Fast food for the brain
It’s a quick read, pity about the lack of flavour.
OPENING with 13, the debut in The Last Thirteen series of 13 young adult fiction novels by James Phelan, the first outing introduces us to Sam, a young hero who discovers his dreams portend the future.
Not the “I dream of becoming a dancer someday” stuff, but the lay your head on the pillow and fall asleep with visions of death and destruction coming for all of humanity stuff.
He’s not the only one with these nightmares. He meets two teenagers in the same dream boat, and the erstwhile adventurers are thrown together in their run- ins with three mysterious, competing global organisations that want to exploit their powers.
Over generations, these nebulous groups have studied ancient Egyptian tablets and learned about the 13 prophesied dreamers who would save the world. The organisations appear as clear- cut good guys versus bad guys versus another one emerging from the shadows with a hint of something neither heroic or villainous.
Phelan’s concept seems like an interesting idea. These special teens are able to dream about their future with such depth and clarity that they can navigate through their visions even while sleeping. And when they wake up, they can remember every detail of the dream, which they then can use to change the future.
Known for his adult thriller novels, Phelan’s promo video for The Last Thirteen series bills him as an “International Best- Selling Thriller Author”. He also advertises the new series as a mix of “The Famous Five meets Indiana Jones”.
But rather than getting a 21st- century Enid Blyton feeling, the vibe I get from his work is more of an action- adventure Dame Barbara Cartland.
A la Cartland, who holds the Guinness Book record for most novels published in a year, Phelan’s Last Thirteen series released a new novel every month, starting in February last year, until the entire saga was played out.
Perhaps it is due to the tight publishing schedule, but 13 lacks finesse and character development. What we get in their place is action – lots of it. Chapters are crammed with helicopter chases, missile explosions, and nefarious demigods. The chapters are also sparse, with some clocking in under three pages.
These short chunks amplify a feeling of speeding through the book, as if it’s a real page- turner. But after finishing 13 in record time and taking more time than that to reflect on what I’d read, I concluded the fast- paced feeling is just an artifice created by the short lengths of the chapters.
Perhaps Phelan knows he’s competing for his share of young reader attention against the likes of SnapChat, Vine, and Instagram, platforms that provide short bursts of entertainment, designed to be consumed as fast as possible.
There’s also plenty of push to pick this series up on your electronic devices, with tie- in websites and message boards. It’s entirely possible that these truncated chapters work best in a handheld realm.
The book also seems to go out of its way to be an unpolished piece of work, lacking meaningful development for any of its characters. Maybe it’s a way for readers to imagine Sam as their avatar – he’s got hair, I’ve got hair, he’s me! It’s the sort of thing that Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series did to great success, if not literary acclaim. But it also landed us with 50 Shades Of Grey by E. L. James. Thankfully, 13 doesn’t read like the kind of story that would inspire insipid fan fiction.
There are young adult fiction novels that are truly cross- generational and work for all readers. Alas, 13 isn’t one of them.
It’s a book geared for reluctant readers and those just getting into the habit. For those who are willing to forgive character development and motivation in favour of a fast- paced plot. A sort of gateway book that could hopefully lead you to pick up longer, denser novels.