Publication Date: 10th Oct 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy
4 Stars
One Liner: Bittersweet and touching
1999, Pembrokeshire
Kit and Libby are sisters living with their single mother. When eleven-year-old Libby goes to the white tower to make a wish at midnight on Winter Solstice, her older sister, Kat, follows behind. Kat sees Libby fall into the void and realizes that every trace of her sister has vanished from the earth. Their mother doesn’t even remember Libby’s existence.
Things are changing around her, with strange and untimely events occurring at odd moments. The seasons are messed up, and the world is no longer the same. A frantic Kit meets Story, a young boy and the only one who knows Libby. Together, they travel through time to bring Libby back and save the world. Can they do it?
The story comes in the first-person POV of Kit and in the present tense.
My Thoughts:
Well, what do I say? I love it but also want more from it!
The book is more suitable for young adults and adults due to the high emotional content and the open yet hopeful ending. Kids who like neatly tied-up HEAs will be disappointed. Heck, even I’m a little disappointed that we don’t get more details. Right now, it seems to be a standalone, so can’t say if there will be a sequel. I would love one for sure (though I know this is right the way it is).
Most of the story is dark with bits of hope and courage. While it has many heartwarming moments, this is not a lighthearted read with chuckles and laughs. It’s an introspective book that demands readers to think and feel.
Family (real and found), friendship, bonding, bullying, courage, choices, and love are some themes dealt with here. Nature is the biggest theme and the focal point, though it doesn’t feel that way until much later.
I wish we had more backstory about Kit’s family. Though the story works based on what we have, extra detail can only enhance it.
The writing is beautiful. I love the descriptions and imagery. The friendship between Kit and Story, their emotions, the interactions, self-doubt, support, etc., are relatable and wonderfully done. (there’s a bit of romance but it never controls the plot)
With Kit being a bird lover, we get several names mentioned throughout the book. It’s a good thing I read this on my computer and could google how each bird looked. Such beauties! There are some descriptions but nothing compares with a visual image.
My favorite is the focus on the pagan past and the role of the ancient indigenous people in protecting nature and being one with it. The book also deals a little with how the new religion(s) have built their structures by destroying the sacred sites of our pagan ancestors. So many temples in India have been desecrated and plundered to build mosques and churches over the centuries. After 500 years of fight, we could reclaim one land!
Each chapter starts with an illustration (charcoal I think). It’s a rough presentation of what’s to come. These add a little something to the narrative. Would the book feel different without the illustrations? Maybe a bit less appealing if you ask me.
Not all themes get a proper closure, especially the bullying track. This is my main concern and a reason for rating higher. It’s a serious topic for the target age group. No doubt many would relate to Kit’s feelings. However, the lack of resolution may not give them the required encouragement to handle the situation.
To summarize, The Twelve is a heartwarming and bittersweet story about a teen girl trying to find her little sister while fighting her personal demons and her friendship with a fellow teenager – a young boy with an old soul!
Thank you, NetGalley and Pushkin Press (Chidlren’s), for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheTwelve
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