Spinner
By Michael J. Bowler
Genre: YA horror/paranormal
Publisher: YoungDudes Publishing
Fifteen-year-old Alex is a “spinner.” His friends are “dummies.” Two clandestine groups of humans want his power. And an ancient evil is stalking him. If people weren’t being murdered, Alex might laugh at how his life turned into a horror movie overnight.
In a wheelchair since birth, his freakish ability has gotten him kicked out of ten foster homes since the age of four. Now saddled with a sadistic housemother who uses his spinning to heal the kids she physically abuses, Alex and his misfit group of learning disabled classmates are the only ones who can solve the mystery of his birth before more people meet a gruesome end.
They need to find out who murdered their beloved teacher, and why the hot young substitute acts like she’s flirting with them. Then there’s the mysterious medallion that seems to have unleashed something malevolent, and an ancient prophecy suggesting Alex has the power to destroy humanity.
The boys break into homes, dig up graves, elude kidnappers, fight for their lives against feral cats, and ultimately confront an evil as old as humankind. Friendships are tested, secrets uncovered, love spoken, and destiny revealed.
The kid who’s always been a loner will finally learn the value of friends, family, and loyalty.
If he survives…
Review:
Spinner is about a young teenage boy, Alex, who is handicapped and lives with a malicious housemother. Alex is the "dummy" class and he's also a "spinner," so he has some pretty awesome powers. But it comes with not-so awesome things like two different groups of people wanting his gift. A string of murders in Hawthorne starts around Alex's birthday, including Alex's teacher. The only ones helping Alex solve this mystery are his fellow disabled peers. So now they need to find the truth about a weird substitute, a medallion and these troublesome murders.
Spinner had me captivated. It was amazing. There was a new twist in the story that would have me holding my breath. I started Spinner and finished it in one sitting. The relationship between Alex and Roy was absolutely true. I could relate to the friendship with my own best friend. I also loved how close Alex and his classmates were, I mean that is friendship goals right there. This novel was filled with love, loyalty, mystery, and a lot of humor. I applaud Mr. Bowler. I look forward to recommending this book, and reading it a second time. This is a five out of five stars.
Author Bio:
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of eight novels––A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time (Silver Medalist from Reader’s Favorite), and The Knight Cycle, comprised of five books: Children of the Knight (Gold Award Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards), Running Through A Dark Place, There Is No Fear, And The Children Shall Lead, Once Upon A Time In America, and Spinner.
He grew up in San Rafael, California, and majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University. He went on to earn a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special
Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.
He acted as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II.”
He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.
He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to eight different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles.
He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed him and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.
He is currently working on a sequel to Spinner. His goal as a YA author is for teens to experience empowerment and hope; to see themselves in his diverse characters; to read about kids who face real-life challenges; and to see how kids like them can remain decent people in an indecent world.
* Spinner won Honorable Mention in Young Adult Books of 2015 from the San Francisco Book Festival.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: michaeljbowlerauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938109.Michael_J_Bowler
