I need to remind myself that I just do not find psychological thrillers exciting or surprising anymore. I figured out the ending to this long before I finished the book. It was a quick read and I think many will enjoy it, but this one was just not my cup of tea.

I wasn’t able to get into this book. I tried multiple times but couldn’t connect. This is why I originally did not give any feedback.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Becca had been friends with Tasha and Hayley. But, they froze her out, and Becca is now friends with Hannah. Tasha and Hayley picked up Jenny as their 3rd friend in the trio of "Barbies", and there was no room for Becca.

16-year old Natasha is rescued from the icy river in which she fell, and literally brought back to life by the paramedics, since she was clinically dead for 13 minutes. No one knows how she ended in the freezing waters, least of all Natasha herself who suffers from retrograde amnesia, so the investigators are looking both at attempted suicide - although nothing in Natasha's life appears to lead in this direction - and at foul play.
The teenagers are all under suspicion. Why was Tasha near the lake so early in the morning, what did Jenny and Hayley know? How does Becca, the former best friend, fit into all of this?

So many twists and turns and all and all a great psycho thriller. There is murder, some drug use and surprise surprise, inappropriate behavior with a teacher….

One of the best young adult novels that has brought me suspense in a long time.

You will not be disappointed.

An intense read that will leave you guessing! Young adult at it's best! Well-crafted and in-depth characters give you the ultimate reading experience!

Well, well, well … I know a couple of new names that belong in the Burn Book.

The names of those who are still alive, anyway. *evil laugh*

Natasha died for 13 minutes. She drowned in the lake. Now, some people believe it was intentional, but why would Natasha, the most popular girl in school, commit suicide?

And why are Hayley and Jenny, her closest friends, acting so weird lately?

I needed a mystery book with teenage drama. Normally I’m not so specific about what I need, but I thought I’d read this book instead of watching Mean Girl for the hundredth time.

Man, I forgot how mean girls can be in high school. They can be mean in university, too, but not so much directly to your face anymore. In university, they’re real sneaky about it, which is good, because you can easily ignore them.

I felt thoroughly captivated by this story. Granted, some parts are predictable, and at some point you wonder when you’re going to be blown away.

Oh, you will. You will so much that you’re going to want to re-read some parts to spot the clues that previously went over your head. I especially liked the format, with journal entries, interviews and text messages in addition to the usual narration style found in those things called books.

I didn’t exactly get attached to the characters, since most of them are stereotypical and shallow and that boy drama sure didn’t help make them more three-dimensional, but watching drama unfold in their lives made my day. As long as it’s not my drama, I can welcome it with open arms.

As I said, I was in the mood for such a story. If you’re not, definitely don’t pick it up. But if you are, you’re going to be quite entertained. Also, I’m so very satisfied with the ending. *evil laugh*

This book was exciting and perfect for my 8th graders. I think language might keep me from recommending it to my 6th graders.

Wow! I'm kicking myself for not seeing the twist coming, but I think it was quite well done. The reader empathizes with Becca from the beginning, as she is drawn back in to her old friend Tasha's world, after having been dropped for a more popular crowd. Coming from a reader who doesn't like a lot of drama, this book had enough to keep me interested without going overboard. The format helps to keep the reader's interest as well, moving from narrative, to text messages, to a detective's notes, to interview transcripts from a therapist's office. It's a relatively quick read that still manages to pack quite a punch.

Review
Lately, I’ve been in a bit of a mystery/thriller mood and ah this book totally delivered. This book follows a couple different POVs and that was one of the strengths we had. Learning how the different characters felt about the events going on simultaneously really added a level of depth to this novel.

I’m not going to act like it’s the most unique story out there because it’s not. The ending is something that you can figure out if you want to, maybe when the book first starts, maybe just a page or two before it’s revealed, or maybe you won’t guess the ending. What I love is that regardless if you do guess the ending or not, reading the story is still super enjoyable. Oh and I like how the story takes time to develop but doesn’t linger too long. There was time for things to happen, for characters to process things and have time to develop, but the book still felt like a fast read. I listened to the audiobook for this one and just wanted to up the speed so I could find out what was happening.

I also enjoy the characters. No one is clearly good or clearly bad, they all do shitty things, but you can also sympathize with them. It wasn’t explicitly stated, but I was wondering if Natasha was asexual due to her thoughts revolving around sexual relationships. People who are ACE, mind weighing in?

Final Thoughts
This book was fast-paced, fun, and kept me up because I was so invested in the story. I thought this was a great YA mystery, there were some twists and turns that kept me wanting more. The POVs added to the depth of this story and the characters were so enjoyable to read about.

If you’re looking for a YA mystery to keep you up all night or to fly through for a readathon, I think this is the book for you! I loved it way more than I was anticipating.

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 4/5 Stars

Having enjoyed Pinborough's previous work I was really excited to read this and was not disappointed. Keeping in mind it is for a teen/YA audience I thought it was so much fun, exciting, twisty, well written and captivating. It kept me guessing and I think it will be really well received.

This has got to be one of the absolute worst books that I have ever read. The summary and premise really drew me in and had me excited to read, but oh my gosh this was awful. I HATED each and every character that was introduced and eventually got so bored I had to quit reading for a while (several months), I decided to give it another shot and I honestly regret that decision. The outcome was predictable and the unreliable narrator never made me want to be on her side of the story, I really felt she deserved her fate. Anyways, do not recommend.

13 Minutes was not quite was I was expecting.
The first 65% is about what I was anticipating. Which was a mysterious almost death by a teen which takes a criminal offense and puts it in the middle of high school drama.
There are two main perspectives in this book with occasional glimpses into others minds. The two are of the gal who almost dies and those of her ex-best friend. I enjoyed the ex-best friend the best; and actually think it would have greatly improved this book to have the entire story be entirely from the ex-best friends perspective with the exception of the prologue and maybe a epilogue.

Foreshadowing
In a mystery novel, obviously, foreshadowing is very important. I won't lie, mysteries are not my favourite books. I usually but I try to read a couple every year; and am always intrigued by young adult ones in particular.
In 13 minutes there is almost a bit too much foreshadowing at times and yet not enough at others. If Sarah Pinborough had stopped the book at the 65% mark with it's 'answer' to our mystery I could have happily walked away with a four star review and been content with the read. But instead there is another 35% of the book to go and a whole new premise/set of information comes to light.
Yes I know, this a valid way to tell a story and can be the case in real life situations as well. But when I'm reading a book where clues are planted into the narrative it just annoys me to be completely unprepared for a twist. While this twist is plausible and possible (which is why this isn't a lower star rating; because I hate cheap twists), it still seems a bit out of nowhere. While some books are amazing at giving clues that, when you find out the 'whodunnit' you think, "wow, how did I not see that?" The best example I can think of that is a twist done perfectly is the reveal in the movie The Sixth Sense. The clues are all there right in front of us for it's twist; but almost all of us miss them the first time through. Second pass watching it and you'll realize you should have known. That is perfect mystery story telling. Sadly it's uncommon for it to be done so well.
13 minutes is not a Sixth Sense situation. Were I to go back and re-read this book I don't think there are many, if any at all, foreshadows to the final outcome during the first 65% of the book. There is a spot at about 75% where I was fairly confident I knew the 'new outcome' but the rest of the book didn't seem to point out or remind me of why I should have already known based on facts from the first 65% of the story. (I hope I explained that right, lol)

High School Drama
This is definitely a contemporary teen book set at a high school (secondary school, or whatever you call it in your part of the world). It's got annoying text message conversations with text-speak, boyfriend drama that is outrageous yet just like real high school, and all the standard cliches of being a teenger (most of which are true). The characters (and their drama) all felt quite real and had enough depth to just keep me interested in most of them. One or two were a bit flat but as they are not significant characters I didn't really mind. And, as I said already, the ex-best friend character was easily the one I felt the most for and even though she reacts in a typical crazy teen fashion a few times I still totally understood her and even wanted to defend her freak-outs a few times.

Not Just Almost Death
THIS IS ONLY A WARNING THAT I'M GOING TO LIST THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE BOOK THAT SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING. IT DOES NOT SPOIL WHO IT HAPPENS TO OR GIVE AWAY ANY OF THE MYSTERY; but if you'd rather not know at all that's fair and you can scroll down to the "Overall" heading. I've left space before and after the possible spoiler mention so you can scroll past easily (I hope).















I think it's only fair to let folks know that there is more than just the 'almost death' the title implies. There is also sexual engagements between a minor and an adult (not described in detail but it does happen), actual death & grief, drug use, and of course lying and cheating that is typical of a contemporary teenage setting.


















Overall
The writing by Pinborough is quite good and I will consider reading another of her books. But maybe not one that is a complex mystery. The plot points just didn't satisfy me at the end of the day.
To support how good the writing is I can tell you there is a lot of backstabbing and posturing in this book between a number of the high school girls. One of the situations reminded me so much of an ex-best friends attitude and way of manipulating me that, even 15+ years since (finally) telling her off, I felt like I was almost back in one of those teen moments where she treated me like crap and I put up with it because I was weak, desperate for friends and ignorant.
That's really how compelling some of the writing is. So if you are intrigued by the premise, and enjoy mystery in a young adult format, this might be for you. It's not a bad read; just not one I would ever pick-up again or recommend to most people.

I will be honest, I almost did not make it through this entire book. I actually put it down a few times before I finally finished it. It is not that it was a bad book necessarily, but it just did not grab my attention. I wanted something more than what I got out of it. If you love young adult mystery thrillers, then I say give this book a try, you may really enjoy it.

The whole idea behind 13 Minutes was really exciting to me – a girl, dead for thirteen minutes, has no memory behind what happened and tries to figure out what happened and why, while also keeping her best friends and ex-best friend in check. Not only does this book have a lot of girl drama, it also has an unreliable narrator who makes the book even more exciting.

Natasha was found in a river, and she was dead for thirteen minutes before paramedics got her heart started again. Thirteen minutes that Natasha has no memory of, as well as a whole night that she can’t piece together – how did she get to the river? Who texted her he night she she was found, asking her to meet there? There has to be some vital information that Tasha can’t remember, but what?

Determined to get to the bottom of it, Tasha stays close to her two best friends, and she tries to start up a friendship with her old friend, Becca. She thinks that if Becca and the other girls become friends, they will be more inclined to tell her what actually happened that night, because Tasha is convinced that they have something to do with it, or at the very least, that they know something about what really happened.

As Tasha tries her hardest to find out what happened, including keeping a journal and talking to her psychologist, Becca is also faced with her very own problems, including issues with her current best friend, Hannah, and the boy she is completely in love with, Aidan.

This has been called “Mean Girls for the Instagram age,” and I find this pretty accurate for the book. It definitely has a total Mean Girls vibe going on, and it is a reminder of how cruel girls, especially those considered best friends, can be.

One thing that kind of bugged me about this book was the fact that it jumps back and forth between narrators – for example, Natasha will be narrating one chapter, while the next chapter will be narrated by Becca. This ordinarily wouldn’t bother me, because I think more than one point of view is a great way to get to know the characters, but in this case, I really disliked how they weren’t always labeled, and I had to go back and try and figure out who was narrating. There were also text messages between Tasha’s best friends, as well as some transcripts from Tasha and her therapist, and some from Becca and her therapist. There are entries from Tasha’s journal entries, too, so this book really gives you a good look at what’s going on with each of the girls. Essentially you are given small pieces of what is going on, little by little, and you get to figure out the mystery for yourself.

This, of course, makes this book a little bit difficult to review, because I don’t want to give the whole thing away.

“The fractures between us have proved to be fault lines we can’t repair and today has become a hellish nightmare. All that hate I never realized was there. And now this terrible thing has happened. I can’t quite comprehend it.”

One thing that I liked about this book that really set it apart is the fact Tasha is quite the unreliable narrator. Not only does she have no memory of things that happened the night she was pulled from the river, but she also seems like she might have ulterior motives, especially when she befriends Becca again. I enjoyed watching that whole situation unfold. She is likeable and not likeable at the same time, if that makes any sense.

Becca is another character that is both likeable and not likeable at the same time, and even though I finished this book a few days ago, to be completely honest I still don’t know how I felt about her. Parts of me wanted to love her, but other parts of me found her kind of…I don’t know, annoying, maybe? She was whiny at times and I guess that irked me. Okay, maybe most of the time. She also treated her best friend, Hannah, like she was nothing once Natasha stepped back into her life.

While it might seem like I really didn’t like the characters, at the same time, I think they really made the book. I honestly couldn’t imagine these characters any other way – they were truly complex and well suited for this book!

13 Minutes is full of twists and turns that I have to honestly admit that I never saw coming – I had no idea what was going to happen next, and I even tried to stop anticipating what was going to happen next because the author has a way of keeping you on your toes. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, my theory went right out the window. If you are a reader who likes to be surprised by what you’re reading, this is a great one to consider adding to your shelf.

I was originally a little wary of this book, since it is on a long list of titles similar to "Gone Girl," but this YA thriller with two female protagonists had me from Chapter 1. With alternating viewpoints and never truly knowing who to trust, I was glued to this book from the moment I picked it up. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy thrillers and teen drama.

“WE HAVE SECRETS TOGETHER NOW. WE SHOULD AT LEAST BE FACEBOOK FRIENDS.”

Pitched as “Mean Girls for the Instagram age,” 13 Minutes centers on a group of truly heinous British teens that are simply too vindictive to function.

Long gone are the days of secret carbo loading and trying to make “fetch” happen. Instead, we’re introduced to the “Barbies” — a trio of blonde BFFS — that take maintaining the high school hierarchy to a drastic new level.

Told through multiple POVs, newspaper articles, diary entries, police reports, and text messages, this twisted thriller provides a chaotic yet cohesive look into the night Queen Bee Natasha Howland went into the river — and died.

“I DON’T KNOW. WE’RE JUST MACHINES, AREN’T WE? I WAS DEAD FOR 13 MINUTES. THAT MUST MESS UP THE WIRING.”

After waking from a coma, Tasha finds herself in a hospital room filled with a detective, a psychiatrist, two relieved parents, and two “best friends” that seem less than pleased. Unable to piece together the timeline that lead to her drowning, Tasha recruits her former childhood bestie, Becca, to help put the issue to bed.

This 400+ page mystery is full of shocks and jarring turns that flow as fast as the river that swallowed up Tasha. But it’s the people rather than the pacing that really left a bad taste in my mouth. In fact the only reason I didn’t rate this higher was due to my hatred of every character involved — excluding book MVP, Biscuit.

I just couldn’t get myself to care about any of the girls based off their interactions with each other and themselves. I mean between Becca’s CONSTANT body shaming, Tasha’s consistent jabs at her friends, and the overall treatment of the only morally good character, Hannah, I honestly understood why someone might want to murder one of these girls. Okay, I’m obviously not on board with murder…but, if I can’t support any of the characters, I simply can’t 5-Star them either.

OVERALL…

Pinborough is able to weave a voyeuristic tale about the extremes people will go to for fame, fortune, and high school popularity. It’s a fast read with a few gotcha moments that ties together quickly in the end. Plus if you read it, we could totally be best friends forever.

Thank you so much to Flatiron Books for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from an unfinished proof and may change by final publication date.

Not being a regular mystery/thriller reader, I was a little worried going into this book that it was going to be a meh-type book. The synopsis is what initially pulled me in (described by The Times of London as “Mean Girls for the Instagram age.”). With a tagline like that, how could I not be intrigued?

One thing I noticed (and this is either because of the cultural differences between the US and the UK – or my warped memory of simpler high school days) but the characters seemed more adult than high school. Sex and drugs are very frequent activities for the main characters. That was a bit of a problem for me because this is a YA book and I like my YA to be a little less adult. It wasn’t enough, however, to pull me out of the story.

How about the characters?

Tasha – she’s the one who drowns in the river and is revived after 13 minutes. I’ll be blunt. I didn’t like her. She’s this whiny, spoiled, b****y Barbie right from the start, though she successfully covers it up for a lot of the book.

Becca – very insecure. Dumped by Tasha when the Barbie got popular then brought back in as confidant when Tasha suddenly can’t trust her Barbie best friends. She is clever, though. Most of the “detective” work done in this book seems to be done by Becca and she’s actually pretty good at it. I didn’t like how wishy-washy she was, though. When Tasha calls, Becca comes running and all but drops her friend, Hannah. Not cool. Which brings me to . . .

Hannah – doormat. I think she was the only really decent character in the book and she let Becca walk all over her. But, had she had more of a spine, she wouldn’t have played the part she needed to for this book. Well done, Hannah.

Hayley / Jenny – Barbies. Criminal masterminds? No. Scorned best friends? Yea. Somewhat psychotic? Absolutely. Hayley seems like at one point she was a normal person but Jenny is just a slut.

Aiden – Douche. Pawn, but douche.

The plot on this book was very well done, with the exception of a lull about 60% of the way through. Again, the lull worked in the story’s favor but I did get a little bored for a bit. Then little clues start popping up and everything really cranks up. Great ending. Creepy ending, but great! All in all, I enjoyed this book!

You know what kind of YA Mysteries I like best?? The DARK ones-- and 13 Minutes was pretty darn dark. I was surprised, creeped out, and all twisted up while reading this book.

Natasha is a Mean Girl who somehow winds up in the frigid water. Luckily, she's rescued and revived after being "dead" for 13 minutes. She doesn't remember the events that led her to be there, but her besties/minions are acting weird, and her ex-besties/current nobody Becca seems all too happy to jump in to help her figure shit out. Little by little the truth comes out, but that truth is wholly fucked up and costs more than Becca ever imagined.

I love reading about Mean Girls. I know it's overdone and cliché and all that, but there's something about a Mean Girl clique that just hooks me. This particular Mean Girl clique call themselves the Barbies-- and can you get more Plastic™ and awesome than that?? Also, I love reading about teenage friendship dynamics and how the hierarchy of high school puts certain people on pedestals.

Natasha was a character I won't soon be forgetting. I don't want to say too much about her because SPOILERS, but there was an intricate web that surrounded her, and as it unraveled she became someone that I was not quite expecting her to be. I also appreciated that it took one of her oldest friends to truly see what was happening and who Natasha really was. In life, your childhood friends know you before you learn to hide parts of yourself, and I enjoyed seeing that play out.

13 Minutes wasn't perfect though. It started out super slllooow, to the point where I almost put it down. If I didn't have a friend telling me that it got exciting, I probably would've DNF'd. It does pick up around 30% in, and once I got to that point my curiosity was peaked. Also, this book follows Becca a lot and she really wasn't my fave. For being the underdog, she wasn't as likable as I expected her to be. She's in a relationship for much of the book, and she spent a lot of that time obsessing over it. I really could've cared less about her loser boyfriend, Aiden, but she wouldn't shut up about him.

What I did like: The gritty realness of this book. There's drug use, and sex, and swearing, and it held nothing back. I love messed-upness, and there was plenty of it. Multiple twists and surprising reveals changed the tone of the book and kept me turning pages, making this a YES for me in the end.

OVERALL: After a slow start, this book became thrilling and addicting. It's a psychological mystery that had multiple twists and turns. The Mean Girls in this book could definitely rival the kind who wear pink on Wednesdays-- and they made this book all the more intriguing. I highly recommend this to YA Mystery lovers out there.

This title was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tasha was dead for 13 minutes before she was pulled from the freezing river. She was not suicidal, but she also does not remember anything that happened leading up to her going in to the river. She does start to remember that maybe she should start to distance herself from her two best friends Jenny and Haley.

Becca is shocked when she hears about Tasha almost dying. The pair haven't been close for many years, ever since Tasha became too cool to hang out with her any more. Her morals get the best of her though and she finds herself visiting Tasha in the hospital. Right away Becca observes fishy things happening with Jenny and Haley; something just doesn't seem right.

What actually happened to Tasha that night at the river? This novel is filled with so many twists and turns readers will be on the edge of their seats. Motives will be questioned and readers will not know who to trust. You may think you know what happened, but nothing is as it seems! A thriller mystery definitely for an older teen.

13 Minutes, by author Sarah Pinborough, is dark, psychological suspense novel featuring a cast of characters who will remind readers of Mean Girls. From the onset of the story, the author starts with a puzzling and disturbing mystery. For 13 minutes, Natasha Howland was all but dead, until she was found floating in a river. She claims to have no memories of what really happened up to the point of ending up in the river. She does remember getting a text message that night from a unknown number.

But, things just don't add up. Why was Tasha in the river in the first place? Did someone attack her and dump her body in the river hoping she wouldn't be found? Why would Tasha be the first person Tasha asks for upon waking up? Is Tasha part of what happened, or just a pawn in a hard core game where anything can happen, and usually does? The same Becca she hasn't been friends with since Tasha became beautiful and started her own groupies called the Barbies who are by all indications, mean girls. 

To top things off, Tasha becomes bitter cold towards her two best friends, and in fact, turns to her ex-best friend to discover the truth about what really happened. As with all of the authors plot lines, she loves to screw with readers heads. She is the queen of psychological thrillers. The author has chosen to write different POV's for each chapter, so you really have to pay attention as to who is telling the story. One could say that both Natasha and Rebecca are primary storytellers, especially since Becca gets dragged into a situation that she doesn't understand. In doing so, she ends up experiencing her own intrigue.

This isn't a story for the feint at heart. There's plenty of abuse of alcohol, drugs, and yes, sex. 13 Minutes is a twisted web of surprises and twists. Both main characters are unreliable as narrators, and truth be told, hard to actually like. The story is also told through text messages, psychiatrists notes, and police case notes. In the end, I'm not especially tolerant of characters who are mean girls, so this book ended up being just satisfactory for me.

Sarah Pinborough REALLY caught my attention with Behind Her Eyes (because, you know, #wtfthatending), and I was wondering if it was a one time deal, but after reading this book I actually want to go catch up on her entire back catalog of books. Yes, it was that good.

This YA story relies heavily on today’s use of social media and technology in bullying. I am both at once thankful that I grew up during a time when this didn’t exist yet, yet also extremely frightened for my children. I have read a great deal of studies recently how depression and suicide in teens has skyrocketed due to the use of social media, and this is a tale that exemplifies how technology plays a large role in teenage drama, albeit one to the very extreme.

Although I did figure out the twist, it was still a very entertaining read. If you’re someone who needs likable characters to enjoy a book, you may want to pass on this one! Everyone here is highly flawed, on different levels, which for me personally made for a highly dramatic read.

The ending wasn’t my favorite, but it definitely concluded in a Sarah Pinborough fashion.

This is technically classified as YA, but it contains some very mature themes - I would recommend it, but for mature adults only.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.