathe life into their hearts and bones, giving us something new and exciting.
September 29, 2024
4 stars. This was beautiful and yet infuriating in that my heart hurt for all of the things that the character of Arachne went through. There’s some seriously heavy topics in this and I feel like the author handled everything really well. It is gorgeously written. It’s entirely in verse which I don’t gravitate towards normally but it worked well with this story. The ending was so bittersweet and had me all in my feelings. I wasn’t aware of the myth of Arachne before this so it was an experience for me and I absolutely loved it. If you are a fan of mythology retellings I would highly recommend this.
April 28, 2023
I really wanted to like this one but alas. It somehow managed to be overlong while also having Arachne's shift from mousy and insecure in her talent to claiming she's better at weaving than Athena seem way too sudden. I do like the points it made about how often the suffering of women is glossed over in stories and such but all in all I didn't like it too much.
December 6, 2023
I love this feminist take on a Greek myth. So many layers to the story and I enjoyed seeing the character development of Arachne.
April 9, 2025
I have mixed feelings.
On the one hand, the prose is very beautiful, but the idea of the novel as verse felt underutilized (especially in consideration to the importance of bards and poets for Ancient Greece. I kind of hope it would lean more literary in that sense)
The descriptions were beautiful and vivid, the scenes enjoyable, the characters lovely. The idea of flaws in Arachne (hubris, pride and temper) were also nicely explored if a bit undercut by the fact that all her flaws seemed to have a political righteousness to them, which fair enough, but also detracts a bit from them being real flaws.
Overall, I understand the angle the retelling takes (Who really are the monsters in the myth, who gets to tell the story, #feminism) but I have grown a bit weary of feminist retellings that are so on the nose. I understand the book’s target audience, but I wished Arachne read less like a modern-day woman, though I understand the work was also an act of catharsis for the author and I like what she did overall, I just wish it was a bit less obvious. I also think that towards the second part of the book so much emphasis was put on this idea of men as predators that we lose some of the other commentary on gods and godesses and their absence and hubris and how they affect ALL aspects of a mortal’s life and destiny beyond being violent, as well as the thread of Arachne’s family (by far the most compelling part of the book for me)
All this to say, I enjoyed the story and characters,and most of all the description and language. I just wish the book’s overall message hadn’t lost dimension by the end by falling into an obvious overemphasis of only one of the book’s ideas, when I feel like it could have done so much more with maybe a few more pages at the end.
4 stars!
On the one hand, the prose is very beautiful, but the idea of the novel as verse felt underutilized (especially in consideration to the importance of bards and poets for Ancient Greece. I kind of hope it would lean more literary in that sense)
The descriptions were beautiful and vivid, the scenes enjoyable, the characters lovely. The idea of flaws in Arachne (hubris, pride and temper) were also nicely explored if a bit undercut by the fact that all her flaws seemed to have a political righteousness to them, which fair enough, but also detracts a bit from them being real flaws.
Overall, I understand the angle the retelling takes (Who really are the monsters in the myth, who gets to tell the story, #feminism) but I have grown a bit weary of feminist retellings that are so on the nose. I understand the book’s target audience, but I wished Arachne read less like a modern-day woman, though I understand the work was also an act of catharsis for the author and I like what she did overall, I just wish it was a bit less obvious. I also think that towards the second part of the book so much emphasis was put on this idea of men as predators that we lose some of the other commentary on gods and godesses and their absence and hubris and how they affect ALL aspects of a mortal’s life and destiny beyond being violent, as well as the thread of Arachne’s family (by far the most compelling part of the book for me)
All this to say, I enjoyed the story and characters,and most of all the description and language. I just wish the book’s overall message hadn’t lost dimension by the end by falling into an obvious overemphasis of only one of the book’s ideas, when I feel like it could have done so much more with maybe a few more pages at the end.
4 stars!
October 14, 2023
I love a story that reclaims - or perhaps claims for the first time - a myth for the women in it. Spin takes the myth of Arachne and centers its story not around a boastful girl who challenges a goddess to a test of skill, but a young woman sick and tired of watching the gods do nothing for the women left broken in the wake of men. The verse may not always work, but the message undeniably does. It's time that the women of mythology stop being burned.
CW: rape
CW: rape
January 16, 2024
I enjoyed this feminist retelling of Arachne's story although I had a few problems finding into the story due since the story was told in verses. I'm not that much into poetry and normally prefer prose, but the rhythm worked well for the story, it kind of imitated the key element of the story: spinning. Arachne is a very intersting character and I very much enjoyed her relationship to others, especially to her mother and her brother. I also liked the saphic love angle. Three stars from me.
#Popsugar Reading Challenge: A collection of at least 24 Poems
#Popsugar Reading Challenge: A collection of at least 24 Poems
January 31, 2023
A grueling look at the “other side” of a Greek myth. Feminist and devastating, thoughtful and thought-provoking.
September 30, 2024
I loved this. But also, I cried a lot.
November 10, 2025
* ੈ✩‧˚
⤷ Spin by Rebecca Caprera
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
★★★★★
⤷ 5 stars
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
⤷ greek mythology, retelling, wlw
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤:
⤷ profanity - yes
⤷ romance - 1/4
⤷ violence - 1/3
⤷ trigger warnings - SA, r@pe
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
⤷ Oh my gosh. This book chewed me up, spit me out, set me on fire, then hugged me and told me it was all right, then stabbed me in the back and left me there to die alone.
This book was crazy. That’s what I’m trying to say.
⤷ Song of Achilles + Arachne + sapphic + feminism + crying + epic poetry with pretty prose type writing + more crying = this book. And I adored SoA so literally-
Literally this is SoA but more relatable for me. I’m dying it was so good.
⤷ The romance??? AHHHHHH 😭😭😭
⤷ The. Freaking. Men. They basically reminded me that, lowkey, most men (well not most but a good amount of them) suck. (This is my petition for everyone to be sapphic :) (lol anyways)
⤷ The ending was lowkey so good. Satisfying, heart wrenching, and really just honed in the point. Amazing.
⤷ I still can’t get over this… THE ROMANCE??!!! 😭😭😭
⤷ And like the format was unique and interesting and I didn’t think I’d like it but it made it SO AMAZING
⤷ This book broke me. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. 😭
⤷ How has the whole internet not been talking about this book like SoA??!!!! I need this to be a BookTok staple RIGHT NOW.
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
⤷ Oh my gosh in a nanosecond. If you even remotely liked Song of Achilles, or Greek mythology, or lowkey, if you’re a reader, please read this book and give me more people to yap about this with. This was so amazing I loved it so much.
⤷ Spin by Rebecca Caprera
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
★★★★★
⤷ 5 stars
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
⤷ greek mythology, retelling, wlw
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤:
⤷ profanity - yes
⤷ romance - 1/4
⤷ violence - 1/3
⤷ trigger warnings - SA, r@pe
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
⤷ Oh my gosh. This book chewed me up, spit me out, set me on fire, then hugged me and told me it was all right, then stabbed me in the back and left me there to die alone.
This book was crazy. That’s what I’m trying to say.
⤷ Song of Achilles + Arachne + sapphic + feminism + crying + epic poetry with pretty prose type writing + more crying = this book. And I adored SoA so literally-
Literally this is SoA but more relatable for me. I’m dying it was so good.
⤷ The romance??? AHHHHHH 😭😭😭
⤷ The. Freaking. Men. They basically reminded me that, lowkey, most men (well not most but a good amount of them) suck. (This is my petition for everyone to be sapphic :) (lol anyways)
⤷ The ending was lowkey so good. Satisfying, heart wrenching, and really just honed in the point. Amazing.
⤷ I still can’t get over this… THE ROMANCE??!!! 😭😭😭
⤷ And like the format was unique and interesting and I didn’t think I’d like it but it made it SO AMAZING
⤷ This book broke me. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. 😭
⤷ How has the whole internet not been talking about this book like SoA??!!!! I need this to be a BookTok staple RIGHT NOW.
* ੈ✩‧˚ 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
⤷ Oh my gosh in a nanosecond. If you even remotely liked Song of Achilles, or Greek mythology, or lowkey, if you’re a reader, please read this book and give me more people to yap about this with. This was so amazing I loved it so much.
March 16, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.
I love a novel in verse. I love Greek mythology. I love the retelling of stories of women. I love all of the things this novel promised...and it delivered. This is not a lighthearted read, nor should it be considering the myth of Arachne and all of the other women in Greek Mythology. This story focused on Arachne taking back her story and her power while learning to stand up for herself. I am not as familiar with Arachne's story before the weaving contest, so some of the story had me gasping and nearly crying.
There is truly beautiful verse within it though, and I love love love how poignant and thought provoking some of the verses were - especially regarding how history tells the stories of women. There is also a queer undertone, and I wish that had been developed more BUT overall, this is a stunning, gorgeous read.
I love a novel in verse. I love Greek mythology. I love the retelling of stories of women. I love all of the things this novel promised...and it delivered. This is not a lighthearted read, nor should it be considering the myth of Arachne and all of the other women in Greek Mythology. This story focused on Arachne taking back her story and her power while learning to stand up for herself. I am not as familiar with Arachne's story before the weaving contest, so some of the story had me gasping and nearly crying.
There is truly beautiful verse within it though, and I love love love how poignant and thought provoking some of the verses were - especially regarding how history tells the stories of women. There is also a queer undertone, and I wish that had been developed more BUT overall, this is a stunning, gorgeous read.
April 10, 2024
I need more people to read this RIGHT NOW???? I was crying thru a good 4th of it and read the whole thing in one sitting. Obviously it’s going to be a quicker read than expected but it was still captivating. So many beautiful quotes can be pulled from this book. Heartbreakingly relatable realizations about being a women. Just so amazing. Reads with Rachel did a video on this and I knew I HAD to get my hands on it. This isn’t a book I would normally give 5 stars to because I treat 5 stars like it’s. Whole grail thing. Which is my issue. But this so deserves it. Just fantastic
-it currently appears that not a single one of my notes or highlights saved. Which is just perfect
-it currently appears that not a single one of my notes or highlights saved. Which is just perfect
January 19, 2024
Spin beautifully weaves together Greek mythology and feminist ideals, portraying the poignant tale of Arachne. The narrative, both heartbreaking and inspiring, not only explores the tragic aspects of Arachne's story but also offers important lessons. This timely narrative brilliantly communicates themes of feminism within these ancient stories we know so well, offering a new perspective to the behavior of the Greek gods and striking parallels to the issues of our modern era.
March 31, 2024
A beautiful and phenomenally written feminist telling of the Greek myth Arachne.
Written in verse form, the pure poetry and prose of the writing had me re-reading sentences just to savor the words again.
The plot is powerful and meaningful all the way to the end, and this is a great example of how the simple stories established in mythology can be repainted in such a dynamic way.
Written in verse form, the pure poetry and prose of the writing had me re-reading sentences just to savor the words again.
The plot is powerful and meaningful all the way to the end, and this is a great example of how the simple stories established in mythology can be repainted in such a dynamic way.
April 9, 2025
I hadn’t looked inside when I purchased the book, so the verse format threw me off at first, but it fits perfectly!
Throughout the novel, Greek stories are told book to emphasize the theme of women always paying the consequences of men’s violence. Which complemented the book’s bittersweet ending. Arachne’s anger at the gods/men’s world resulted in a ‘punishment/blessing’ situation—she got to do what she wanted, but at a high cost.
Would recommend ✨
Bonus it’s a queer book 🌈
Throughout the novel, Greek stories are told book to emphasize the theme of women always paying the consequences of men’s violence. Which complemented the book’s bittersweet ending. Arachne’s anger at the gods/men’s world resulted in a ‘punishment/blessing’ situation—she got to do what she wanted, but at a high cost.
Would recommend ✨
Bonus it’s a queer book 🌈
September 8, 2023
Holy crap! Spin is such an amazing read. I couldn't put it down, but not because it was intense but because of the way it was written. It was like slicing through butter, never any spots where I felt stuck on a page or unmotivated to read. Rebecca Caprara is a genius!!
September 28, 2023
This book is the best combination of beauty and heartbreak. It captures the nuance of so many Greek myths, asking the reader to confront hard truths, but equiping them with the strength to do so alongside the protagonist.
May 5, 2024
This is an excellent twist/retelling of a myth that is often cast aside as not as interesting as some others (*cough cough* the war/man based ones *cough cough*). The writing is very smooth and easy to read, which helps a lot when dealing with such heavy themes. Overall, it was excellent but did not pull at my heartstrings the way I was expecting. However, that may just be on me as someone who has heavily steadied mythology and reads twists/retellings incredibly often.
March 11, 2024
What an amazing retelling.
I didn't think I could find a retelling that made me as emotional and rage filled as Stone Blind, but here we are. The anger and indignation drips off the page. And by the gods, I wanted Arachne to stab Athena with her distaff.
I didn't think I could find a retelling that made me as emotional and rage filled as Stone Blind, but here we are. The anger and indignation drips off the page. And by the gods, I wanted Arachne to stab Athena with her distaff.
Read
May 6, 2024
Trigger & Content Warnings
Ableism
Sexual assault
Death of a sibling
Ableism
Sexual assault
Death of a sibling
January 21, 2025
never killing a spider again
April 26, 2025
I have never liked spiders.
I have always been terrified of the too many legs too many eyes scuttling little things.
But after reading this book, I will never look at a spider the same way again.
(Well, thanks to this and The Magnus Archives both actually lol The Web has struck again)
I have always been terrified of the too many legs too many eyes scuttling little things.
But after reading this book, I will never look at a spider the same way again.
(Well, thanks to this and The Magnus Archives both actually lol The Web has struck again)
February 10, 2024
This one started slow but really picked up the pace once Arachne grew up. Spin is an empowering story of courage, strength, and the necessity of confronting systems that abuse many to glorify few.
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