Thirteenth Child

By: Patricia C. Wrede

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 New York Times best-selling author Pat Wrede returns to Scholastic with an amazing new trilogy about the use of magic in the wild, wild west.

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent - and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.

With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

©2009 Patricia C. Wrede (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Nice Juvenal Novel

I'm sort of damning with faint praise. This was a perfectly pleasant read. It's a child's viewpoint, and it never really transcends that in a way that grabbed me. Nice premise. I'd like to see the next in the series just to see if a more adult character would have more substance.

Magic Meets Old West

Taking place in a wonderfully imagined setting, Thirteenth Child is a fantastic story the whole family can enjoy. Coupling cowboys and wizards, dangerous creatures both ordinary and magical, this setting provides an enchanting backdrop for the coming of age story of a humble girl raised in the plains of the undeveloped west. Emerging from discrimination and superstitious bullying, Eff learns that your perspective on the world makes all the difference.

Amanda Ronconi's slow southern drawl and her talent for creating the perfect voice to compliment each character makes it a great listen. I highly recommend the whole trilogy. It's a story that I keep coming back to enjoy all over again.

A Western Story with a twist of magic

Where does Thirteenth Child rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is above average for fictional works.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the author told a classic western story and added the component of magic.

Which character – as performed by Amanda Ronconi – was your favorite?

Eff, the thirteenth child. This book is Eff's story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found the book amusing. The author also used names in this fiction that are found in American History, but not always used in the "historical" manner.

Any additional comments?

This book is an alternate history. Is a cross between Lord of the Rings and classic western story;

A Fitting Tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder

Would you listen to Thirteenth Child again? Why?

I in fact have listened to it and its two sequels again, multiple times. The narrator's voice is calm and soothing but still conveys emotion and humor, AND she's fantastic at doing lots of different voices.

The story itself is light - it's not one of those dark, gritty stories, nor is it a hair-raising thriller. It's just a lovely story about a girl named Eff and her life, as she lives it - there are adventures, to be sure, in both this book and the sequels, but the big climatic problems and resolutions, interesting as they are, pale in comparison to the world building and depth of character Wrede portrays.

What other book might you compare Thirteenth Child to and why?

There are definitely similarities to Laura Ingalls Wilder's works, which lends even more verisimilitude to the story.

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

Her voices! The story itself is in first person, and she portrays all of Eff's emotions and wry humor in an easy, effortless manner that really makes it sound like someone just telling you their own life story. That she could give other characters such distinct voices, even in the midst of large amounts of dialogue, was also very impressive - I like full cast readings, how much realer they seem, and she practically was a full cast in of herself.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The very first scene Eff describes, one she goes back to again and again throughout the book and even occasionally in the later books, stuck with me just as much as it stuck with Eff, which I think is testament to the skill of Wrede's writing. (not described here because I think you should hear it for yourself.)

Any additional comments?

I'm almost sad this was the first new audiobook I got from audible, because it's set the bar so high - I can listen to this series again and again and enjoy it every time, and it's disappointing to then listen to other books and just enjoy listening to them the once.

Couldn't you be as lovely to listen to as these books, other audiobooks? I'd really appreciate it. (Although I suppose my wallet might not.)

I do have to add a disclaimer here that I do regularly re-read and re-listen to my favorite books so it's not like it's a completely unique experience for me - although I have never listened to a series repeatedly like this before, where I started listening to the first book again the moment the third was done.

Good but took a little to get into it

What made the experience of listening to Thirteenth Child the most enjoyable?

Good after I was able to get into it. All the explanations at 1st were difficult to get into.As it was a different beginning to the US frontier than what I was used to I had to think a little different to understand. After I got further in it made more sense. Ready to read the 2nd in the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Eff

The Wrede I remember

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Oh yes, especially a friend with who I shared a childhood reading list.

What did you like best about this story?

A strong female heroine without any forced romance.

Any additional comments?

As a fan of 'dealing with dragons' as a kid, I was not disappointed in Wrede's strong female characters who were interested in things other than boys. A bit of prior knowledge about old west customs and female expectations within those customs may be needed to enjoy this read.

A charming story with a great narrator

Great characters and terrific world building. it really took me back to the Little House books that I loved as a girl but with the added zing of magic. I look forward to starting the next book in the trilogy.

Couldn't pause!

Bonus points: dangers of invasive species and loved the narrative the world built around it

Steam Dragons!!

Missed it by that much.
Patricia invents an interesting alternate world, which supposedly has dire wolves, steam dragons, mammoths, wooly rhinos, sphinx, sabre cats and more. This universe has glimpses of Card's Seventh Son and Sanderson's The Rithmathist. The problem, as with a lot of teen books, is the writing style. The writing is similar to a little kid writing a letter. Hi, I am fine, how are you? The book supposedly has all the animals mentioned above, but with the exception of a run in with a mammoth and a dead steam dragon, we just hear they exist, they take no part in the story. Lots of the story is just tedious things, that could be going on in anybody's life.

What I did like.
This book is pro parents, school and teachers. The parents in this book, especially the mom are the best part. The mom is extremely level headed (unless you think she should quit having children.) The teachers are positive and challenge the students. School is looked at as something important. I also listened to the whole book, which I often don't do with a book that is not five star material.

Amanda Ronconi
I didn't feel that Amanda was all in for this reading. At times she sounded rather drool. The first few chapters, it sounded like she was mad at somebody. At other times it sounded like she was enjoying her work. I especially liked her voice for the teacher. It reminded me of one of the regular women on NPR.

Teen books and or children books
I have a real problem with this category. It seems that if the writing is substandard and the main character is young, then it is automatically put in this category. Sanderson, Card and others have shown that you can write books aimed at a younger crowd and have them still be exciting, interesting reads, that even adults will like. An editor should have made PW go back and put more life into this book.

Refreshingly un-teen angsty

Let me start by saying I liked this book enough to read all of them in just a few days.

The book had been in my wish list for quite some time, and I just kept ignoring it fearing it was another teen romance just set in a new place (which it is not). I finally gave it a listen because of the narrator she is one of my favorites. There are a few that I am willing to try any book they have read Amanda Ronconi, Renée Raudman, Lorelei King, Cynthia Holloway, and Marguerite Gavin. I am happy I did.

This book has been compared with the Harry Potter series. I do not really get that (except for the magic). Rowlings is absolutely brilliant, and gives rich twisting details to her plot and characters, but the kid going to wizzarding school has been done before (not as well mind you). Wrede's story felt different to me. I am not sure I have read a book like it before.

The story follows Eff (don't let the name bother you like it did me it is a nickname). She is born the thirteenth child of a seventh son. She also has a twin that is the 7th son of the 7th son (which we have seen before). She is told for most of her young life that being the 13th is a bad thing. Through out the story the idea of the thirteenth child is explored, and through it Eff grows and starts to find out who she no matter what order she was born in.

I like the family dynamics in this book. It gave the story more depth. They were not all lovey dovey all of the time but they did love each other. From the twin who was the favorite whether he wanted to be or not, to the older bossy sister they enriched the story. I adored the parents. It was nice to have kind loving caring parents rather than the mean, indifferent, quirky, uncaring, or too busy parents that have been in a lot of the books I have read recently. This probably where the Laura Anne Wilder comparisons come in (that and the west themed)

I love a good western, and this was. Yes there was magic but you still had the horses and a lot of the other stuff that goes into westerns. What made it interesting is the idea that the town is along the Mammoth (Mississippi) River and that on the other side of it is all of these creatures from dragons to mammoths to wooly rihnasorous to bison. If you simply cross the river where the magic wall is you are taking your life into your own hands.

It was nice not to have a romance instead Wrede concentrated on Eff finding out who she is. I highly recommend this series