THE THIRTEEN: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

   GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE THIRTEEN 

  BY SUSIE MOLONEY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Desperate Housewives meets The Witches of Eastwick in Susie Moloney’s wonderfully creepy novel, The Thirteen. A paranormal thriller that blends contemporary suburban concerns and mores with the fiendishly supernatural, The Thirteen is the story of a woman who returns to her childhood home with her daughter, only to discover that the community is now run by a group of witches with nasty plans for the both of them. A wonderfully dark and original tale, The Thirteen will appeal to a wide range of readers—from fans of Laura Kasischke, Jennifer McMahon, Melissa De la Cruz, and Melissa Marr to anyone who has ever appreciated the delicious chills of Rosemary’s Baby.

Haven Woods is suburban heaven, a great place to raise a family. It's close to the city, quiet, with great schools and its own hospital right up the road. Property values are climbing, and the crime rate is practically nonexistent.

Paula Wittmore hasn't been back to Haven Woods since she left as a disgraced teenager. Now she's returning to care for her suddenly ailing mother, and she's bringing her daughter and a pile of emotional baggage. 

She's also bringing, unknowingly, the last chance for her mother's closest frenemies . . . twelve women bound together by a powerful secret that requires the sacrifice of a thirteenth.

PRAISE FOR THE THIRTEEN:

“Like a gonzo, mirror-universe, occult version of The Stepford Wives, with a dash of Stephen King thrown in ... A compellingly uncanny narrative, binding the tropes of small town paranoia and cliquishness with the chokehold of family obligations and religious fervour, and the very real claustrophobia of poverty and desperation.”

— The Globe and Mail

“A creepy-fun read, with characters ready-made for a Hollywood casting call.”— Maclean's“Creepy . . . . Sure to evoke comparisons to Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Wife, this evocative story will also appeal to fans of Kelley Armstrong’s early works.”— Publishers Weekly“An eerie blend of The Stepford Wives, The Witches of Eastwick, and Desperate Housewives . . . features a cast of bewitching characters and a creepy story that will stick with the reader long afterward.— Library Journal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susie Moloney is the bestselling author of Bastion Falls, A Dry Spell, and The Dwelling. She has been published in numerous countries and assorted languages. She divides her time between the wilds of Canada and the wild world of New York City. She's not a witch, except maybe a little in the morning. You can visit Susie Moloney on her website:  www.susiemoloney.com 

 

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW OF THE THIRTEEN:

In THE THIRTEEN by Susie Moloney, Paula and her teen aged daughter come back to her home in Haven Woods when she is called to care for her mother, Izzy, who had a heart attack. Izzy had basically sent her daughter away many years before and Paula comes to learn why in this trip back. Haven Woods is an appropriate name for a town that is a haven to witches; a group of THIRTEEN witches, that is. Basically, Izzy didn’t want Paula growing up to be a witch so she sent her away. The term THIRTEEN comes from the fact they must always have that many active members in their coven.

When a couple of the witches become ill and the group begins to fall apart, it is time to bring in new members. This is why Izzy finally decides to bring Paula and Rowan back. The benefits to oneself and family are enormous by joining even though the master they must serve might not be most people’s choice. There were parts of the story about the devil that were more than I cared to read about but it did play an important part in the story. It showed how some selfish women who wanted everything would stop at nothing to get it while some of the members truly were in it to make a better life for their family. If there aren’t 13 in the group, the Devil becomes angry and everyone’s perfect life begins to be effected negatively.

THE THIRTEEN by Susie Moloney is at times chilling, but also an OK read for the most part. The paranormal/witches genre just isn’t my favorite but Moloney’s writing was nicely done as she developed some intriguing characters I enjoyed following; all except for the main character, Paula. Paula drove me crazy and although I understand she was facing a lot of problems so her mind was elsewhere, but for the whole time? I thought she was a little dense and that frustrated me. Her teenage daughter, Rowan, took all the brain power in the family, or so it seemed.

How Paula and Rowan each handle The Thirteen is the basis for the story and Moloney gives readers some decent characterizations, showing credence for their actions. THE THIRTEEN is the perfect book for the fan of this genre but I’m afraid it just wasn’t for me.  

  

GIVEAWAY
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