Setting in 13 Treasures

 

     Being properly introduced to a setting is very important when reading a book. It sets the ground work where the whole story takes place. The setting can have a great impact on the plot and how the story unfolds. Depending on the location of the setting, a book can have certain tones and the characters can be affected. If the setting is unclear or not specific, it can be hard to get a grasp on things that occur in the story. Lucky for me, 13 Treasures  has a well explained setting that I have a good image of. I can also tell the impact it is having on the plot.

 

     The story takes place at Tanya's grandmothers huge property. The manor she lives in is old and full of fairies which causes conflict with Tanya. On page 20 the massive house is described, "There was no question that it would have been an impressive view when it was first built in the late eighteenth century. It had close to twenty bedrooms - not including the old servants' quarters - and almost as many parlors and sitting rooms, once decorated lavishly. Had it been properly maintained, it would probably still be beautiful." From this quote we can understand the size of the house and get a feel of its old worn down look. The inside of the house is described equally as well. Tanya's room is depicted on page 23, "The carpet was threadbare, and the walls were covered in lavender paper that was peeling off in some places." The reader can tell, from the many descriptions in the book, that Tanya's grandmother lives in a grand house that she has been unable to keep up.

 

     Hangman's Woods is the forest next to the house which is also an important part to the story. Many secrets lie with in these woods. A strange gypsy woman lives alone in the middle of the forest, and Tanya learns about a girl who went missing almost fifty years ago in there. Also Tanya's dog, Oberon, runs away so she and Fabian run after him into the collection of trees and end up getting lost. Warwick finds them and warns them about the dangers of the woods and that they are never to go back into there but the kids don't know why. Hangman's Woods is described on page 74, "Gradually the trees grew thicker, taller, and closer together. It was cool and dark between them, and small creatures rustled the undergrowth as passed through and disturbed them." From this we can already start to see why Tanya and Fabian aren't allowed into the woods. However, from the mystery about these woods, I feel like Tanya will venture back and uncover the secrets she is dying to figure out.