Spin the Dawn 

By. Elizabeth Lim 

P. 416 

Format: print/audio 

Rating: **** 

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Read as part of the 2021 Owlcrateathon 

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I was not sure what to expect with Spin the Dawn. The concept of a tailor entering into a competition did not appeal to me all that much, which is why I put off reading this book as long as I did. I just kept hearing such great things about it, so I knew it was one that I wanted to finally pick up. 

 

I really enjoyed Lim’s writing. The characters were vivid and the setting beautifully described. The characters were also interesting. I enjoyed the asian inspired setting and magic. Maia, the main character, has to literally sew using the sun, moon, and stars to create a fabled gown. Again, this premise was not one that I was drawn to, but was one I surprisingly enjoyed. 

 

Maia is a master tailor, but she is denied the title because she is a women. Her skills matter less then her gender. I enjoyed how Spin the Dawn tackled gender expectations. There are a lot of important topics addressed in this book, and also provides an enjoyable world to escape to. 

 

Spin the Dawn is still very much YA with the angsty romance and everything works out in the end plot. For some this is a plus, and others this is not. Personally, I am burnt out of YA - even still I enjoyed my time with Spin the Dawn.