Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | February 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month February 2019
With a fabulous heroine at its heart and propelled by a fast-paced adventure in not just one world but others too, The Star-Spun Web is a spell-binding fantasy adventure. As a little baby, Tess de Sousa is left on a doorstep by her father in an effort to keep her safe. To be safe, he knows he has to get her out of one world and into another. Apparently orphaned, Tess, with her pet tarantula for company, grows up in Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings where she is encouraged to use her brain to do difficult scientific research and is very much loved by all. But her life changes suddenly when a stranger, claiming to be family, arrives at Ackerbee’s Home, and takes her away with him to Roedeer Lodge. Mr Cleat is not family and Tess needs all her intelligence and persistence to keep safe and, above all, to find out why he is interested in her and what his terrible plan for the future might be. The plot hurtles along and Tess remains a resourceful and delightful character throughout.
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A Star of a book! I've never given much thought to having a pet tarantula, but I think I would like a Violet.
This is a magical adventure story perfect for inquisitive readers. Tess was left on the doorstep of an orphanage in another world by her father with a strange device. Years later a mysterious man claims to be her guardian and arrives to take her away. This is an adventure which sees Tess, with the help of Violet her tarantula and her constant companion, working out who she is and experimenting (she loves to experiment) with the strange object in her possession to find out more about her family.
With glimpses into another world, new friends made and old family there in Tess' time of need, this is a brilliant all-rounder for readers who love animals, adventures and stories of friendship.
This is a brilliant book for 7+.... Read Full Review
This book was really awesome! It was different to most of the books I have read but I really, really enjoyed it! I hope it will be part of a series and I can’t wait for the next one.
I really liked the look of this book, the front cover is interesting and the title makes you wonder what it is about. I haven’t read any books by this author before but I really enjoyed her writing. The book is quite long and there are no illustrations, which at the start made me think it would be boring, but it really wasn’t!
I LOVED the story! I really liked the main character Tess and her pet was unexpected and for me a bit creepy, but they loved one another, so it was nice. I really liked that Tess had some great friends, who were really important in the story and it shows that we always need good friends in our lives.
The story was different to most of the stories out there.... Read Full Review
I found this book enjoyable because it was interesting and the story kept me intrigued.
The Star-Spun web is about a young girl from a different reality who gets delivered to an orphanage where she feels very much home, but this all changed with the arrival of Mr Cleat...
I found this book enjoyable because it was interesting and the story kept me intrigued. The story is exciting because you wanted the characters to do the things they were not supposed to in the story to enable a different ending.... Read Full Review
