A review by lexigoyette
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
3.0
Rating: 3.5 stars
What I find interesting about this book is that the hook tells all: "The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury..." We are the omniscient reader, watching the detectives and lawyers put all the pieces together before our eyes. For this reason, there wasn't a crazy twist, a typical plot device in this genre. Cavanagh is a strong writer who can keep the pages turning.
However, my lukewarm rating comes from the fact that this isn't my genre. I used to love page-turners that kept me on my toes. This book didn't make me feel anything. At one point, I actually started crying about something unrelated while reading it because the emotional part of my brain was so disconnected from the story.
Now, I need stories that compel me in a different way, that want me to linger on each page rather than whizzing through them, that leave my chest empty when I finish because I don't want them to end.
What I find interesting about this book is that the hook tells all: "The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury..." We are the omniscient reader, watching the detectives and lawyers put all the pieces together before our eyes. For this reason, there wasn't a crazy twist, a typical plot device in this genre. Cavanagh is a strong writer who can keep the pages turning.
However, my lukewarm rating comes from the fact that this isn't my genre. I used to love page-turners that kept me on my toes. This book didn't make me feel anything. At one point, I actually started crying about something unrelated while reading it because the emotional part of my brain was so disconnected from the story.
Now, I need stories that compel me in a different way, that want me to linger on each page rather than whizzing through them, that leave my chest empty when I finish because I don't want them to end.