The Starspun Web

September 15, 2019
A 12-year-old orphan girl with extraordinary abilities is swept away by a strange mustachioed man claiming to be a distant relative. Does he also hold the secrets to her otherworldly past? Ackerbee's Home for Lost and Foundlings is the only home that Teresita "Tess" Mariana de Sousa has ever known. And a loving and safe home it's been, especially for a girl who was left on its doorstep as an infant along with a secret object from another world. At age 4, Tess gained a pet tarantula named Violet, who keeps her tethered to the current reality. The tale incorporates an exploration of a tantalizing many-worlds theory, which considers that all possible versions of the universe might exist simultaneously, not to mention that multiple universes may fit together like a spider's web. Ultimately, however, the story leads into experiences based on real-life events in Ireland during World War II. Fantasy readers will appreciate the foray into interdimensionality and multiple and alternate realities as well as the flecks of other fantasy and science-fiction influences that will feel familiar. The spunky protagonist appears to have light brown skin while other characters appear to be white. A good old-fashioned engaging and inventive page-turner. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)

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September 30, 2019
Set in 1941, the sophomore novel from O’Hart (The Eye of the North) blends alternate realities with history in a sophisticated examination of passion, family, and purpose. Tess de Sousa, 12, is a resident at Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings, nestled in a town analogous to Dublin. Her guardians, Miss Ackerbee and Miss Whipstead, encourage her passions for science and experimentation, and she’s surrounded by friends, including her pet tarantula. But then, Mr. Norton F. Cleat arrives and claims to be her only living relative. Before Tess departs to his home, Roedeer Lodge, Miss Ackerbee gives Tess a small device, thought to enable travel between realities. Two things make Tess’s exile to the lodge bearable: her work with the device and her fervent commitment to return home to her family at Miss Ackerbee’s. O’Hart’s ambitious novel becomes somewhat muddled as it zooms through alternate realities and tangled plot threads. But the complex thematic elements, including war, help to anchor this compelling story of love and survival against the odds. Ages 8–12. Agent: Polly Nolan, Greenhouse Literary.

Starred review from November 1, 2019

Gr 4-6-O'Hart's latest fantasy thriller offers readers the plot-driven science fiction tale that her readers have come to expect. Orphan and young scientist Tess de Sousa explores multiple universes with her pet tarantula, Violet. Her journey begins when a stranger named Norton F. Cleat finds Tess at Ackerbee's Home for Lost and Foundlings, the orphanage where she lives. Posing as a distant relative, Cleat takes her away to his home at Roedeer Lodge, where she begins to question his dangerous intentions, and his use of a mysterious device called a Star-Spinner. Tess soon learns that the Star-Spinner is a gateway between her own world and parallel universe where WWII rages in Dublin, Ireland. She also discovers that Norton F. Cleat plans to use her as a central component of a diabolical plan. With her brother Thomas and her friends from Ackerbee's, she must stop a nefarious plot at all costs. Readers will find Tess a strong heroine, and likewise, secondary characters, including Miss Ackerbee and Tess's orphan friends, Wilf and Millie, enhance the emotional impact of the journey. Overall, the text is accessible for middle graders and will keep fantasy fans engaged. The ending leaves the reader wanting more and leaves room for a sequel. VERDICT A twisty, fantastical adventure. This title will be an excellent addition to any middle grade reading collection, especially where fantasy and science fiction are in demand.-Angelina Bair, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, OH

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