Thirteen

As an adolescent, I got a copy of this book - a library discard - and read it so many times, I lost track... In the third book of the "Kobie" series, 13-year-old Kobie is at odds with the world. She desperately wants to be pretty and popular, but her mother won't buy her the things she wants. To make matters worse, it probably wouldn't help anyways, because everywhere she goes, Kobie seems to make social gaffes. Even though her best friend Gretchen swears to stick by her, Kobie feels a distance begin as Gretchen quickly gets pulled into the "in crowd." At the beginning of the book, the two girls and their families spent two weeks at the beach, per their tradition. During that time, Kobie felt the magic of finally turning thirteen, and believed that eighth grade would be a real turning point for her. She keeps holding that memory and feeling in her mind to strive for, but somehow, the wisdom Kobie felt sure she'd find eludes her. Then, during Thanksgiving weekend, Gretchen is in a horrific car crash. Although she survives, her injuries - both physical and emotional - result in her being homeschooled for the rest of the school year. For the first time in her life, Kobie must face her fears and make the most of her time at school...whatever that may bring.

This book is one of my all-time favorites. Kobie is just so REAL!! I saw so much of myself in her. It even took place in the county I live in. The book was poignant at times, hilarious at others. I have read and re-read it many times over. "Fourteen and Holding" and "Fifteen at Last" are also great. I only wish the series had continued into sixteen and seventeen and beyond...

The "Kobie" series by Candice Ransom is one that I have enjoyed for almost 15 years. All the books in this series are funny and smart, far from condescending to the young reader, and yet still manage to retain their entertainment value to an adult. I am currently in the process of collecting all of them for my future daughter, and would recommend them to any young reader or parent.

I first got this book when I was 11 years old at a school book fair. I am now almost twenty and it is still my favorite book, along with Pride and Prejudice, because both books' heroines are so easy to relate to. I have read Thirteen so many times that my copy is about to fall apart. The story is hilarious, and at times painfully real. The main character, Kobie, is exactly the way I was in junior high. She's not pathetic, but not popular, always observant enough to be herself. The story can be a comfort to any adolescent and nostalgic to any adult. Hey, I brought it with me to college, for goodness sake, so it must be worth something. I recommend it for any woman.

I'm a regular 18 yr-old who has read Thirteen more than thirteen times. I picked it up when I was that age, and i still love it. It's humor and wit, makes it an enjoyable book for all ages to read. My favorite character was Kobie, and I totally related to her struggles of living day by day as a teenager. Especially during her fear of losing a best friend, to the ego we call "popularity", fitting in with the "crowd",and having to deal with the everyday nagging of moms'. This book is great for anyone, anytime, anywhere. I totally recommend it, and I garantee you woln't be dissapointed. If they made a movie about this book, I would die to play Kobie. No joke.