Thirteens (The Secrets of Eden Eld #1)

With its ending primed for a sequel, hand this series starter to fans of Katherine Arden's Small Spaces.

“Wrong” in the right kind of way. 

An enthralling mystery beats at the heart of this middle grade fantasy. Just before her 13th birthday, Eleanor is rescued from her burning home and sent to live with her relatives in the idyllic town of Eden Eld. Eden Eld is perfect-perhaps a little too perfect. No crime, no poverty, no graffiti on its streets, and though the mining and timber industries are long forgotten, money simply appears in the town coffers. But the price of perfection runs high; every 13 years, three children vanish from the community and are never heard from again. Eleanor and her two newfound friends are queued to be the next set of disappearances. Determined to fight back, they embark on a whirlwind adventure to save themselves and change the tide of history. Soon they are questioning who they can trust, including community pillars and their nearest and dearest, and scouring the town for clues about the arcane agreement that binds Eden Eld. Despite a promising premise and its interesting setting, the novel has plot and structure issues that make it a frustrating read. Eleanor and her friends solve several problems through spontaneous bursts of intuition and luck, causing readers to be given a chaotic ride rather than a carefully crafted story of suspense and resolution. But most disappointing was the tale ending in medias res. Mid-flight and mid-adventure, the three newly minted 13-year-olds barter for more time to solve their problems, and are granted an extra year. This disheartening finish leaves the work feeling incomplete. VERDICT Recommended for larger fiction collections committed to also purchasing the next book in the series.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Eleanor Barton, who will turn 13 in a few days, on Halloween, has just moved into Ashford House in picturesque Eden Eld, Ore., to live with her Aunt Jenny and Uncle Ben. Hoping to put her tragic past behind her, Eleanor is determined to ignore the "wrong things" only she can see-including a grandfather clock with backward-moving hands that has appeared outside her room, and an enormous black dog with glowing red eyes that seems to be following her. But new friends Pip Foster and Otto Ellis can see the wrong things, too, and soon Eleanor learns there’s more to Eden Eld than meets the eye. The truth behind why the wrong things appear-and why those who see them disappear-may lie in a book of unusual fairy tales and Ashford House itself. Though characterizations are slightly flat, Marshall (Rules for Vanishing) excels at employing eerie, atmospheric narration ("And everywhere, the purple flowers grew, their petals peeling back from their centers like sneering lips"). A fast-paced plot combined with the unsettling implications and logic of fairy tales ensures that this supernatural series starter will keep readers up at night.

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.


Raves for Thirteens

"Readers beware! This book is a trap: once you start reading, you will not be able to stop. Thirteens is a deliciously creepystay-up-all-night adventure that will shiver throughyou like a cold October wind. I loved every page!"—Jonathan Auxier, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Gardener and Sweep

"Creepy, mysterious, and a whole lot of fun. Thirteens kept me up well past my bedtime. I can't wait to see what happens next!"—Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus

"A sensational, spooky tale. Thirteens has all the creepyelements that I adore: a town with a wicked history, lovable characters, great writing, plenty of scares, and mystery layered upon mystery. Sign me up for the next book!"—J. A. White, author of Nightbooks