The Snow Spider

* * * */ Four Stars

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Danger, Loss, Suspense, Mystery

In this fabulous book by Jenny Nimmo (the first in the Magician Trilogy), Gwyn's life is upside-down. His sister died, his friend is growing distant, and his own father seems to deny him. When his birthday comes around, he is given 5 unusual gifts from his grandmother; a piece of seaweed, a yellow scarf, a tin whistle, a metal brooch, and a broken toy horse. She thinks that these gifts will reveal if he is a magician, like his ancestors; Math, Lord of Gwynedd, Gwydion, and Gilfaethwy. He doesn't expect anything when he takes them; his grandmother often was a bit awry in the head most days. But then, a mysterious, beautiful, silver spider as white as the snow appears before him. Then a new girl appears in class that reminds him of someone . . . but he can't place just 'who' yet. Then, after that, he finds that he can 'release' the objects his grandmother had given him out into the wind. Is he a magician like in his grandmother's tales? Can he do magic? Is there something that he is meant to do?
I was moved by the story of The Snow Spider. It was entrancing and magical, but it also kept the ideas of sadness, perseverance, and 'moving on' steady throughout this piece. This is a bittersweet novel that is a new-found gem. Everyone looking for a book to cuddle up with will instantly fall in love with it!