Author | Michelle Harrison |
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Series | The Thirteen Treasures |
Genre | Juvenile fantasy |
Publisher | Hachette Digital |
Publication date
|
2009 |
Media type | online |
ISBN | |
Followed by | 13 Curses 13 Secrets |
13 Treasures is a 2009 juvenile fantasy novel written by Michelle Harrison; it is the first entry in the trilogy "The Thirteen Treasures". It features the story of a young girl named Tanya, who has the ability to see mythical creatures.
13 Treasures won the 2009 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.
13 Treasures follows its lead character, 13-year-old girl Tanya, who has the rare ability to see and hear the fairies and other creatures who inhabit the woods and many other places. But over the years Tanya has learned to lie about the fairies if something is wrong to anyone, because she has landed herself on a therapist and doctor's couch by this ability.
Tanya summers with her grandmother in Elvesden Manor as a punishment for having another fairy incident in Essex. The manor has been given down to all family members up until now. Fabian, the son of Warwick also lives in Elvesden Manor, and with Warwick's father, Amos. Amos has been under suspicion for the 5 decade old disappearance of a young girl named Morwenna Bloom in the nearby woods. He was the last person to see her.
At first, Tanya and Fabian are unsympathetic to each other, but as they spend time together they start becoming friends. In Tickey End - the local village - Tanya meets the reclusive 'witch', Mad Morag, who gives her an old compass. Tanya finds a unique silver bracelet while cleaning out an old library one day. On this bracelet there are thirteen charms. She also finds newspaper clippings about a girl named Morwenna Bloom who mysteriously disappeared 50 years ago. As Tanya and Fabian team up, and they decide to investigate this disappearance and to prove that Fabian's grandfather, Amos, is innocent. Tanya also finds and befriends a girl named Red (or Rowan) who saves changelings, or fairy babies exchanged with human babies, from dying in a hospital because their disguise spells wear off and they are killed for their looks. It is revealed that one can only have the "second sight" of being able to see fairies by having a changeling in their family. The changeling in Tanya's family turns out to be Elizabeth Elvesden.
Tanya, Red, and Fabian go out into the woods following Morwenna's hidden instructions in a poem, but it turns out Morwenna went into the fairy world 50 years ago and now wants to come back. The reason Tanya's grandmother doesn't like Morwenna is because Tanya's grandmother (Florence) almost went into the fairy world herself, but didn't at the last second. Morwenna thought critically of her for that and threatened to take Tanya's mom into the fairy world. However, Florence tricked her into giving her 28 more years. Now Morwenna wants Tanya.