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Starred review from January 23, 2023
Via alternating past and present narration told in sensate verse, Caprara (Worst-Case Collin) cultivates a tale of ill-fated competition between mortals and gods in this captivating read, a crash course in Greek mythology. Arachne often questions what the gods have done to warrant their station, especially when offerings upon their altars leave her feeling “unchanged./ I feel no divine infusion/ of confidence or strength./ My prayer, unanswered or unheard.” Wishing to engineer a good life for herself without the gods’ help, the 16-year-old takes up weaving; her prowess soon becomes well-known throughout the land of Lydia, garnering unwanted attention from jealous goddess Athena. Arachne’s wariness of the gods worsens when her friend Celandine is
sexually assaulted. Arachne’s righteous anger, well-earned pride, and determination to rail against her society’s mores and strata are palpably wrought. Intricate descriptions of traditional weaving practices feature prominently throughout, and related terminology serves as section titles, signaling interludes and narrative shifts. Fittingly using Arachne’s mythos as a framework, Caprara navigates issues surrounding gender norms, grief, and trauma, while accentuating how art and storytelling can serve as acts of healing and advocacy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary Studio.

March 1, 2023
Grades 7-11 Fans of Greek mythology will find themselves immersed in Caprara's novel-in-verse retelling of Arachne. At the story's outset, Arachne declares: ""All agree: hubris / leads to my demise. // But the bards and poets / often get it wrong, especially / when they speak of / girls and women." And so, Arachne endeavors to set the record straight. Even as a young girl, Arachne was never accepted by those in her village, save for her family and her best friend, Celandine. She bristles at the inequalities between men and women and the injustices perpetrated on people by the gods. Braced by her mother's strength and tutelage at the loom, Arachne finds confidence and her voice in weaving. When Celandine is assaulted by boys in the village, the two girls run away to Colophon, where Arachne's talent (and her pride in it) draws the attention of Athena, with unthinkable results. Caprara weaves other myths--Daphne, Persephone, Aite--into Arachne's story, tucking a strong feminist message into her lovely writing that is sure to resonate with modern audiences.

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Starred review from May 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-The tale of the Greek goddess Arachne from her perspective. As a young girl in the market, Arachne hears the whispers of the villagers when they say she has no future, that she is strange and unattractive. It is this day that leads Arachne to the loom with her mother to eventually become an expert weaver, just like the goddess Athena. Years later, though the experience in the market still haunts her, Arachne's life is full: her mother is her friend and mentor; she enjoys the company of a neighborhood girl, Celandine; she loves her younger brother; and her father is noticing her growing talent with the loom. Tragic events lead Arachne and Celandine to the city of Colophon, and it isn't long before people speaking of Arachne's extraordinary tapestries. But a life-changing mistake is made when she challenges Athena and claims to be an even better weaver than the goddess. Caprara's novel-in-verse gives Arachne's tale the texture it needs to keep readers engaged. Her frustration and anger towards the gods' unwillingness to show her mercy in multiple aspects of her life is palpable. Greek myths are seamlessly woven into the text as stories from Arachne's mother, which greatly impact Arachne's feelings. The pacing is perfect, starting off slowly and building to the exciting climax of Arachne's competition with Athena. Arachne also struggles with romantic feelings for Celandine, which aren't expressed until the eleventh hour. Instances of sexual assault are briefly described. VERDICT Captivating. Readers who enjoy mythology will devour this novel.-Lisa Buffi

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2023
Arachne, the rash mortal who dared to value her weaving skills above those of the goddess Athena, explains herself in this verse rendering drawn from Ovid's cautionary tale in Metamorphoses. Young Arachne is bowlegged, ridiculed as ugly, and her family is poor and illiterate. "Don't let fools define you," her wise, loving mother tells her. "There are other ways / to make your voice heard." Arachne will express hers through weaving. Watching her mother place a woven offering on Athena's altar and sensing the goddess's indifference, she wonders if the Olympian weaver has ever done anything to earn their worship. Her mother's patient lessons and her own persistence ultimately make Arachne a weaver. After Arachne acquires a longed-for sibling, baby brother Photis, and a true friend, Celandine, life sweetens for a while. However, as the girls near marriageable age, cascading tragedies engulf Arachne's family, and Celandine is sexually assaulted. The girls flee to Celandine's cousin's city. Arachne's bitter contempt for capricious deities who rape, impregnate, then abandon the humans they fancy grows as she struggles to understand her own romantic feelings for Celandine. Meanwhile, her weaving brings her renown--and Athena's enmity. Gifted poet and storyteller Caprara keeps readers engaged, varying the pace, cadence, and emotional shading of Arachne's passionate refutation of the gods' ruthless exercise of power and privilege. Her own anger serves her purposes; if speaking truth to power exacts a high price, it's one she's willing to pay. Exciting, richly textured, thought-provoking fare. (Verse novel. 12-18)

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