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Book Review By David Loftus
Seven Spiders Spinning by Gregory Maguire

Seven baby "Siberian snow spiders" -- highly poisonous tarantulas which have been frozen since the last Ice Age -- are discovered and transported to Harvard for study, but the truck crashes and its precious cargo escapes near the quiet Vermont town of Hamlet. The spiders imprint on seven girls who attend Josiah Fawcett Elementary School and call themselves the Tattletales Club, at first adoring the girls, then turning to vengeful hate. The Tattletales are competing with the boys club, the Copycats, to win first prize in the annual Halloween Pageant of Horrors, and the only odd person out is Pearl Hotchkiss, who doesn't believe in clubs, but happens upon one of the spiders and takes it home for a surprise. Meanwhile, the remaining six spiders stalk their prey.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - humorous or laughable
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Parody Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the bodysnatchers are coming!
Descript. of chases or violence - 20 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - a kid

Main Adversary
Identity: - bug
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a lot

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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