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The Spellspinners #1
Wicked Cool
Zara Norland has a problem. It's getting harder to hide who - or what - she is. Which is pretty ironic, actually. Because Zara doesn't know who, or what, she is. Her sixteenth birthday is just around the corner, and according to all the fairy tales and legends, something is about to happen. If you have unexplainable powers or a mysterious past - and Zara has both - something huge happens on your sixteenth birthday, right?
Zara has never found fairy tales particularly helpful. But she has a feeling that this time, the old legends are right on the money. Here comes trouble.
Zara has never found fairy tales particularly helpful. But she has a feeling that this time, the old legends are right on the money. Here comes trouble.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2010
6 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 13, 2011
I really liked this YA book. The pace was fast and I like the way it was narrated which seemed quite unique. The plot line was interesting and the characters were too, but I think they could have been developed a little more. The ending kind of left the reader hanging with 'what happened?' and it seemed like the wrap up between Zara and Meg was a little too easy.
I do hope there will be more in the series though to answer some of the hanging questions.
I do hope there will be more in the series though to answer some of the hanging questions.
September 9, 2011
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, based on the cover and description I wasn't expecting a whole lot. There were harder areas of the book to get through but the overarching plot and themes were consistent and the characters were interesting and dynamic. I would definately read another book by this author, and I'm thinking there must be more to this character or world.
August 16, 2011
Really enjoyed the boy/girl relationship in the fact that the girl character remained strong throughout the book, continuing to question what she was seeing/feeling and not just accepting the situation.
September 4, 2010
Have you ever felt completely lost at who you are? Just traveling through life, hoping to get some glimpse to explain where it all started. Zara felt the exact same way. She grew up first on a commune, then spent most of her life in Cherry Glen, with her Aunt Nonny. Nonny use to be a hippie, so that explains the first 5 years at a commune. Her mother, her aunts sister, died when she was just a baby, so Zara's aunt Nonny has been her “mother” her entire life. They are incredibly close, and Zara really enjoys her life with Nonny. There is just one problem. Zara has these unexplainable, uncontrollable powers. She has no idea where they come from, and what it makes her exactly. Nonny is not a huge fan of her powers, so it's best if Zara just keeps them to herself. They don't really talk about them, and Zara does her best to hide them. Nonny owns a nursery right across from their house, so it's not always the easiest to hide her powers from her.
Now Zara has a best friend named Meg, who she is able to confide all of her secrets too. Especially, the ones about her powers. They met at summer camp one year and have been inseparable ever since. Meg and Zara spend most of their free time performing minor science experiments and studying up, to learn more about her powers. Zara is pretty lucky to have a friend like Meg, to help her through this confusing time in her life. Meg is also pretty good at keeping secrets, so no one has found out about her, yet. There are of course rumors, because, well Zara doesn't exactly look like everyone else. She has dark hair, pale skin, and amazing amethyst colored eyes. She tries to disguise herself, by dressing in pale colors, but it almost makes her stand out even more.
Zara has done a pretty good job at controlling her powers enough to prevent others from seeing them. Until the day Zara and Meg decided to spend the day at the water park. Without thinking Zara used her powers and needless to say, it ended up on the news. Fortunately, no one really knew it was Zara, and they all just passed it off at coincidence. This incident got Meg and Zara thinking, and it occurred to them, Zara is turning 16 soon, and most people like Zara, in the fairy tales of course, have something magical happen to them on their birthdays. So all they had to do was wait, wait for her birthday to see just what happens. Will she meet someone? Will she lose her powers? Will they get stronger? I won't say, you will just have to read to find out. I can say, you won't be disappointed. You will be pulled into a fantastic new world of magic and spellspinners. Zara will get to learn a little bit about what she is and why she has her powers.
I really enjoyed this book. There were so many interesting elements to it. I was almost as desperate as Zara to learn about her past. I too, wanted to find out who she is. The characters are written wonderfully, that you can sympathize with all of them in the story. The way the story is written, it's like you are living inside Zara's mind. She is writing in her journal, which is basically us, telling us everything that happened. At times it can get frustrating, because well, we are inside a teenagers mind! But for the most part it kept things entertaining, and you are able to relate more to her on an emotional level. The writer has done a great job of pulling me into the story because I am just dying to read the rest of the series, and see how Zara's life unfolds. I read an article where the author said this book can be compared to “The Princess Diary's” meets “ Harry Potter”. I couldn't agree more. If you enjoyed either of those stories, you will find yourself falling in love with this book as well. This story is great for all ages, even grown adults. If you are looking for a new world to escape to, check out this book. It is sure to please.
Now Zara has a best friend named Meg, who she is able to confide all of her secrets too. Especially, the ones about her powers. They met at summer camp one year and have been inseparable ever since. Meg and Zara spend most of their free time performing minor science experiments and studying up, to learn more about her powers. Zara is pretty lucky to have a friend like Meg, to help her through this confusing time in her life. Meg is also pretty good at keeping secrets, so no one has found out about her, yet. There are of course rumors, because, well Zara doesn't exactly look like everyone else. She has dark hair, pale skin, and amazing amethyst colored eyes. She tries to disguise herself, by dressing in pale colors, but it almost makes her stand out even more.
Zara has done a pretty good job at controlling her powers enough to prevent others from seeing them. Until the day Zara and Meg decided to spend the day at the water park. Without thinking Zara used her powers and needless to say, it ended up on the news. Fortunately, no one really knew it was Zara, and they all just passed it off at coincidence. This incident got Meg and Zara thinking, and it occurred to them, Zara is turning 16 soon, and most people like Zara, in the fairy tales of course, have something magical happen to them on their birthdays. So all they had to do was wait, wait for her birthday to see just what happens. Will she meet someone? Will she lose her powers? Will they get stronger? I won't say, you will just have to read to find out. I can say, you won't be disappointed. You will be pulled into a fantastic new world of magic and spellspinners. Zara will get to learn a little bit about what she is and why she has her powers.
I really enjoyed this book. There were so many interesting elements to it. I was almost as desperate as Zara to learn about her past. I too, wanted to find out who she is. The characters are written wonderfully, that you can sympathize with all of them in the story. The way the story is written, it's like you are living inside Zara's mind. She is writing in her journal, which is basically us, telling us everything that happened. At times it can get frustrating, because well, we are inside a teenagers mind! But for the most part it kept things entertaining, and you are able to relate more to her on an emotional level. The writer has done a great job of pulling me into the story because I am just dying to read the rest of the series, and see how Zara's life unfolds. I read an article where the author said this book can be compared to “The Princess Diary's” meets “ Harry Potter”. I couldn't agree more. If you enjoyed either of those stories, you will find yourself falling in love with this book as well. This story is great for all ages, even grown adults. If you are looking for a new world to escape to, check out this book. It is sure to please.
November 16, 2011
This is a story about a girl named Zara who possesses some extraordinary gifts that land her in a heap of trouble. In the midst of all Zara has going on, she also has the dread of what her upcoming sweet sixteenth birthday is going to bring her. Lucky for Zara sixteen happens to bring an incredibly hot boy who also possesses her same gifts; unlucky for Zara he harbors something dark inside him that screams for her to run from him. I spent the first half of this novel thinking it was very cute. I spent the second half of the novel with my interest peaked learning what Zara is and where she really came from. This is a great novel for YA readers. Wicked Cool has a hidden message about becoming a teenager and going through life changes, but mask this message behind a fantastic story. I also thought this book sent a good message about friendship. Zara has a best friend named Megan and while the two hit some bumps, they come out together and stay strong. If I had to have any dislikes in the story it would only be that in the beginning of the story I was slightly disappointed in Zara wanting her to be a stronger character. I reminded myself she is growing into her skin, and by the end of the book Zara became a well developed character and was a much stronger person. The ending of this novel threw me for a loop. I had expected something different to happen in the story not fully trusting the instinct of the main character. When Zara's intuitions were right I could not believe it. I look forward to reading more books from this author; she has a writing style I really enjoy. I like my books easy to read with an intense unique storyline and Diane Farr delivered for me.
January 28, 2012
Zara has always known she was different, being capable of using what she thinks is magic since she was a child. IS she a witch or some other mythical creature? She has no answer because her Grandma has asked her to never speak of what she is truly capable of in fear that Zara will be taken away. Confiding in her friend Meg she soon realizes that her 16th birthday will be the day when her questions get some answers because she is starting to feel something brewing.....enter Lance the gorgeous and mysterious boy with answers she always hoped for, and their undeniable attraction to eachother is not what either expected, but Zara is still trying to figure out if he is an aly or an enemy, so while she pushes off his advances, he turns to Meg, but will he be able to tear their friendship apart...dum dum dum!! (LOL!)
I like how Zara is a strong character, she meets a boy she is crazy for but instead of going all Bella Swan she gets to know him better in order to prevent herself from losing sight of their objective, teaching her who she is and what she is capable of. I like how Meg is a real friend, not flimsy or whiny or self obsessed like most supporting female characters are. People will love to find out what happens next, but I definately think this is aimed more for young adults, I am a little too seasoned to find myself saying wicked cool :) Still a good book though, I loved Zara!!
I like how Zara is a strong character, she meets a boy she is crazy for but instead of going all Bella Swan she gets to know him better in order to prevent herself from losing sight of their objective, teaching her who she is and what she is capable of. I like how Meg is a real friend, not flimsy or whiny or self obsessed like most supporting female characters are. People will love to find out what happens next, but I definately think this is aimed more for young adults, I am a little too seasoned to find myself saying wicked cool :) Still a good book though, I loved Zara!!
December 11, 2011
So I Read This Awesome Incredible Book Ever And Waiting To Hear News About The Second Book To This Story LIne.. My Mind Is In Holld For It... THis Book Is Different Better A Break From WErewolf And Vampires ..A Mustt Readd!!
June 18, 2011
Young for sure, but fun!
June 15, 2014
I thought it was an awesome book. At the end was a suprise twist that Lance Donavon lost his so easily
April 20, 2020
Cool idea, poor execution. The whole idea of Spellspinners was great, a bit underdeveloped, but cool. Too bad the characterization was so bad! Zara, the MC, is a box of contradictions... "yes, I want the power". "No, I don't want it, I want to be normal." "Yes I want to know how to use it, No, I want to not use it." "He is so handsome and I want to kiss him", "No, he is dangerous and I don't want to touch him". "Meg is my BFF and I tell her everything", "No, I don't want to tell her this and I will lie to her". Grrrr! The whole Zara resisting was annoying, the whole Zara not telling Meg was annoying and the whole Meg falling for Lance, and Lance playing with both of them, and Zara NOT telling anything was super annoying.
And I just can't stand books where there are tons and tons of description of how beautiful the MC are... if I have to read one more time how white Zara's skin was...
Has a nice ending, but I am not interested anymore, since the MC was bleh.
And I just can't stand books where there are tons and tons of description of how beautiful the MC are... if I have to read one more time how white Zara's skin was...
Has a nice ending, but I am not interested anymore, since the MC was bleh.
Read
October 3, 2019I like the new direction Diane Farr took
Disclaimer: Diane Farr is my critique partner. 2nd disclaimer: I love her Regencies. In fact I love Regencies in general. I also love YA paranormal. This is a very very good book right smack inside the YA paranormal sub- genre, only a less dark than series like Gunger Games and Divergent. Very enjoyable! Diane's books are always well written and well edited as well as engrossing and fun. Highly recommended!
Disclaimer: Diane Farr is my critique partner. 2nd disclaimer: I love her Regencies. In fact I love Regencies in general. I also love YA paranormal. This is a very very good book right smack inside the YA paranormal sub- genre, only a less dark than series like Gunger Games and Divergent. Very enjoyable! Diane's books are always well written and well edited as well as engrossing and fun. Highly recommended!
November 11, 2012
I finished the book relatively quickly, about 6 hours so a very easy read. Although I was intrigued by the premise of the spellspinners, there just wasn't enough about them, who, what where. I understand the main character, Zara, was ignorant as to what she was, and was just finding out about herself and her powers; however the teenagers I know would have been relentless to find out everything they could, they would have found it "Wicked Cool", and there is just no way they would not have used those powers before, in anger of just for fun.
That said, I read a lot of YA books, this one was written from the perspective, or through the eyes and mind of a 16 year old girl. She was telling you her story as she was recording in her diary. For the most part the book followed this theme in the telling, it unfortunately made me laugh out loud as she threw in absurd words that no teenager that I know, would every use (Grin); Example; Zara was upstairs after tele-porting,(called skatching)herself to her bedroom, and Lance, the other spellspinner, was downstairs searching for Zara. Zara did not want Lance in her bedroom, so she is headed for the stairs, and the sentence to tell you this states: "Sure enough, I caromed into Lance right at the foot of the stairs." Seriously, caromed? Caromed is another term for Billiards, or if I am reaching... make a carom; strike and rebound. This is a late 18th century term, and I think you will agree it is not a word that today's teenagers, electronic age teens, would use in their daily texting/tweeting lingo.
Believe me, I am a firm believer in making the YA readers stretch and expand their vocabulary, however shouldn't the words you are using weave and fit the story and the sentence? Unfortunately this was sprinkled through out the book which I found very distracting, as it made me try and figure out what the sentence was telling me instead of voraciously devouring the next sentence to see what happens next.
Although the character development is excellent,I wished for a little more sophistication in the story telling. Today's YA readers after all have been reading Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, and so on.
I would recommend still recommend the book, because of the characters, but advise the readers not to expect to much in the telling of the story. I will read the next in the series to see if there is more substance to the story, if it actually delves into the spellspinners, where they came from, are they good or evil, how Zara became one and why was she abandoned as a baby.
The author leaves you a teaser, letting you know throughout history there have only been 49 and now there are 50. Zara is considered rogue and a danger, and the council of spellspinners wants her dead, so what will happen next?
I met Diane Farr at the RAW, and so wanted this book to be awesome!
That said, I read a lot of YA books, this one was written from the perspective, or through the eyes and mind of a 16 year old girl. She was telling you her story as she was recording in her diary. For the most part the book followed this theme in the telling, it unfortunately made me laugh out loud as she threw in absurd words that no teenager that I know, would every use (Grin); Example; Zara was upstairs after tele-porting,(called skatching)herself to her bedroom, and Lance, the other spellspinner, was downstairs searching for Zara. Zara did not want Lance in her bedroom, so she is headed for the stairs, and the sentence to tell you this states: "Sure enough, I caromed into Lance right at the foot of the stairs." Seriously, caromed? Caromed is another term for Billiards, or if I am reaching... make a carom; strike and rebound. This is a late 18th century term, and I think you will agree it is not a word that today's teenagers, electronic age teens, would use in their daily texting/tweeting lingo.
Believe me, I am a firm believer in making the YA readers stretch and expand their vocabulary, however shouldn't the words you are using weave and fit the story and the sentence? Unfortunately this was sprinkled through out the book which I found very distracting, as it made me try and figure out what the sentence was telling me instead of voraciously devouring the next sentence to see what happens next.
Although the character development is excellent,I wished for a little more sophistication in the story telling. Today's YA readers after all have been reading Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, and so on.
I would recommend still recommend the book, because of the characters, but advise the readers not to expect to much in the telling of the story. I will read the next in the series to see if there is more substance to the story, if it actually delves into the spellspinners, where they came from, are they good or evil, how Zara became one and why was she abandoned as a baby.
The author leaves you a teaser, letting you know throughout history there have only been 49 and now there are 50. Zara is considered rogue and a danger, and the council of spellspinners wants her dead, so what will happen next?
I met Diane Farr at the RAW, and so wanted this book to be awesome!
June 8, 2011
This book started out with a bang. Unfortunately that momentum did not continue and I found myself wanting to put the book down for good. I persevered but continued to find the pace slow. Not enough questions get answered and overall I think there needs to be more plot and more character development.
September 13, 2011
Really a 3.5. Enjoyed it & looking forward to the sequel.
January 21, 2012
Interesting .... A girl with violet eyes who doesn't know she is a witch :) (or spellbinder). I can't wait for the next one :)
June 17, 2012
Had trouble finishing this book. If it was a longer book it would have been demoted to bathroom reading. Decent ending though.
June 21, 2012
Quick read. Interesting but a lillte immature in the story line.
May 18, 2013
Good young adult read. Good for adults too if you're into paranormal stuff and want a light read.
August 7, 2017
Good young adult fantasy, first of a trilogy.
March 28, 2017
Zara has always known she was different but she didn't know what that difference was until she met Lance Donovan. He explains to her that she is a spellspinner and doesn't belong among normal people. His methods of trying to get her to come to his way of thinking leave a lot to be desired however. He is mean, temperamental and tries to ruin the human relationships she has. She gets the gist that she shouldn't really exist and she could lead to people finding out about spellspinners and they are none too thrilled about that.
This was probably more like a 3.5 stars, I rounded up for the originality of the spellspinner story. I thought it was fairly well shaped and definitely wanted to learn more. I didn't love how focused Zara was on how hot Lance is when he was being an ass....but then I remembered that she's 16 and that's what 16 year olds do. So, her immature thoughts and behavior didn't really bother me, they felt real.
This was probably more like a 3.5 stars, I rounded up for the originality of the spellspinner story. I thought it was fairly well shaped and definitely wanted to learn more. I didn't love how focused Zara was on how hot Lance is when he was being an ass....but then I remembered that she's 16 and that's what 16 year olds do. So, her immature thoughts and behavior didn't really bother me, they felt real.
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