Review: 13 Treasures - Michelle Harrison

Where I got it: ARC from Little, Brown and Co.
Rating:  5 stars
Cover Rating: 3 stars (U.S. cover your left) 5 stars (U.K. cover your right)
Genre: Middle Grade
Publication Date: April 12, 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 353 p.

Tanya sees faeries and as she knows she is the only one. When her mother gets sick of the destruction the faeries leave behind (for Tanya to take blame for) she ships Tanya off to her grandmother's. Here Tanya starts to find clues about faeries and how to protect herself. Though she may not be protected enough. She tries to let Fabian in so that together they might solve some of the mysteries, but without the second sight, he's not too much help. With all the mystery surrounding the manor and nearby woods, Tanya has quite a few things to figure out. Without the right help, she might find herself caught in the faerie realm.

I'm not quite sure what made me love this book so much exactly, but it is now one of my favorites. I loved the little snippets of folklore and I loved Tanya and Fabian. They were really fun and curious kids. I wish Fabian's scientific mind came into play more, it seemed like a wasted idea. One thing that I am curious about is why when that burned hair(it makes sense when you read it) and lots of it for that matter, why did no one smelled it? If you burn a small clump of hair it stinks and it is a very distinct gross smell. Yet no one in the book commented on it. I found that a bit bizarre. I did love all the mysteries and the twists and turns and little "a-ha" moments. This is a truly remarkable debut and I certainly look forward to Michelle Harrison's next endeavor. Check this out if you are looking for a darkly mysterious novel about fey.


First Line: "She was aware of their presence in the room before she even awoke."

Favorite Line: "The tip of a matted ginger tail was just visible from the side of the grandfather clock. It flicked once in agitation."