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A review by asreadbykat
Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
3.0
Over the years, I've found that when it comes to fantasy stories, my favorites are the ones that have a more slice-of-life feel to them. That is to say, stories that aren't always about saving the world from certain danger.
"Thirteenth Child" falls right into that category, following a young Eff Rothmer as she works through the challenges of being a thirteenth child in a world where many think of her as bad luck. Although magic is a large focus in this book, it's not quite the life or death kind of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. The entire point of the book is Eff learning to realize that being a thirteenth child doesn't make her evil or bad, and that maybe she has more power and ability than she, or anyone else, realizes.
The book is written like a memoir, and as such some things are left out. This first book, in particular, skips over large chunks of time. We go from Eff at 5 to her being 8 or 9 in about one or two paragraphs. There's also a lot of explanation, as this is set in an alternate version of 1800s America, and things are definitely different. Still, I enjoyed it just as much as I did all of Wrede's other books, and found plenty of humor to entertain me.
One large downfall in this book I want to address is the noticeable lack of Native Americans. They aren't mentioned at all; I'm not 100% sure of the reason, but I know it's a decision Wrede made. I'm not happy about it, but I will give her this: she never discusses the settling of the US or discusses how it happened, so for all anyone knows the Native Americans could have escaped to the unsettled western territory, with their own magic protecting them. It IS still a very disappointing decision, which is why I gave the book a 3 star rating instead of 5.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I read it first in 2015, and I've read it at least 6 or 7 times since then. Wrede has created an interesting world with characters I love, and messages that pretty much everyone can relate to. If you're not a fan of slower-moving works, I'd give this a miss. But if you want a fantasy you can relax with, this is a pretty good choice.
"Thirteenth Child" falls right into that category, following a young Eff Rothmer as she works through the challenges of being a thirteenth child in a world where many think of her as bad luck. Although magic is a large focus in this book, it's not quite the life or death kind of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. The entire point of the book is Eff learning to realize that being a thirteenth child doesn't make her evil or bad, and that maybe she has more power and ability than she, or anyone else, realizes.
The book is written like a memoir, and as such some things are left out. This first book, in particular, skips over large chunks of time. We go from Eff at 5 to her being 8 or 9 in about one or two paragraphs. There's also a lot of explanation, as this is set in an alternate version of 1800s America, and things are definitely different. Still, I enjoyed it just as much as I did all of Wrede's other books, and found plenty of humor to entertain me.
One large downfall in this book I want to address is the noticeable lack of Native Americans. They aren't mentioned at all; I'm not 100% sure of the reason, but I know it's a decision Wrede made. I'm not happy about it, but I will give her this: she never discusses the settling of the US or discusses how it happened, so for all anyone knows the Native Americans could have escaped to the unsettled western territory, with their own magic protecting them. It IS still a very disappointing decision, which is why I gave the book a 3 star rating instead of 5.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I read it first in 2015, and I've read it at least 6 or 7 times since then. Wrede has created an interesting world with characters I love, and messages that pretty much everyone can relate to. If you're not a fan of slower-moving works, I'd give this a miss. But if you want a fantasy you can relax with, this is a pretty good choice.