13 Treasures

13 Treasures

Author	Michelle Harrison
Series	The Thirteen Treasures
Genre	Juvenile fantasy
Publisher	Hachette Digital
Publication date	2009
ISBN	978-0-316-04148-5
Followed by	13 Curses 13 Secrets

13 Treasures is a 2009 juvenile fantasy novel written by Michelle Harrison; it is the first entry in the trilogy The Thirteen Treasures. It features the story of a young girl named Tanya, who has the ability to see fairies.

Awards

13 Treasures won the 2009 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.^[1]

Synopsis

13 Treasures follows its lead character, 13-year-old girl Tanya, has the rare ability to see and hear the fairies who inhabit the woods and many other places. But Tanya's supernatural powers to see fairies, over the years she has learned to lie about the fairies and if something is wrong to anyone, cause as before she has landed herself on a therapist and doctor's couch by this ability, so she has to lie every now and then. As she summers with her grandmother as a punishment for having yet another fairy incident in Essex in a huge manor called Elvesden Manor that has been given down to all family members up until now, Fabian, the son of Warwick who also lives in Elvesden Manor with his son, and Warwick's father, Amos who has been under suspicion of a murder of a 5 decade old disappearance of a young girl named Morwenna Bloom in the nearby woods, since Amos was the last person to see her. At first, Tanya and Fabian are unsympathetic to each other, but as they start to hang out more Fabian starts to show a special love interest toward Tanya. In Tickey End - the local village - Tanya meets the reclusive 'witch', Mad Morag, who gives her an old compass. Tanya finds a unique silver bracelet while cleaning out an old library one day. On this bracelet there are thirteen charms. She also finds newspaper clippings about a girl named Morwenna Bloom who mysteriously disappeared 50 years ago. As Tanya and Fabian team up, and they decide to investigate this disappearance and to prove that Fabian's grandfather, Amos, is innocent. Tanya also finds and befriends a girl named Red (or Rowan) who helps save changelings, or fairy babies exchanged with human babies, from dying in a hospital because their disguise spells wear off and they are killed for their looks. It is revealed that one can only have the "second sight" of being able to see fairies by having a changeling in their family. The changeling in Tanya's family turns out to be Elizabeth Elvesden. Tanya, Red, and Fabian go out into the woods following Morwenna's hidden instructions in a poem, but it turns out Morwenna went into the fairy world 50 years ago and now wants to come back - the reason Tanya's grandmother doesn't like her is because Tanya's grandmother (Florence) almost went into the fairy world herself, but didn't at the last second. Morwenna held that against her and threatened to take Tanya's mom into the fairy world, but Florence tricked her into giving her 28 more years. Now Morwenna wants Tanya. As the vines are binding her at midnight, Red causes a distraction and Tanya's dog eats Morwenna's fairies. Red immediately starts work on the vines, but realizes it is too late. Meanwhile, Fabian runs back to the house to find Morwenna's lock of hair in the human world that is keeping her from aging. It turns out Amos loved Morwenna and blames himself for her disappearance. It is also revealed that Warwick is a fairy hunter who took a special potion to be able to see fairies. Fabian and Warwick take the hair to the middle of the forest and burn it. As Tanya is about to get dragged into the fairy world, Red cuts her own hand - and the vines take her instead. Tanya goes back to the mansion, but sees Morwenna on the way. Having her lock of hair destroyed, Morwenna suddenly ages 50 years and the shock kills her. Tanya returns to the mansion and talks with her grandmother, and they forgive each other.^[1]

References