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Spinner (The Healer Chronicles Book 1) Kindle Edition
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 “fix” the kids she injures, 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 want to know 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 evil, and an ancient prophecy suggesting Alex has the power to destroy the world.
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…
Awards
- Finalist in the 2016 USA Best Book Awards
- Bronze Medal in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Awards
- Finalist in the 2015 Wishing Shelf Book Awards
- Runner-Up in the 2015 Southern California Book Festival
- Literary Classics Seal of Approval 2015
- Winner in the 2015 Hollywood Book Festival
- Honorable Mention in the 2015 Halloween Book Festival
- Honorable Mention in the 2015 San Francisco Book Festival
- Honorable Mention in the 2015 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateSeptember 27, 2017
- Reading age13 - 18 years
- File size1960 KB
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
- Kirkus Reviews
"Spinner incorporates elements of horror into a young adult read that is riveting and centered upon powerful protagonists that are well-drawn. The 'added value' in this story...lies in its...scenes that take the trappings of teen horror and turn them into something much more developed. Young adult to adult readers will find Spinner compelling and vivid."
- Midwest Book Review
"Michael manages to include many topics within the story, from bullying, to dealing with being in a special education class, to what it is like to be in love with someone who does not love you the same way, and much more."
- Readers' Favorite
"Bowler has created a tangible cast of characters who nearly leap off the page as they come to life in this highly suspenseful book...which is sure to keep readers enthralled clear through to its finale."
- Literary Classics
"Bowler offers some astute observations about teen life - capturing the doubt and insecurity of adolescence - and addresses important themes for maturing young adults, channeled through realistic character dynamics and camaraderie."
- Red City Review
"A must for YA fantasy readers looking for humour, suspense, and fully fleshed out characters." - The Wishing Shelf
From the Author
Whether labeled general education or special education, all kids have unique gifts and talents and personalities and can contribute positively to this world. I've lived with a disability my entire life - hearing impairment - and I met no one even close to my age with hearing loss until after graduate school. I was very much a singularity.
My disability was a drawback with teachers who talked a lot or didn't articulate clearly, but it didn't stop me from learning. It made me a visual and tactile learner. It allowed me to see more of the world around me because I couldn't "hear" the world with the same precision as my peers. It did make playing on sports teams a frustrating experience for all the mistakes I made from mishearing the coach or other players on the field. It did make discerning song lyrics difficult, especially through the old radio speakers we had in those days, and that isolated me from most of my peers who could quote songs from memory.
But the "disability" never defined me.
Later, as a teacher who worked with kids like the characters in this book, I strove to emphasize their abilities, not their disabilities, because I knew that's all most people ever talked about, and they loved me for doing that.
We spend way too much time in this country focusing on what we perceive to be the weaknesses or differences of others. As the kids in Spinner clearly prove, our strengths always outweigh our weaknesses. If more adults would focus on the strengths of kids, on their natural talents and gifts, especially kids with disabilities, instead of always trying to "fix" the disability or make all kids conform to some normative standard of learning, then every child would have a real chance to soar.
For every "disability," there is an equal or more powerful "ability." Every kid I ever taught showed me this universal truth. They've made my life magical, and Spinner is my tribute to them.
About the Author
You can find Michael at michaeljbowler.com.
Product details
- ASIN : B075VCQ5F9
- Publisher : ; 2nd edition (September 27, 2017)
- Publication date : September 27, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 1960 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 421 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1974520471
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,946,911 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California, both in general education and to students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing, he serves as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, but mostly he takes care of his recently adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California and hopes that his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.
You can find Michael at:
Website: www.michaeljbowler.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaeljbowlerauthor
Twitter: twitter.com/MichaelJBowler
tumblr: michaeljbowler.tumblr.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/michaelbowler
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaeljbowler/
Goodreads:www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938109.Michael_J_Bowler
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NXCPry4DDgJZOVDUxVtMw
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story engaging and well-written. They appreciate the premise and shifts in perspective that make the read interesting. The characters are relatable and easy to connect with, having experienced bullying and abuse.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the story well-written, detailed, and compelling. They like the premise and shifts in perspective that make the read even more interesting. The vivid descriptions and gripping story keep readers on the edge of their seats. The author does a good job describing the characters and keeping them believable.
"...The short chapters and shifts in POV makes the read even more interesting, with numerous moments of suspense that make readers want to know what..." Read more
"...It's a very well-written story and very well thought of. I like how he is portrayed in the struggle he has using his wheelchair...." Read more
"...He is a true empath, able to absorb the pain and injuries of others into his own body and release it out of himself into the unknown...." Read more
"...The book is well written, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat and it greatly explains the traumas faced by children and young adults who..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's characters. They find them relatable, especially the characters who have been bullied and abused.
"...I loved Bowlers remarkable cast of characters, solid, convincing, and compelling enough to attract the sympathy of readers...." Read more
"...I like how he is portrayed in the struggle he has using his wheelchair...." Read more
"...It is easy to relate to his characters who have been bullied and abused throughout their lives...." Read more
"...I particularly liked that the main characters were those with various disabilities, not "mainstream" characters." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016The fifteen-year-old Alex is a spinner, a disabled who has been kicked out of many foster homes, but curiously, he has exceptional gifts that many shady groups are fighting to have access to. Aside from the resolve to uncover the mystery about his birth, Alex and his friends have to bring an end to a series of murders especially that of their most cherished teacher. Things only get complicated when Alex discovers an ancient prophecy which speaks of him as one with the power to destroy humanity. Spinner by Michael J. Bowler is a gripping story that will keep readers eyes glued to the pages.
The book is littered with those A-ha moments that will arouse powerful emotions in readers. The writing is fluid and the narrative voice is so clear and absorbing. I loved Bowlers remarkable cast of characters, solid, convincing, and compelling enough to attract the sympathy of readers. The short chapters and shifts in POV makes the read even more interesting, with numerous moments of suspense that make readers want to know what happens next.
I loved the humor. I loved the colorful and vivid descriptions that make readers feel like they were part of the intense drama, and I love the breathtaking action, the frenzy, and the race against time. Bowler has a great gift for writing, but the characters he creates and the powerful message of his story will win the hearts of fans of suspense.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016I absolutely love this story. It's not your typical sci-fi story and being someone who enjoys things that are little strange I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's a little confusing in the beginning, but totally worth hanging on until the end. It is very different from anything I've ever read before, but like I said I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's about a boy named Alex and he has a special gift despite the fact that he has spina bifida. It's a very well-written story and very well thought of. I like how he is portrayed in the struggle he has using his wheelchair. I say this because I'm in a wheelchair as well and it's very nice to see a character who has similar struggles in their everyday life. I would love to see a sequel to this story written, but if there isn't one there is no cliffhanger so you're not left wondering. I just think this story could be expanded on a little bit. I'm a very big fan of well detailed stories. Overall I would give this book 5 stars. It totally threw me off with its twists and turns, but it was totally worth it every single second of the way. This story also deals with a very real situation for a gay teenage boy. I thoroughly enjoyed how both characters had their situations intertwined. I would like to read other stories by the author eventually. If you get this book be prepared to not be able to put it down. It will suck you in and keep a hold of you the whole time.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2016Alex has a secret hiding behind his reputation as the wheelchair kid in special ed. He has always been able to “spin” people. His current foster mom is exploiting that, and he is determined not to let her get in the way of his friendships with the other special ed kids in his class. But when their beloved teacher gets murdered, just the way Alex saw it in his dream, he realizes that the people after him may exploit him far more than his foster mother ever dreamed.
Spinner is a paranormal story told from a special ed kid’s perspective, which does make it somewhat unique. I live the SpEd mom life, and I love seeing disabled children portrayed as heroes rather than useless. I also work in adoption, and enjoyed seeing that play a part in the story as well. Overall the story was a refreshing take on a relatively formulaic story - gates of hell have been unleashed and an unlikely band of misfit heroes must save the day - and the depth humanity imbued in the characters definitely tugs at the heartstrings. There is violence and language in this book, as well as graphic paranormal activity. Still a good read for those who enjoy rooting for the underdog.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2016Spinner just did not cut it for me. There were a few things that felt off. Taking all of the things into account, the book felt very inauthentic. I understand the concept of the willing suspension of disbeliefespecially in cases of science fiction and horror combination that comes with the genre that this book falls into, but certain things really nagged at me. For instance, Alexs spinning power was not kept a secret, all of the guys in his special education class knew about it, his foster mother knew about it, everyone knew about it and yet it was not a big deal. There was no media frenzy, there was no church intervention calling him a miracle, or saint or whatever. In real life there would be these things that happen, or in traditional young adult literature, that is a secret the character keeps to himself until something happens that makes it so he can not hide anymore. The author takes a completely different route and Im not sure if its the strongest one. I also did not like the voice of the teen characters, they all felt very forced, as if the author was trying too hard to sound like a teenager. And I think the author has a serious problem with cats
- Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2015Our hero, Alex, is the least likely person to ever have that description applied to him. He's a foster child, in the system for most of his life. He has spina bifida, restricted to a wheelchair and unable to have any use of his legs at all. Due to all the above, he has been a victim of teasing and bullying, but seems never to hold a grudge, and in fact will go out of his way to help or heal any of his friends that he can. He is a true empath, able to absorb the pain and injuries of others into his own body and release it out of himself into the unknown. He has friends, Roy, a boy from school, the "special" kids in his class, the elderly lady next door who makes him a lunch every day, and Father Pat, the priest whom he assists at mass. How can this group hope to defeat an enemy who has in his arsenal killer cats, and Alex's twin brother, whom he had never heard of in his life! It's a story Steven King would rightly be proud of, and one I hope and believe will send the author, Michael J. Bowler, on the road to fame.
Top reviews from other countries
- LovebooksReviewed in Canada on May 20, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Seriously thanks for Izzy....
This book is good. The atmosphere is " almost" like a Stephen King book. The ambiance is sometime funny,sometime scary and sometime emo...I woke up at 1 a.m. I took my e-book...that kind of book. The beginning is a bit slow but after it's ok. This is the story of a wheelchair boy name Alex. He has special powers and his trying to know more about himself . His he good or evil..read it to know.