13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison ★★★★☆

Awesome debut!

Fiction – Juvenile – Urban Fantasy/Mystery

Grades 5–8

368 pages

Publication Date:  2009

Literary Awards:  Waterstone's Children's Book Prize (2009)

Thirteen Treasures #1

Sent away to live at Elvesden Manor with her Grandmother  by her exasperated mother, Tanya knows even in the country she cannot escape the weird and scary stuff happening to her.  Tanya can see what should not be seen and the fairies do not take kindly to trespassers; they have their own way of dealing with intruders.  Is Tanya doomed to repeat history and disappear like a girl fifty years before under mysterious circumstances or can she finally solve the mystery that has haunted her family for generations.

This book was decidedly darker and more ominous than the typical juvenile book, but I really like the depth it added.  This story uses the older, more visceral form of fairies and their interactions with human, not the Disneyfied version.  The original Grimm fairy tales come to mind.  Something that helped fend off some of the darkness was even though you see the fairies powers over humans, the book never gives the sense that humans are completely powerless.  The writing is clean and the action starts quickly and sweeps you up in it.  This is one of those stories I found so absorbing that I had a hard time tearing myself away from it to deal with actual real life things.  The mythology is effortlessly woven through out with book references, stories and discovery; well-formed plot and great backstories with a variety of character types.  And frankly who doesn’t love the Secret Garden type of story where the main character is sent into a new world of discovery. 

For Ms. Harrison’s debut it is pretty awesome.