The 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

Author: Michelle Harrison

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's

ISBN: 978-1847384492

Released: 2009 in UK 2010 in US

Author Website: http://www.michelleharrisonbooks.com/

Rating: 5/5


This book moved straight to the top of my reading list once I'd seen the cover and read the synopsis.  The jacket is really eye catching, the detail of the synopsis is just enough to stir the curious.  So - what did I think to this debut title?.....without spoilers....

Readers are given another taste of the book in the Prologue, which really does set the pace of what's to come, whilst showing it's to a high standard.  From there on in, I was hooked, and it proved to be another couldn't-put-it-down read!  The characters are believable from the outset, the scene is set really well.

Throughout the book the characters grow. I bet this would make a really good movie, reading it produced a really easy imaginative scene in my mind.  I really did feel like I was part of this world that Tanya had to find out about, the author has successfully become a true storyteller in every sense with this book.  Tanya is on a voyage of discovery, growth and friendship - to face up to what her talents are, and to solve a family mystery tied to the history of the house.  Everything in this book melds together really well and just felt so right!

A very addictive debut, so much so I've got The Thirteen Curses (13 Treasures)which I'm excited to say is my next read.  I can't wait to see what else Michelle Harrison releases, another author added to my permanent read list :)

So what's the synopsis?! "A family secret, a fatefully inheritance......While visiting her grandmother's house Tanya discovers an unsolved mystery.  Fifty years ago, a girl vanished in the woods nearby - a girl Tanya's grandmother will not speak of.  Fabian, the caretaker's son, is tormented by the girl's disappearance.  His grandfather was the last person to see her alive, and has lived under suspicion ever since.  Together, Tanya and Fabian decide to find the truth.  But Tanya has her own secret: the ability to see fairies.  Can it help them to unravel the mystery?  Soon they are facing terrible danger - could the manor's sinister history be about to repeat itself?"