Spell & Spindle follows Chance, a lonely young boy gifted with a stunningly lifelike, magical marionette named Penny. After discovering he can communicate with her Chance and Penny become fast friends. However, on the eve of Chance’s family’s move out of the city Penny and Chance swap bodies and to make matters worse the marionette is stolen. Penny, now in Chance’s body, has to figure out how to make things right before Chance’s soul is lost forever.

Spell & Spindle's tone was arresting. Unlike middle-grade fantasy I’ve read before it’s neither cute and cuddly nor whimsical. There was grit to Michelle Shusterman’s storytelling that was fascinating to explore. The bulk of the novel followed Penny’s journey through the city as she searched for Chance and Shusterman evoked a feeling of legitimate, palpable danger throughout it. The realism of the threats Penny faced added depth to the story. Shusterman tackled things like the street harassment of young girls and the racist profiling of black boys and integrated these issues organically into the story. She did so in a way that felt approachable for younger audiences and authentically represented the way children experience these things.

The sinister edge of this story is also perfectly captured in the story’s antagonist, the Puppeteer. While he was initially presented as an almost cartoonish villain as the stakes rise throughout the story and his motives are revealed he became a truly malignant threat. There was grounded malice to his actions that made the heart-pounding finale all the more dread-inducing.

But, Spell & Spindle's crowning jewel is its characters. Penny and Chance are such compelling characters to follow because of how invested I was in seeing them overcome everything stacked against them. Penny’s arc, in particular, was a gut punch. Seeing her grapple with newfound freedom and doing right by her friend was heartbreaking. Shusterman captured the moving emotional arc of Penny’s journey perfectly.

Chance had an equally heartbreaking perspective. Trapped in the body of a marionette, we saw him attempt to remain steadfast and hopeful under insurmountable circumstances. His bravery the face of that was so inspiring to watch. I also adored watching Constance, Chance’s sister, fight with everything she had to get her brother back. While she didn’t have a point of view in this novel her clever wit, fierce determination and unflinching love for her brother were wonderful to behold.

All these compelling characters were supported by a perfectly paced story that layered emotion and tension immaculately. Shusterman built her mystery excellently and I was consistently compelled to keep turning the pages. Shusterman’s exploration of the effects of grief and isolation on children broke my heart. But her demonstration of their resilience and bravery made all the heartache worth it.

Spell & Spindle was simply an incredibly crafted, resonant novel. It's a book that takes children seriously. I could tell Michelle Shusterman genuinely appreciates the rich inner lives and emotions of children. She told a spellbinding, captivating story and I would highly recommend it to children and children at heart.