13+Gifts


 * A Look In The Past **
 *  Review for: 13 Gifts **
 *  Author: Wendy Mass **
 *  Review by: Jasmin **


 * An intriguing story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, is what I would use to characterize the book 13 Gifts. Many others also give their opinion on how good this book is for fans and new readers. 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass is a gripping book for the age group of eight and up. This book is gripping for that age group because of the characters. The characters in this book are very particular compared to some other characters but they’re still entertaining. Not only are the the characters impressive but the plot is also very satisfying. The plot is satisfying because it contains some bizarre secrets that end up revealing themselves at the end. **


 * Furthermore the characters in this book are described as unique by many. THe main character, Tara had a fascinating personality. For instance one quality that pertains to Tara is magical. I give Tara magical because at one point in the book Tara and her group of friends make it to a Collectables Store and her plus 3 others look into a store filled with old antiques and new items. While on the other hand a guy named David looked into the store and saw nothing but vacant dusty shelves. Therefore if you compare David to Tara she would count as magical. Continuing with these unique characters, two of Tara’s friends named Leo and Amanda are also very unique. These two characters are unique because something happened in their lives before that changed their lives now, because of this they can only communicate by writing to each other and if they talk to each other verbally something will happen. Moreover the character Rory (Girl) is unique in her own way too. The unique thing about Rory is that she went out with a well-known celebrity. Finally the last unique character is David. One thing about David that makes him unique is that when he sings outside his voice is mind blowing but when he sings inside his voice is off key. As you can tell these characters are quite unique compared to others. **


 * Moreover, now to tell you about the intriguing plot that 13 Gifts has. This plot is intriguing because of the secrets some of the characters keep from each other. For example there’s some big and small secrets that reveal themselves just because of Tara’s actions. All of these strange secrets come out at the end but connect with some of the things mentioned in the beginning. This plot is easy to understand because it contains everyday lifestyle things that we can connect with. The conflict in this book is mainly man vs. society since Tara is having some problems with a lady named Angelina D’ Angelo. The plot consists of starting off with Tara getting in trouble at school, then she goes to a little town called Willow Falls for two months while her parents go away,in that little town she meets Angelina and little by little Tara starts finding out that she needs to complete a little mission and throughout the book it describes how her mission turns out to be. Towards the end things begin to tie themselves up and Tara begins to find out why she had to complete the mission that Angelina told her to do. As you can see this book has an intriguing plot. **


 * In addition, this intriguing story, 13 Gifts has been recognized as excellent by many. This book has won the Parents Choice Award Silver Honor. With this book many can prove that this book is approved by parents around the world. Why stop at the book award when the author has also won various awards. In her writing career Wendy Mass has won 5 awards, the ALA Schneider Family Book Award, the ALA Award, the People’s Choice Award, the Great Lakes Book Award, and lastly the Michigan State Award. Besides awards this book has also gotten some reviews. A quote that was in a review read, “I recommend for anyone, young or old.” Another quote that goes along with this is, “This magical tale will satisfy both fans and new readers.” The quote, “It has a magical element to it” came from the one and only Wendy Mass. While talking about the author here are some other similar books to 13 Gifts, for example 11 Birthdays, Finally, and Leap Day. Lastly, I would like to mention that this book is accompanied by a website which includes a summary of the story, the various settings with a description of each, a brief description of the characters,information about the author, and links that connect with the book 13 Gifts. **


 * In conclusion, now you know why you should read this book,so that way you can enjoy this magical tale yourself. This book will keep you hooked in because of it’s intriguing plot. Also the characters will show you how unique everyone is. Don’t just take my word for it, other people around the world have also said that this magical tale id for fans and new readers. So once again I tell you, read this magical tale, you won’t regret it. **