Book: Spindlewood
By: Freddie Kolsch
Published: July 21, 2026
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pages: 304
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About Spindlewood
Lilac is in a stage of life where she has to lie… A lot. Not just to her family, but a lot to the people at school. She’s never believed in ghosts, but now her uncles are telling her that she comes from a long line of gifted seers. Her entire family has gone to a top-secret boarding school for those who see ghosts. Now she has her very own invitation to go. The only problem is that she can’t see ghosts. There has been a huge misunderstanding, and now that her curiosity has gotten the best of her, she has to lie to everyone. But the further she gets, the more tangled she becomes. Will she get caught and have her memory wiped for good?
What I thought
I can’t remember why exactly I picked this one up. Maybe it was the cover, or maybe it was the synopsis. Either way, I’m glad I picked it up. I love a good story about ghosts. The only thing is that the storyline isn’t what I was expecting. At least not really. I was expecting it to be more horror or at least a little spooky, but it wasn’t either. So, I was a bit disappointed in that aspect of it.
I do have to say Spindlewood brings a very unique twist to those who see ghosts. There are different types, and they have different abilities. Plus, the fact that they have a saying in order to bring ghosts around.
The story is fast-paced and really grabs your attention throughout a vast majority of it. I do, however, take issue with Lilac. She’s a huge know-it-all, and that wasn’t fun to read about. Plus, her explaining what things mean was also a bit frustrating. Are there kids around her age that are actually like that? It’s no wonder she has no friends.
For me, this story is a 3 out of 5. I love the premise and all, but I found parts of it to be incredibly frustrating. There were parts of the storyline I was hoping would be a tad bit different, too.
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