Review: Number Thirteen
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this book. I knew that it wasn’t going to be dark, but that it wasn’t going to be full of fluff either. For me it was the perfect balance of light and dark, it evened out in the end, and everything turned out the way that I hoped it would in the end.Number Thirteen is the last of the thirteen girls that William buys, and brings into his home. She’s smart, full of life, and determined. She’s kind, giving and treats everyone – barring William of course – with a measure of respect that’s a true testament to her character. I love the fact that she’s so strong in the face of adversity. That she’s unwilling to bend and break like some of the other girls in this novel. Little by little though her walls do come down, and she sees William for who he really is.William has had a hard life, and a terrible past experience that leaves him scarred, and disfigured. He believes himself to be a monster. Not because of what he doing, but because of how he looks. He doesn’t believe that anyone could ever love him fully, he accepts that, and has chosen to live with it. Thirteen, however, also breaks down his walls, his reservations about love and he finds that even monsters deserve a chance to love.The other girls in this story are brilliant. They’ve all got distinct personalities, quirks and issues that they are forced to overcome throughout the course of the book. Even the guards, what little we learn about some of them, are unique in their own ways.While the book captivated me, and I did read it in one sitting, there were some issues that bothered me. I personally want to know, like so many others apparently, what exactly happened to the original Number Six. Was she beyond saving? Was she too damaged? What REALLY happened to her? Also, how did Thirteen manage to stay virginal throughout her young life? I’m not saying it’s impossible, but given how things played out in her past, it seems very unlikely to me that such a thing would actually happen. Why didn’t she have flashbacks to her past while being with William? These were all questions that I had after reading the book. For this to be an edited novel, there were some instances where I caught misspellings/typos. Overall though writing is solid, with great characterization and the plot is intriguing.I would say have an open mind while reading Number Thirteen and realize that this is not a dark piece. It’s a story about saving people, helping them understand and overcome their demons, and in the end it’s about love.