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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review originally postedhere.
"Faeries," Tanya whispered, running her finger lightly over the old-fashioned spelling on the page. It seemed to suit them somehow, these strange creatures that hounded her.
It does suit Tanya's creatures because they are Faeries. The dangerous ones. The ones you don't want to cross. There are all sorts of Fae represented, goblins, hearth hobs, brownies. Changelings and their nature are important to the story. The Scottish tradition of the Seelie and Unseelie courts are combined with Harrison's own twist on the Welsh folklore of the 13 Treasures. She altered many of the treasures and their nature and integrated them into the story of the split of the Faerie Court. The combination made for a very interesting backdrop. I love it when author's take ancient folklore and manipulates it in a new way. I also love the dangerous type of fairy story. I was certainly in my element while reading this book.
Tanya is a strong heroine. Tortured and tormented by the faeries she has seen all her life, she is often blamed for their antics, a means of punishing her when they are angry. As a result she is misunderstood an her mother is at a loss of what to do with her. The target audience of middle graders should be able to relate. Tanya joins forces with Fabian, a boy she has known and barely liked all her life. He is often up to mischief and rude to his elders in a bid to get attention. Again, highly relateable. Tanya and Fabian's relationship begins as a wary alliance that morphs into a friendship where they truly come to care for each other. I enjoyed both their characters and interaction a great deal.
The plot is engrossing and full of mystery, secrets, past betrayals, harsh sacrifices, and a truly malevolent villain. The setting, a Faerie infested wood and manor near a small British town, is described in a way that fully conveys the eery atmosphere.
This is a great book for lovers of faerie lore, adventure, or mystery.
The story is resolved within this book so it can be read on its own and leave the reader feeling fully satisfied. It is the first book in a trilogy. Both of the other volumes are available in the UK. The second, 13 Curses, was released in the US on June 7. As far as I know there is no official US release date for 13 Secrets other than sometime in 2012.
"Faeries," Tanya whispered, running her finger lightly over the old-fashioned spelling on the page. It seemed to suit them somehow, these strange creatures that hounded her.
It does suit Tanya's creatures because they are Faeries. The dangerous ones. The ones you don't want to cross. There are all sorts of Fae represented, goblins, hearth hobs, brownies. Changelings and their nature are important to the story. The Scottish tradition of the Seelie and Unseelie courts are combined with Harrison's own twist on the Welsh folklore of the 13 Treasures. She altered many of the treasures and their nature and integrated them into the story of the split of the Faerie Court. The combination made for a very interesting backdrop. I love it when author's take ancient folklore and manipulates it in a new way. I also love the dangerous type of fairy story. I was certainly in my element while reading this book.
Tanya is a strong heroine. Tortured and tormented by the faeries she has seen all her life, she is often blamed for their antics, a means of punishing her when they are angry. As a result she is misunderstood an her mother is at a loss of what to do with her. The target audience of middle graders should be able to relate. Tanya joins forces with Fabian, a boy she has known and barely liked all her life. He is often up to mischief and rude to his elders in a bid to get attention. Again, highly relateable. Tanya and Fabian's relationship begins as a wary alliance that morphs into a friendship where they truly come to care for each other. I enjoyed both their characters and interaction a great deal.
The plot is engrossing and full of mystery, secrets, past betrayals, harsh sacrifices, and a truly malevolent villain. The setting, a Faerie infested wood and manor near a small British town, is described in a way that fully conveys the eery atmosphere.
This is a great book for lovers of faerie lore, adventure, or mystery.
The story is resolved within this book so it can be read on its own and leave the reader feeling fully satisfied. It is the first book in a trilogy. Both of the other volumes are available in the UK. The second, 13 Curses, was released in the US on June 7. As far as I know there is no official US release date for 13 Secrets other than sometime in 2012.
This was a lot of fun. Great characters and a new twist on fairies.
I didnt really enjoy this book. That is why i never finished it. I kept telling myself it would get better but it never did. It is more of a children's book than I expected, and it goes by really slowly.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For as long as Tanya could remember she's seen the fairies in the woods, in the garden, in her kitchen. It was cute when she babbled on about the fairies when she was little, but now that she's thirteen she'd learnt that sometimes it's best to keep quiet.
But sometimes they get a bit nasty, and Tanya has to live with the consequences of the fairies' actions.
After a visit from them one night, Tanya's mother sends her to live with her grandmother. A horrid woman who dislikes Tanya almost as much as Tanya hates her. And the old house and surrounding woods is full of fairies, much more than Tanya cares to meet. But then she and and the groundskeeper's boy, Fabian, stumble across a mystery, and Tanya may be the only one who can save the girl that disappeared over fifty years ago, but will Tanya be willing to make the sacrifce that only she can make?
But sometimes they get a bit nasty, and Tanya has to live with the consequences of the fairies' actions.
After a visit from them one night, Tanya's mother sends her to live with her grandmother. A horrid woman who dislikes Tanya almost as much as Tanya hates her. And the old house and surrounding woods is full of fairies, much more than Tanya cares to meet. But then she and and the groundskeeper's boy, Fabian, stumble across a mystery, and Tanya may be the only one who can save the girl that disappeared over fifty years ago, but will Tanya be willing to make the sacrifce that only she can make?
I will admit, the book started out intriguing: a young woman who can see faeries, faeries that are not the benevolent little creatures we imagine but seemingly cruel and sharp. However, the story starts out almost the same way it ends, which is just a tad stagnant. And the plot was just a little clichéd for a story about faeries: magical realms, people getting stuck there. The only change from the norm is the Treasures, which don’t even serve that much of a purpose in the story.
Why in the world didn't they use the fabulous illustrations on the inside for the cover? Before each chapter, and at the very beginning and very end of the book are really cool old-fashioned quirky illustrations of the gates and fairy world of the novel. In the same vein as [b:The Mysterious Benedict Society|83369|The Mysterious Benedict Society (Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)|Trenton Lee Stewart|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1230379286s/83369.jpg|80497] or [b:School of Fear|3173438|School of Fear|Gitty Daneshvari|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277410358s/3173438.jpg|3205888]. The cover that I read is very dissonant from the quirk of those illustrations, and the UK cover looks similiarly off from the tone of the inside illustrations. Assuming, of course, they made it into the printed book - I read an ARC.
The title is also a bit off from how I experienced the book. To me, a number, and then the word "treasures," makes me expect some kind of a quest involving searching or experiencing each of the 13 elements of the book. A collection/puzzle experience. But the entitled thirteen treasures are so the book is not the thing you are expecting. Which, maybe I shouldn't be picky about books being what I'm expecting. But I kept expecting a quest to start at any second, and it never happens. Not really.
ALL that said, though: I really did enjoy it. It feels nostalgic and old-fashioned, like reading [a:E. Nesbit|25352|E. Nesbit|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1243528781p2/25352.jpg]'s [b:The Enchanted Castle|45183|The Enchanted Castle|E. Nesbit|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170275001s/45183.jpg|2310445] or even [a:Frances Hodgson Burnett|2041|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1197934848p2/2041.jpg]'s [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5150Q2WZDFL._SL75_.jpg|3186437]. The twist on fairyland is quirky and interesting, and you can't go terribly wrong with a book that includes secret passages, rhymed speech, and tricks of clothing to avoid being seen by fairies. Charming, and a good upper elementary booktalk. I plan to blurb it for SRP school visits.
The title is also a bit off from how I experienced the book. To me, a number, and then the word "treasures," makes me expect some kind of a quest involving searching or experiencing each of the 13 elements of the book. A collection/puzzle experience. But the entitled thirteen treasures are
Spoiler
merely charms on a charm bracelet (I'm only hiding this as a spoiler to be nice - it's totally obvious that's what they are when the bracelet is introduced, and the bracelet itself is on the dang COVER of the UK editionALL that said, though: I really did enjoy it. It feels nostalgic and old-fashioned, like reading [a:E. Nesbit|25352|E. Nesbit|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1243528781p2/25352.jpg]'s [b:The Enchanted Castle|45183|The Enchanted Castle|E. Nesbit|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170275001s/45183.jpg|2310445] or even [a:Frances Hodgson Burnett|2041|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1197934848p2/2041.jpg]'s [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5150Q2WZDFL._SL75_.jpg|3186437]. The twist on fairyland is quirky and interesting, and you can't go terribly wrong with a book that includes secret passages, rhymed speech, and tricks of clothing to avoid being seen by fairies. Charming, and a good upper elementary booktalk. I plan to blurb it for SRP school visits.
Tanya is an average twelve year old with one exception - she's got the second sight. This means she can see faeries, usually ugly, squat creatures that torment her with mischievous acts. After another Tanya versus faeries incident goes awry, her mother (having had enough) sends Tanya to stay with her cold grandmother at Elvesden Manor.
This debut effort won the UK's Waterstone's Prize and is a great little read. The plot was a little uneven at times but the adventures of Tanya and Fabian in investigating the disappearance of Morwenna Bloom was vastly entertaining. There is a mystery that involves both of their families, a boatload of magic and a lot of intrigue. While the narrative is nicely wrapped up and can be considered self-contained, there is definitely a lot of room to pursue a series here. I really enjoyed the idea that faeries are plentiful in our world and usually with evil motivations and a lot of hate. These faeries are a far cry from Tinkerbell, clapping in this book will only serve to incite a biting incident.
Tanya is very isolated from humans in this novel. Her mother dumps her with her old, frosty grandmother, cantankerous groundskeeper and his precocious and supremely annoying son, Fabian. Yet Tanya's whole world is tolerating and surviving the ever presence of faeries that refuse to leave her alone. The story is grim and grotty - the odours and grot that permeate this book are always felt by the reader. There is a definite atmosphere that has been created with expertise.
I really enjoyed this novel, it took awhile to get going but once it did I was captivated. It's a little darker than one might expect but I suspect that's why kids would like it. It doesn't condescend or talk down to the read, instead creates well rounded characters, a vivid setting and an intriguing plot.
Definitely worth the read if only for the mention of a faerie hunter!
This debut effort won the UK's Waterstone's Prize and is a great little read. The plot was a little uneven at times but the adventures of Tanya and Fabian in investigating the disappearance of Morwenna Bloom was vastly entertaining. There is a mystery that involves both of their families, a boatload of magic and a lot of intrigue. While the narrative is nicely wrapped up and can be considered self-contained, there is definitely a lot of room to pursue a series here. I really enjoyed the idea that faeries are plentiful in our world and usually with evil motivations and a lot of hate. These faeries are a far cry from Tinkerbell, clapping in this book will only serve to incite a biting incident.
Tanya is very isolated from humans in this novel. Her mother dumps her with her old, frosty grandmother, cantankerous groundskeeper and his precocious and supremely annoying son, Fabian. Yet Tanya's whole world is tolerating and surviving the ever presence of faeries that refuse to leave her alone. The story is grim and grotty - the odours and grot that permeate this book are always felt by the reader. There is a definite atmosphere that has been created with expertise.
I really enjoyed this novel, it took awhile to get going but once it did I was captivated. It's a little darker than one might expect but I suspect that's why kids would like it. It doesn't condescend or talk down to the read, instead creates well rounded characters, a vivid setting and an intriguing plot.
Definitely worth the read if only for the mention of a faerie hunter!