13 Treasures

Starred review from March 8, 2010
In this sprightly contemporary fantasy, 13-year-old Tanya has second sight and has been bedeviled her whole life by fairies only she can see. Blamed by her mother for the fairies' pranks, Tanya is shipped off to visit her cold and distant grandmother at isolated, fey-infested Elvesden Manor, an archetypally ancient, ivy-covered mansion abutting mystical wilderness. Aided by Fabian, the smart-aleck son of her grandmother's groundskeeper; Mad Morag, an ancient gypsy; and Red, a girl wanted by the police for kidnapping a changeling, Tanya becomes enmeshed in a decades-old mystery. For many years children have disappeared from the nearby town, supposedly lost in the woods or down in the dangerous catacombs, but only Tanya guesses that malicious fairies may be involved, a discovery that places Tanya in terrible danger. First-time novelist Harrison writes with great assuredness, creating a seductive setting and memorable, fully developed characters. Tanya is a believable and decidedly imperfect heroine, and Fabian is an enjoyably eccentric if occasionally obnoxious sidekick. It's an excellent choice for fans of the Spiderwick Chronicles and other modern-day fairy tales. Ages 8–12.