13 Minutes is the story of Natasha Howland and her two best friends, AKA The Barbies. They are the most popular girls in the school and all of the other girls envy them. The book begins with Natasha struggling to survive in an icy cold river in the middle of the night. Luckily she is saved by a passerby, but not before dying for 13 minutes. Upon waking up, she does not remember anything from her accident and begins to question what happened. With the help of her former best friend Becca she tries to answer the following questions: Why was she out in the middle of the night and how did she fall in the river? These are the questions you try to figure out the answers to as well as the story progresses.



I really enjoyed this book and found the plot to be really intriguing. Written as YA whodunit, the pace of the book was perfect and held my attention. The author did a fantastic job of making the characters familiar and relatable. Even if you weren't popular in high school (which I sure wasn't!), everyone still knows about "these kind of girls." The story kind of reminded me of "Mean Girls" meets "Scream." Natasha was just bitchy enough that you don't necessarily like her backstory, but you start empathizing with her because she seems like she's become a better person due to her close call with death.

I really enjoyed the Becca's parts of the book. I found her to be the most likable and she kind of reminded me of myself in school at times. Although she used to be one of "The Barbies" she seems to have found her own way without them but still internally struggles with the desire to be part of the popular crowd again.

This book also touches on an important issue for teens these days (God, I feel old even typing that line, lol!): the pressure of being popular not just in real life but also on social media. Kids seem to be obsessed at times with how many likes and re-tweets they can get on their posts and they seem so ready to believe what is posted online. Rumors used to be spread just through word of mouth in the hallways, but now rumors can reach hundreds and even thousands of people with a single tweet, post or Snapchat. The pressure to constantly portray the "perfect image" must be overwhelming at times.

3.5 Stars

'13 Minutes' is a dark and twisted young adult thriller that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. I'm a huge fan of these types of books and was immediately drawn in by the description. I can easily say that it didn't do the story justice at all. It makes the book sound much more two dimensional and simple than it turns out to be. The plot itself was intricate and fascinating with lots of red herrings and twists you don't see coming. I do have to say that there were parts of the story that felt like they drug on and slowed things down, which is never a good thing when it comes to a thriller. Another aspect I wasn't crazy about was the writing style. The story is told from multiple points of view and in varying contexts - some of it is done in the third person, following Becca, other parts are done from Natasha's first person account, and other parts are taken from case file notes from the police investigator, the psychologist, and even newspaper articles. It was an ambitious mix of writing styles and one that would be almost impossible to pull off for anyone, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong - I loved the variety and especially liked the added bonus of case notes and newspapers, but the way it all came together felt somewhat confusing and jumbled. There was a lot happening in the plot and with the storytelling, and (for me, at least) it got a bit overwhelming in spots and I got lost a bit. I can't really remark on the story line without giving anything away, and I don't want to ramble. As a fan of the genre, I really enjoyed the overall story, the characters, and the writing technique. I think fans of mysteries and thrillers will enjoy reading this one, because it's different from anything else out there right now, at least in certain ways (like the writing style). Although it wasn't a complete home run for me, I liked it and recommend it to fans of the genre.

Natasha dies for 13 minutes in a freezing river with no memory of how she got there, in this twisty psychological thriller full of betrayal, suspicion, scheming, and murder not everybody is who they seem.
While I personally didn't like the excessive cussing and some nasty scenes that weren't necessary, this book did have a great writing style and an amazing plot. I was blown away by the ending and really liked this book. 3.5 stars
Recommended for ages 16 & up
FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

13 Minutes, or I was dead for 13 minutes now I want to know why, by Sarah Pinborough was not exactly what I expected, but interestingly deep and twisty. While the story may have kicked off at the end of the crime and mystery, but the suspense and guessing continues throughout this entire book.

We follow multiple characters in 13 Minutes. You see multiple perspectives and how the threats and stress bare down on them. I liked the multiple viewpoints of this story because it showed a lot of different things we would not have been able to piece together without the knowledge. The story lines were well written and gave just enough detail to now drag out. My one major complaint is that the story felt like it was two stories in one. A little more detail or "fluff" could have been added in and this book split into two. At about the 60% mark, the story felt like it was coming to a close. The main climax had happened and it was as if I was reading an epilogue, but then it continued. This would have been the perfect place to split the story. It confused me and felt like too much. Too much in one story to have two mysteries happen back to back that way. I wished it had been split.

While I guessed the "ending", the continued story threw a big curve ball that kept the interest flowing. I loved that it was able to catch me off guard. However, with all the ups and downs and the false ending part way through the book, I felt the real ending was a bit of a let down. It ended abruptly and didn't really wrap things up in a nice ending, but didn't leave room for another book, in my opinion. I wanted more. I wanted to know how some of the other characters ended up.

With those disappointments in the layout of the book and the ending, I did enjoy the story. The mystery was riveting and kept me flipping pages. I would still consider more books by Sarah Pinborough and plan to check those out in the future. 13 Minutes is the perfect book for teenagers or young adults looking for a mystery/suspense novel.

Mean girls, all of them, but one even more so ? This YA thriller should be more. NA with its sex, drugs, and language. This book has lots of twists and turns ... The characters were not suppose to be likeable so it keeps you reading and , I think that's the way the author meant it, for her readers As in "Behind Her Eyes", the ending is enough in that you need to read the last chapter again to be sure you read it right.

This book was so good! I could see why they compared it to Mean Girls, this book is full of them. Even though it is hard to actually like these characters, I think how complex and interesting they are make up for it. I loved all the twists and turns this book had, it definitely kept me guessing and questioning each character's motive. I really enjoyed this book so much! If you like mysteries with a bunch of twists then this book is perfect for you!

First of all, let me just say my teenage years were spent in the 90's, and thank God there was no such thing as social media. I can't imagine how much worse high school could have been with Facebook and Twitter. The girls in 13 Minutes, however, don't have the luxury of the absence of social media.

I love YA SO MUCH and really enjoy mystery/thriller books, so this was the perfect combination for me and very well written. I was hooked from page one, and as the layers of the characters and events began unfolding, I realized there was so much more to this story than meets the eye.

The way 13 Minutes is told is different from most books I've read, and I appreciated this because of the unique way it allowed the reader to be taken along with the characters in figuring out what happened to Natasha, the girl who was found in an icy river which kicked off the novel.

I highly recommend 13 Minutes and am looking forward to reading more from this author. If I could give it ten stars, I would!

Well here I was patting myself on the back because I had it all figured out. Yeah, sure I did! Then I realize I'm only halfway through the book! Let me tell you the rest of the story blew me away!
In general, I stay away from "mean girl" books and movies although PLL did suck me in big time for years. I honestly can say that despite not caring a crap about any of the characters in the book, I had a very hard time putting this book down. It is a great twisty story and though listed as a YA book, I wouldn't recommend it to YA readers. Way too much sex, drugs, and lies for this parent's comfort level. This is definitely a book I'm passing on to my 20ish daughter who teaches these creatures that honestly at times I didn't even recognize as human beings. Through most of the story, my one thought as a parent would be the horror of knowing that you had birthed and raised some of these girls.
This is a book that is told from alternating POVs, diary entries and texts. Ordinarily this style would piss me off royally as it drags me out of the story but (and it kills me to say this) it works here. Had I know up front this was the writing style, I'd have probably walked away as I have from so many other YA books. I guess I'm just going to have to accept this style if I continue to read YA books but I don't have to like it. That said, I'm glad and scared that I enjoyed the ride.

When they pull Natasha out of the river, she's been dead for thirteen minutes. Thirteen dark, cold minutes. It's amazing the teenager even lives; in fact, it's just pure luck that a man and his dog stumble upon her and pull her from the river's icy clutches. Tasha, as she's known, has no memory of how she wound up in the river, but she knows it wasn't intentional on her part. In fact, she's pretty sure two of her closest friends, Hayley and Jenny, had something to do with it. The two seemed weird in the days leading up to the incident. The trio of beautiful, popular girls--known as "the Barbies" at school--were supposedly the best of friends. But after the accident, Tasha feels drawn to her former friend, Becca, whom she dropped in middle school. Becca isn't sure why Tasha is suddenly being so nice to her. Tasha isn't sure either. And no one is exactly sure how or why Tasha ended up in that river.

I've never read a novel by Sarah Pinborough before, and I was pretty impressed. She's a great writer, and she certainly knows how to capture the voice of the teenagers within the pages of her novel. I don't think I realized this book would be quite so YA, if that makes any sense. I kept waiting for there to be a bit more to the story than teenage politics, but it's truly sort of a Pretty Little Liars-type tale. That's not to say it's not well-done. It may have just been a tad bit young for me; still, it's an excellent novel and would be a truly wonderful read for most teens, too.

Part of the novel's brilliance comes in its format. It's told from the point of view of Becca and Tasha, but we also get excerpts from Tasha's diary; case files from the Inspector on Tasha's case; notes from Tasha's psychologist; texts between the teens; and more. I enjoyed the format, and it was quite effective at building suspense and tension.

Because, wow, yes, the book is certainly tense and compelling. You're constantly wondering how reliable our teenage narrators are and questioning everything that happens. Now, as mentioned, there's a lot of teenage drama. A LOT. These teens are truly a little scary, and this was yet another book that makes me a tiny bit frightened for my five-year-old daughters to grow up. My goodness. At times, I got a bit bogged down in all the teen antics, but it was still quite interesting.

Becca was definitely a bit of a kid, but I still liked her (for the most part). She was well-written, just a little young for me. Pinborough is truly amazing at getting in the head of these teenagers--capturing the pettiness, meanness, and honestly, sometimes the dumbness, of their mindset. But she also caught the brutal neediness behind some of their actions: that raw need of kids that age to fit in with their peers.

I had a decent idea how this one was going to play out pretty early on, but that didn't stop me from reading (as mentioned, I tore through this in about 24 hours). There's something oddly compelling about this book and its characters. Pinborough weaves in The Crucible as a backdrop--it's the school play--which is a really clever move, as there are a lot of parallels between said drama and the melodrama unfolding among Tasha, Hayley, and Jenny.

Overall, this novel really just hinges on the duality of the hatefulness and vulnerability of teenagers. It may come across as a little too YA and predictable for some adults, but I can't deny that it's well-written and crisp. It's hard to like some of the characters, but I think it would make a great book for teens (albeit it's rather freaking scary). I was leaning toward 3.5 stars before writing this review, but I think I'll do 3.75 and bump up to 4 stars here on Goodreads (that's not complicated at all, right? Perhaps fitting for this complicated and twisty novel).

This book was very well written. It would definitely compar to an adult mystery thriller. Great story line and very twisted. I definitely did not see that coming! Not from 16 year old girls. What a crazy twist. This was a really good book which I read in 5 days. I really enjoyed it and was pulled in. I wanted to read when I was not supposed to be reading! Thank you for a really great mystery.

Summary from Goodreads:  
 
I was dead for 13 minutes.
I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.
They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?
My thoughts:
The premise alone had me jumping for the chance when I saw this book on Netgalley.  It sounded amazing!  Sadly, for me it had issues.  Mostly I think I just hated most of the characters and clichés.  You had the three Barbies- Jenny, Hailey, and their leader Natasha. When Tasha is discovered in a freezing river one morning, she is dead for 13 minutes.  Upon being revived she can't remember how she got there or why.
Pulling on the heartstrings and insecurities of Becca, the once BFF that was thrown over for not fitting the image she wanted to project at school, she convinces her to play the other Barbies.  Convinced that Hailey and Jenny meant to hurt Tasha, Becca will do anything to help her old friend prove it- when her boyfriend becomes entangled in the investigation, she is only more determined.  The mystery, and Tasha, consumes her to the point that she pushes away her true friend Hannah.
It was hard to get past all the stereotypes- the "mean" popular girls, the insecure loner that longs for her old life, and the mousy doormat that wants to please everyone.  Now, Tasha and Becca, sharing the narrative of the book, are a bit better fleshed out, but it wasn't great in my opinion.  None of the characters were likeable and I simply couldn't feel for Tasha.  The plot and writing style were great, I loved how the author divided the narrative so that you not only got insight into the girls but news clips and pieces from Detective Bennet.  I felt like the plot was great, though there were parts that were, as I said, just a bit cliché.  Between that and the characters this is a three star book for me... barely.  
On the adult content scale, there is sexual content, drug use, language and some violence.  I would consider this for older teens 16 and up.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: For 13 minutes, Tasha Howland lies drowned and frozen to death in the river. Rescued, by chance, by a man walking his dog, Tasha is resucitated but can't remember the events leading up to her death. As she begins to regain her memory, she realizes that her two best friends might know more than they're letting on. So, Tasha rekindled her friendship with her friend Becca so they can take the investigation into their own hands. But, as we all know, not everything is as it appears.

Just, wow. I haven't seen or read "Pretty Little Liars" but I've learned the general gist of the show through my students and friends who shamefacedly admit to watching the addicting show. The first half of this book reminded me of that show.

Jealous, scheming, spoiled 16 year old girls who are so conniving that they'd wish death upon one another. Ages ago this would be seem like something out of a movie but, as we all know, this storyline isn't totally far-fetched any longer. It's very realistic and incorporates enough of today's social media and habits to be plausible.

This entire book is gritty and suspenseful and, even when I thought I'd figured it out, I didnt. Although considered a "young adult" book, it's open to a much older audience. I can safely say this is not appropriate for a junior high classroom (dang it, too, because I wanted to tell my students about it) due to a couple rather explicit sex scenes--one, in particular. I'd almost suggest to Pinborough that the details aren't necessary and she could probably scale it back a bit so the book could be recommended to 13 and 14 year olds as I think they'd get it, too.

As a woman having gone through high school, I liked Becca's character because we've ALL been her at some point in our lives--losing a best friend over something petty, not understanding how love works (do we ever fully learn that anyway), and sending texts out of rage or sadness.

***SPOILER ALERT***

I was disappointed halfway through the book because it felt like it had all just... ended, so neatly. This didn't satiate my love for books that are thrillers. I couldn't understand how or why my Kindle said that I was only 51% through the book when it was "solved."

Well, readers, don't fret. It's because it WASN'T over. Far. From. It.

The final ending was odd... a little too "magical realism" for me and that didn't fit with everything else. I think Becca being dragged to the surface would have sufficed and almost left readers guessing more.

Well done Sarah Pinborough. I look forward to reading other books by you.

13 Minutes was a massive thrill ride. It flipped on its head and took me on a twisted journey of betrayal and growing madness. I don’t think I’ve read a book where I hated all the characters, but still loved the book, but this one masters the idea that having unlikeable characters isn’t always a bad thing.

What I loved about this book:

This is the first ya thriller I have read that felt like a real thriller
Just when you think the book is coming to an end you realize it is only halfway through and there are many things that have yet to come to life that change everything
That even the one character you kinda like at first ends up being a person you would never like in real life
The writing sucks you into this demented storyline and makes you think that you have to know just a little bit more until you reach the conclusion
It felt like I was watching some sort of heart-stopping horror film that is very good with its camera angles
Partly told via text, diary entries, and regular text, everything mixes together so well that the whole thing becomes amazingly satisfying
13 Minutes is an affair you will never forget. When your dead and want to know why then you gotta know that the killer is never quite who you think it is.

A suspenseful read with an unexpected denouement. See my review and a possible cast for this book on https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/.

Sarah Pinborough is one of the reigning queens of the thriller, right up there with Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins. Her other title, Behind Her Eyes, released earlier this year, and I was skeptical of its promotional hashtag of #wtfthatending. It was so unbelievably accurate I was blown away. So, having loved that book, I knew I had to get my hands on 13 Minutes.

Tasha is technically dead for 13 minutes when she is pulled from the freezing river and revived. No one knows how she ended up there or if it was foul play. The story switches between viewpoints, and is such a good whodunit, with lots of threads leading to dead ends. No matter where you think the story is going, you’ll be wrong. It’s just a given, and that’s what I adore about Pinborough’s books.

The more I thought about this book as I was reading it and after I finished, the more I thought it was comparable in nature to Kimberly McCreight’s Reconstructing Amelia. The characters are young, there’s been a horrible crime committed, and they both use technology (e.g. texting) to convey parts of the story.

This book is taught with teen angst. The frenemie relationships are so well plotted that this will keep you turning the pages.

Sarah Pinborough is a master of description! I was hooked from the first sentence of this book and felt like I was fighting for my life just as Natasha was. The descriptions of the water and her fear/panic made me feel like I was in her position even though I was sitting on my couch under a blanket. I actually had to stop reading because I had to get my breathing under control. I could have done without the school drama that the book switched over to as soon as the drowning portion was over. It was all very "she said this" and "she'll never have any friends or a boyfriend". Although it was a bit annoying, I can understand why the author focused so heavily on this during the course of the book because it helped the reader to understand the intricacies of the relationships. It would be difficult to comprehend where Becca is coming from with regards to Natasha unless the reader is able to know why their friendship ended and what happened afterwards.
My impatience proved to be my downfall while I was reading this book. I thought that I had everything figured out by the time that I got to page 50 which made me want the author to hurry the writing along so that I could know for sure. I should have known better than to think that the author would have given everything away that quickly and easily. There are many twists and turns during the course of this book that will leave your head spinning. I shouldn't have doubted the author because she crafted quite the tangled web. I loved how the book ended. It wasn't as simple as I thought it would be. It was a darker plot than I thought and I enjoyed the twists and turns involved. When everything was explained, it all made so much sense and made me love the book so much more!

If you love a fast-paced, shocking thriller, then 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough is sure to fit the bill. The storytelling is perfect for this type of novel, and keeps the reader involved right up until the end. What makes this book particularly exciting, however, are the characters who are relatable and all too recognizable in your typical high school.

When a book moves quickly, it is usually hard to set down, making it the perfect nail-biter. 13 Minutes is definitely one that will keep you page-fipping as the story moves in different directions. Pinborough definitely knows how to engage a reader and keep the plot moving.

The way in which the book is laid out is essentially what turns a suspenseful book into something that the reader can feel involved in. 13 Minutes is told in multiple POVs, journal entries, and newspaper clippings. It feels as though the reader is helping to piece the puzzle together along with the characters.

The realistic nature of this thriller is what will absolutely send shivers up your spine. The cliques, the mean girls, the bullies, and the victims are all present and accounted for in this high school murder mystery. Natasha is one of those dislikable mean girls, while Becca is an old cast-away friend of Natasha’s. Pinborough seems to get into the mindset of these girls, making their actions even more chilling with their relatability.

Fans of the thriller genre are sure to enjoy 13 Minutes. Although it is a YA novel, some of the content is definitely geared to a more mature audience. I would recommend it to those who enjoy an edgy high school thriller that will keep you on your toes.

13 Minutes is a YA psychological thriller that will once again prove that teenage girls can be the worst. Tasha is the pretty, popular girl that wakes up from a traumatic event with no memory of what happened to her. She begins to suspect her best friends had something to do with it and reaches out to her former friend, Becca, for comfort and for help. Along with the mystery of what really happened to Tasha, there is some major teenage girl drama going on. The relationships between the girls, Becca and her boyfriend, and the high school popularity hierarchy were all explored. Can I say this again? Teenage girls can be the worst. I don’t really want to say too much more about the actual plot because I think it’s best to go in without a lot of information.

I really liked the formatting of the story. The chapters alternate from the POVs of Tasha, Becca, and the man that rescues Tasha in the beginning of the book. There are also excerpts from Tasha’s journal, counseling sessions between a doctor with Tasha and the same doctor with Becca, newspaper articles, text threads, and excerpts from the detective’s notes. I thought all of these were used very effectively and helped keep up the suspense.

Overall, I enjoyed 13 Minutes. I thought the characters were very well done and loved the formatting. It was definitely one of the better YA suspense books I’ve read. It reminded me a lot of another one that I really liked, but I don’t want to say which one because the twists are very similar and it would give too much away. Speaking of the twist, I did figure things out well before they were revealed, but it was still fun to see how everything came together. I have to admit that I was just a little disappointed, though. After the great twist ending in Behind Her Eyes by this author, I was expecting a little something extra at the end of this one, but there wasn’t. I think fans of YA suspense will enjoy it, though.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

This book was amazing. Like many of you I have found recently that the more psychological thrillers you read the harder it becomes to give you that shock and suspense, there are things that you start to pick up on too quickly and end up spoiling the end result for yourself. Since I went into this book without reading any of the details again I didn’t have that expectation of what to look for and this meant that the build of tension was spot on for me.

Whilst I won’t say too much about the storyline what I will say is that I was hooked from the first page and didn’t want to be pulled away from the book at all. It really was edge of your seat and just when you think that things are beginning to work themselves out something else pops up to make you question everything that you’ve discovered so far.

The story is told through a variety of different means, from Natasha’s perspective through her journal, from Becca’s perspective, from newspaper clippings, text messages and police reports. Using these different styles added to the idea that you were piecing the story together as you went along and also gave the reader the advantage of seeing things from another viewpoint which added to the mystery.

The author did a brilliant job with the characters, I could easily see some of the people I went to school with in each of them. I think as well that’s what makes this book at times so chilling is that it deals with the psyche of teenage girls and how ruthless and unforgiving they can be, scary stuff.

I really can’t recommend this book enough, it left me on the edge of my seat with that tingly feeling that you get when your hairs stand on end. With clear writing and clever storytelling, it is a book that gets in your head, even if you are not the biggest fan of psychological thrillers you should give this book a shot.