'13 Hangmen’ tells the story of a thirteen-year-old boy who is left a house, #13 at Hangman Court to be precise, on his thirteenth birthday. Tony, a mystery-obsessed kid, slowly discovers that generations of Hagmanns have tried to come into possession of #13 at one time or another, and the current Hagmann living next door is no different. So Tony is finally given a real-life mystery to solve – not that he wanted one in which he has to prove his father innocence after Michael is accused of murdering Angelo Di Marco, the previous owner of #13 Hangman Court. Even more surprisingly, for Tony, he is aided in his quest by Angelo di Marco himself, that is, the thirteen-year-old Angelo di Marco.
Tony is just a regular, overweight kid, with a regular family, thrown into a not-so-regular situation and he is more than charismatic enough to take the reader with him in his encounters with his ancestor and other former residents of #13 Hangman Court. Each and every one of the kids Tony meets brings his own story with a Hagmann and, together, they unveil the mystery of the house. Combining fantasy and North American history to a bit of adventure, Art Corriveau has composed a compelling book for young adult readers aiming for an escape from paranormal romances and is a breath of fresh air within the category: no orphan boy/girl trying to save the world this time. The insight into American History is particularly appealing, even though Corriveau makes use of this artistic freedom to add a bit of shine here and there.
The only drawback was found in the continuity of the plot. The events of the concluding chapters bring some passages that subtly contradict the mechanics of interaction among the kids which was established in the first meetings between Tony and Angelo.
All in all, a very fun, quick read, particularly recommended for boys – since girls take such a small part of the narrative.
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