The Thirteenth Child
Young Adult Fantasy by Erin A. Craig
Hazel is the thirteenth child in her family. Her parents, who struggle to take care of their twelve other children, do not want her. The god of the Dead, Dreaded End (Merrick), offers to take Hazel as his own. They eventually agree. Hazel does not go with him at first; she stays with her parents and siblings. Her parents do not treat her well and she wishes her godfather would take her away soon. Merrick eventually does; he wants to train her to be a healer and when Hazel grows older, she becomes a talented healer. However, she learns that not everyone is destined to be saved, and some are marked for death. Merrick tells her those people cannot be saved, but what happens if those people are people Hazel loves? Can she defy her godfather? Can the mark of death be reversed or fought?
This was a very haunting fairy tale filled with much death, which was, honestly, hard to read sometimes. But in the end, it was a heartwarming tale as well. Its overall message was that immortality is not what it is cracked up to be and it should not be something we strive for. We have to be wise in how we spend the one life that we are given. Additionally, this novel made me realize that I do not want to spend the rest of my reading time focused on too much fantasy. This novel illustrates how there is something beautiful about everyday life. So, whether its mystery, historical fiction, or romance, I am going to focus on other genres besides fantasy.
Rating: 5/5
Next Novel to Review: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year