Inventive, empathetic, and strange in all the best ways, The Spinner of Dreams draws from the author’s own experiences to create a story that feels timeless and universal. As she did in her debut The Land of Yesterday, K. A. Reynolds thoughtfully explores mental health and crafts an adventure that fits right alongside middle grade classics like The Phantom Tollbooth.

Annalise Meriwether—though kind, smart, and curious—is terribly lonely.

Cursed at birth by the devious Fate Spinner, Annalise has always lived a solitary life with her loving parents. She does her best to ignore the cruel townsfolk of her desolate town—but the black mark on her hand won’t be ignored.

Not when the monster living within it, which seems to have an agenda of its own, grows more unpredictable each day.

There’s only one way for Annalise to rid herself of her curse: to enter the Labyrinth of Fate and Dreams and defeat the Fate Spinner. So despite her anxiety, Annalise sets out to undo the curse that’s defined her—and to show the world, and herself, exactly who she is inside.

But can a girl who has only ever known loneliness and fear truly stand against the enchantress who controls fate itself?

A Labyrinth of Shifting Walls: Annalise must navigate a maze where every path is a test of will and illusions hide behind every corner.
A Curse That Fights Back: The monster inside Annalise’s hand has its own agenda, and learning to wield its strange power may be the only way to survive.
An Unlikely Found Family: Joined by a clever talking cat and a three-legged fox, Annalise discovers she doesn’t have to face her fears alone.
Honest Mental Health Representation: A heartfelt adventure that thoughtfully explores anxiety and panic in a way that feels true, offering hope to young readers who feel different.