The Thirteen by Susie Moloney Review

The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Goodreads:  "Desperate Housewives" meets "The Witches of Eastwick" in this novel about a woman who returns with her teenage daughter to her childhood home, not knowing that she's stepped back into a community run by a group of witches.

My take: Dress it up in a paranormal cover, add chick lit elements, include mysterious deaths and in the end it's still a book about an all female suburban satanic cult and I'm feeling yucky all over. That's my honest opinion and feeling. Just didn't like it. It earns one star for my finishing it. The second star is earned for the author's originality. Even though I didn't like it.

The basis is that the cult requires thirteen members. If there are thirteen and appropriate sacrifices (and those sacrifices are stomach churning) and the members have given themselves to the dark one (and can I say? Ew. I mean in a big way), all their hopes and dreams are reached. It's the Stepford Wives without their husbands joining a club. In fact, husbands are not uncommonly the sacrifice. They've recently suffered a reduction in force and need a new recruit. Rather than going to the park or the supermarket like previously, they seek out the grown child of Audra. That's when the story falls apart. The threads are frayed and, although there is definite direction to the story, it doesn't always make sense. First of all, Izzie commits herself to the devil. He takes her sexually and it's gross. Why didn't he take all the others? Not that I wanted that image, I'm disturbed enough over Izzie's encounter. Also, why is Izzie the one making the animal sacrifice? I also never understood the hospital scenes. They were simply too weak. I also didn't find the explanation for Audra turning into what she was. What was up with the cats? What was wrong with the dog collar? What was Sanderson's mom's story? Why did she leave?

These are merely a handful of unanswered questions. I'm sure they would make perfect sense if I was up to speed on Satanic worship but, thank God, I'm not.

It's a quick, if disturbing read.