I may no longer be a teen, but I still read lots of books targeted towards younger readers and enjoy keeping certain authors that specifically write YA on my radar. I haven’t seen a lot of chatter in the book world about Erin A. Craig as an author or that she has written another standalone fantasy with the publication of her book The Thirteenth Child, so I was eager to get my hands on a copy as I have enjoyed her two previous books, all reminiscent of fairy tales, with lovely stories that can turn dark as fast as a candle being put out.

The beginning of this book was a little difficult for me to get into. We are introduced to the protagonist, Hazel, as she is celebrating a birthday and being told her birth story by her godfather, Merrick. Merrick is a deity that claimed Hazel upon her birth, as she was born a thirteenth child and is of no use to her already struggling family.

Now traveling back in time a bit, we meet Hazel as she lives among her chaotic family. Despite knowing every detail of her life up until now, Hazel’s story is not one she has necessarily enjoyed living. Though she still manages to find ways to be childish and have some fun, being the thirteenth child born into her family has caused her to become self-sufficient and used to being looked over. Her family is poor and can barely afford to feed and clothe twelve children plus mama and papa. It should come as no surprise to her and her family that her godfather will someday come back to claim her as he had promised but why would he show up to save her now, after years of living as just another mouth to feed and body to clothe?

Birthday after forgotten birthday, year after year, Hazel waits for her godfather to return and take her away for a life with more meaning. She begins to believe the day will never come, that Merrick has overlooked her just like everyone else. Until. On her twelfth birthday, he returns for her, bearing a beautiful necklace as a gift and as if he is a fairy godmother in a fanciful tale, he whisks her away from all of her troubles and into his home, where she is to live and serve as a healer. 

Hazel is smart and a quick learner. As she begins to come into her profession of healer and perfect her treatments, she comes upon obstacles and sicknesses that frustrate her to no end. She is supposed to be a healer, so why can’t she help those who need it most? But as we all know, some illnesses are untreatable. As Hazel comes to terms with this realization, she discovers secrets behind life that only a god like Merrick should know. Hazel quickly becomes caught up in more trouble than she bargained for, and soon realizes that despite her godfather having her best interests at heart, they may not match up with the direction that Hazel envisions her story taking.

I have always loved a good retelling of a fairytale and The Thirteenth Child is a book that definitely gives off fairytale vibes. You’ve got your innocent girl looking for love and purpose, a god that is just as capable of using his power for good as he is evil, and the family that tossed Hazel aside as though she were worthless. Though this book may not be quite as creepy as some, it’s very dark and cavernous, so if you’re looking for a new release that is appropriate for kicking off “spooky season” which is fast approaching, then The Thirteenth Child is a great choice.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Delacorte Press

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 9 mild obscenities.

Violence/Gore: A woman suggests abandoning an unwanted baby after its birth; a young girl imagines what might happen if a creepy creature would follow her and scares herself with the thought; healers using rituals and severe surgeries are referred to; a woman is mentioned to grab her daughter by the collar and pull her to her; a young girl is mentioned to be put in shackles to be taken away; a man is briefly mentioned to be very ill; a girl thinks about a young man who disappeared and never returned; a young woman who has left home to live with her godfather returns home to find her mother and father literally decaying before her eyes, with their skulls visible and open wounds, skin hanging from their bodies and gums bleeding; a young woman considers mercifully killing her parents after finding them in horrific conditions; a young woman healer is described to see the ghosts of those she has either killed or allowed to die as their fate, the ghosts are briefly described and mentioned a few times throughout the book; a brief scene occurs where a young woman attempts to help a young man and must drill into his skull to try to relieve pressure, she is described to be unsuccessful and the young man dies; a young man begins to attack a young woman who is trying to help him, choking her in his distress, though she knows he would never knowingly hurt her; a young man is delusional and dying and his lover who is a healer sees he is destined to die and attempts to put him out of his misery as gently as possible which occurs in a brief scene; rumors are spread about a sickness that spreads quickly and wipes out villages, possibly sexually transmitted; a report is made of a queen being thrown from her horse and dying; a man who is ill and has skin lesions is described to scratch at his skin, fluid weeping out constantly, which he believes are his sins, this is mentioned several times; a young woman is described to be ushered out of a room by the kings guards, with weapons glinting dangerously; a crude song about a man falling ill and dying is sung by a man; a young woman has an experience in a brief scene where she is bleeding and believes she is dying; a young woman hears of a village massacre and realizes her sisters who lived there must be dead; a young woman’s godfather rages, throwing and destroying items and verbally reprimanding her for her actions in a brief scene; a young woman sees a skeleton in a room and realizes it is a body that has been used for learning about healing and medical procedures; executions are mentioned to be something that are typical punishment under the rulings of a king; several people are mentioned to be scheduled to be executed and a brief graphic scene occurs where the act of execution is described with the imagery of heads being lopped off and blood spraying, at the end of the scene, a character is mentioned to pick up one of the detached heads as a souvenir; a brief scene occurs where a man breaks a vase in anger and a young woman picks up a piece which cuts her finger and makes her bleed a bit; a young woman considers how to best put a woman out of misery and considers suffocation or poison.

Sex/Nudity: A young woman is briefly described to realize she is falling in love after her first kiss; a young man is mentioned to try to kiss a girl who is not interested in his advances; a woman is referred to as a whore; a brief scene occurs where a young man and woman kiss and embrace, the young man kisses the girls lips and her throat and is described to run his hand over her body and up her skirt, touching her breast briefly with the young woman touching the man and kissing him similarly; a young woman healer is described to bathe a king in a brief non-sexual scene, though the king mentions he feels as though he were at a bathhouse being bathed by nubile young beauties; a woman is mentioned to sit in such a way that her breasts are more noticeable; a reference is made to prostitutes; a young woman thinks of her lover and how she wants to be with him, imagines embracing him; a young woman hears of a rumor that she may not be her father’s child.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death; ghosts; loss of loved ones; magic; executions; euthanasia; illness.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Champagne is referred to and consumed several times by adults; an adult woman is described to be visibly drunk; a woman is mentioned to have spent all of her money on ale and brandy; a cask of ale is mentioned; a man is described to sneak a nip of alcohol from a flask; a man is described to be sick on spirits; a young man offers a young woman cigarettes.