Reviews

Thirteen Cents by K. Sello Duiker

alexlaurelhoffman's review against another edition

4.0

This book was written in a way that made it very easy to read, despite it's content being so disturbing and depressing that you'd think it should be difficult to read. This is the story of a 12-year-old street child in Cape Town who survives by prostituting himself. It is a devastating an poignant tale about the corruption and manipulative practices of the adult world set in a place that I actually know very well. Perhaps because I know Cape Town and, in particular Sea Point (where most of the novel is set), this story is especially striking to me. When we think of Cape Town, we normally think of beautiful beaches and mountains, but Duiker introduces us to the heartbreaking underworld of Cape Town - in which a young boy must sell his body in order to survive and gets addicted to drugs sold to him by a prostitute living under a bridge. This is a horrible reality that no one wants to think about - a story that often cannot be told by those who actually live it. The ending is rather confusing, but, overall, I thought this was a very good book.

daveenabadyal's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.75

This book is extremely powerful as it unflinchingly exposes the harsh truths of living on the streets of Cape Town. 
Reading it felt very intense and uncomfortable but also important.
The use of the first person narrative voice was a brilliant one, as was the choice of narrator (a 12 year old boy).

There were moments of the book (particularly in the second half) that confused me quite a bit. I feel like this was done intentionally, to demonstrate the effects of the mental stress that Azure was under. However, for me, it did interrupt the 'flow' of the reading experience and take me out of the story a bit.

carysjw's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

tanman10's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

msxgodi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

arowingboat's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

felicityebhaslin's review against another edition

A fast but grim read. I felt numb after putting this down. Certainly not for the tender-hearted.

jess_hope's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

phumlani's review against another edition

4.0

This is the second book by K Sello Duiker i read and like Quiet Violence Of Dreams, i find it quite disturbing and boundary pushing. I enjoyed it immensely and would not recommend it to any one who is sensitive.
The 13 year old character goes through a lot of hardship and pain, the scenes make you stop reading and digest what actually happens and leaves you feeling fortunate to be living the life you're living. A brilliant book written by a seemingly troubled soul.

jennalily's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated