The Thirteenth Child has everything I needed in a book and I didnt even know it. It has love, tension, Death, life, magic, mayhem, and life altering decisions that are nearly impossible to make. Needless to say, with all of these elements (and so many more), this book was a nonstop rollercoaster of emotion.
The main character, Hazel, was put through constant trials and it was fascinating to watch how those trials formed her into who she was and how she dealt with every problem thrown her way. From a young age, Hazel spent a great deal of her young life feeling unloved and unwanted, and for any other character, this could lead her down a path of destruction, instead, it gave her insight into the inner workings of the mind, even before she received her gifts. It also gave her a certain amount of empathy that strengthened her healing abilities by giving her ways to connect with her patients. The choices she made gave insight into her ultimate motivations in a way that truly rounded her out as a character, giving her a more realistic feel.
The magic system involved in this world was unique. While most power came from the gods, Hazel’s powers were gifted to her by her godfather, Death. The way Death’s motivations were slowly shown made Hazel’s healing powers more meaning. It was nice to see powers given to a character that had to be earned through learning and knowledge as well as simply gifted.
While a majority of the growth and character development fell to Hazel, the side characters were not left to be simply two dimensional fillers. Each side character was given a full story and motivations without bogging down the story. They were given room to grow and to be understood, leading to even more surprises to Hazel on her journey of survival and self discovery.
This book was a wild ride and I loved every spooky minute of it!
5/5 stars
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Novel Llama 