Lorin Robinson's book was an amazing read. His story grips the reader and draws you into the tale. This story was difficult to follow at the beginning with the introduction and names of the thirteen as well as their relationship to one another. The moving story of thirteen young boys making the decision to take revenge and one of the thirteen's ability to tell the tale to latter generations as a lesson was amazingly written. This story makes you wonder if revenge is worth all the pain and loss and/or does it really solve anything? This book sort of seems relevant and timeless. Robinson's book is a story of choices and decisions, how they affect each boy and how choices and decisions can and do affect others. ( )

I received this book through the Early Reviewers program on LibraryThing. Thank you to the publishers for providing this opportunity.

What is honor and what does it cost? This book details the gripping story of 12 Anishnabe boys who seek revenge for an attack against their peaceful village by roaming Dakotas. However, before they can get very far they are kidnapped by the same band of Dakota and taken far away to a summer gathering. What follows is a harrowing tale told by the 13th boy who followed them.

The story is well written, detailed and engaging. It moves quickly, but still provides details from the natural surroundings. The main character has depth and his struggle with the events he witnesses is haunting. This was a great read! ( )

12 boys seek revenge for an attack on their Anishnabe camp. The 13th retells their story. Robinson's story, based on a kernel of an idea from a Wisconsin folklorist, is an interesting adventure tale set among Native American tribes.

The boys - and nearly all key characters are male - are engagingly written. It has the feel of a legend, almost as if it is a story within a story. The plot moves quickly but the storyteller's experience is well described and provides a good amount of detail. I thought the use of certain Anishnabe words in key places was a nice nod to the cultures reflected in the tale.

It took me a few starts before I finally got to a point where I couldn't put it down. The focus on small pieces of the cultures keeps the story interesting, and doesn't attempt to over describe the time period or interactions of different tribes beyond the horizon of the story itself.

This would be a great addition for a school or public library, perhaps 5th to 8th grade. I think boys would be more attracted to the story, although the woodcraft and adventure is universal. ( )

This was a pretty interesting yet sad story to get in to. While the author did best getting some research about Ojibwe culture, I think they could've benefitted from getting more to the story from Indigenous peoples of today versus word of mouth from a Historian they met decades ago. ( )

The 13 presents what might be an actual Anishinaabe legend about the tragedy of thirteen young warriors and their journey to regain their band's honor after a Dakota raid.

This novella felt like it was trying to be too many things. Was it cultural tourism? There are certainly elements of that, particularly the extensive definitions of Anishinaabe words and explanatory commas (podcast source). While it can be difficult to present readers with a culture they're unfamiliar with effectively, regularly pausing to provide these kinds of explanations when they're not relevant takes me right out of the story.

Was this supposed to be a straight re-telling of a myth? Somewhat accurate, as the story had distinctly mythological logic and was often sparse on detail or characterization that might more typically be fleshed out during an oral performance. Specifically, the opinions of the characters felt secondary to the narrative and the moral.

For all that, it wasn't an unpleasant read. I feel Robinson cares a great deal about Anishinaabe culture and legend, but I don't think they presented the most compelling story. ( )