Clotho the Fate

Goddess Girls #25

by Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

Get to know Clotho, one of the Three Fates, in this twenty-fifth Goddess Girls adventure!

Eleven-year-old Clotho is always linked with her two big sisters. Together, they are all the Three Fates, with abilities to predict events in mortals’ lives. There are a few rules that the all-powerful Zeus has decreed for them, including a strict no-mingling with mortals policy.

After Clotho discovers letterscrolls from unhappy mortals who don’t love their fates, she wishes there was a way to try and earn their respect. During a secret trip to the Immortal Marketplace—where there is always a chance to run into mortals, too!—Clotho finds herself in over her head as she gets swept up in a competition to celebrate the opening a new store. A competition where her identity as a fate could be revealed at any moment!

If that weren’t enough, Clotho must face up to an old mistake she made several years ago that broke one of Zeus’s other Never interrupt the telling of a fate. It could mess up a mortal’s whole life!

Can Clotho manage to untangle the mess she has made while finding a way to bring the mortals and the Fates together?

Genres: Mythology, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Childrens, Fiction, Retellings

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2019

About the author

NY Times bestselling children's book author:
GODDESS GIRLS series + HEROES IN TRAINING series (w Suzanne Williams); THIS LITTLE TRAILBLAZER a Girl Power Primer; ZERO THE HERO; I AM THE SHARK. Lucky to be doing what I love!

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun! Clotho is the youngest of the three fates; spinning out each mortal’s life thread. Yet, she dreams of more: a home to share with her sisters and a few friends (other than her sisters who like to boss her around). Clotho breaks Zeus’s Rule 3 by mingling with some mortals and then has to unravel her web of lies to make things right.

[Birdie]

been in a little bit of a reading slump so used a book from this series to get me out of it again.

[IllyrianShadowsinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I finally understand why I was a stupid child

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen these books at my library for years but this latest assignment has forced me to read "fables, legends, myths, and folklore" that have been published in the last five years. It's not my strength when it comes to Reader's Advisory. I had an awesome coworker who helped me out!

However, I felt like giving this book a shot. It follows Clotho, the youngest of the three fates--her sisters--and how she longs to mix with both mortals and immortals. Her path winds up crossing with other familiar faces in Greek mythology. Athena. Aphrodite. Hera. Hercules. So many names will be recognized by the reader.

I have to admit that the book wasn't fully my cup of tea. Yet it is an excellent middle grade novel. I would say that it is perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders. The font size is perfect; there is lots of white space and spacing between lines which aids in benefiting a struggling reader. The story of wanting to make friends, of finding a place to belong, will resonate with sentimental readers. The Greek mythology setting will be enjoyed by readers who love....well....Greek Mythology.

I am happy that I read this book. Now I can direct my library users to this series with more awareness and accuracy. Which means I will more authentic in my interactions.

[Taylor Manookian · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this series so much
literally i will keep reading them as long as they are written theyre so cute and i love greek mythology and since i know the real stories its so cool & fun to see the parallels and how they spin it i love it
i cant wait for the next book bc its gonna be centered around persephone & yall know i adore the core four
this series. so good
also the author follows me on here idk how she found me but i love that so hello hi if ur reading this i love your works please keep writing more!

[Nichole Ostrander · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a girl who is into mythology or going to study the Greeks and romans, I highly suggest this series. In this book it even shows how the word tantalize came to be. The books shows a title bit about the three fates. This series is different take on the myth, but truly fun.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in this middle-grade series. So fun!
This time out, Clotho, youngest of the 3 Fates, ends up disobeying Zeus' third law - Don't mingle with mortals. This is how she came to accidentally mingle.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This addition to the Goddess Girls series deals with issues like loneliness and homelessness, which are definitely some heavy hitter topics that are important to discuss with children. Clotho also gets a lesson in lying and taking responsibility for your mistakes.

[Sascha Broich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting spin, the take of Tantalus' sin and punishment.

[Antonia Woodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! The story was fun and I liked it!

[Ava M-L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. Especially how they tweak things for kids. Like making tantalus’s punishment into a game. Also this series is light and short. I enjoy reading these after a slump.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am still not enjoying these latest books nearly as much as the first 20 or so. It’s a real shame.

[Verena]

I still don't rate it because I'm really confused. First, because it really seems like this is the very last book of the series! There are not any new books announced. And honestly, currently I prefer Thunder Girls. I can't help it, but GG has never seemed so weak as now.
Now the three Fates are girl goddesses. They are representing totality of fate, which is expressed with their racial diversity (although not so in the book). The cover is not like the Fates in the book.
By the way, Clotho is the blue one of the triplet. The cat is also in the book and so is the spider....it's Arachne! (Do you remember her from Athena the Wise? Wow, let's see, whether our snarky spider gets a happy end!). Spiders are the perfect match for the spinning and knitting Fates!
The basic idea is interesting because mortals complain about their fates and are angry of the particular three goddesses. Clotho wants to change that!
There are interesting mythological attempts, but I'm not 100% persuaded. First, there's the famous Underworld sinner Tantalus introduced in GG world.
Then, we have Atalanta (from Medea the enchantress), but there is no recall of her part in Aphrodite the Beauty. It's a bit confusing, when later books have earlier mythological events.
Last but not least, there is the serpent from Medea the Enchantress. There's a very interesting attempt, but the problem is solved too early. I'm not really satisfied with Clotho's strategy, although I like the idea behind it.
(Spoiler:
Please give the serpent a real friend or another job, like protecting the golden apples of the Hesperides!)