The Thirteenth Child

Gr 9 Up–The rare yet rather extraneous 13th child of a poor huntsman and his wife begins defying expectations from the moment of her birth. When Hazel is claimed as the godchild of the god of death Merrick, the Dreaded End, the attachment imbues her with a gift—she can diagnose and heal nearly any ailment, with the caveat that she is also expected to end the suffering of those marked unsavable. The emotional weight of this charge is already becoming difficult for Hazel to process when she is sent to heal the king from a strange illness known as the Brilliance. A growing affection for the infuriating Prince Leopold pushes Hazel to question her entire destiny. Sparks fly as Hazel and Leopold’s feelings blossom, and she must reckon with the conflict between her duty and her heart. Brooding and romantic in tone, this Grimm-inspired fairy tale has all the dark, Gothic vibes. The gods are surprising and ruthless; Hazel’s sometimes brutal responsibilities contrast believably with her warm personality. The central romance suffers a bit from a late introduction, but readers who enjoy spending ample time within a world will be thrilled by the expansiveness.