by Liz Hyder
Published in 2022
14+ years
Suggested age group
Dark Fantasy | Mystery | Nature Horror
Genre
What is The Twelve by Liz Hyder about?
The Twelve explores hidden secrets, folklore and survival in a haunting historical fantasy.
Discover our Review and Summary of The Twelve by Liz Hyder
Imagine a world in which a group of magical beings live, where a strange disappearance takes place in the dead of night, and two teenagers try to save the present and the future. At the centre of these mysteries and chaos lies The Twelve.
Kit and Libby are sisters and live with their mum. They have a typical sibling love-and-hate relationship. Libby has always truly believed in magic, but to her family it is amusing and funny. One night, Libby becomes annoyed by this and decides to leave, determined to prove that magic is real. But Kit tries to stop Libby in vain. Libby does not give in, leaving Kit with no choice but to follow her. That night, an unexplained, puzzling event happens, leaving Kit shocked and Libby nowhere to be seen.
Libby’s identity is gone. She is not in the present, not in past memories – she has simply vanished into thin air, as if she has never existed.
What is next for the two sisters?
My favourite part in this book is when Kit journeys through a magic gateway in pursuit of Libby. The discoveries she makes expands my already unbound imagination. You have to read this book to experience the thrill!
Is The Twelve Worth Reading?
Overall, I loved reading this book and felt connected to all the characters because the way they were described was amazing. It was a very hard to choose one favourite character, as it would do an injustice to all the characters that build up this story. The author has used great expressions and descriptions, which make the story come to life.
The storyline is really interesting, with a major plot twist at the end. For these reasons, this book deserves a 5/5 rating, and I recommend it to anyone who likes reading fantasy with a touch of mild horror.
If you enjoy horror/suspense stories, you may also like:
The Women in Black by Susan Hill, which explores fear, grief and revenge through a haunting ghost story.
Bite Risk by S.J. Wills, a fast-paced teen horror story exploring survival, fear and friendship.
Dread Wood Series by Jennifer Killick, a teen horror book series combining mystery, survival and suspense.